New PXG 0311 P and 0311 XP GEN7 Irons Tech Story and Testing

I told you last week that new PXG GEN7 irons, Black Ops irons, and Sugar Daddy III wedges are coming.  And I'll have a fitting soon and give you all the details on how each of these new clubs perform.

This article however is a deep dive into the new PXG tech and testing of the GEN7 irons (I'll have similar articles for the Black Ops irons and Sugar Daddy III wedges) because these truly might be the most advanced irons PXG has designed to date.  PXG is saying these are the greatest leap forward in irons technology and performance in PXG history.

I usually refer you over to an OEM site to read about new tech.  But the tech story of these new PXG GEN7 irons really deserves an article all its own.  So here we go.

The new PXG GEN7 irons come in two models, the 0311 P and 0311 XP and PXG says they perform all the way up to the USGA limit for C.O.R (which is about speed and distance).

PXG GEN7 Iron Technologies

• QuantumCOR

PXG developed a new internal proprietary polymer they are calling QuantumCOR.  Work on this began back around the time of the GEN2 irons.  Patterning with research firms and chemists to develop ideal materials has taken the XCOR2 material used in GEN5 and GEN6 to an entirely new level.

One of the benefits of QuantumCOR is its interaction with the face, base materials, and outer skeleton that supports the structure during impact.  And this new material also also allows PXG to make the face extremely thin face and engage the core during impact to even larger degrees.

Over the years (going back to GEN1) PXG core materials were about sound and feel, but today the PXG core is used to impact launch, spin, and speed characteristics to improve performance.  And as mentioned above this process of developing this new QuantumCOR has been over a decade in the making.

• High Strength Ultra-Thin Face Design

A new ultra-thin face along with Power Chanel Technology design deflects and moves to create higher launch and higher trajectory.

The HT1770 Maraging Grade stainless steel is so strong it allows PXG to make the face extremely thin.  And PXG claims their face is the thinnest face in golf.  And the resulting ball speeds are the best PXG has ever been able to produce.

• Titanium Insert  . 

A new titanium insert that lives in middle of club that saves mass from center of club and boosts MOI.  By switching out steel material for titanium 5 grams was saved and spread to the perimeter of the irons.  And the more perimeter weighting you have the more stability and forgiveness you get.

It's a precision weighting technology that can be adjusted to shift head-weight up or down (and even during fittings allow different options that might be best unique preferences and swings).

• Tungsten Toe Weighting

Added internal tungsten toe weighting boost MOI even more and optimizes CG.  From a distance perspective GEN7 is the biggest gain from gen-to-gen in company history.

The CG stays right in the middle of the face which is right in line with the sweet spot of the clubface (as opposed to many other irons where CG tends to be closer to the heel).

This also helps to improve forgiveness on off center hits, particularly in consistency of mishit performance across the entire face.

• Top Rail Feature

The top rail moves mass to top of club and helps with top-to-bottom misses by boost inertia.

The top rail extends from heel to toe (getting larger as it moves to the toe).  This adds mass to the top part of the golf club to balance perimeter weighting and get more top-to-bottom balance.

When you talk of MOI you have vertical MOI and horizontal MOI.  Vertical MOI affects heel-toe misses and horizontal MOI affects low-high misses.  So here if you're hitting low (say from the fairway) or high (say from the rough) these irons have added MOI to be as stable as possible on these mishits.

• 5X Forged 8620 Body

This is all about the material and manufacturing process to create as soft and solid a feel as possible.  A true forging process that takes a billet and forms it into the body of the iron.

It goes through an extensive five step process that includes different sets of tools and hits to achieve the final geometry.  This allows PXG to maintain a very specific structure as well as improve feel..

• Milled Back Surface

To take this all a step further, PXG mills the forging and back surfaces as well to achieve specific thicknesses and maintain high consistencies.

Also robotic manufacturing and polishing achieves incredibly high tolerances - not just of the milling but also of the geometry of club.  Weight tolerance in PXG GEN7 irons is an amazing plus/minus 1 gram.

• Precision Weighting Technology

This is about flexing the overall head-weight/swing-weight weight up and down even during the fitting process to give players an opportunity to experience different weights at the fitting level.

PXG can better fit players this way by adjusting the weighting to your preference without affecting the performance of these irons.

GEN7 0311 P (Players) and 0311 XP (Xtreme Performance) Optimized for Different Players

PXG offers GEN7 irons in two distinct models.  The P iron is suited towards better players but still an iron that still delivers high levels of forgiveness to perform at extremely high levels.

Maintaining consistent distance on off-center hits is taken a step further in addition to increased distance gains in the P series irons.

XP irons are like players distance irons.  They have slightly thicker toplines than the P and are slightly longer heel to toe.  If you want to get your distance back this model is tailored primarily to the distance perspective while at the same time delivering even higher levels of forgiveness.

Xtreme Dark Finish

PXG’s Xtreme Dark Finish is available on both the GEN7 P and GEN7 XP irons.  This finish is achieved with a DLC (Diamong Like Carbon) coating which is five times more durable than the typical PVD in cycle wear tests.

It's PXG's best black finish that will hold the finish over a longer time period.

GEN7 0311 P and XP Specs

The lofts and lies specs of the GEN7 P and XP irons are the same as the GEN6 P and XP irons. 

So all the new GEN7 gains are coming just from the technology itself.

Comparing Ball Speed, Total Yards, Spin, and Launch Data of all PXG irons from GEN1 through GEN7

PXG tested every single generation of irons from GEN1 through GEN7.

All irons in testing are normalized to the same specs, same lofts, using the same shafts. And differences in the new core material affected performance with increased distance and dispersion.

The jump from GEN6 to GEN7 it's the largest gain PXG has ever achieved in their history,

• C.O.R. Testing

PXG also tested for GEN7 C.O.R. (using the same USGA air canon testing).  The C.O.R. limit is determined based on a USGA calibration ball and calibration plate which allows a maximum C.O.R. of 0.843.  PXG is now right at that maximum speed allowable with the GEN7 irons. 

PXG wasn't satisfied with just making GEN7 P longer however.  They also wanted GEN7 P to be more accurate.  And below you'll read about dispersion testing between GEN6 and GEN7.

• GEN7 P Dispersion Testing 

These take into account five different impact locations on the face.  GEN7 heel and toe shots in particular maintain better ball speed performance and distance compared to GEN6.

There's also much tighter and consistent GEN7 P ranges of ball speeds and spin rates, launch angles, carry distances, and front-to-back and left-to-right dispersion.

• Similar Story for GEN7 XP

GEN7 XP irons are also improving in all areas.

You see ball speed improvements of just over 1 mph, about 4 yards of added distance, and improved dispersion with GEN7. 

This also takes into account testing over five different impact locations.  And similar to the GEN7 P irons, you also see improvements to the GEN7 XP particularly in the low and heel mishits.

And when you look at GEN7 XP carry distance ranges, and total distance ranges you again see a tighter more consistent range with GEN7 XP versus GEN6 XP.  So that means you're hitting longer, straighter, and more on target iron shots when you're hitting all around the clubface. 

 

As mentioned I'll have a PXG fitting coming up within the next few days and will hit the 0311 P and 0311 XP GEN7 irons, as well as the new Black Ops irons and Sugar Daddy III wedges.  I'll have a full report on how all of these clubs performed in my fitting review.

Both the PXG 0311 P and 0311 XP irons will retail for $229 per iron in Chrome and $239 per iron in Xtreme Black.