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Jun 14, 2023

PXG'S GEN6 Driver Unseated My Custom

Published on By PXG doesn’t get the credit it deserves. Nearly ten years ago, the company appeared out of nowhere and, despite the naysayers, continues to develop products that rival the established

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PXG doesn’t get the credit it deserves. Nearly ten years ago, the company appeared out of nowhere and, despite the naysayers, continues to develop products that rival the established options.

Case and point: my GEN6 Challenge experience, where PXG’s GEN6 0311 driver unseated my MGS “Most Wanted” custom-fit driver (which shall remain nameless).

A post shared by Eric B. (@hozel_rocket)

As someone who has alerts set for whenever new equipment appears on the USGA conforming list, I’ve long known that the criticisms directed at PXG are largely unfounded. Indeed, the brand is backed by many former PING engineers, and pricing has fallen in line—if not undercuts—the mainstream options. So when the GEN6 Challenge came out, I decided to test Bob Parsons’ newest product and find out if he was ready to mail me a $100 gift card when my driver won the battle. Spoiler: I was wrong.

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The GEN6 lineup consists of two models: the 0311 and 0311 XF. As the model naming alludes to, the 0311—available in 7.5°, 9°, and 10.5° lofts—prioritizes distance, while the 0311 XF—available in 9°, 10.5°, and 12° lofts—prioritizes forgiveness. Both, however, feature a beautiful, stealth-like appearance—a matte black carbon crown mates to the black Ti412 titanium face and polished black sole plate with three adjustable weight ports.

And to make sure you can maximize performance with both 0311 driver heads, PXG offers over 75 different shafts, including offerings from Graphite Design, Fujikura, Mitsubishi, and ProjectX.

Returning to the GEN6 Challenge on Saturday, August 5, I walked into the PXG Westchester location and was quickly greeted by my competitors fitters, Brandon Violette and Richard Roe. They offered me water, asked me to warm up, and took some quick specs (length, flex, weight, etc.) on my gamer driver.

Once I found a rhythm, I declared I was ready. So after confirming I understood the terms of the Challenge, Brandon cleared the Trackman and asked me to hit my 5 “best drives.” And I did my best—the average numbers following five swings with my gamer were 113 MPH club head speed, 161 ball speed, 260 carry, and 273 total. The apparent problem with my gamer, however, was dispersion—5 swings yielded approximately 65 yards of range of deviation.

I think Brandon grinned at this point because, while developing the GEN6, PXG retained Golf Laboratories Inc. to conduct independent testing of the 0311 against the market alternatives. Their testing revealed that both 0311 models generated similar distance and industry-leading dispersion.

Brandon quickly reviewed the numbers with me and pointed out that I needed something that would reduce spin and my overly-closed face so we could turn the driver from a shotgun into a rifle.

The 0311 head in 9° head was our starting point, as my launch angles were in check and sole-placed, precision weighting would allow Brandon to adjust the weighting for a slight fade bias to help dial out my overdraw.

A post shared by Pro’s Choice/Graphite Design (@proschoice.graphitedesign)

The first shaft Brandon paired this head with, ironically, turned out to be the winning combination—the 0311 head with a Graphite Design Tour AD TP Shaft. And while aesthetics don’t yield performance gains, the Tour AD TP goes perfectly with the GEN6 driver head—it features a white to graphite/silver color that transitions nicely into the matte black crown. Brandon selected the Tour AD TP because its a very tip-stiff golf shaft, which would help combat the over-draw in my swing by giving some stability and stiffness to straighten the ball out.

Before I reveal how this combination performed, I want to note that Brandon also tried a few more options, including Fujikura’s Ventus Black, Tensei White, and the Graphite Design AD UB. These didn’t work either because of flex, weight, or ball flight, but Brandon wanted to make sure that we found the right option since my gamer has a counterbalanced shaft in it, and these options were not.

So once we confirmed the 0311 / Tour AD TP combination was my PXG candidate, Brandon cleared the Trackman one last time and asked me to hit my 5 “best drives.” And despite being a little tired, the PXG shined—the average numbers following five swings with my gamer were 109 MPH club head speed (so ~4 MPH less), 160 ball speed, 261 carry, and 280 total. And while the PXG won the GEN6 Challenge with the slight increase in distance, it blew my gamer out of the water when we factored in dispersion—approximately 35 yards, equal to an approximate 45% reduction over my gamer.

While the Golf Laboratories testing alluded to this outcome, the true confirmation comes from putting it in the golfer’s hands. And to that point, my GEN6 Challenge experience is becoming a very common story: as of August 21st, PXG currently has a 93% win rate against competitors. So like more than 1,000 other drivers, my gamer will be going up on eBay as soon as my new 0311 GEN6 / Graphite Design Tour AD TP Shaft arrives.

Speaking of which, if you need your GEN6 after taking the challenge, PXG may be the only fitter that, provided the components are readily available, offers an overnight “build and ship” option so you can have your new setup for that weekend’s round.

Cover Image via PXG

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Ever since golf became a competitive outlet, nothing brings Eric more joy than a well struck 4 iron. And despite living in NYC, Eric makes it a priority to work on his game and fitness during the week, along with a round or two over the weekend. Fortunately, he’s got a very understanding fiancé who (for the time being) accepts him and his obsession. Follow Eric on IG @hozel_rocket.

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In collaboration with ambassador Erik van Rooyen, ECCO—a golf footwear innovator—introduces a new signature edition BIOM H4 for the AW23 collection. Paying homage to his individual style, the new iteration of the shoe includes a partial redesign and showcases van Rooyen’s renowned passion for fashion and music.

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ECCO GOLF and van Rooyen launched the South African’s first signature edition model last summer, and the new design is equally bold and eye-catching with nods to the style icon’s love for guitar, his iconic jogger pants, and his enviable mustache.

A post shared by Golficity Style (@golficitystyle)

“I’m very excited to once again join forces with ECCO GOLF to create another signature edition style,” commented van Rooyen. “The previous version that we created together was super cool, and I received plenty of compliments out on tour. I didn’t think it would be possible to top those, but with this new model I think we’ve done exactly that.

“Anyone that’s seen me play knows that I really enjoy being different and innovative on the golf course, and it’s awesome that the ECCO GOLF team allows me to reflect that in my signature edition styles. To be able to create my own shoe is a real honor, and BIOM H4 is such a great model to do it with.”

The signature edition BIOM H4 is available to U.S. customers at us.ecco.com or at their local ECCO retailer on Friday, September 1.

Available in men’s sizes 39-48, the shoe features a reworked upper, notably around the toe area, to produce a sleeker, slimmer look, while the tongue has been completely redesigned to produce a more ergonomic shape that fits more comfortably to the foot.

BIOM H4 continues to feature the BIOM 2.0 last which offers a modern, updated look and feel combined with BIOM NATURAL MOTION Technology that enables the foot to move naturally, close to the ground, and forms like a second skin around the foot.

Powered by state-of-the-art motion technologies, the pioneering ECCO MTN GRIP outsole includes three sections to provide the ideal blend of traction, stability, and rotational support, while ECCO FLUIDFORM Direct Comfort Technology ensures a finely tuned balance of cushioning and rebound to deliver dynamic comfort.

Wrapping around the foot from the outsole to the midsole, the shoe features X-TENSA technology, which connects the T.PU element on the side of BIOM H4 with the lace system to enhance lateral stability while adding to the contemporary, premium design.

The shoe’s uppers are crafted from premium, durable, and thin ECCO Performance Leather, made in ECCO’s own tanneries, providing natural protection from wind and water. This is enhanced with 100% waterproof and breathable GORE-TEX technology that keeps feet dry and comfortable in all conditions.ECCO GOLF shoes are worn in competition around the world by Henrik Stenson, Thomas Bjørn, Erik van Rooyen, Doc Redman, Lydia Ko, Nanna Koerstz Madsen, Niklas Nørgaard Møller, Freddy Schott, and Caroline Masson, among others. For further information about ECCO GOLF, please visit golf.ecco.com.

Cover Image via ECCO

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For the avid golfer, there is nothing more stressful than knowing that, during a family vacation, you might not get to hit the links for a few days. Luckily for me, Titleist has a great option for the more committed player that allows you to bring a few clubs and balls without taking up too much space.

This year, Titleist launched the Premium Carry Bag, refining its past offerings of what many would refer to as a “Sunday Bag” and bringing something completely new to the table. In the past, Titleist has offered something similar, and they still do. But this year, they added a few new features to their Carry Bag, thus making it a perfect suitor for the “Premium” label.

It’s a great-looking, small, lightweight bag. Initially, I had planned to use it for chipping at the range when I didn’t want to carry my StaDry 4. I knew with my upcoming trip to the beach, it would be perfect to give it its first go around.

Titleist sent me this bag in late June, just in time for me to pack a few wedges, my Scotty Cameron, a couple of irons, my Driver and 3 Wood, and of course, some balls for vacation. I am blessed to have plenty of space on the beach as I drive on the shore on Assateague Island with my family each year. There are 145 cars spread out over 13 miles of beach, so there’s plenty of room to play.

I went for over a week this year with my girlfriend and family, so our car was full. Even with a lot of luggage and other additions that are necessary on the beach, this bag fits well in the car and doesn’t take up much space.

I got it down to the beach and unloaded it, and my first order of business was to take it to the beach. I chipped balls in the sand to work on bunker play for a while, I made a putt-putt course on sand that had been flattened and hardened by the high tide, and I even hit a couple balls into the Atlantic Ocean.

Titleist lists the features of the Premium Carry Bag on its website:

The lightweight and durable design was great, and I really didn’t mind carrying it around from location to location on the beach, despite the sand. It was easy to maneuver and was maybe 10-12 pounds with everything in it.

At just 2.8 pounds on its own, it’s obviously not a strenuous task to carry around this bag. It still features all of the quality and craftsmanship of other bags, and it really did a great job of handling the heat, the seawater (which is destructive) and just being lugged around and thrown on top of a bunch of other things I had.

This bag is for much more than just a trip to the beach. There’s a Par 3 course by the beach house where I stay, and there are no golf carts. This would be an ideal solution for that.

However, as previously mentioned, this would also be an ideal choice for people who are looking for a way to carry just a few clubs to the range or to a chipping area. There’s no sense in hauling your entire set of irons if your entire session will be spent working on short game. This is really a great option for all of those things.

Available on Titleist.com for just $155, the Premium Carry Bag is truly a great option for those who want to travel light, carry fewer clubs, or just have something slightly more manageable. While I brought nine clubs with me, I am sure you could fit most of your bag in here, especially if you are playing with blades.

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In the past, I’ve reviewed the Titleist Players 4 Sta-Dry Golf Bag, and I even walked nine holes with it. It was lightweight, comfortable, and easy to carry for nine holes, even for someone who rarely walks a round of golf.

However, Sun Mountain decided to send me their 2023 iteration of the Eco-Lite Stand Bag, and when it arrived at my door, the box was so light that I had thought they had sent me a picture of the bag on some printer paper and not the bag itself. However, when I opened the box, I was pleasantly surprised to see the Java-Coyote-Pecan colorway inside.

I must admit, online images painted a different picture. It seemed smaller in the images Sun Mountain provided, but it seemed to be just as spacious as any bag I have that is a stand bag. I loved the colors, they are unique and classy, and reminded me of one of my favorite things to drink on a chilly morning when I play 18 with my friends: a cup of warm coffee.

Sun Mountain describes the bag on its site:

“Eco-lite bags have many of the great features offered in Sun Mountain’s top-selling bags and are made with Repreve fabric, which is made using recycled plastic bottles. Approximately twenty-five 20-oz bottles go into the material used in each bag.”

One of my main draws to this bag, in particular, is the recycled materials. My main job requires me to write about electric vehicles and sustainable energy; at one time, I was very passionate about it. While I still believe in recycling and being sustainable where we can, I am not as hellbent on it as I once was.

With that being said, I really enjoy these types of everyday things that take recycled materials and take advantage of them. A nice golf bag that utilizes sustainable materials to decrease waste is a win-win in my book, and that was one of my favorite things about this bag, without a doubt. Shoutout to Repreve fabric for their great work here.

However, there are a lot of great things about this bag that are applicable to the golf course:

There is so much storage on this bag that it is insane. I haven’t yet found a use for the side pocket, but usually, that’s where my rain gear ends up. As you can see, when I took this bad boy out to the range for some pictures, it was a beautiful day, so I didn’t pack it.

However, the ball pocket is huge, and you can fit more than a dozen in here with additional space for your rangefinder, gloves, or whatever else you want to put in here. I also thought fitting two standard water bottles in that particular pocket was a nice touch. Usually, it’s perfect for one on other bags.

There’s so much room for things here that it is no wonder this bag weighs nothing on its own. Fill it up with a lot of necessary things, and it will probably get heavy, simply because there is so much room for accessories and necessities you’ll need for the round.

I play the T100s from Titleist, a blade that is minimal. I asked my friend with Callaway CBs to put his irons in here to see if there was any difficulty with space. Needless to say, there was not.

We fit his mallet Odyssey Putter in there as well, as I also play a Scotty Cameron Newport, a blade. I tried to be as invasive as possible with clubs in here, and it was no issue. Everything went in and came out with ease. In the past, I’ve had bags that are extremely tight when certain grip thicknesses are concerned or even club head sizes, even with four dividers.

This managed to handle all of his clubs, the oversized putter head, and wedges, with no issue. I was very impressed.

These straps are like a fresh bookbag on the first day of middle school: they’re thick, comfortable, and provide more support than any bag I’ve had in the past.

When I reviewed the Titleist Sta-Dry 4, my biggest complaint was the straps, and I wasn’t sure if much could be done.

Sun Mountain proved me wrong.

Because I couldn’t get a great image of them myself, I decided to use Sun Mountain’s. I promise you, you won’t have any discomfort with these.

This is a quality bag. I am excited to see if the material holds up and how the colors respond to the elements. But all in all, for $249, this is a great pickup. Well done, Sun Mountain.

Cover Image via Joey Klender

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