A golf club engineer is a golf club engineer … unless you work for PXG. Being part of a company known for disrupting the industry and delivering the most innovative golf clubs on the market is anything but boring.
A NO HOLDS BARRED APPROACH TO ENGINEERING GOLF CLUBS
If you know PXG, you know that it was founded in 2014 by well-known businessman, philanthropist, and golf nut Bob Parsons. Engaging some of the most respected golf club engineers in the business, Parsons charged the team with a very specific, and unique, task: create a sexy set of golf clubs that look like blades, launch higher, go farther, feel softer, and have a sweet spot the size of Texas.
With no cost or time constraints, the team began the process of researching various alloys, exploring new technologies, and identifying the unique properties that would make PXG clubs unlike anything else.
Several years and multiple generations of the world’s finest golf clubs later – the charge remains the same.
THE BIRTH OF A PXG GOLF CLUB
It all starts with PXG Research Engineers. This group focuses on researching new materials and advanced concepts that make PXG the most innovative golf clubs on the market. Every day, they are challenged to think outside of the box.
Scrap that. At PXG, the proverbial box does not exist.
The team is given the freedom to test any idea they may have, often using nontraditional materials and usually learning more from what doesn’t work than what they already knew would be a sure thing.
At times, the engineers are working towards a very specific goal – develop the next generation of clubs, figure out how to amp up overall performance, achieve even more distance or less spin, etc.
The 0811 GEN4 Driver was born out of a directive to create an eye-catching club that could absolutely crush it straight down the fairway. After some creative trial and error, the engineers ending up adding a Aluminum Vapor (AV) material to the carbon fiber crown – this material has never before been used on a clubhead. The distinctive look is sexy and functional as it increases the stiffness and stability of the driver head.
For other projects, the team spends time exploring new methods and materials that can be utilized somewhere down the line. For example, the PXG 0311 GEN4 Irons incorporate a proprietary XCOR polymer that was born out of a multi-year research and development project. Created specifically for use in PXG irons, the XCOR insert is soft and off-the-charts explosive.
Through it all, PXG Research Engineers are continuously conducting research and striving to find the next, most innovative technology.
DIALING IN THE DETAILS
Once a new concept has been fleshed out, the Design Engineers get started on creating CAD models and hashing out specifics for product development. From the exact shape, weight, and overall look to sound, feel, and performance characteristics, this team focuses on how to optimize each club for the best final product. All keeping within USGA guidelines, of course.
The Design Engineers also work with PXG suppliers and in-house machinists to create prototypes so our careful testing phase can begin.
TEST, TEST, AND TEST AGAIN
If it isn’t significantly better than anything currently on the market – including existing PXG equipment – it doesn’t make the cut. That’s where the Test Engineers get cracking. This team runs extensive durability and performance tests on prototypes and production products. As needed, they also develop new tests to further validate concepts or trash them.
We test everything. MOI, clubhead speed, ball speed, launch and spin rates, distance and dispersion, etc. We compare data, rework where needed, and test even more. Sometimes, our TOUR players will help with the testing process, often adding prototypes to their bags even before our engineers think the new club may be ready to go to market.
The most important test our clubs face? Bob Parsons himself. Often the first to test a new prototype, Parsons always gets the last say and his steadfast commitment to only releasing the best equipment ensures PXG golf clubs are world-class, every time.
GO TO MARKET
Once final club specs are determined, the Project Engineers step in to get the new clubs on the market. This team works closely with our suppliers, manages scheduling, and controls the manufacturing process as we take the new equipment into mass production. They create spec documents and help make sure products meet PXG’s standards and are built correctly for each and every customer.
MORE THAN A CLUBHEAD
The R&D team is also charged with things like selecting/updating PXG’s extensive shaft matrix. This involves gathering samples of potential shaft offerings from manufacturers, measuring their specs, conducting player testing, and putting together a list of shafts that allows us to properly fit as many players as possible. The same goes for grips.
They also work with the Fitting Team on technology pieces such as designing tools like our putter fitting system and developing the logic behind PXG’s custom phone fittings.
Ongoing consumer and industry research play a big role as we continuously strive to raise the bar for golf equipment.
WE ASKED SOME OF OUR ENGINEERS SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT IT’S LIKE TO WORK FOR PXG:
“One of the most unique things about working for PXG is our lack of constraints. We have the opportunity to take our time to create an incredible product without scrambling to meet deadlines or worrying about the cost.”
“The way PXG approaches product development is a huge departure from most OEMs that work towards a specific launch date/annual product cycle. At PXG, we work until it’s ready, until it’s better. But once it is, we don’t wait – we bring the new, innovative technology to our customers as quickly as possible. There’s no holding out for the next product cycle.”
“Because we don’t stick to a set timeline, we never have to compromise or settle for less than the best just to meet a deadline.”
“One of my favorite things is taking a concept and sketching it out, putting it into CAD, and then actually turning it into a tangible part we can test. This is even more extreme at PXG because of some of the crazy concepts we have been able to try. They definitely aren’t all winners but having the freedom to test ideas and learning from the failures makes coming to work really fun.”
“Working for Mr. Parsons is unlike any other OEM. The flexibility he offers allows us to do things that could never be explored within more risk-averse companies. His energy and passion for what we do is infectious.”
Think you have the imagination and passion it takes to be a PXG Engineer? Click here to learn more about how you can join the PXG team.
