PXG GEN2 Drivers, Fairway Woods, and Hybrids Preview: Second Generation Superstars?

Gentlemen, start your engines!  PXG is releasing GEN2 drivers, fairway woods, and hybrids that feature Hot Rod technology inspired by American muscle cars, and promise to unlock more yards and find more fairways.  And PXG's billionaire owner Bob Parsons hopes a new pricing structure will further increase their customer base in an equipment market that grows more competitive every year. 

 

PXG's new GEN2 drivers, fairway woods, and hybrids all feature updated carbon fiber crowns and new adjustable weight systems with movable tungsten and titanium weights.  The new technologies are significant improvements over their GEN1 counterparts,  but it's the price reduction that's most likely to bring in new golfers. 

The new crowns feature a multi-level, variable thickness design intended to stiffen the crown and transfer more energy into the ball.  This of course would yield higher ball speeds and greater distances.  PXG says this new crown design improved overall dispersion by 26-percent and increased distance by seven-to-10 yards over the GEN1 versions.  And if that's not some kind of marketing spin, those are pretty damn impressive numbers. 

 

Weights are nothing new for PXG, but they're doing adjustability differently (and more effectively) than they have in the past.  Silver weights are made from heavy tungsten, while black weights are made from lighter, hollowed-out titanium.  And positioning them forward or back affects movement in head rotation, spin rate, and launch angle and trajectory. 

 

The 0811 X drivers focus on raw distance, while the XF drivers focus on forgiveness and consistent results on mishits around the face.  The X has a smaller profile than the XF, and launches lower with less spin.  PXG says the X is the lowest spinning model on the market, and the XF boosts MOI up to the USGA maximum allowable.  Both have a titanium face and body. 

 

Eight movable weights in the GEN2 0341X fairway woods (stainless steel face and body) are larger than their GEN1 counterparts - which makes their effect on ball flight more significant.  Balancing the heavier tungsten weights equally in the toe and heel increase stability, while shifting them more in either direction creates a draw or fade bias.  The GEN2 fairway sole was also flattened to make it easier to get under the ball.  Like the drivers, PXG says these new fairway woods generate an additional seven-to-10 yards compared to the GEN1 fairway woods. 

 

The 0317X GEN2 hybrids feature the same carbon crown and adjustable weighting as the GEN2 drivers and fairway woods, and are significantly easier to get airborne than the GEN1 hybrids.  Like the fairway woods, the hybrids have eight sole weights to tweak launch angle, spin rates, and overall forgiveness.  PXG says these new hybrids travel four-to-seven yards longer than the previous gen hybrids. 

And last but not least, the price drop is pretty Xtreme (see what I did there?).  The GEN2 drivers retail for $575, and that's almost $300 cheaper than the GEN1 drivers.  PXG says this price reduction is possible because of a reduction in manufacturing costs.  Now I'm not saying I believe or disbelieve this is the reason for the price drop.  But there's no arguing at the new price PXG just opened itself up to a whole new world of golfer budgets.  The GEN2 fairway woods retail for $425 ($200 cheaper than the GEN1 fairway woods), and the GEN2 hybrids come in at $375 (that's $175 cheaper than GEN1 hybrids). 

 

Now for full disclosure: I've hit all of PXG's GEN1 clubs in the past and they never really met my expectations.  It's not that I thought they were bad clubs - PXG clearly is a premium brand.  But performance never matched the hype, and at the previous price tag their clubs really needed to knock my socks off.  I even spent a significant amount of time hitting their GEN1 irons at a fitting, but came away with a set of Miura CB-501 irons instead. 

Still, there are some golfers who adore their PXG and will swear by their performance.  And if I get a chance to hit these newest GEN2 clubs I certainly will.  I'm not closing the door on possibly I might fall in love with the GEN2 head over heels.  It's just that I haven't to this point.