The best players' distance irons have to fulfill a number of requirements. An attractive playing profile, good distance output, but above all else - consistency. The 0311Gen 7 P is one of three new irons from PXG launched this summer so I wanted to see if they have what it takes to sit amongst the best golf irons in the game.
From a technology perspective, PXG has tried to push the C.O.R. (coefficient of restitution) number to the limit to produce its longest and most forgiving irons yet. With what PXG claims to be the thinnest face in golf and a new internal polymer called QuantamCOR, I was interested to see how they would perform. Furthermore, there is both internal and external tungsten weighting and a lightweight titanium insert to increase MOI and optimize CG positioning.
Down in the playing position, the P model looks excellent. Minimal offset in the shorter irons graduates up to a more noticeable level in the mid-long irons but is far from offensive. The profile of the head is fairly generous without looking cumbersome, and they frame the ball nicely at the address. I think you would be hard-pushed to find many players that didn’t like the look from that perspective, however, I think the look of the back of these irons may be a little more divisive. As is the PXG way, they are quite bold in their branding and the adjustable titanium weight behind the strike zone is quite noticeable. Aside from that, there are some nice premium touches with the etched lines and the brushed finish is superb, placing it among the best PXG golf clubs for looks.
I tested the PXG 0311 P Gen 7 irons at Saunton Golf Club using my Full Swing KIT launch monitor and TaylorMade TP5 golf balls and the performance numbers were everything I would hope for with an iron in this category. The 7 iron has a base loft of 30˚ which is fairly standard for compact distance irons, although they can be built plus or minus 2° should you need more or less distance or a higher or lower flight.
In the standard loft, it produced a consistent mid-level flight window for me, and very importantly some seriously consistent carry numbers off the face. I offered up some fairly questionable strikes to the P model during testing and it coped extremely well, barely batting an eyelid in terms of ball speed and carry. I also noticed how straight the ball flights were, even when the strike pattern moved around - these irons do an excellent job of masking your misses!
Whatever internal work has been done here is working well, although I will say the feel isn’t as soft as some PXG models I have used in the past. This isn’t a criticism, I actually really enjoyed the more solid, robust feeling of the strike, just something to note if you are a player that leans towards the more buttery sensation of something like the Titleist T100 or even the new TaylorMade P770.
The titanium weight on the back that I mentioned earlier, is interchangeable during a PXG fitting which provides the fitter with the opportunity to fine-tune and test swing weight variations during the fitting session. This is not something on offer with many irons currently, and I think is a valuable option.
On the whole, I genuinely enjoyed the PXG 0311 P Gen 7 Irons, and anticipate them being a success at retail. PXG enthusiasts will enjoy the character and looks of this iron and even those that don’t may be swayed by the consistency and forgiveness on offer.
The Gen 7 irons are available in two finishes, Chrome and Xtreme Dark with a slight price difference between the two. The chrome option comes in at $229.99/£209 per club, while the Xtreme Dark is slightly more at $239.99/£219.
