PXG 0311 Forged Wedge Review

The PXG 0311 Forged wedge offers high toe and full face groove performance at an affordable cost.

Having taken it upon themselves to create a super-premium iron and wedge market (where sets of irons cost north of £2K, and 100% CNC Milled wedges weigh in at £700+), PXG are now exploring ways to satisfy the demands of golfers who won’t entertain paying more than the market average for their golf gear.

Over the last few years the company have revealed the ‘affordable’ 0211 family (the drivers and irons currently sell for £199 and £75 respectively), and their plan was for the super premium 0311 family to mop up sales at the top of the market, whilst the 0211 kept the likes of Callaway, TaylorMade and Ping busy within the new mid-market.

Which, judging by how the company has gone from employing 6 to 70+ staff in the UK in the space of three years appears to be working.

With an established ‘affordable’ 0211 franchise on the market, the company have now revealed a new, not so costly 0311 Forged wedge to compete head-on with the likes of Cleveland RTX ZipCore and the Titleist Vokey Design SM9. Unsurprisingly, as with anything PXG, they’re really good looking sticks and they promise top-drawer performance, this is their story.

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Details: PXG 0311 Forged wedge

RRP: £149 (the Xtreme Dark finish is £169)

Loft / Bounce: 50°/12°, 52°/12°, 54°/12°, 56°/12°, 59°/9°, 60°/9°, 62°/9°

Stock steel shaft choices: True Temper Elevate Tour and Elevate MP 95g, KBS Tour Lite,  Nippon Modus Pro 125

Stock graphite shaft choices: UST Recoil Dart 75g, Project X Cypher 60i, Mitsubishi MMT 70/80g

What you need to know about the PXG 0311 Forged wedge

Forged x 3

Most modern wedges aren’t forged. And that’s because Titleist Vokey Design and Cleveland Golf reckon it’s possible to get the feel pros and amateurs want from a softer 8620 cast steel body which eliminates the need to forge wedges, yet PXG still see a premium in forging their new 0311 model.

The new 0311 Forged wedges are hit three times by the forge, it squeezes each head into shape and compacts the metals grain structure. If you play premium forged irons then of course it makes sense to have a similar feel for short shots around the green too.     

Full Face Grooves

Full face grooves are a massive modern trend, if you can stomach the look the idea’s sound, as no matter where shots impact the face you’re guaranteed maximum spin and control. Every groove is precision CNC Milled so each 0311 Forged wedge sits right on the edge of USGA geometry rules.

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High Toe Weighting

Like full face grooves high toe wedges are now bang on trend in the modern world of wedges. PXG say their new design is higher MOI and because the centre of gravity location is perfectly in line with open face shots, golfers get greater impact consistency, feel and predictability.

Expect this model to launch a fraction lower than the brands more expensive 0311 Sugar Daddy II which has a more compact traditional shape and additional weight positioned low in the blade.

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Tapered sole design

Versatility is the name of the game when it comes to wedge play, and PXG say their new moderate sole taper from heel to toe ensures the 0311 Forged face can be opened whilst leaving the leading edge sitting low to the ground.

Expect a moderate amount of front to back curvature and ample bounce for each wedge to work equally well on full swings and flop shots.  

Robotically polished

The reason PXG’s premium 0311 Sugar Daddy II wedges cost £389 a pop is because every head is CNC Milled to exactly the same shape. CNC Milling is precise which means there’s virtually no hand finishing is involved in the production process, which eliminates head-to-head variation.

To ensure golfers get consistent wedge head shapes, sizes and profiles the new 0311 Forged (which don’t have 100% CNC Milled heads) are polished by a robot.

So, rather than a human hand deciding the final shape everything is governed by a computer, which is programmed to ensure every curve and corner is exactly the same. It means the wedge you get fitted on will be the exact same as the wedge profile you receive.  

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Xtreme Dark finish

Not all golfers want shiny chrome wedges, so PXG make the 0311 Forged wedge in a Xtreme Dark finish too. The finish is created by coating the head in a DLC finish (Diamond-like carbon) which darkens the colour and gives much better wear resistance over PVD which is often used by the competition.

Expect to pay £169 a club for the Xtreme Dark finish option.

PXG Founder and CEO Bob Parsons on the 0311 Forged Wedge

“Super sleek and a wildly easy to wield, these babies put you in control of your short game from almost any turf condition.”

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PXG 0311 Forged Wedges

RRP: £149 (Xtreme Dark Finish £169)

Lofts/Bounce: 50°/12°, 52°/12°, 54°/12°, 56°/12°, 59°/9°, 60°/9°, 62°/9°

Stock steel shaft choices: True Temper Elevate Tour and Elevate MP 95g, KBS Tour Lite,  Nippon Modus Pro 125

Stock graphite shaft choices: UST Recoil Dart 75g, Project X Cypher 60i, Mitsubishi MMT 70/80g

Visit the PXG website here