By Ed Travis
If you are looking to upgrade your old set of sticks that have been stuck in the corner of your garage over the winter, you may want to check out the new 0311 Gen5 club family, woods, hybrids, irons, from PXG. They have improvements over previous models that create faster ball speeds, less dispersion, plus have a higher MOI and better feel.
PXG initially promoted itself as a maverick shaking up the traditional world of golf club manufacturing with innovative design and marketing them at a premium price. To a degree they have succeeded, and founder Bob Parsons has gained the reputation of making bold moves.
When the company began marketing their clubs in 2014 every club was required to be professionally fitted to the individual. Plus, a full set of clubs cost upwards of $5,000.00. For the company to grow some things had to change.
That pricing and commitment for the average weekend warrior golfer was not sustainable.
The overall golf club manufacturing business has expanded to record levels in the past two years PXG made the decision to reduce pricing, which increased their market share. Today they fall into the middle range of cost, although the “club company maverick” is still appropriate and the brash promotion hasn’t decreased.
Company President, Parsons extolled the introduction of the 0311 Gen5 models,
“We absolutely killed it with these clubs. GEN5 is better in every way possible. From explosive distance to tight dispersion, to the oh-so sweet feel of forgiveness on every shot, these clubs are a master class in performance!”
The technology of the drivers is interesting. PXG is the only company that applies the aluminum vapor coating to the carbon fiber crown inside a vacuum chamber. They contend this process stiffens the crown, thus lessening distortion at impact to increase the head’s Coefficient of Restitution to create faster ball speed as less energy is lost from crown deformation.
For golfers that are not rocket scientists, Coefficient of Restitution, or COR is defined as the ratio of the final velocity to the initial velocity between two objects, after their collision. Basically, COR is a measurement of the energy loss, or retention when two objects collide.
The bottom line is that there is less give in the crown of the club head, which creates a better launch off the face of the PXG Gen5 models, to make the ball go farther, as well as straighter.
The XF model is longer from heel to toe with a larger profile, which makes it even more forgiving for those off-center hits.
Fast Facts PXG 0311 Gen5 Driver
Aluminum vapor coated carbon fiber crown
Adjustable hosel +/- 1.5°
Improved aerodynamic shaped crown
Three sole weights
Face Ti412 titanium
Head design dampens vibration
Stock shafts: choice of four
Stock grip: PXG Z5
Find out more at: https://www.pxg.com/en-us/full-bag-deals
