PXG 0311 GEN5 and Full Bag Fit Experience

[Cory O 423]

Hi all. Next week I’m going to be doing a full bag fit with PXG for their new 0311 GEN5 lineup. I’ll be writing about the fit and the clubs themselves here. Any questions out there or something you’d be interested in hearing about?

[cksurfdude 11,355]

Yes - are you going to Scottsdale, or ___? Also, please compare & contrast the process .. good and not as good parts .. vs other fittings you've done on the past. Thx!

[Cory O 423]

1 hour ago, cksurfdude said:

Yes - are you going to Scottsdale, or ___? Also, please compare & contrast the process .. good and not as good parts .. vs other fittings you've done on the past. Thx!

Not Scottsdale, outdoor range fit at Industry Hills out here in LA. Generally they do fits with a Trackman

[Getoffmylawn 5,777]

6 hours ago, Cory O said:

Hi all. Next week I’m going to be doing a full bag fit with PXG for their new 0311 GEN5 lineup. I’ll be writing about the fit and the clubs themselves here. Any questions out there or something you’d be interested in hearing about?

I’ll be looking forward to your feedback.

What are you gaming now?  And will you also get a fitting where you try some other OEMs as well, or strictly the PXGs?  
I’ve always thought if I was going to get a PXG or “premium brand” fit, I’d find out what launch monitor and what kind of surface you’ll be on, and then try to replicate that as much as possible and try the other stuff.  (Probably easier said than done.)  Then I could tell PXG “here are the numbers to beat if I’m even going to think about paying these prices.”

[Cory O 423]

27 minutes ago, Getoffmylawn said:

What are you gaming now?  And will you also get a fitting where you try some other OEMs as well, or strictly the PXGs?

I have a connection with PXG after doing a full write up on their 0211 line last year. This fitting will be strictly about the 0311 GEN5 clubs to find the right head/shaft combos. I’m still gaming the 0211 irons they fitted me for (and honestly that entire lineup is still the best “new club” value in golf right now).

I’m assuming the setup next week will be range balls off a mat with a Trackman, but I’ll definitely note the hitting conditions.

These GEN5’s are definitely in the “premium” category, but I think I’m starting to understand PXG’s strategy to now have clubs at pretty much every budget:

Premium: GEN5

Mid-tier: GEN4 (released last year)

Value: 0211

[2puttbogey 434]

When PXG first came out I would have never seen myself playing them. Then they had a sale for lefties at the stat of the pandemic, so I ended up getting a driver from them. It led to getting a set of irons as well. Now my wife has a full bag less the putter, and I updated my 19* hybrid with them as well. Besides the fact that there’s choices for different budgets; the customer service has been absolutely top notch. We have a mobile fitter that goes to different courses, he is very accessible and accommodating to whatever you need. That’s the reason why I will continue to use their clubs.

[RickyBobby_PR 10,087]

10 hours ago, Getoffmylawn said:

I’ll be looking forward to your feedback.

What are you gaming now?  And will you also get a fitting where you try some other OEMs as well, or strictly the PXGs?  
I’ve always thought if I was going to get a PXG or “premium brand” fit, I’d find out what launch monitor and what kind of surface you’ll be on, and then try to replicate that as much as possible and try the other stuff.  (Probably easier said than done.)  Then I could tell PXG “here are the numbers to beat if I’m even going to think about paying these prices.”

They use trackman, I believe others who have posted about fittings mentioned this as well.

outdoor fittings they prefer locations that have grass ranges. 
 

Not everyone gets fit to compare or try to beat what they have. People have brand preferences and will get fit to find what works best for them from that brand regardless of any other brand

[Cory O 423]

Fitting complete! The range at Industry Hills was off mats today, but good numbers off the Trackman. I'll give some more impressions below, but let's kick off with what would shape up to be a ridiculously nice set of clubs:

Driver - 0311 GEN5 7.5* w/ Fujikura Motore F3 6 X-flex (although I also hit the head with my Autoflex and that's likely to be the gamer)

4-wood - 0311 GEN5 16* w/ Fujikura Motore F3 S-flex

Hybrid - 0311 GEN5 19* w/ Mitsubishi MMT80

Irons - 4-GW 0311 P GEN5 w/ SteelFiber 95 S-flex

Wedges - 0311 Sugar Daddy 54* and 60* w/ SteelFiber 95 S-flex

Putter - Blackjack Center-shafted

Additionally, the irons are coming in the Xtreme Dark finish with the SteelFiber Private Label (which sounds like a wine more than a golf shaft), so it will all be "murdered out" as the kids say.

Initial thoughts:

Based on my time with the GEN5 7 iron, hybrid, fairway, and driver I feel like PXG has finally found the right visual balance on looks. Quite honestly, I would not have played GEN1 or GEN2 PXGs as all the bullet hole-like plugs were just too much. My current 0211s are clean and a good looking club, but they don't really stand out. The GEN5s definitely get your attention, but don't seem to be trying to hard to do it. Of special note is the driver, where the carbon fiber crown has been noticeably darkened from the GEN4 head.

I'll talk more about performance when I have them in hand and get them out on the course, but I do wonder why I seem to hit the ball so well during fittings. If only I could bring that out on the course, I'd be scratch. I can confidently say I shouldn't be losing any distance from my "loft-jacked" 0221's as the 0311 P's have more weight behind the ball and up the smash factor. I also appreciate that they have a 4-wood head as I don't hit lower-lofted fairway metals. The 4 wood seems to be "off menu" in that you can't order it directly off the website, but can be done through a fitter or on the phone.

Fitting Experience:

I can say flat out that if you're going to buy PXG clubs, then get an in person fitting done if remotely possible. I think they officially charge $50, but that might be credited back if you purchase clubs. I've met a handful of PXG fitters and they've all been friendly and knowledgeable. Additionally, at least in my opinion, they're not really pushy about upselling shaft/grip options etc. If you tell them you are only considering stock/no upcharge options then that's what they'll have you hit. PXG has a lot of no upcharge options though, so it's likely they can get a good fit within them.

For possible downsides, PXG only fits the 7-iron to cover the full iron set. Don't feel like you can get a representative feel for the clubs from the 7-iron? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. To be fair, most fitting van experiences are going to be with a single iron. Only premium specialty shops or dedicated brand facilities are likely to have fitting clubs across the whole set.

My session was scheduled for 90 minutes, but took under an hour. I already had a clear preference on shafts (I already play SteelFiber and knew I want to continue) and I fit pretty cleanly into one of the head profiles (side note - props to you if you can handle the T irons, because it was very clear I couldn't) 

I'll be getting some swings and shot tracers up on TikTok later - @mygolfswing

Fingers-crossed, the clubs should be arriving in about two weeks. Anyone have any follow-up questions?

[goaliewales14 1,691]

On 5/1/2022 at 8:16 PM, Cory O said:

For possible downsides, PXG only fits the 7-iron to cover the full iron set.

Just curious, did you think about splitting the set and going with the XP in the 4-5 iron?  I'd be curious how they would do that if you're only using a 7i.  

Could you go into more detail on the putter fitting?  Did they actually give you numbers for that, or was that more of a visual fitting on the putting green?

[RickyBobby_PR 10,087]

On 5/1/2022 at 8:16 PM, Cory O said:

For possible downsides, PXG only fits the 7-iron to cover the full iron set. Don't feel like you can get a representative feel for the clubs from the 7-iron? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. To be fair, most fitting van experiences are going to be with a single iron. Only premium specialty shops or dedicated brand facilities are likely to have fitting clubs across the whole set.

It’s going to be a 6 or 7 irons depending on the brand and where they feel it’s best for the customer based on design and where customers would struggle with hitting the iron.

There are going to be very few places that have more than a single club to do iron fittings. Dedicated brand facilities including the OEM facilities themselves use a single iron. It’s time consuming to fit for an entire set or even wedge, short and long iron. It’s also expensive to pay for the fitters time to do all that. Just like if someone wanted to dive deep into fitting their lie angles and lofts over several days.

[Cory O 423]

13 hours ago, goaliewales14 said:

Just curious, did you think about splitting the set and going with the XP in the 4-5 iron?  I'd be curious how they would do that if you're only using a 7i.  

Could you go into more detail on the putter fitting?  Did they actually give you numbers for that, or was that more of a visual fitting on the putting green?

Thanks for the questions! I didn't consider it based on my swing profile and how I hit long irons. If I had considered it, I would have checked it by hitting the XP 7 iron and using the feel/numbers on that to make a decision. It probably would have been on me as the golfer to open that conversation with the fitter though.

For putting, it was fully based on preferences and rolling putts on the green. I think they have some tech to do full putter fits in their corporate studios though.

[fixyurdivot 18,163]

On 4/23/2022 at 9:47 PM, 2puttbogey said:

When PXG first came out I would have never seen myself playing them. Then they had a sale for lefties at the stat of the pandemic, so I ended up getting a driver from them. It led to getting a set of irons as well. Now my wife has a full bag less the putter, and I updated my 19* hybrid with them as well. Besides the fact that there’s choices for different budgets; the customer service has been absolutely top notch. We have a mobile fitter that goes to different courses, he is very accessible and accommodating to whatever you need. That’s the reason why I will continue to use their clubs.

That was my initial impression of PXG too... high end pricing, niche market.  But then I started hearing about Bob's military background, the "play" on model numbers and connection with Marines job roles, and the fantastic discounts offered to current and ex-military .  I have not had a chance to test them but, from everything I've read, they are great quality clubs at very competitive prices. If I ever get the chance, I'm definitely going to try them. A few of the models seem to overdo the recessed set-screw look but it looks like they have some a bit less mechanical looking.

Look forward to hearing about the fitting experience and how the Gen5 compare to your Gen2.

[Cory O 423]

40 minutes ago, fixyurdivot said:

Look forward to hearing about the fitting experience and how the Gen5 compare to your Gen2.

Just for quick clarification, I play their 2021 0211 DC set currently, not the Gen 2’s. The 0211s are their “budget” lineup, so the big move here is budget to premium.

[cksurfdude 11,355]

2 hours ago, fixyurdivot said:

A few of the models seem to overdo the recessed set-screw look but it looks like they have some a bit less mechanical looking.

If I recall correctly something I'd read - drilling those weight ports and adding tungsten screws was a method of prototyping the early irons, so they could quick & easily shift weight around in one proto head. The Boss saw it and told the engineers to go with that look!

[Joel C 64]

On 5/1/2022 at 5:16 PM, Cory O said:

Fitting complete! The range at Industry Hills was off mats today, but good numbers off the Trackman. I'll give some more impressions below, but let's kick off with what would shape up to be a ridiculously nice set of clubs:

Driver - 0311 GEN5 7.5* w/ Fujikura Motore F3 6 X-flex (although I also hit the head with my Autoflex and that's likely to be the gamer)

4-wood - 0311 GEN5 16* w/ Fujikura Motore F3 S-flex

Hybrid - 0311 GEN5 19* w/ Mitsubishi MMT80

Irons - 4-GW 0311 P GEN5 w/ SteelFiber 95 S-flex

Wedges - 0311 Sugar Daddy 54* and 60* w/ SteelFiber 95 S-flex

Putter - Blackjack Center-shafted

Additionally, the irons are coming in the Xtreme Dark finish with the SteelFiber Private Label (which sounds like a wine more than a golf shaft), so it will all be "murdered out" as the kids say.

Initial thoughts:

Based on my time with the GEN5 7 iron, hybrid, fairway, and driver I feel like PXG has finally found the right visual balance on looks. Quite honestly, I would not have played GEN1 or GEN2 PXGs as all the bullet hole-like plugs were just too much. My current 0211s are clean and a good looking club, but they don't really stand out. The GEN5s definitely get your attention, but don't seem to be trying to hard to do it. Of special note is the driver, where the carbon fiber crown has been noticeably darkened from the GEN4 head.

I'll talk more about performance when I have them in hand and get them out on the course, but I do wonder why I seem to hit the ball so well during fittings. If only I could bring that out on the course, I'd be scratch. I can confidently say I shouldn't be losing any distance from my "loft-jacked" 0221's as the 0311 P's have more weight behind the ball and up the smash factor. I also appreciate that they have a 4-wood head as I don't hit lower-lofted fairway metals. The 4 wood seems to be "off menu" in that you can't order it directly off the website, but can be done through a fitter or on the phone.

Fitting Experience:

I can say flat out that if you're going to buy PXG clubs, then get an in person fitting done if remotely possible. I think they officially charge $50, but that might be credited back if you purchase clubs. I've met a handful of PXG fitters and they've all been friendly and knowledgeable. Additionally, at least in my opinion, they're not really pushy about upselling shaft/grip options etc. If you tell them you are only considering stock/no upcharge options then that's what they'll have you hit. PXG has a lot of no upcharge options though, so it's likely they can get a good fit within them.

For possible downsides, PXG only fits the 7-iron to cover the full iron set. Don't feel like you can get a representative feel for the clubs from the 7-iron? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. To be fair, most fitting van experiences are going to be with a single iron. Only premium specialty shops or dedicated brand facilities are likely to have fitting clubs across the whole set.

My session was scheduled for 90 minutes, but took under an hour. I already had a clear preference on shafts (I already play SteelFiber and knew I want to continue) and I fit pretty cleanly into one of the head profiles (side note - props to you if you can handle the T irons, because it was very clear I couldn't) 

I'll be getting some swings and shot tracers up on TikTok later - @mygolfswing

Fingers-crossed, the clubs should be arriving in about two weeks. Anyone have any follow-up questions?

Looking forward to you thoughts after getting a chance to play some rounds with them, especially the 0311 sugar daddy wedges as that is most likely next upgrade to my bag.  PXG are definitely on my radar when I decide to replace my wedges and irons so it is good to hear about positive fitting experiences with them.  Plus, living 30 minutes from Scottsdale showroom/fitting rm/assembly warehouse helps.  

 

[cksurfdude 11,355]

On 5/1/2022 at 8:16 PM, Cory O said:

I'll talk more about performance when I have them in hand and get them out on the course, but I do wonder why I seem to hit the ball so well during fittings. If only I could bring that out on the course, I'd be scratch.

Ha love it! 

 

On 5/1/2022 at 8:16 PM, Cory O said:

the 0311 P's have more weight behind the ball and up the smash factor

Yeah just don't forget with you start hitting those smashes to yell out ...

KaBOOOM BAYBEE!!!

[Cory O 423]

T-minus 24 hours to unboxing content

[Cory O 423]

Let’s kick it off with a gratuitous photo drop

PXG still does a great job with their shipping presentation. Any manufacturer just sending a plain brown box at this point is doing it wrong.

[Cory O 423]

That feeling when you hit into a bunker for the first time of the day and pull out your brand new dark finished lob wedge...

[Cory O 423]

I’ll be writing up soon, but in the meantime, you can check out my TikTok to see the clubs in action:

https://www.tiktok.com/@mediocre.golfer

Let me know if you have any questions about the clubs.