Martin Hopley
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OK, let's get the price out of the way first.

A set of eight PXG 0311 irons will set you back over £2000 and that is with a 'standard' True Temper Dynamic Gold shaft. You can only get them through an authorised custom fitter, so that is your base price and you could you end up with a more expensive shaft if that suits your game better.

PXG 0311 Irons

This is the sort of number that you would usually expect for some high end import from Japan rather than the first iron from a new company founded in the USA. However that is PXG's mission. To build the best iron they can, money no object, which by the looks of the RRP, they have succeeded in.

Entrepreneur and founder Bob Parsons made his money outside of golf and as a self-confessed golf nut set about designing the best performing iron he could and called it the 0311 after the career code for a Rifleman in the US military.

As you can see from the dramatic looks, PXG has certainly made the product stand out visually by using 11 black tungsten screws to move weight to the perimeter of the S25C carbon steel head.

PXG 0311 Irons

These are the opposite colour to the silver tungsten weights on the PXG 0811 driver and there is not an option to swap in the lighter titanium weights that the big dog has, but you get the feeling that this is something that could appear in the future, especially if you want to play around with the swing weight.

It is stark, but beautiful at the same time and combines a business-like, almost menacing design with a 'I have to hit this' feeling once you see it for the first time.

PXG 0311 Irons

Whilst it looks like a blade it is in fact a hollow cavity back that sits behind a very thin face made from high strength HT1770 steel. This not only helps the MOI but also the ball speed generated by the face.

PXG 0311 Irons

To support the face, and what makes the PXG 0311 revolutionary, is injecting the cavity with a Thermoplastic Elastomer that dampens vibrations and enables the ball to stay on the face a fraction longer so that more spin can be imparted.

PXG 0311 Irons

On the range the feel was very good indeed, almost up there with an all-metal forged blade. The sound was very good too, even if its slightly hollow nature betrayed the cavity back construction.

At address there was a nice amount of offset and a generous mid-sized head that will appeal to golfers from low single figures right up to the mid-teen handicaps.

PXG 0311 Irons

The trailing edge on the sole features a little relief and also a 'double offset' around the heel on the back of the head to help with the MOI whilst keeping those better player looks.

PXG 0311 Irons

The flight was medium to high and the spin was a little higher than the equivalent lofted forged cavity back of some competitors. I say equivalent loft as the 6-iron was 27°, which was the same as the 5-iron in the comparative set, so these lofts are strong even by today's standards, but the flight and distance is more true to the number on the sole than the loft.

This implies the weighting and head composition is doing its job in terms of managing spin and launch to deliver a consistent flight with a good level of forgiveness for this size of head.

However if the head of the 0311 looks a little too large for you there is a more compact T version available too.

PXG 0311T Iron Review

The PXG 0311T model brings the same technology to the better player category, but you will have to open your wallet a couple of hundred pounds further.

PXG 0311T Irons

The 0311T is a little shorter than the 0311 with a thinner top line, narrower sole and less offset in a head that is still filled with the same TPE material.

PXG 0311T Irons

Forged from the same S25C carbon steel it features one less screw weight on the top edge and a muscle back design that moves the weight low and towards the toe to get the CG more centrally positioned.

PXG 0311T Irons

Comparing with the standard model on SkyTrak, the 0311T launches slightly lower with less spin, so you will need a decent level of club head speed and no small amount of accuracy to get the best from them.

PXG 0311T Irons

The lofts are one degree weaker than the standard 0311 irons, but they are still pretty strong as blades go.

PXG 0311T Irons

As you would expect, the more compact faces are less forgiving and would probably suit low single figure handicappers or elite players.

PXG 0311T Irons

PXG 0311 Iron Review Summary

It is really hard to fault anything about the PXG 0311 irons as you can see how much attention has been given to the design and the performance.

The standard PXG 0311 is the one to go for if you can find the readies, but if you have to ask the price with these types of products, then it probably means it is not for you.

Clearly spending time getting to one of the few PXG custom fitting centres, like the one I went to at Scott Gourlay Golf Technology, will be a very worthwhile investment as the 0311 is like a high performance car and will work at its optimum when finely tuned to the driver.

PXG 0311 Irons

For those who can put the financial pedal to the metal, the PXG 0311 delivers an excellent level of performance and feel within a head turning design.

It's hard to shake up a category such as irons with something radically different, but the 0311 irons have done that. Well done PXG.

Golfalot Rating: 5 stars
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PXG 0311 Iron

PXG 0311 Irons - Product Details

UK Launch01 November 2015
UK Launch RRP£2160
USA Launch01 November 2015
Handicap Range
Low
High
GolferMens, Women
Hand AvailabilityLeft, Right
ManufactureForged
MaterialSteel
FinishChrome, Black Nickel
Swing WeightD0, D2
Shaft TypesSteel
Set Makeup4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, PW
Additional Clubs3, GW
Manufacturer's WebsitePXG Website

User Reviews

Ed Zimmerman
August 2018

Just received my new set of Irons (3-SW). Played with them today for the first time...wow, am I impressed! I'm a 15 handicap and shot a 79 the first time out. Thanks Bob, I'm extremely pleased! Semper Fi

Ron
July 2018

I was a 10 handicap I’m down to a 5. Conservatively I’ve owned them all Mizuno, Titleist, TaylorMade etc. PXG are by far the best clubs I’ve ever hit. Incredible that an amateur ex marine can design clubs better than them all. Ping should learn a valuable lesson about letting experts go as I know their lead designer helped with these. Semper Fi Bob

Andrew Murray
November 2017

Had another set up and have bought a set of 0311. Still got 14 yards more carry. Happy days. Love them that much, that I have bought a cheap golf bag from them as well.

Andrew Murray
August 2017

Had a fitting with these clubs and when you look down on the driver head, you see a Ping head. But my Epic driver is better that the PXG for distance. The 0311 irons are the same you see a ping face. But I had my 7 Iron XR callaway which I hit 145- 150 yards , their 7 Iron 0311 had more than 14 yards carry!!! I have asked for another 1 hour setting up to confirm the figures before I buy, But the Irons feels great. will not hesitate in buying if next fitting the same results.

Rob
August 2017

Don't buy the darkness!! The black wears off quickly (4 rounds) and PXG won't even investigate. They just send you the disclaimer instead of looking into it for defects and fixing the problem! If you must play PXG stay with the unfinished.

April 2017

Parsons hasn't reinvented the wheel here. Any club will still only perform as well as the swing put on it. What he has done though is reinvented the way you purchase irons. These are not irons that you can simply purchase off the rack like most people do. By making you get custom fit he has set you up for success. Which people have translated into "this is an amazing iron" when, in reality, you are just swinging a properly fit iron. Most "big box" stores that offer custom fitting will still try and sell you an off the rack set because it is in their best interest to do so by moving inventory and making a higher commission. Kudos to Parsons for offering people a true custom fitting however for the price you'd be better served finding a fitter that isn't motivated by commission or moving a brand, the results would be equally as good.

November 2016

Great clubs. The driver is amazing. With the adjustment screws I was able to set for a nice draw with a normal swing. When I hit it in the screws I hit it about 20 plus yards further than my M2 TaylorMade driver which is a very good driver. The irons have taken a little time to get used to. I had been hitting RSi irons and the PXG irons are about the same distance. Great when I hit them in the sweet spot but they are not as forgiving as my RSi irons. If you can afford them get them.

November 2016

Way too expensive for a set of clubs. I don't care if the knocked 10 shots off my handicap. Not in a million years would I pay £300 a club. I hit them when getting fit yesterday. Yes they look nice. Yes they feel nice to hit and yes they are long. But when he told me the price both me and my fitter burst out laughing. I told him good luck with selling them. So its 2 stars dropped for the ridiculous price. Anyway we ended up with a set of gorgeous Mizuno MP-5's which for me were the best irons I hit yesterday.

October 2016

Tried hitting a 0311. Simply amazing!!

October 2016

I am getting a set made... 0311 pw 8-9 and xf for the rest of the set!!

August 2016

100% honesty here. Had my 0311 4-GW plus 56° since January of 2016. Been nothing but trouble. I have to give strokes to all of my foursome now. Wallet was lightened a bit after initial purchase but now my wife believes I am a deviant golf hustler. I had to relearn all of my yardages after gaining length throughout the set. My buddies get pissed when I have an 8 in my hands and they are hoping to flush a 5. I just poke a decent drive out there and relish hitting the irons. Now I have to keep my eye on my bag when I play at local muni. Don't buy them, they'll be nothing but trouble.

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