“I want a golf club that looks like a blade. Plays like a cavity back. Launches higher. Goes farther. Feels amazing. Is incredibly forgiving. And is unbelievably sexy.”
It’s the unusual charter devised by Bob Parsons that set the wheels in motion for what is now a global phenomenon – PXG.
To get the ball rolling and tick the first box in Parsons’ lofty charter, “looks like a blade, plays like a cavity back,” PXG’s engineers determined that a hollow-body design was required. The challenge, hollow-body irons feel terrible.
Parsons, thinking about his service as a U.S. Marine Corps 0311 Rifleman during the Vietnam War, suggested the cavity be filled with something like sorbothane, frequently found in the butt of a rifle to absorb recoil.
Bang! The “aha” moment inspired an engineering breakthrough. Celebrated as one of the decade’s greatest innovations in golf, PXG Irons introduced an injection-molded core that would ultimately change how the golf industry perceives hollow-body iron technology.
From GEN1 to GEN3, PXG has evolved its golf irons technology by refining the characteristics of the core materials to maximize performance, accuracy, feel, and forgiveness. Each generation builds on the success of the previous with unique material goals and enhanced performance benefits.
PXG 0311 GEN1 Irons – The Core
Material Goal: Dampen harsh vibrations to create an exceptional feel.
TPE, thermoplastic elastomer, is a low-density, vibration-dampening material that enhances a club’s sound and feel. TPE also adds structural stability to the club face and produces a relatively efficient energy transfer. TPE is present in PXG 0311 GEN1 Irons, PXG GEN1 and GEN2 0811 Drivers, PXG 0341 GEN1 and GEN2 Fairway Woods, PXG 0317 GEN1 and GEN2 Hybrids, and PXG GEN1 Putters.
PXG 0311 GEN2 Irons – Raising the Speed Limit
Material Goal: Deliver more energy into the golf ball at impact for significant gains in distance and improved dispersion.
COR2 Technology is a low-density, high-speed, vibration-dampening polymer with explosive C.O.R. properties. The material delivers an extremely efficient energy transfer, helping produce higher ball speeds, a more consistent response, and an excellent feel. COR2 Technology is present in PXG 0311 GEN2 Irons and PXG 0211 Irons.
GEN1 to GEN2 Performance Gains:
- ~1mph increase in ball speed
- ~2-3 yards increase in carry distance
PXG 0311 GEN3 Irons – Our Best Irons by a Long Shot
Material Goal: Introduce a core that behaves like an elastic material, keeping more energy in the system when a load is applied and removed, while also delivering an exceptionally soft feel.
Impact Reactor Technology powered by a DualCOR system supports significant face deflection during impact to increase face loading and deliver more energy to the golf ball. This helps create explosive ball speeds and distance, while maintaining an unbelievably soft, yet solid feel.
- Mantle Layer: High strength, high C.O.R. polymer outer core provides increased structural stability to support an extremely thin, high-performance steel face
- Inner Core: Extremely high C.O.R. soft polymer core provides increased face loading, while storing and rebounding more energy to the ball
GEN2 to GEN3 Performance Gains:
- ~3mph increase in ball speed
- ~5-6 yards increase in carry distance
Understanding C.O.R. – It’s Complicated and Regulated
C.O.R., or the coefficient of restitution, is a measure of kinetic energy conservation during a collision of two objects. The C.O.R. is a number between zero (perfectly inelastic collision) and one (perfectly elastic collision). The C.O.R. is reduced when energy is dissipated or lost during the collision. THINK SILLY PUTTY. The higher the C.O.R. value the more efficient the energy transfer. THINK SUPERBALL! THINK GEN3!
The USGA and R&A regulate C.O.R. in golf clubs, currently limiting the threshold to 0.830. PXG Irons toe the line but are indeed conforming.
Always built by hand just for you, click here to book a PXG club fitting or configure your new irons online.
