Equipment
PXG 0811 X, XF Gen2 drivers, 0341 X woods feature Hot Rod Technology
In true Bob Parsons fashion, the second generation driver offering from Scottsdale-based PXG draws inspiration from something very fast, very custom, and VERY USA: the American hot rod. The 2019 PXG driver will be the company’s first driver offering that lives up to the performance of its irons. That’s right, PXG is a legitimate driver company now with a product that will hold its own.
PXG 0811 X Driver, PXG 0811 XF Driver
The PXG 0811 X and XF Gen2’s carbon fiber crown has the aggressive hood styling of a 500 horsepower Shelby Mustang. The sleek new multi-level crown not only packs a new-and-improved aerodynamic design but also provides structural support to the face where it’s most needed, according to the company. The resulting reduction in energy loss translates to a distance boost with enhanced control, as well as reduced drag.
The Hot Rod Technology-laden crown also acts as an alignment aid and reduces glare, says PXG, and it dampens vibration for what the company describes as “a pleasant and unique feel and sound, reminiscent of a persimmon driver head.”
As with the first generation of the 0811 drivers, Gen2 drivers again feature PXG’s proprietary thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) honeycomb insert. The TPE sole insert dampens vibrations and enhances feel, as well as the drivers’ acoustics. It takes a different form in the soles of the 0811 X and 0811 XF drivers, with the X having more TPE toward the face of the club.
With any top driver in this market, CG is a key talking point. The 0811 X features a very low CG that falls .160 below the axis line and even farther forward, which in turn reduces spin (which has always been the key criticism of the Gen1, i.e., that it spun too much) and enhances launch conditions.
Likewise, Chief Product Officer Brad Schweigert and his design team again include Precision-Weighting Technology. The weights are larger and heavier than those in the 0811 models but offer players the same ability to adjust based on a draw/fade bias and alter launch angle and spin. More specifically, the 0811 X has three 4.1 gram silver tungsten weights and six 0.8 gram black titanium weights. The XF has three of the silver weights and two of the black.
Early testing at PXG Headquarters, November 2018
GolfWRX Director of Content Johnny Wunder was on site at Scottsdale National to test the Gen2 drivers. Here are his initial thoughts.
Look
“This driver looks fast, It looks solid and it inspires confidence. What more can you ask for? It’s a vast improvement from its predecessor. Interestingly, the crown looks much lighter in sunlight than it does indoors, as you can see in our photos.”
Feel
“The 0811X felt extremely solid across the face, now I will say that I lean more towards a dense feel in a driver and that’s exactly what this is. I found the earlier versions to feel a bit hollow but not anymore, it’s really solid. And my spin numbers were better in testing than with the Gen1.”
Sound
“PXG drivers have always looked and sounded great in my experience so this was already plus.”
Overall
“I think they did a fantastic job at acknowledging shortcomings from before and pushing to release a club that lived up to the irons and also one that would fly into tour player bags…mission accomplished.”
More details
PXG 0811 X
- Weight forward design; distance-focused for high ball speed
- Smaller profile head shape
- Extremely low CG location — below the neutral axis approximately 0.160”
PXG 0811 XF
- CG is low and back to increases dynamic launch, promote mid-spin performance
- Designed at USGA MAX MOI 5900 g-cm2 for maximum forgiveness
- Larger profile head shape
- CG depth over 1/2” further back than the X Driver; CG designed on the neutral axis
Shafts/grips, etc.
- All PXG equipment is fit and assembled by an authorized PXG custom fitter
Specs
Price
The Gen2 0811X and XF drivers will retail for $575, which puts them square in the major OEM price range.
PXG GEN2 fairway woods and hybrids
The PXG Gen2 fairway woods and hybrids will also feature Hot Rod Technology, and with the sleek carbon fiber crown, will offer an easy transition from the driver.
Truth be told, PXG has always done well here, the fairways and hybrids of the previous release received high praise for overall performance, due especially to the Precision-Weighting System. This system plays well in smaller-headed, higher-lofted woods due to the amount of customization that is available. The real win in this offering is the appearance of the golf club, like the driver, it’s visually appealing and an improvement from the Gen1.
According to PXG’s Brad Schweigert, one of the other main keys to dialing in the fairway woods was a stiffer crown and moving the CG down and forward, which not only improved sound and feel but also created noticeable gains in Tour staff testing.
In regards to sole design and turf interaction, the Gen2 fairway woods and hybrids will have a slightly lower profile than the Gen1 to ensure confidence off the ground and dig into the turf a bit better.
Early testing of the PXG 341 X Woods and PXG 0317 X hybrid
Again, Johnny Wunder…
Look
“The new crown is a serious win here especially in the fairway woods, the ball frames up nicely and more than Gen1, I feel like I can go down and really get this club into the ground.”
Feel
“Overall it feels solid but I will say that it can be a bit dead on mishits, obviously that may be player specific. Out of the middle it’s really hot and very solid.”
Sound
“What I like the most about this new Gen2 is the overall sound across the board. Especially when you catch one, the sound is second to none.”
Overall
“This was already a category they figured out in my opinion so its more forward progress, and I think that players that are in previous offerings will switch, this Gen2 just look and feels better then an already really good golf club (Gen1). In regards to the hybrids, I tend to run from them BUT after messing around with the PXG fitter, my opinion has changed and a 22 degree may find its way in the bag.”
Price
- Fairway woods: $425; hybrids: $375
*Official release date for all clubs is January 15
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- 0811 X
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- 0811 X
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- 0341 X
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- 0341 X
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- 0341X
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- 0317 X
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- 0317 X
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- Kevin Tway what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wells Fargo Championship. More photos from the event here.
Driver: Ping G430 LST (10.5 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X
3-wood: TaylorMade Stealth 2 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ 80 TX
5-wood: TaylorMade Stealth 2 (18 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ 90 TX
Irons: Wilson Staff Utility (2), Titleist T100 (4-9)
Shafts: Mitsubishi MMT 100 TX (2), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (4-9)
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (48-10F @47, 52-12F @51, 56-14F), SM7 (60-10S)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (48-56), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 (60)
Putter: Scotty Cameron T-5 Proto
Grip: Scotty Cameron Black Baby T
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Plus4
More photos of Kevin Tway’s WITB in the forums.
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Editor’s note: This is an excerpt from a piece our Andrew Tursky originally wrote for PGATour.com’s Equipment Report. Head over there for the full article.
The timing of Lowry’s putter changeup was curious: Was he just using a Spider putter because he was paired with McIlroy, who’s been using a Spider Tour X head throughout 2024? Was Lowry just being festive because it’s the Zurich Classic, and he wanted to match his teammate? Did McIlroy let Lowry try his putter, and he liked it so much he actually switched into it?
Well, as it turns out, McIlroy’s only influence was inspiring Lowry to make more putts.
When asked if McIlroy had an influence on the putter switch, Lowry had this to say: “No, it’s actually a different putter than what he uses. Maybe there was more pressure there because I needed to hole some more putts if we wanted to win,” he said with a laugh.
To Lowry’s point, McIlroy plays the Tour X model, whereas Lowry switched into the Tour Z model, which has a sleeker shape in comparison, and the two sole weights of the club are more towards the face.
Lowry’s Spider Tour Z has a white True Path Alignment channel on the crown of his putter, which is reminiscent of Lowry’s former 2-ball designs, thus helping to provide a comfort factor despite the departure from his norm. Instead of a double-bend hosel, which Lowry used in his 2-ball putters, his new Spider Tour Z is designed with a short slant neck.
“I’ve been struggling on the greens, and I just needed something with a fresh look,” Lowry told GolfWRX.com on Wednesday at the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship. “It has a different neck on it, as well, so it moves a bit differently, but it’s similar. It has a white line on the back of it [like my 2-ball], and it’s a mallet style. So it’s not too drastic of a change.
“I just picked it up on the putting green and I liked the look of it, so I was like, ‘Let’s give it a go.’”
Read the rest of the piece over at PGATour.com.
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Equipment
Webb Simpson equipment Q&A: Titleist’s new 2-wood, 680 blade irons, and switching to a broomstick Jailbird
With seven career wins on the PGA Tour, including a U.S. Open victory, Webb Simpson is a certified veteran on the course. But he’s also a certified veteran in the equipment world, too. He’s a gearhead who truly knows his stuff, and he’s even worked closely with Titleist on making his own custom 682.WS irons.
On Wednesday at the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship, I caught up with Simpson to hear about his experience with Titleist’s new prototype 2-wood, how Titleist’s 680 Forged irons from 2003 ended up back in his bag, and why he’s switching into an Odyssey Ai-One Jailbird Cruiser broomstick putter this week for the first time.
Click here to read our full story about Simpson’s putter switch on PGATOUR.com’s Equipment Report, or continue reading below for my full Q&A with Simpson at Quail Hollow Club on Wednesday.
See Webb Simpson’s full WITB from the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship here
GolfWRX: It seems like you’ve been a little all over the place with your irons in the past six months or so, and now going back to the 680’s. Is that just a comfort thing? What’s been going on with the irons?
Webb Simpson: Titleist has been so great at working with me, and R&D, on trying to get an iron that kind of modernizes the 680. And so the 682.WS took the T100 grooves, but kinda took the look and the bulk and the build of the 680’s into one club. They’re beautiful, and awesome looking. I just never hit them that well for a consistent period of time. It was probably me, but then I went to T100’s and loved them. I loved the spin, the trajectory, the yardage, but again, I never went on good runs. Going through the ground, I couldn’t feel the club as well as with the blade. So last week, I’m like, ‘Alright. I’m gonna go back more for…comfort, and see if I can get on a nice little run of ball striking.’
So that’s why I went back.
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OK, that makes sense. I know you had done some 2-wood testing recently. Is that in the bag right now?
It’s like day-by-day. I used it at Hilton Head every day. Valero, I used it one round. And this week, me and my caddie will do the book every morning, and if it’s a day where we think we need it, we’ll just put it in and take the 3-wood out. I love it because it’s a super simple swap. Like, it doesn’t really change much.
Yeah, can you tell me about that club? I mean, we don’t really know anything about it yet. You know? I haven’t hit it or anything, obviously.
It has grooves like a 3-wood. Spin is perfect. And it’s honestly, like, everything is in the middle of a 3-wood and driver number. Trajectory, spin, carry, all of it. So, a Hilton Head golf course is almost too easy to talk about because, you know, there, so many holes are driver 3-wood.
Valero, our thinking was we had two par-5’s into the wind, and we knew that it would take two great shots to get there in two. So instead of hitting driver-driver, we just put it in. And I used it on those holes.
Hilton was a little easier because it was off-the-tee kind of questions. But Colonial will be a golf course where, you know, there’s a lot of driver or 3-woods. It’s kind of like a backup putter or driver for me now. I’ll bring it to every tournament.
So it’s, like, in your locker right now, probably?
Well, it would be. It’s in my house [because Webb lives near by Quail Hollow Club, and is a member at the course.] It’s in the garage.
Oh, yeah, that’s right. Do you know what holes you might use it out here if it goes in play?
Potentially 15, depending on the wind. Second shot on 10. Could be 14 off the tee. The chances here are pretty low (that he’ll use the 2-wood). But, like, Greensboro would be an awesome club all day. I’m trying to think of any other golf courses.
There’s plenty that it’ll be a nice weapon to have.
It’s interesting, the wave of 2-woods and mini drivers. Like, it’s just really taken off on Tour, and all the companies have seemed to embrace it.
Yeah. The thing I had to learn, it took me, like, at least a week to learn about it is you gotta tee it up lower than you think. I kept teeing it up too high. You need it low, like barely higher than a 3-wood. And that was where I got optimal spin and carry. If you tee it up too high, you just don’t get as much spin and lose distance, I don’t know if that’s just a mini driver thing.
And you obviously have a Jailbird putter this week. What spurred that on?
Inconsistent putting. I’m stubborn in a lot of ways when it comes to my equipment, but I have to be open minded – I just hadn’t putted consistently well in a while. And I’m like, ‘Man, I feel my ball-striking coming along. Like I feel better; for real, better.’
If I can just get something in my hands that I’m consistent with. Being on Tour, you see it every year, guys get on little runs. I can put together four to five tournaments where I’m all the sudden back in the majors, or in the FedExCup Playoffs. You can turn things around quick out here. I’m like, ‘Man, whatever’s going to get me there, great.’
My caddie, David Cook, caddied for Akshay at the Houston Open and he putted beautifully. Then, I watched Akshay on TV at Valero, and he putted beautifully. And, I’m like, ‘I’m just going to try it.’
I’ve never tried it for more than a putt or two, and I just ordered what Akshay uses. It was pretty awkward at first, but the more I used it, the more I’m like, ‘Man, it’s pretty easy.’ And a buddy of mine who’s a rep out here, John Tyler Griffin, he helped me with some setup stuff. And he said at Hilton Head, he wasn’t putting well, then tried it, and now he makes everything. He was very confident. So I’m like, ‘Alright, I’ll try it.’”
And you’re going with it this week?
Hundred percent.
Alright, I love it. Thank you, I always love talking gear with you. Play well this week.
Thanks, man.
See Webb Simpson’s full WITB from the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship here
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Scott Longmore
Jan 26, 2019 at 3:25 am
I just bought the Driver, 3 wood, and 19 degree hybrid last week and cannot wait to use them in the Spring. I really loved the Gen 1 woods and have read good reviews of the Gen 2 woods. They are not as expensive as the Gen 1 woods but are supposed to be better performing.
Alex
Jan 22, 2019 at 10:55 am
Unless you hit this thing you have zero right to comment. I do not have any PXG clubs in my bag, they were just too expensive for me. I currently game a TS2, i tried the gen 2 yesterday side by side on a trackman. And wow, this club is as good as any. For the price its actually a no brainer unless you have some serious hate towards the guy (and then it’s just jealousy). The driver was amazing and a ton of free shaft upgrades. If i didn’t get deals on Titleist equipment, this would definitely be in the runnings.
ogo
Jan 7, 2019 at 10:39 pm
A WILLIAM ROSS PATENT SPRING-FACE IRON, CIRCA 1893
http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2007/the-jeffery-b-ellis-antique-golf-club-collection-n08380/lot.379.html
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Well… so much for PXG innovative”engineering” superiority “engineering” superiority… 😮
Jose Pinatas
Jan 6, 2019 at 5:08 pm
I think there missing the point here. They need to keep adding screws, not reducing the amount…. Each model going forward, the screws should increase by 5. Eventually they’ll be small enough where they’ll actually benefit my +1 handicap.
JB
Jan 5, 2019 at 10:21 am
I really think this is going to be a good product for them! It looks good, feels good, and sounds good. The price point is very competitive to the other OEMs. I believe the M5 and the Epic Flash are both going to be $549. I think it is now worth comparing the PXG in any fitting, and if it is a better fit for some players than it will be worth the extra $25.
Joey
Jan 3, 2019 at 5:10 pm
Maybe you PXG haters should check out the article on MyGolfSpy. They do a very thorough breakdown of the new tech and design of these drivers compared to the Gen 1’s and others. First understand the science behind a club and then leave a comment. A lot of you seem misinformed and just want to take shots at a company that actually produces a quality project. With the price points of other upcoming big OEM releases, i’d much rather look into the PXG’s for an extra $25-$75 bucks.
benseattle
Jan 2, 2019 at 7:11 pm
Don’t mean to interrupt all the knee-jerk PXG haters here but I do have a question: in the “tour X” model, it’s said to have a “Smaller profile head shape” and I take it that means a smaller-headed driver. What are the cc’s in this club? Haters aside (and I’m no PXG fan-boy, believe you me) I’m VERY surprised at the $575 price point. Weren’t the first drivers from PXG priced at around $850? Bob Parsons: always thinking of the masses!
Michael E Maloney
Jan 24, 2019 at 7:20 pm
It’s the same size just like the two different models of Titleist driver and the two different models of Callaway driver there just shaped a little bit differently The XF is shaped wider and flatter to put the weight one back the X is not considered tour it’s just the X version and has a more traditional pear-shaped Less length left to right and Deeper face.
Tommy
Jan 2, 2019 at 12:02 pm
You say that the Hybrid “feels dead” on mishits. Ever hit a Ping G Hybrid? Same, dead on mishits…coincidence? I think not.
West Phi
Jan 2, 2019 at 10:40 am
Looks cool, and I hope it performs, but a “Hot Rod” driver? This is not the demographic the mass golfing consumer fits into. Still leery of PXG and its marketing. I would have called it the “Stealth” or something less “redneck.”