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Why this 4-wood was the best thing I used in 2024
Quick, name an iconic 4-wood shot.
If Gene Sarazen’s hole-out for albatross at the 1935 Masters is the first swing that comes to mind, well…that’s kind of the point: With a nod to Corey Pavin’s knockout punch at the 1995 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills, 4-woods don’t exactly have a rich history in the game.
That’s true in recreational golf, too. Do you carry a 4-wood? Guessing not. Do many, or any, of your golf buddies? You don’t see them often. But you’ll find one in my bag, and for good reason.
A couple of years ago, during a full-bag PXG fitting, I was telling my fitter, Nick, that I had been losing confidence in my 3-wood, especially when hitting it off the deck. Too much chunky contact. Nick’s diagnosis took all of about 7 seconds, or the time it took him to reach into his arsenal of clubs and extract a 4-wood — a 19-degree PXG 0311 XF Gen 6, to be exact.
A few days later, I officially relegated my 3-wood to the corner of my basement storage space where golf clubs go to die, and my shiny new 4-wood had joined my starting 14. This was in 2023, but it wasn’t until this year that my 4-wood’s usefulness and reliability really began to resonate with me.
With a larger data set of swings, it become evident to me that I hit the less spinny 4-wood with far greater consistency than I did the 3-wood. That better contact (thanks to the Gen 6’s squared-off face) has resulted not only in improved accuracy but, with two degrees more loft than my 3-wood, also a higher, softer ball flight. Sure, the swap may have cost me a few yards, but when I’m staring down a meaty approach, I’d much rather hit a 200-yard shot with tight dispersion than a 215-yard yank or, worse yet, 20-yard sod-layer.
I dig the Gen 6’s aesthetics, too. The black-and-silver paint job is sleek, and the railed sole helps decrease turf friction. To me, it feels less like a fairway wood than it does a juiced-up hybrid.
Here’s the larger point: We golfers tend to fall into habits — not just with our swings but also with our equipment. Just because most golfers play with some combination of a driver, 3-wood and 5-wood doesn’t mean you need to follow suit. Experiment in the seams. Try a 2-wood or 4-wood. Dabble with 7- and 9-woods. Carry four hybrids. Whatever. You might be surprised by the benefits. I know I was.
If you’re in the market for PXG’s latest generation of fairway woods, check out the 0311 Black Ops line below:
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