PXG made a lot of noise when they first arrived on the scene, and you only have to take notice of their tv adverts to see that the brand and their owner Bob Parsons are looking to shake up the golf equipment world.
After almost a decade of innovation the brand have arrived at the sixth generation of their leading 0311 range, which initially started life at eye-watering prices but now sits smack bang in the middle of the rest of the major manufacturers.
I headed down to The Drift Golf Club to get fitted for the new 0311 GEN6 Driver before taking it out on to the golf course for a full test.
The Tech
There are two drivers available in the new range, the 0311 and the 0311 XF, which has a larger profile and is a more forgiving option. PXG are promising that they are going to provide forgiveness, dispersion and distance for optimal performance.
This comes thanks to a strong Ti412 titanium face, helping to generate more face deflection and spring for faster ball speeds.
The standard head has a traditional, teardrop shaped head with a curved crown and a shorter body from front to back, which is designed to deliver a blend of distance and forgiveness. A tall and deep face shape is designed to perform better on mis-hits, particularly when struck high on the face.
Precision Weighting Technology is placed in the perimeter of the clubhead and is attached to the outer wall, for a stiff and stable structure that generous high frequency vibrations to improve sound and feel.
The crown of the driver is made entirely from a high-grade carbon fibre, saving mass in the crown which allows it to be moved lower and more to the perimeter of the head, optimising CG and enhancing forgiveness.
An adjustable hosel also allows the golfer to fine-tune the loft and lie of the driver, shifting it 1.5 degrees up or down in loft.
PXG 0311 GEN6 Driver Review
Looks and Feel
This is the first PXG driver that I have properly tested and as soon as I first got it into my hands I loved the look of it. The black crown and sole with touches of white and chrome are so smart and classy, and I think this makes it one of the best looking drivers on the market for me.
I love the all-black matte head, while the slight step on the crown and clear alignment line help to frame the ball really nicely.
The head shape is a little more stretched out than I'm used to but I think this could actually help to inspire confidence for some, with a nice square look at address.
The driver I tested came in a nice presentation box which added a bit extra to the excitement once it arrived in the office...
The headcover was the best quality that I have ever come across in my time testing clubs. It was thick and felt premium, and it's really nice to see that PXG have made an effort on the looks and feel rather than just an afterthought or going for tacky colours and design.
The cover also features a handy magnet which allows you to attach it to your trolley, buggy or anything else that's metal when you take it off, saving you from dropping it on the floor to get muddy.
When hitting the driver the feel was pretty good, it was quite firm off the face but made a great sound which made you feel like you'd struck the ball well, although it didn't really fire off like it was really hot. I'd describe it as quite loud without being too intrusive.
Performance
As I mentioned in my review of the PXG 0311 GEN6 Irons, I was really impressed with the fitting experience down at the brand's Super Hub at The Drift Golf Club.
My fitting showed that I was actually able to gain a little more clubhead speed with the 0311, perhaps thanks to the new aerodynamic head design, which translated to a few more yards of distance.
This was also probably in part due to the fact that my fitter Brandon managed to improve my strike location from slightly out of the toe to more out of the centre by fitting a slightly longer shaft.
In the end I was fitted for a 7.5 degree head, but set at 9 degrees, with a 60g HZRDUS Black Stiff shaft. As the data shows, I was able to gain about 7 yards of extra carry distance on average with the 0311 compared to my own Epic Speed Driver, with ball speeds of around 150mph which I was pretty happy with.
Whilst the spin rate was pretty low, the peak height was pretty consistently around the 100ft mark which meant that the ball was still launching well.
I have to be honest and say that I saw some slightly more mixed results on the course compared with my fitting, when the driver was so impressive.
There were some really good shots, such as the second hole where I managed to drive the green, but also a couple of weaker shots which definitely didn't travel as far as my current driver - the flight just didn't seem as strong.
I also found that there seemed to be more fade-bias with the 0311 than my own driver and at times I found it harder to control because of this. That's not to say the dispersion was bad, and I actually found it quite forgiving when hit on different parts of the face, but I just felt as if I was having to work a bit harder to find the fairway at times.
Having had my Epic Speed in the bag for the best part of two years now, it's probably understandable that I'm used to that and know how to get the best out of it, so maybe I just need to spend some more time with the 0311 in order to see the same kind of gains that I got in the fitting out on the course too.
The driver made a loud, solid sound out on the course which gives you the impression that you've it the ball solidly, and it's not as tingy as I feared it might have been which is a plus. It doesn't exactly spring off the face like with some drivers but it feels reassuring.
PXG 0311 GEN6 Driver Verdict
As I have mentioned a couple of times already I love the look of this driver and I hit some really good shots with it, but also a couple of weak ones too which made me a little unsure.
However the numbers that I produced during my fitting session proved that I am able to get good results from it so I'm excited to keep using it and to see what it can do.
With an RRP of £469 the 0311 GEN6 is not at the extreme levels which PXG first built their reputation on as it now just seems to fit in with the rest of the market, and the performance puts it right up amongst the big names too.
Who Is It Aimed At?
Golfers of any ability level could use the 0311 GEN6, with the XF model being more suited to golfers who require a little more forgiveness with a bigger head shape and more offset.
Would I Use It?
Perhaps a little more on-course testing is required until I'm fully confident in the performance compared to my existing Epic Speed, but the looks of this driver both in the bag and down by the ball are really tempting me.
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