PXG 0311 P Gen4 Iron Review

PXG 0311 P Gen4 Iron Review

It seems that every time PXG introduces a new version of its clubs, whether it's irons, drivers, woods, hybrids, wedges or putters, they've raised the bar. And that's certainly the case for the PXG Gen4 clubs, in particular the 0311 P irons we tested on the range and on the course. Honestly, these irons check all the boxes - looks, performance and feel. And being positioned in between the more game-improvement 0311 XP (Extreme Performance) and 0311 T (Tour), the P (Player) club is a more than just a compromise between the two, it's close to being the perfect iron for most avid golfers who have a respectable handicap. 

You'd be hard-pressed to find a more pleasingly aesthetic iron on the market. PXG calls it the "science of sexy," and it's hard to argue. These are simply beautiful, both in the bag, and more importantly at address. They give the player a feeling of confidence. There's just a smidgen of offset, the topline looks thin and the satin finish is gorgeous. 

Feel is another area where the 0311 P iron in the Gen4 range excels. PXG added a new proprietary new XCOR System, engineered specifically for the new iron lineup. XCOR consists of a new polymer material that's injected into the hollow part of the clubhead to give it a soft feel and enhance ball speed at impact. Also, the clubhead is Made from 8620 soft carbon steel, and they are a combination of separate forgings using five unique sets of tooling and five hits to form each part. The clubhead's back surface was then CNC milled to create an exact, thin-walled, high-performance body design. The combination produces a soft buttery feel as good as the best golf blade irons, but unlike blades, these are very forgiving and long. 

Another big change is that the Gen4 Irons integrate a new Precision Weighting Technology. The sizable adjustable weight located near the center of gravity on the back of the clubhead allows for various head weight configurations during a fitting. It's not designed to be replaced or moved around by the player after purchase. But this does bring up another important point. If you're going to spend this much on clubs, a club fitting session by PXG is highly recommended.

Our Gen4 P irons, 4-PW, were fitted with UST Mamiya Recoil 75 Dart F3  graphite shafts. Having the right shaft (as well as clubhead, of course) is crucial for optimal performance. And PXG's club-fitting setups, with hundreds of shaft and head combinations at its new retail stores, is as state-of-the-art as it gets.

The result on this particular set is a combination of accuracy and distance. While the 7-iron at 30 degrees is among the stronger lofts of modern sets, it produced great height and backspin as well as distance. For example, a ball speed of 112 mph resulted in shots in the 175-yard range with backspin around 4,000 rpm. It represented about a 10-yard increase from some other clubs we tested, though certainly other manufacturers are producing some pretty hot irons as well.

The best part, however, is that it seemed like you could hit these on different parts of the face and not lose much. Mis-hits were still going 160-165 yards, which we can certainly live with on most approach shots that don't involve an island green. It should also be noted that we thought the 4-iron was as forgiving as any we've hit in recent years. Many golfers these days don't even carry 4-irons, but this is worth having in the bag. The short irons also felt precise and produced a lot of feel.

Overall, there's very little to not like about these irons. Yes they come in at a premium price but for those who don't have a problem shelling out close to $2,000 or so for a set of irons, they are well worth it.