PXG 0311 XF Gen5 Driver Review

PXG 0311 XF Gen5 Driver Review

Several things set this driver apart from its predecessor Gen4. The precision weighting is pushed to the perimeter. It has a 22 percent higher MOI. The moveable weights can create more flexibility in shaping your shots, letting you set it for draw, fade or forgiveness. The feel and impact sound are better. And in the rare event you make contact high on the clubface – from the center all the way to the toe – you’ll still get excellent performance, in terms of high ball speed, spin and shot shape.

The driver features an “aluminum vapor” carbon fiber crown that reduces energy loss; a titanium body; and an adjustable hosel that lets you tune the loft by +/- 1.5 degrees from the base settings (9, 10.5 and 12 degrees) while also altering the lie angle. Its larger, deep front-to-back profile shape helps maximise forgiveness, and the longer heel-to-toe clubface expands the sweet spot for better mishit performance. The high-speed clubface is made with a relatively low-elastic modulus titanium, meaning it’s strong and flexible to create some impact spring for fast ball speed and thus distance. The face also has variable thickness.

This driver is geared for those wanting maximum forgiveness. Don’t be bashful accepting the help – officials say that several Tour pros use this model. In our testing, it was extremely competitive with any other driver on the market. Playing holes with tight fairways was not an issue, even during the first round we tested it. Literally every shot seemed like it was able to find the intended target line with effortless ease. The peak ball trajectory seemed ideal for the given loft. Carry was exceptional, as was the lively landing. Into the wind, balls ended up a little short of our expectations. But with the wind, we picked up some nice additional yardage. It just felt natural out of the gate, which is all you can ask of a new driver and with an RRP of $499, there's potentially decent value to be had here.