When you are ready to buy a new iron, you can go with one of the well-known brands like Taylormade, Srixon, Callaway, Mizuno, Ping, PXG, etc.
However, if you’re targeting specific clubs from two competing brands, it might be a little difficult to decide.
You’re going to be considering a lot of things; forgiveness, workability, price, consistency, feel, sound, and a lot more. Some models will make it easy for you where one will be better on a lot of fronts. But for others, you’ll have to look high and low before deciding.
If you’re looking to choose between PXG and Taylormade irons, look no further. I’ll be reviewing and comparing both brands extensively so you’ll be able to decide which one will give you the best value for your money.
To make this easy, I’ll be looking at the Taylormade P790 and PXG 0311 irons. This will entail the design aspects, performance, price, feel, sound, and more.
PXG vs Taylormade Irons: Are They Any Good?
Taylormade P790 Irons
If you are looking to get a versatile iron, you can’t go wrong with Taylormade p790 irons. With its hollow body construction, you are sure to have a more robust and accurate swing.
This product is also made using the most high-quality steel, which will ensure its durability.
The addition of its new speed foam technology allows for a powerful and speedy swing.
I personally noticed my power increase alongside my swings being more accurate, and it has to do with its new speed foam technology.
This product has a fantastic weight distribution all around, which allows for a better feel for users. This item feels light yet durable at the same time; overall a masterpiece.
If you are looking to take your golf game to the next level or are looking to improve your skill without working on your swing, this product might be a great product to buy.
Offset and Shaft Quality
During the TaylorMade p790 review we found the club comes with minimal offset, which helps in the golf swing, ball flight and shot shape.
It comes with a Dynamic Gold 105 gram shaft, which is lighter than other stock shafts but still maintains the same look and feel of the original material.
Benefit: Lighter shafts mean greater ball speeds with a faster clubhead response.
Inverted Cone Technology
After using it for its drivers, TaylorMade has used its popular Inverted Cone Technology (ICT) for Irons as well. The ultra-thin clubface is re-engineered with smaller, revamped ICT to enhance flexibility.
The thin inner edges allow thickness to vary across the face, and make it possible to hit longer shots anywhere from the heel to the toe.
SpeedFoam Technology
Foam is injected into the toe of the club to deliver a soft feel and improve the responsiveness of the club on impact. With a thin clubface, manufacturers often struggle to inject material that preserves the low-weight of the club and improves the quality of shots.
The light foam material which is injected through the opening provides the necessary catalyst that allows the club to flex and generate a spring-like effect that considerably increases the clubhead speed.
Benefits: Even during off-center hits, High and Mid-handicappers experience less vibration and more sound and feel upon impact due to the sound-damping feature of the technology.
Earlier irons sacrificed distance for the sound and feel; however, the P790 has used the Speed Foam to provide both the elements at the same time.
PXG GEN4 0311 Iron
PXG is not as popular as the likes of Callaway, Srixon, Titleist. However, they’re making waves with their irons which getting more and more advanced with the new series. The brand started out with the 0211 series, most of these, designed for the masses.
To cater to professional golfers, the brand followed up with their premium series in the 0311 line. These PXG irons are out in different generations.
The latest are the gen 4, which comes with interesting tech designs to separate them from previous models. One of the things that have changed in the PXG 0311 generation 4 irons is the newly developed polymer material and hollowed body.
The result is a refined sweet spot and a softer feel. Adjustability in the irons is also very good. You can get a custom fit by adjusting the swing weight in a 2gram increment, making for a tightly optimized individual performance.
Even if you’re a professional golfer, getting your iron custom fit right can be a game-changer for you. Not to talk of the advantage that is in store for amateur golfers.
When played, the club releases a soft, crisp sound while hitting the ball responsively and powerfully for the short game. If hitting chip shots, pitch shots and putts with accuracy is your bread and butter, this iron is one to look out for.
Price
PXG is often criticized for pricing the irons too high. Looking at the price tag on the 0311, this is immediately obvious.
So, naturally, one of the things that PXG tried to deal with when releasing the 0211 and 0311 series, is the price. There were a lot of complaints when the brand started with their first-generation models as the price was not so affordable compared to more established brands.
Now, PXG is trying to reach all segments of the marketing.
The brand introduced some generations in the 0211 series as entry-level so you can get their irons for affordable prices. Those looking to go the premium way and are not afraid to spend more now have the new gen04 of the 0311 irons.
Why is PXG so expensive?
This is the question on the lips of most potential purchasers of PXG clubs. The brand takes a different approach in the manufacturing of its clubs.
It takes pride in its engineering process and deployment of high-performance, high-quality materials and a complex welding and polishing process.
This means thousands of dollars in R&D, leading to very expensive clubs. It’s not surprising that pros like Jason Kokrak, Joel Dahmen, Zach Johnson, many well-known players are using PXG’s clubs.
Not only that, their irons actually kind of perform. It’s validated in many online forums and reviews on their irons that PXG irons can be faulted on price but not on performance.
PXG vs Taylormade Irons: Comparison
In terms of look, it’s quite subjective. Both clubs look beautiful; but you’ll come across players who will find either looking better than the other.
For the feel though, P790 seems to be better. A lot of golfers who tested and compared both brands prefer the P790 over the 0311. Another significant difference between the two is the price where you’ll find P790 is significantly cheaper.
If you’re on a tight budget, I’ll advice you look into the Taylormade… You can buy it cheap without compromising on performance.
In the long irons, the P790 has less offset in most of the clubs and with superb forgiveness. You’ll only get the same level of forgiveness in the 0311 and not a good offset.
You may be able to get a lovely offset in the 0311T or 0311F though, but you’ll be lacking forgiveness. Aside from that, you may be able to hit the ball higher in the Taylormade than in the PXG and this is confirmed by many who have tested both.
You may get the same distance on both balls, however, but may golfers want to see some validations with higher trajectory, which the Taylormade P790 gives you.
From the look of things, it seems that the P790 proves to be a better all round, except in maybe the sound/feel. If you’re looking for a club with better performance and a great value for me, I think you should go for the Tarlormade P790.