Gear: PXG GEN3 T, PXG GEN3 P and PXG GEN3 XP irons
Price: $425 per iron
Specs: Forged 8620 carbon steel body with a HT1770 maraging steel face, dual-core polymer insert, and tungsten and titanium weights
Available: Jan. 15
The first irons released by PXG, the original 0311 that were made available in September 2015, were touted as clubs that looked like muscleback blades but performed like game-improvement clubs. Just over two years later, with the release of the 0311 GEN2 irons, the company said that by changing the material inside the hollow heads, it was able to create more ball speed and give players more distance.
Now, with the release of the 0311 GEN3 irons, PXG thinks it has cracked the code and can deliver significantly more distance and better performance for players who can afford the hefty sticker price.
Each 0311 GEN3 iron is forged from a piece of 8620 carbon steel, then the back of each club is milled by a computer using high-speed cutters to create the precise shape engineers envisioned. Like the previously released irons, a series of tungsten and titanium weights ring the back of the head, lowering the center of gravity and pulling it away from the hitting area to encourage higher-flying shots that stop faster on the green.
The face, forged from a harder stainless steel, is just 1.5 millimeters thick. An internal channel has been milled around its perimeter to broaden the sweet spot, and it is laser-welded to the body. However, instead of keeping the club hollow, PXG has filled the internal chamber in a new way.
A soft polymer insert is added to the space, then it is surrounded by a second, firmer polymer. PXG refers to this dual-polymer system as an Impact Reactor, and the company said the soft material allows a greater portion of the hitting area to flex at impact to create more ball speed, while the firmer polymer boosts the stability of the club.
The 0311 GEN3 irons are available in three styles:
The 0311 GEN3 T is for accomplished players who want a compact head, short blade length, a thin topline and a narrow sole. It produces the most spin and offers the most workability.
The 0311 GEN3 P is a game-improvement club designed to provide some playability, but it has a slightly larger head and a bigger inner chamber, so it creates more ball speed than the T clubs. It also has a thicker topline and more offset.
The 0311 GEN3 XP is the largest and most powerful of the three new irons. It has the longest blade length, most offset, thickest topline and is the most forgiving. PXG said the XP generates 5 mph more ball speed than the P, with 900 rpm less spin, yet it produces the same height. As a result, it typically produces about 12 yards more distance than the P and 18 yards more than the T.