PXG 0311, 0311 XF GEN5 fairway woods and hybrids 

Gear: PXG 0311, 0311 XF GEN5 fairway woods and hybrids
Price: $379 each
Specs: AM355 stainless steel bodies with HT1770 stainless steel faces, aluminum-vapor coated carbon fiber crowns and movable sole weights. Lofts: 13, 15, 18 and 21 degrees (0311 GEN5 fairway); 16, 17, 19 and 22 degrees (0311 GEN5 XF fairway); 17, 19, 22, and 25 degrees (0311 GEN5 hybrid); 19, 22, 25, 28 and 31 degrees (0311 GEN5 XF hybrid)
Who it’s for: Golfers who want more speed and forgiveness, along with the ability to create different shot-shape tendencies.
The Skinny: Using technologies found in the new 0311 GEN5 drivers, PXG’s newest fairway woods and hybrids are designed to maximize distance and forgiveness using updated movable weights, a low center of gravity location and a flexible face.

The Deep Dive: Bridging the gap between your driver and your first iron is the job for a combination of clubs, typically fairway woods and hybrids. They need to be versatile, because both pros and amateur golfers alike are going to hit them off the tee and from the fairways. They also need to be able to get the ball up quickly and deliver consistent performance. To do all that, PXG is using several technologies that are also found in the company’s new 0311 GEN5 drivers in the new 0311 GEN5 fairway woods and hybrids.

The fairway woods and hybrids both come in a standard and an XF model, with XF standing for extreme performance. The standard 0311 GEN5 clubs have a more-traditional shape, while the XF models are larger from front to back and feature rails on the sole to improve turf interaction and help golfers maintain speed through the hitting zone.

The 0311 GEN5’s carbon fiber crown also has a layer of aluminum vapor. (David Dusek/Golfweek)

Both fairway woods have been made with a carbon fiber crown that is coated in aluminum vapor. It is larger than the carbon fiber crown used in last season’s 0341 GEN4 fairway woods, which saves more weight. The aluminum vapor coating makes the carbon fiber stiffer without adding extra weight, so less energy is lost deforming the club when it hits the ball.

They also come with two 10-gram weights and a 2.5-gram weight that can be affixed in any of the three ports in the sole. When a 10-gram weight is in the back and the heel-side port, the center of gravity (CG) location shifts to the heel side and a draw bias is created. If the second heavy weight is in the toe, it creates a fade bias. Golfers will notice a lower flight and decreased spin with a neutral bias when they position the 10-gram weights in the heel and toe and position the 2-gram weight in the back.

Thanks to the weights, which are positioned farther to the perimeter, PXG claims the standard 0311 GEN5 fairway wood has a moment of inertia (MOI) that is 34 percent higher than last season’s 0341 GEN4 fairway woods, while the 0311 GEN5 has a 37 percent higher MOI than last year’s XF model.

An adjustable hosel mechanism allows players and fitters to increase or decrease either club’s loft by up to 1.5 degrees for better distance gapping.

PXG 0311 GEN5 hybrids. (David Dusek/Golfweek)

The 0311 GEN5 hyrbids follow the same model as the fairway woods. The standard model is taller from top to bottom, but more compact from heel to toe. The 0311 GEN5 XF hybrids are larger from front to back.

Both hybrids have a carbon fiber crown that has an aluminum vapor coating, three movable weights in the sole (two 10-gram weights and a 2.5-gram weight), and a fast, square-shaped HT1770 face to help increase ball speed.

The standard 0311 GEN5 hybrids have a flat sole, while the GEN5 XF, which produces a higher flight and more spin, hybrids have rails on the sole. Both have a higher MOI than their predecessors.