When most people think of PXG irons, they think of the screws/rivets that debuted with the brand and were a part of the company's flagship irons for its first three generations.
With the fourth-gen 0311 irons, however, PXG is making a fundamental change in how those screws are employed, and the end result is a simpler look that belies a new technology called XCOR that the company feels performs better.
PXG's 0311 irons have sported a hollow-body construction since the beginning, and they've been filled with polymers to help dial in sound and feel to appeal to golfers. In Gen4, however, PXG is introducing a wholly new polymer that they call XCOR that they say is superior to anything they've produced.
The company says XCOR is its softest injected polymer while simultaneously having the highest coefficient of restitution (COR) of their iron models to deliver more energy back to the ball at impact and increase ball speeds. XCOR flexes to increase ball speeds while also being more efficient and providing the support needed for the irons' 1.5 mm-wide face to perform and not deform.
The most noticeable change in Gen4, however, is on the back of the muscleback-looking head. There are now just five weight screws in the back of the head, with four of the smaller rivets we're accustomed to seeing and one bigger screw in the center bottom of the back. The two on the toe are made of tungsten, while the two on the heel are made from titanium, moving center of gravity toward the toe. The big weight dials in whether a golfer needs more weight for maximum forgiveness or a lighter weight to help pop ball speed. None of the weights are adjustable by the consumer.
As with Gen3, there are three models -- 0311 T, 0311 P and 0311 XP -- that are fundamentally the same in terms of their differences and audiences. All three are made from 8620 soft carbon steel, forged five different ways. The back of each head is CNC milled for exact specs that are thinned out as much as possible.
The 0311 T is the most compact of the three, and the T stands for "Tour." It's meant for players who would be comfortable hitting true blades but are looking for some forgiveness. The 0311 P is the middle-of-the-road offering and catches the most players in terms of performance and size preferences. The 0311 XP is the biggest of the three, with the biggest topline, a little more offset and longer blade length, with the XP standing for "extreme performance."
While the company has been actively trying to lure golfers into the PXG with lower prices for its flagship drivers -- and then really extended the full olive branch with the 0211 lineup -- the 0311 irons have been more on the premium end of the pricing spectrum. Nevertheless, PXG is making their 0311 irons cheaper in Gen4 by nearly 20 percent. The irons are still $349 per piece, which is a lot, but that's still a price reduction over Gen3. If you're a PXG golfer, you'll appreciate the discount, but the price isn't much of an object.
The PXG 0311 Gen4 irons are available now through PXG's website and custom fitters in 3-iron through gap wedge.
