Notwithstanding the signing of Marco Penge to kick off 2026, PXG is celebrating its tenth anniversary in 2026. Now firmly established as a major player in the golf equipment landscape, the brand has already left a lasting impression on the industry in its relatively short time producing golf clubs.
Arriving off the back of the launch of its Lightning family of drivers, fairway woods and hybrids, the Gen8 0311 irons, of which there are three models, arrive with a substantial new fitting story as well as what will no doubt be a divisive look. The 'T' model sits firmly in the compact distance iron category with the 0311 Gen8 P and 0311 Gen8 XP offering a players' distance and game improvement iron to the range.
The most significant technology change introduced in Gen8 is the new dual perimeter weighting system. Very visible on the back of the clubhead, this development will give fitters even more control than ever before over centre of gravity placement and swing weight.
I was fitted for the Gen 8 irons at PXG's swanky headquarters in Scottsdale, Arizona, and saw firsthand just how significant moving the weights affected ball flight. Though I didn't need the weights to be moved out of the neutral position (because I'm a ball striker), when my fitter did toy around with different weight settings, it didn't take long for it to become apparent just how much they alter ball flight.
For those predominant slicers or hookers out there, this technology, plus any changes to lie angle during a fitting, will enable fitters to manipulate ball flight more than ever before with a PXG club. Perhaps more pertinent for those golfers going into 0311 P or 0311 XP, there's no denying that the split weight system will provide a measurable difference to ball flight and allow fitters and golfers to experiment even more with set-up to help produce a desired ball flight.
However, as clever and effective as this technology is, I believe it is one of the causes of the Gen8 family's glaring issue: the sound. Paired up with the plastic PXG badge that sits between the split weights, the 0311 T creates a very 'clicky' sound at impact. To me, sound and feel are inextricably linked to one another, and the unappealing sound at impact creates a similarly awkward feel. I'd seldom hit a shot right out of the middle of the face, and my playing partners couldn't tell if I'd flushed it or thinned it, such was the jarring noise.
As fussy as I think these clubs look from the 'in the bag' position, they do look rather smart behind the ball. A compact blade length frames the ball nicely, and the top line, coupled with some moderate offset, isn't too threatening to look down at.
I can only attribute this to a mixture of the plastic badge and split weighting causing this issue. This particular iron is five times forged from soft carbon steel, but the mixture of noise and feel from the back cavity nearly nullifies all efforts to make this a soft-feeling iron. Considering the irons the 0311 T is going up against the likes of the TaylorMade P770, they would need to produce some impressive launch monitor numbers to keep the 0311 T in contention.
Thankfully, at the speed I deliver the club, it did offer good numbers from the Foresight Sports GC3 launch monitor, and it was a reliable performer from my indoor and outdoor testing. While it spun a little lower than I'd have liked, the carry yardage is near enough what I'd expect for a 7-iron that we measured in at 31°. Turf interaction was pleasant, while the compact look at the address certainly suited my eye. There's certainly a very pleasing 'pop' from the face from a centered strike, though you'll certainly be made aware of any strikes lower from the face.
So, overall, it's a tale of two halves for the returning T iron to the Gen8 0311 family. If you can park the sound and feel - both of which I will concede are subjective attributes to a golf club - you've got a solid performing iron for the mid to low handicap golfer. If you're fighting a prodigious shot shape in either direction that you just can't shake, a good fit for any of the 0311 Gen8 irons with the new weight system will no doubt result in a more desirable shot shape without having to drastically change the way you deliver the club.
