PXG reveal 0311 T, P and XP Gen3 irons

PXG have revealed three brand new iron models for 2020 – the PXG 0311 Gen3 T, P and XP – which all feature brand new Impact Reactor Technology (powered by a new DualCOR system) designed to improve ball speed and distance

At a glance: PXG’s new 0311 Gen3 irons

• There are three new models: T – Tour, P – Players, XP – Xtreme Performance, geared at different levels of golfer
• All three heads are forged 5 times from 8620 carbon steel.
• DualCOR tech creates what PXG call Impact Reactor, improving ball speeds and distance.
• An ultra-thin face works symbiotically with the DualCOR head filling, neither are possible independently.
• PXG’s signature perimeter weighting tech improves MOI.
• Every head is robotically polished, so each head is exactly the same shape.
• Each head has a CNC Milled back, to achieve a thin high performance body, not possible from forging alone.

Jump to: PXG 0311 Gen 3 model comparison 

PXG’s new 0311 Gen3 Irons: What you need to know

PXG have always said they wouldn’t launch a new product without it being significantly better than its predecessor, and for all intents and purposes they’ve gone full throttle to make Gen3 better.

Brand new DualCOR technology takes center stage in PXG’s new 0311 Gen3 irons, combining an outer layer of polymer which is high in strength, with a high COR (rebound properties), giving structural support to the extremely thin face.

Inside that outer layer there’s a softer polymer with extremely high COR properties which allows the face to load more fully. The new material stores that energy and rebounds it to the ball better than any other.

Essentially, the new DualCOR means golfers get the both of best worlds. Vibration dampening and improved feel but right along side increased face flex, improved energy transfer and higher ball speeds. 

ROBOT TESTED: Which golf ball suits me?

How much difference does DualCOR technology make?

PXG say the new tech allows the face to take on more load, so Gen3 faces deflect more than twice as much as previous models.

What does that mean in terms of ball speed and distance gains? Well, PXG’s research and player testing shows, from the same loft and shaft spec, a ball speed increase of 2-3mph, so golfers can expect to see a 5 – 8 yard improvement in carry distance.

TESTED: Which PXG iron suits me?

How does the new DualCOR work?

Think about it like this. PXG’s original TPE core (in the Gen1 irons) was a viscoelastic material, designed exclusively to dampen vibration. The material did exactly what it was supposed too, but it also dissipated energy inefficiently when under load.

In the Gen2 irons PXG introduced a more explosive COR2 filing material aimed at boosting ball speeds. But Gen3 sees both ideas combined in a single model. The new Impact Reactor (powered by DualCOR technology) behaves like elastic, keeping more energy in the system resulting in more ball speed and distance, but also delivering incredibly soft feel.

PXG weren’t keen to talk openly about the exact makeup of both materials, or how they get them inside the head, but it’s safe to assume based on past experience Bob Parsons has some hefty patents to protect his engineers brilliant ideas.

Other new tech in the Gen3 irons

A new internal channel winds around the perimeter of the inside of the face, narrowing the face to 1.2mm at points, meaning additional loading and flex. There’s also new CNC Milled grooves, which are right on the edges of the rules and CNC Milled backs, to create a thin body structure.

And of course the brands signature perimeter lightweight titanium and heavy tungsten weights which position the centre of gravity and increase MOI (forgiveness) adorn the back of every iron.

TESTED: PXG’s half priced 0211 iron

Model comparison

T (Tour) – Higher spin performance and increased workability. 

P (Players) – Optimized for a blend of distance, forgiveness and workability.

XP (Xtreme Performance) – Optimized for distance and forgiveness. Easy to hit.

How much more forgiving?

PXG say as blade length increases from toe to heel from the T to the P and the XP irons, so does the MOI around the centre of gravity, which significantly improves forgiveness.

So each iron has been specifically designed to improve MOI. So much so the P iron has an MOI 13% higher than the T. And the XP is a further 10% higher up the scale than the P,  meaning the XP is 23% more forgiving than the T.

36 SETS TESTED: Which forged iron suits me?

Just how far have PXG’s three generations of irons come?