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In this review, I’ll be taking a comprehensive look at the PXG 0311 P GEN7 irons.
The 0311 P GEN7 succeeds last year’s GEN6 iron which PXG designed to provide a blend of control and forgiveness for better players. It introduces new technologies such as QuantumCOR and a titanium bezel for the next level of performance.
How do the 0311 P GEN7 irons actually perform when put to the test? How do they compare to the 0311 P GEN6? Who are they best suited for? Are they worth putting in the bag?
Here’s what will be covered in the review:
Read on to learn what you need to know to make an informed purchase.
Note: Unless otherwise stated, stock shafts and stock grips are used when evaluating this club. In most cases, the golf clubs reviewed on Golfstead are acquired temporarily for testing purposes and are not purchased. The review that follows is based on the personal experience and research of the author. Because everyone’s swing and body are different, results with a particular club may differ from person to person.
What are the reviews like?
The PXG 0311 P GEN7 iron has been received very positively overall by both critics and users.
People have noted the very strong performance across the board. Not only does the iron have the control, consistency and workability you would come to expect from a players iron, but it’s also long and forgiving.
What People Like
- very consistent
- long and forgiving, even for a player’s iron
- responsive & solid feel
- attractive look at address
- high trajectory
What People Don’t Like
- some aren’t fans of the look
- expensive
The Features
The 0311 P GEN7 is marked by two new technologies that set it apart from previous models.
The first is a new core material called QuantumCOR, which replaces the XCOR2 filler of GEN6 and was developed over the course of a decade.
This proprietary polymer filler, injected behind the face, is said to be extremely lightweight and resilient. It’s designed to produce more consistent ball speeds across the face and reduce the mass of the core so that more weight can be placed low and around the perimeter for significantly higher MOI.
The second is a new Titanium Bezel which serves as the housing for the large Precision Weight on the back of the club. This piece of titanium further reduces the mass of the core, allowing weight to be shifted to the perimeter for higher MOI and forgiveness.
Other features of the 0311 P GEN7 irons include:
- Variable Ultra-Thin Face: the face of the iron is just 0.05″ thick and made from high-strength HT1770 maraging steel. Combined with the new QuantumCOR, this leads to high ball speeds in mis-hit areas and a maximum COR value that sits at the USGA limit.
- Precision Weighting Technology: a large weight on the back of the club near the center of gravity (CG) can be used to modify swing weight during a PXG fitting for optimal performance.
- Internal Tungsten Weight: a 20g tungsten piece is positioned in the toe region to balance the CG and increase MOI.
- Power Channel: this U-shaped imprint on the inside of the face improves face flexion in the top region, increasing ball speed and improving launch.
- 5X Forged: forged five times from 8620 soft carbon steel, increasing strength, groove life, feel and looks.
- Milled Back Surface: improves iron aesthetics without compromising performance.
Stock Info
The 0311 P GEN7 irons are available in 4-GW (20.5°-49°).
In addition to the standard chrome, PXG offers what they call an Xtreme Dark Finish with a diamond-like carbon (DLC) coating. This coating, which is unique to golf, has extremely high wear resistance.
A number of stock shafts (steel and graphite) are available for the irons at no extra cost from brands that include True Temper, KBS, Project X, UST Mamiya, and Mitsubishi. You can view the full list of no-upcharge shafts here.
The stock grips are the PXG Z5 Black and Golf Pride Tour Velvet 360.
Below are the specs of the 0311 P GEN7 irons. Click or zoom to enlarge. Note that the specs are identical to the P GEN6.
The Performance
Distance
In terms of performance off the sweet spot, ball speeds and overall distance did not appear to be noticeably different than the 0311 P GEN6 iron during my field test. This is despite data from PXG indicating that the GEN7 has an edge of around 1 mph of ball speed on average.
When you think about it, this isn’t surprising, since the new QuantumCOR filler and titanium bezel are primarily intended to improve performance in mis-hit regions.
From an absolute standpoint, however, distance is excellent and may even surpass that of players distance irons from other top brands.
Forgiveness
Compared to the GEN6 iron from the previous generation, it was pretty apparent during my testing that the P GEN7 is more forgiving, both in terms of ball speed preservation and dispersions. This is the area where the GEN7 has the biggest advantage.
According to PXG’s testing data, the dispersions of the 0311 P GEN7 are improved over GEN6 by more than 30%. My results were pretty consistent with these findings.
PXG really did great work with the moment of inertia (MOI) — this refers to the ability of the iron head to resist twisting and loss of momentum at impact, which affects speed and direction on off-center strikes. In fact, I would say that the 0311 P GEN7 has a game-improvement level of stability through the impact zone.
Playability/Trajectory
Trajectories with the 0311 P GEN7 irons tend to be mid-high, with a nice, high launch and mid spin.
Back when I reviewed the 0311 P GEN6, I remarked that I was getting less spin than I wanted compared to the GEN5. I was pleased to note during my testing that the spin of the GEN7 is back up and now resembles the GEN5, which I think is perfect for what this iron is supposed to be.
Stopping power is very good, and the iron is workable too. Moreover, I’m very impressed with how consistent and repeatable ball flights are from shot to shot.
Overall, this is a very versatile iron that you can count on in just about any situation on the golf course. It’s worth noting that the Precision Weight on the back of the iron can be modified by a PXG fitter to suit your swing, and this can have a substantial impact on ball flight.
The Look
Not surprisingly, the 0311 P GEN7 iron looks very similar to its predecessor, the P GEN6, in terms of shape, filling the role of a players distance iron.
The top line is thinner than what you would find on a typical game-improvement iron, but certainly thicker than that of a blade. There is some offset, but not a lot, and the sole is of an average width. The blade length is on the compact side.
The look on the back of the iron is different from GEN6 in a few key ways.
PXG has done away with the screw weights on either side of the large Precision Weight, and there is no longer a black bottom rail, keeping the colour a consistent chrome throughout that I would argue looks more classic. The milled strip has also been moved to the middle to surround the PXG medallion.
The Sound & Feel
Like the GEN6 model, the 0311 P GEN7 iron has a rather muted, quiet and crisp sound that is consistent across the face.
The feel is also soft and responsive like GEN6, but with GEN7, I find it to have a touch more buttery softness to it. I’m sure this is largely due to the new polymer fill, and I consider it to be an improvement even though I was pleased with the feel of the P GEN6 at the time.
As you move away from the sweet spot into mis-hit regions, the responsiveness of the face holds up well, but the feel becomes noticeably sharper/harsher and less soft. Feedback is good — you should have little trouble discerning the impact location.
Turf interaction is very good, like the GEN6 model. The sole does not tend to dig, nor does it tend to bounce off of tight lies.
Where To Buy These Irons Online
PXG makes it easy to get everything you need on their online store. Not only can you custom order 0311 P GEN7 irons in whatever set composition you want, but you can also book affordable PXG fittings directly from their site so you can figure out the exact configuration that works best for you.
For the Xtreme Dark finish, go here.
Aside from the PXG store, a really great place to get these irons at affordable prices is eBay. You can typically find deals there that you can’t find anywhere else.
PXG offers a robust fitting process which may be available in your local area. I recommend this for players distance irons like the 0311 P GEN7.
Final Thoughts
Based on my testing, PXG’s 0311 P GEN7 iron builds on the previous generation primarily by improving mis-hit forgiveness and spin performance.
I found the iron to be just as long as the P GEN6 and did not find a clear increase in ball speeds off the sweet spot, although speed and distance are exceptional as it is, so I have no issue with it.
This players distance iron is versatile, balanced, and forgiving. Throw in big distance, good stopping power into greens, decent workability, and improved performance over the previous GEN6 model, and you can’t ask for much more. While the cost will be a barrier to many, it’s definitely worth it for low and mid handicappers to give it a try.
Are you interested in the 0311 P GEN7 irons? Have you played them? What’s your experience? Tell us about it in the comments below.
