The shaft length of wedges

[Hamerhaai]

New to this forum so hi all! 

I've played for a year now and always played with a poor set. I've just took over a set of TaylorMade RSi2's (4-Pw). As I'm 6'4 the clubs are 1 inch longer (once got measured at an open day somewhere and this is right for me). 

So this is the setup with lengths: 

Nr - std - plus1inch
i4 - 38,25 - 39,25
i5 - 37,75 - 38,75
i6 - 37,25 - 38,25
i7 - 36,75 - 37,75
i8 - 36,25 -36,25
i9 - 35,75 - 35,75
Pw - 35,5 - 36,5

I don't have the sets Aw (50) and Sw (56), but the standard length for those are:
Aw - 35,5 - 36,5 (same as Pw)
Sw - 35,25 - 36,25 

I do have 2 Cleveland RTX3.0 wedges in 50 and 56. Standaard length for those: 
50 wedge - 35,25
56 wedge - 35,125

These are not extended, and if I extend them with 1 inch they would become: 
50 wedge - 36,25 (0,25 shorter than in the set)
56 wedge - 36,125 (a marginal 0,125 shorter than in the set) 

I have searched/read a lot about lengthening clubs, but not necessarily about the extension of the wedges, and if the wedges also need to be extended (and match) with the iron set or not. Also because you sometimes grip the wedges shorter.

Also, anyone familiar with putting +1 inch on a RTX3.0? Is a wedge not normally more sensitive to changes in lie (as a result of the +1 in length)? 

And, if I lengthen the 50 and 56, should I lengthen +1 inch, or match the length as if it were the clubs in the standard RSi2 set? (marginal difference though)

Would love to hear some of your opinions on this topic. 

Greetings, 
Hamerhaai (the Netherlands)

 

Edited July 28, 2018 by Hamerhaai

[Piz]

Welkom...I'd pay attention to the lie angle and club head weight.  My 54 and 58 are identical (except the loft) and are shafted the same.  My PW and GW weigh the same (291 grams) but the PW is 1 degree flatter.  It isn't necessary to have the same even intervals in the wedges that one finds in the lower lofted irons.  My GW, SW, and LW, are all the same length...the only difference being that the shaft tips are trimmed a bit more, on the SW and LW, to compensate for the heavier heads.  The wedges, to my thinking, are a set to themselves rather than an extension of the irons.

[Hamerhaai]

39 minutes ago, Piz said:

The wedges, to my thinking, are a set to themselves rather than an extension of the irons.

Thanks for your reply. 

That's what I was thinking when considering lengthening them. However, when playing from the fairway within the yardage of my Pw I don't want to top them because of shorter shaft length (in case 1,25 and 1,375 inch) than my Pw (and other irons). 

I'm in doubt. 

[Piz]

Another thing to consider is the profusion of wedges over the decades.  Time was a set had two: a pitching wedge and a sand wedge.  It was okay, back then, to maintain half inch increments.  That is no longer advisable when the bag might have 4 or 5 wedges in it.

[Hamerhaai]

1 hour ago, Hamerhaai said:

Nr - std - plus1inch
i4 - 38,25 - 39,25
i5 - 37,75 - 38,75
i6 - 37,25 - 38,25
i7 - 36,75 - 37,75
i8 - 36,25 - 37,25
i9 - 35,75 - 36,75
Pw - 35,5 - 36,5

Did this wrong in first post, but you probably got it. 

So, advice would be to approuch the wedges as a separate category as the irons and play 'm like that? In order to don't mess up lie, weight etc.? 

Any other with the same experience (problem)? 

[Hamerhaai]

Is adding 1 inch to my Cleveland RTX 3.0 50 and 56 to be advised? I think (after being on the range and playing a 18 holes par3 course today) I had some trouble hitting the ball correct without adjusting my swing. With the much shorter length I topped it a few times and when hitting it correct it didn't felt controlled. 

Some experiences here with the same problem? What to do? 
1. add 1 inch to the wedges
2. learn how to play with different shaft lengths 

Greetings, much appreciated, 

[1badbadger]

I would definitely recommend extending your wedges as well.  My suggestion would be to continue stepping down the wedges in .25" increments.  So it would look like this:

9 ir - 36.75"

PW - 36.5"

50* - 36.25"

56* - 36"

I've always felt this makes the set flow better in the short irons and wedges as opposed to the PW and GW being the same length, then a step-down to the SW.  Does that make sense?

As far as wedges being more sensitive to changes in lie angle, I'm not exactly sure what you mean by that. 

[Hamerhaai]

2 hours ago, 1badbadger said:

50* - 36.25"

56* - 36"

Does that make sense?

Yes it does, thank you! Probably this week set foot in a shop to get this fixed. If the guy there doesn’t fight it or recommends different. 

2 hours ago, 1badbadger said:

As far as wedges being more sensitive to changes in lie angle, I'm not exactly sure what you mean by that. 

I believe I had read somewhere that a higher loft is more sensitive to a wrong lie angle (as a result of adding an inch to the shaft). The flight distance compensates this deviation, but it’s relatively more off target.

[Moxley]

My son has a club with pw like loft that's about half a metre long, hit it more consistently than any of my own standard or +1/2 inch wedges.