PXG 0311 GEN6 Fairway Woods and Hybrids

You likely don’t hit the center of the club face nearly as often as you think you do. That’s the philosophical underpinning that drives much of the performance story in the new PXG 0311 GEN6 fairway woods and hybrids.

A bump in ball speed on a perfect strike is a clear benefit. However, it’s one that likely goes largely unrealized by amateur golfers. It’s somewhere between theoretical and marginally practical. Put differently: even the most accomplished golfers on the planet understand that forgiveness is an integral performance characteristic for any fairway wood or hybrid.

PXG 0311 GEN6 Models

As with the PXG 0311 GEN6 drivers, the fairway woods and hybrids come in two models with two distinct player profiles. The standard PXG 0311 GEN6 fairway wood and hybrid is a “one size fits most” proposition whereas the 0311 GEN6 XF targets golfers who can benefit from xtreme forgiveness.

Moreover, what’s true for the PXG 0311 GEN6 fairway woods is also true for the hybrids: materials, design specs, aesthetics. Yep, all of it. If you want to call the  0311 GEN6 hybrid a scrunched version of the GEN6 fairway wood, I suppose that works. The point is that, beyond the clear difference in footprint between a fairway wood and hybrid, the blueprints are the same.

PXG 0311 GEN6 Tech

Both the fairway wood and hybrid utilize an AM355 steel body alongside an HT1770 high-strength face material. The new face material is six percent thinner than what PXG used in GEN5 fairway woods and hybrids which helps account for the slight increase in ball speed. Also, PXG is quick to mention that the HT1770 is stronger than the basic 17-4 stainless steel, though top-shelf brands have largely moved on from 17-4 stainless in favor of premium maraging steel (eg., C300, MAS1C) or various titanium alloys. So, ultimately, it’s a good thing that PXG isn’t using 17-4 stainless but it’s not a face material I’d expect to see used with any regularity from top-performing brands.

If you look at the 0311 GEN6 fairway woods and hybrids face on, you can see that the toe-section appears “squared-off.” This also moves the perimeter skirt design more vertical. Ultimately what this means to golfers is that a squared face design increases the face surface area and, by extension, improves MOI/forgiveness.

PXG 0311 GEN6 Model Differences

In both the fairway wood and hybrid, the 0311 GEN6 XF features a rail sole geometry and two rear weights. It’s also the larger of the two models (0.250” longer heel to toe and 0.300” deeper front to back). The standard 0311 GEN6 has a flat sole design and three moveable weights.

Because the 0311 GEN6 XF targets players who can benefit from a higher overall trajectory, both weights sit in the rear section of the sole. The stock configuration is 15 grams in the heel and 2.5 grams in the toe, which creates a slight draw bias. To be clear, golfers can swap the weights and PXG also offers a separate weight kit that allows fitters a range of weights to help golfers dial in a preferred swing weight or launch/spin characteristics.

The standard 0311 GEN6 has three weight locations positioned in the heel, rear and toe sections of the sole. The off-the-rack arrangement is 10 grams in the heel and rear and 2.5 grams in the toe. Again, the additional weight port provides another lever for fitters to pull to help golfers find an optimal fit.

Performance Implications

PXG provided a wealth of internal testing data as part of its media presentation. And, no doubt, the next time a company trots out a bunch of numbers and stats showing that its newest flagship product isn’t somehow better than the competitors, it’ll be the first.

That aside, I applaud PXG for both the level of detail and scope of analysis which provides plenty of evidence to support its position that GEN6 fairway woods and hybrids offer a meaningful improvement over GEN5 which launched roughly 12 months ago.

Specifically, I’m talking about a chart titled “All Hit Locations.” What it shows is that GEN6 is marginally better on center strikes (roughly one mph ball speed) but universally better on off-center strikes as compared to GEN5. And by “better,” we’re talking primarily about ball speed and optimal spin retention. The net result is more distance but, perhaps more importantly, significantly reduced dispersion. Translation: Compared to GEN5, the GEN6 product is a bit longer for every hit location and more accurate.

My $0.05

Sometimes, we need solutions to help save ourselves from ourselves. It’s why we leave “Don’t forget to take out the trash” sticky notes on the garage door. Or why we set up a recurring order of dog food. But for such strategies to work, we must admit an honest assessment based in reality, which isn’t a strong suite for many golfers. As a collective (myself included), we tend to remember the best shots while justifying the mulligans and scooping up several three-footers for bogey (you never miss that putt, right?). What PXG is offering with 0311 GEN6 is a healthy reality check with an intriguing performance proposition.

Also, what the 0311 GEN6 launch leaves out is a dedicated, low-spin fairway wood and hybrid that eventually could show up as part of the 0317 family. This is entirely conjecture but should PXG decide to add any “Tour-inspired” gear aimed at elite amateurs and pros, this is where I’d expect it to make an appearance.

Pricing and Availability

Retail price for the PXG 0311 GEN6 fairway woods is $299 with the stock shaft. The PXG 0311 GEN6 hybrids are $289. Alternative shafts (both no-upcharge and lots of upcharge shafts) are also available.

Available now.

For more information or to schedule your fitting, visit PXG.com.