PXG 0311 P Gen6 Iron Review
If the future of golf club construction lies in the hands of robots then the new PXG 0311 P Gen6 iron, and the more forgiving sister 0311 XP model, could well be the pioneers. A sophisticated robotic polishing manufacturing process means that this new generation iron is made to the very tightest machine tolerances. Consistency is a critical factor when it comes to scoring and the difference between peppering the pin with approach shots or coming up a few yards short is huge. Knowing your yardages and trusting the club to deliver reliable, accurate numbers takes some of the doubt away.
During my first experience of the new 0311 P Gen6 iron, where I also tried the 0311 XF Gen6 driver, I was instantly struck by the complexity of the head with its multiple ports and interchangeable weights. It certainly looks futuristic. PXG’s expert fitter experimented with different weights in the head until I significantly increased both the length I was hitting my shots and tightened the dispersion, as verified by TrackMan 4 launch monitor data. An iron that’s both longer and straighter gets the big thumbs up from me.
Purists are unlikely to be drawn to the overtly ‘techy’ look to the head, however everyone will be taken aback by the playability that can be achieved from this players' distance iron. What’s impressive is how responsive the feel off the face is. PXG claims that these are the softest feeling irons it has ever made and the five times forged 8620 body design undoubtedly plays a bit part in that.
The PXG brand is known for its pursuit of golf club perfection and with a COR of 0.833 the 0311 P is right on the limits of COR testing and barely legal! The face has been made 15 percent thinner versus Gen5, made possible by the use of new high-strength HT1770 Maraging steel, the same material used on the 0311 Gen6 fairways and hybrids. This material is twice as strong as the widely-used 17-4 stainless steel, producing an impressive yield strength and allows the face to be made extremely thin. It is supported by the XCOR2 polymer material hidden inside the cavity, helping increase face deflection and mishit performance. This marries with another hidden technology, a milled power channel, which increases bending/deflection on the top portion of the face, increasing launch angle and ball speed simultaneously.
The power took me by surprise, I genuinely wasn’t expecting to make any significant distance gains, but the 0311 P flew like a rocket, fast off the face and was one club further than my existing irons. The 7-iron loft is 30°, around average for this type of iron, but I would suggest the performance was above average like the best PXG golf clubs.
PXG’s design team used the five gram weight saving from the ultra-thin face to implement the precision weighting. These irons are truly customisable, whatever height, flight or shape you want to produce you can really achieve the desired outcome with a fitter experimenting with the weights on offer (this is not something golfers should be doing!). There are tungsten weights in the heel and toe region that look a bit like the cogs on an old-fashioned watch and boost forgiveness, while a large central customisable weight in the back of the head allows fitters to be more intricate with their ball flight and swing weight adjustments.
I have no doubt that the 0311 P Gen6 will have mass-market appeal. At $219 a stick, these are premium clubs but they offer premium, customised performance to a level not many other brands offer. They're certainly in the conversation for the best golf irons of 2023.
