When it launched its very first 0311 iron in 2015, PXG not only announced itself as a brand-new golf club manufacturing company, it pioneered a whole new golf club subgenre. Quite a debut.
The O.G. PXGs consisted of a hollowed-out clubhead that engineers then filled with a polymer substance. Not only did the polymer help fine-tune the impact sound, it also helped both stabilize the clubface, accentuate perimeter weighting and transfer energy to the ball efficiently, giving golfers more distance and forgiveness than traditional solid-headed irons tended to offer.
Available as of August 7, PXG's brand-new 0311 GEN7 P and 0311 GEN7 XP irons represent the Scottsdale-based brand's highest achievements to date in terms of iron distance, forgiveness and feel for a wide swath of the golf market.
All about PXG's new 0311 GEN7 irons
PXG has been disciplined in their releases since 2015's first-generation 0311 iron. Most OEMs release new models like clockwork every year in order to match the overall sales rhythms of the industry. PXG keeps things looser; founder and CEO Bob Parsons is adamant that his company only releases new clubs when they feel they have achieved a noticeable improvement on the previous iteration. More than 16 months passed between the GEN6 and GEN7 release; PXG feels the wait will be worthwhile.
The book on the GEN7 P and XP irons centers on three key technology upgrades. Perhaps the most significant is what's inside the clubheads: a new proprietary polymer called QuantumCOR that is more reactive than PXG's previous formulations. This substance, combined with PXG's clubfaces, patented to be the thinnest in golf, helps push the C.O.R. (coefficient of restitution) figures to the USGA limit of .843 for the first time. In short, the GEN7 iron face is as hot as is permitted under current golf club regulations.
With the thin clubface and interior polymer essentially maxed out on the distance front, PXG's other two tech advancements in the 0311 GEN7 irons are forgiveness-focused. The first is the introduction of a lighter-weight titanium twist-in insert in the back of the clubhead. Titanium being lighter than the steel of the iron's body, this allows for 5 grams' weight savings, which have been distributed to the perimeter of the clubhead.
One key bit of weight redistribution in the GEN7 irons comprises a new 20-gram tungsten toe weight meant to fine-tune the center of gravity and boost MOI, the overall measure of a golf club's forgiveness. According to PXG's internal testing, the 0311 GEN7 P iron's MOI rating is up 3% over its GEN6 counterpart. This may sound like a small improvement, but it contributes to a reduction in dispersion area of 33% over the 0311 GEN6 P iron.
PXG 0311 P vs. 0311 XP irons
Appealing to a wide handicap range, the 0311 P iron has occupied a sweet-spot in PXG's iron offerings since the company started rolling out distinct classifications. Closest in heritage to the original 0311, it seeks to serve the largest part of the bell curve of golf skills, with some slight bias towards the middle and lower handicap ranges. It often serves as the jumping-off point in custom club fittings on which the company bases much of its sales. The 0311 GEN7 P irons fall into standard loft and offset ranges for mid-handicappers' irons; standard pitching wedge loft is 44 degrees.
The 0311 XP iron continues to appeal more to higher-handicap golfers, with a longer and more offset clubhead with about 5% more MOI than the P model. A slightly thicker topline gives golfers more perceived room for error. Standard loft in the XP's pitching wedge is 41 degrees.
PXG 0311 GEN7 P irons: my quick review
In June, I had the chance to preview PXG's new GEN7 irons for a couple of days at Scottsdale National Golf Club. The experience was along the lines of PXG's super-high-roller $30,000 SNGC Xperience, which combines a full-bag fitting with a couple of days immersion at the exclusive private club PXG founder and CEO Bob Parsons has owned since 2013. one of PXG's fitters worked with me to fine-tune my specs, and less than 24 hours later I had a new set of GEN7 P irons to try out.
Overall, I was very impressed with the 0311 P irons. They are much larger than the more blade-style irons I'm used to but after playing several holes with them, I found the feel to be very good, distance to be about half a club longer than my gamers (PXG 0311 GEN4 ST) and trajectory to be about 10 feet higher than I am used to. As a scratch player, I am not sure I am inclined to switch the full set of irons into my bag, but as someone who tends to struggle with longer irons, I can envision putting the 0311 GEN7 P 4 iron into play on certain courses as something of a driving iron.
Ultimately, I would recommend any golfer from about an 8 handicap and up to consider these irons if they are in the market.
New PXG irons: other notes
Part of PXG's decade-long journey in golf club manufacturing has been experimentation, especially on novel clubmaking processes. In many cases, these departures from the norm have been expensive, but over time, when PXG has stood by some of these more involved steps, they have found ways to make them more efficient and, therefore, less expensive when costs get passed along to consumers.
One example of this is PXG's Xtreme Dark finish. Using a Diamond-like carbon (DLC) coating process, the Xtreme Dark finish differs from other companies' dar finishes in that it is a distinct coating placed on the iron, rather than mere plating. This changes the surface of the irons themselves, significantly reducing the potential for wear over time. This process used to add upwards of $100 to the cost of each iron, bumping the set price up $500 or more. Starting with the 0311 GEN7 P and XP irons, the Xtreme Dark finish costs just $10 more per iron. The reduction in glare and enhanced durability makes this a more attractive option for golfers than ever.
PXG 0311 GEN7 P irons: $229.99 per club
PXG 0311 GEN7 XP irons: $229.99 per club
Stock prices listed; custom/upcharge Xtreme Dark finish, shafts and grips available through in-person fittings and through PXG.com.
PXG's new iron release includes a third model: Black Ops, which adopts its name from the company's current line of drivers and fairway woods. This new set of irons is slightly lower-priced but still includes an impressive list of PXG's tech points, aimed at a similar mid- to high-handicap market as the XP iron range. The Black Ops irons also feature a hollow-body construction with a dual cavity that uses the XCOR2 polymer that featured in PXG's GEN5 and GEN6 irons. The 431 stainless steel body of the iron features PXG's patented .05" thin face and is robotically polished.
Strong distance and forgiveness are the attractions here; Black Ops irons have a slightly thicker topline and slightly more offset than the GEN6 XP iron. Pitching wedge loft is 42 degrees.
PXG Black Ops irons: $149.99 per club
