PXG Gen3 vs Gen4 help

[eddiebigeddie]

Hey guys, looking for current/past owners of the Gen3/Gen4 PXG irons.  I'm looking at buying a set and want to know if there's really $800 difference for the Gen4 (being better) over the Gen3?  The main difference for me is the Darkness I can get in Gen4 for same price of silver through today.  Any help, input etc would be greatly appreciated.

[Sean124]

I own the Gen 3 and have hit the Gen 4. 
 

My opinion is there isn’t enough difference to justify the cost. Gen 3 was a big step up from previous gens, gen 4 not so much unless you need the easier swing weight adjustability. 

[hammergolf]

53 minutes ago, eddiebigeddie said:

Hey guys, looking for current/past owners of the Gen3/Gen4 PXG irons.  I'm looking at buying a set and want to know if there's really $800 difference for the Gen4 (being better) over the Gen3?  The main difference for me is the Darkness I can get in Gen4 for same price of silver through today.  Any help, input etc would be greatly appreciated.

For me the difference between the two was negligible. Maybe a mph more in ball speed but I couldn’t justify the cost difference between the two so I went with the Gen3s and have zero regrets.

[OspreyCI]

Agree with both posts above. Only hit Gen4 two different times in fittings. Could not justify the cost difference. Gen3 is way better than Gen2 and Gen4 is NOT way better than Gen3. Just my opinion. 
 

GO DARKNESS!! 

[eddiebigeddie]

Just now, OspreyCI said:

Agree with both posts above. Only hit Gen4 two different times in fittings. Could not justify the cost difference. Gen3 is way better than Gen2 and Gen4 is NOT way better than Gen3. Just my opinion. 
 

GO DARKNESS!! 

We've already talked, you don't get input LOL.  Yes DARKNESS is awesome, but not that much more awesome is it 🤔

 

After talking with you, thinking of saving that money & spending it on other stuff, 😉 like a true Wrx'er! 🙂

[BirdieBob]

 

 

The specs on all three GEN 4 irons don’t vary much from their GEN3 predecessors. In the case of the 0311 T and the 0311 XP, they’re virtually identical. The XP specs are very much in the game improvement realm, with a 28-degree 7-iron. However, the lofts on the 0311 P GEN4 irons are one degree stronger than their GEN3 counterparts, no doubt to better fit in with competitive sticks in the player’s distance category.

 

 

As you’d expect, PXG says 0311 GEN4 ball speeds are up throughout the line compared to GEN3.  Also as you’d expect, the stronger lofted—by one degree—0311 P showed a nearly four mph ball speed improvement over its GEN3 counterpart. It launched about half a degree lower but still had a higher peak height. PXG’s own info shows the higher ball speed and higher flight lead to more than seven yards of additional carry.

And despite having the exact same loft structures as their GEN3 counterparts, both the 0311 T and 0311 XP GEN4 models were also faster, higher and longer.

 

“That’s primarily coming from that XCOR technology,” says Schweigert. “That’s the main reason for the distance gains. And even though the XP has the strongest loft, it creates the highest peak height.”

[eddiebigeddie]

Thanks BirdieBob, I was hoping you’d chime in. I was able to quickly demo a Gen3 7 iron a few months back. I really enjoyed hitting it for the 20 min or so. I know I’m reading the various threads on here you dabble quite a bit in Pxg. In your experience having Gen4 and 3, is there that much difference to warrant the $800 price difference?  Thanks in advance 

[BirdieBob]

17 minutes ago, eddiebigeddie said:

Thanks BirdieBob, I was hoping you’d chime in. I was able to quickly demo a Gen3 7 iron a few months back. I really enjoyed hitting it for the 20 min or so. I know I’m reading the various threads on here you dabble quite a bit in Pxg. In your experience having Gen4 and 3, is there that much difference to warrant the $800 price difference?  Thanks in advance 

If you want the Extreme Dark finish...YES!

Otherwise, since you are not Tiger....NO!

[JohnKHawk]

24 minutes ago, BirdieBob said:

If you want the Extreme Dark finish...YES!

Otherwise, since you are not Tiger....NO!

@BirdieBobCan you comment on if the Gen4 P irons are somewhat more compact than the Gen3 P's? I can't find a side by side comparison photo anywhere.

[BirdieBob]

13 minutes ago, JohnKHawk said:

@BirdieBobCan you comment on if the Gen4 P irons are somewhat more compact than the Gen3 P's? I can't find a side by side comparison photo anywhere.

 

The only difference in the 0311 G3 vs G4 sizing is in the sole width.  Here are pics showing the measurements:

 

BLADE LENGTH

 

 

OFFSET

 

 

 

TOPLINE

 

 

 

SOLE

 

[jeffrey r]

Interesting comments about the Gen 3 being way better than Gen 2.  I don't know, but I just took out my Gen 2 P irons with Steelfiber fc115 the other day, and they are awesome irons. 

 

End of the day, the Gen 2 P look good, feel good, have good turf interaction, and generally do anything I would want an iron set to do.  I could play them regularly no question.  I mean, kudos to PXG if the Gen 3 irons are actually way better than Gen 2, but I am a bit skeptical about how that would be. 

 

In any case, any of the 0311 irons I have hit have been very nice.  And I did get the Gen 2 P at a silly low price when PXG was clearing them out, so there is that.  YMMV.  

[badandbogey]

during the fitting my numbers were better with the gen 3 over the gen 4 

[eddiebigeddie]

Well, I made the "smart" choice and saved myself some coin.  Just placed an order for the GEN3 P irons.  Now the wait, even though my season is over 😉  But they'll look so pretty in my bag 

[snagy2000]

35 minutes ago, eddiebigeddie said:

Well, I made the "smart" choice and saved myself some coin.  Just placed an order for the GEN3 P irons.  Now the wait, even though my season is over 😉  But they'll look so pretty in my bag 

You did well! Gen3 P was improved over my Gen2 P. I want the Gen4 darkness as well, but 5 yards at my fitting over my Gen3 T wasn't enough to justify the spend considering my Gen3 were a year old. So I went 0211 ST to give those blades a run. I'll grab something Gen4 darkness when it makes $ense IMO. 

[Nixhex524]

Hit the 0311T Gen 3 today and wow, they felt incredibly good.  But I think the P may be the way to go, just a little more help would be nice.  Great looking and feeling clubs though!!

[SEP1006]

BirdieBob - how long have you had the "darkness" irons and how is the finish holding up??

[Sean124]

2 hours ago, Nixhex524 said:

Hit the 0311T Gen 3 today and wow, they felt incredibly good.  But I think the P may be the way to go, just a little more help would be nice.  Great looking and feeling clubs though!!

Sounds to me like a 4-6 P and 7-W T combo set is on the table!

[BirdieBob]

13 hours ago, SEP1006 said:

BirdieBob - how long have you had the "darkness" irons and how is the finish holding up??

I have had Gen 1, Gen 2 and now Gen 4 irons in the extreme dark finish....Gen 3 that I had was only available in satin.

 

Yes, the black finish on the face will wear down with use.

Since the underlying steel is silver the contrast shows the wear more clearly.

It does take time just like the wear on the satin...just shows more easily.

 

Of course the less range balls hit the less wear.  

I have separate 6, 8, PW identical clubs just for the range....ie range beaters.

That allows the gamer irons to hold up well wear wise for a long time!

 

Yes...the Xtreme Dark finish in the Gen4 ST ....  😍

 

 

 

 

Edited November 30, 2021 by BirdieBob

[Nixhex524]

1 hour ago, Sean124 said:

Sounds to me like a 4-6 P and 7-W T combo set is on the table!

 

Yes, I have been thinking about this all day actually..LOL

[evoviiiyou]

I play Gen3 XP 3iron, Gen3 P 4-5-6-7 and Gen3 T 8-9-PW-GW and you will have to pry them out of my dead hands to get them out of my gamer bag. I have hit the Gen4 several times and they feel VERY similar almost so similar, I can’t tell a difference at all from a sound and feedback standpoint. I do like the Gen3’s seem to fly higher a bit than the Gen4’s. I really could play either interchangeably, but at the price of Gen3 vs 4, it’s a no brainer unless you have cash to burn. You can’t go wrong either way here. They are that good. 

[dethman]

13 hours ago, OspreyCI said:

Agree with both posts above. Only hit Gen4 two different times in fittings. Could not justify the cost difference. Gen3 is way better than Gen2 and Gen4 is NOT way better than Gen3. Just my opinion. 
 

GO DARKNESS!! 

 

14 hours ago, Sean124 said:

I own the Gen 3 and have hit the Gen 4. 
 

My opinion is there isn’t enough difference to justify the cost. Gen 3 was a big step up from previous gens, gen 4 not so much unless you need the easier swing weight adjustability. 

 

what do you guys think is much better on the gen3s than gen2s?  feel?  distance?  forgiveness?   have the gen2 and thinking of  upgrading to gen3.  

[i*windows]

I was fit last week for Gen 4, just got the 'offer' from the fitter. 

Gen 4 T. GW-8

Gen 4 P 6 & 7

mitsubishi C6 Black R flex shaft

405 euros ($450) per club!

I will be getting Gen 3, direct from PXG for 810 for the set!

[sfdoddsy]

I've owned all the PXG irons except Gen 2 (although I have a Gen 2 driving iron).

 

I preferred the looks and feel of Gen3 over Gen4. They also performed better for me.

 

I still have my Gen1s in black, and was tempted by the Gen4 Black, but they just didn't work for me. Plus I don't like the silver weights in the black irons.

 

If I'm honest, even the numbers for Gen3 were better than my Gen1s, on course there is very little difference. I stuck with the Gen1s simply because I like having black heads and shafts. They still feel great.

 

Quite often I play with them rather than the copper Cobras which bumped them and wonder why I bothered changing.

 

 

 

 

Edited November 30, 2021 by sfdoddsy

[4bees]

absolutely minimal difference to justify the expense.  Only reason I have a set of Gen4 XP's is because i was able to get a barely used set for under $1100, sell the GW and shafts which brought my total down to $800.  So basically the cost of new Gen3's.

 

For what its worth I tested both.  Ball speeds were a tick better on the 4's, but launch/descent and spin were almost identical.  Distance was 5 more yards because the lofts are 1* stronger.  

[snagy2000]

8 hours ago, dethman said:

 

 

what do you guys think is much better on the gen3s than gen2s?  feel?  distance?  forgiveness?   have the gen2 and thinking of  upgrading to gen3.  

Feel and distance IMO is better on Gen3 over my Gen2 P. I'm actually longer on the T than P by 5 yards and the feel is softer which I prefer. Gen4 T feel and performance is even better than Gen3, but sitting it out right now. Never really have had any forgiveness complaints on any Gens PXG irons. 

[Sean124]

11 hours ago, dethman said:

 

 

what do you guys think is much better on the gen3s than gen2s?  feel?  distance?  forgiveness?   have the gen2 and thinking of  upgrading to gen3.  

The biggest difference to me is the softer feel, but they are also a bit longer.
 

Plus they just look way better in my opinion. 

[Ripken08]

Gen 3 0311 P's forged???

[BirdieBob]

6 minutes ago, Ripken08 said:

Gen 3 0311 P's forged???

Yes

Buy PXG 0311 GEN3 Golf Irons & Iron Sets | PXG

 

[jas904]

I went for an iron fitting yesterday. For me, Gen 3 P were better than Gen 4 P. I struggle with spin being too low, Gen 3 spun about 500 more, all things being equal. I couldn’t tell any difference between the two for looks/feel, distance, height, etc. 

 

I also ordered Sugar Daddy wedges. It’s tough to truly know how well a wedge will do until I get it on the course. 

[sfdoddsy]

+1.

 

I'm a low spin iron player.

 

Each new model of PXG irons has been, for me, progressively lower spin.

 

I suspect that is why I had problems with Gen4.

 

Whether or not Gen4 is slightly longer is immaterial. They simply weren't as consistent.