The 0211s also have an ultra-thin, maraging stainless steel clubface, which when aired the XCOR material enhances the COR for an increase in face deflection for faster ball speeds. Additional features include progressive offset and bounce, Power Channel tech behind the face for more ball speed and an angled top rail that helps position the center of gravity in the middle of the clubface.
Distance: I had suspected that the 0211 would play a little longer than my gamer set of irons. For reference, I typically play forged blades designed for control over distance, so I was ready to see a small bump in overall distance through the set.
Or so I thought.
The 0211 XCOR2 irons were like absolute cannons compared to what I’m used to. To give you a point of reference, using Toptracer, I was hitting my 6-iron anywhere between 15-22 yards farther than normal when using the 0211s. And it only got longer with longer clubs. The 4-iron flexed (and I’m not exaggerating) upwards of 25 yards longer than my own 4-iron. (In case you’re curious, I was hitting the 0211 4-iron about 230 yards. That never happens.)
I saw added distance with shorter clubs as well, ranging anywhere between 5-10 yards longer depending on what type of swing I made. On the golf course, my numbers stayed close to the same, and it took some serious getting used to more firepower. Also, it’s worth noting the 0211s are much stronger-lofted when compared to my gamer irons, by anywhere from 2-to-3 degrees per club. Even still, with the lower launch, the added weight lower in the clubhead still produced what I’d call an average height trajectory.
Forgiveness: When you hit the ball a mile in the first place, it’s easy to forget that these irons are designed for added forgiveness as well. When I miss, it’s almost always out towards the toe, and rarely do I ever catch one off the heel.
Like with any club I noticed a reduction in trajectory and saw some distance loss when I missed towards the toe, but I was pleasantly surprised to see the ball didn’t veer far out to the right (like it usually does.) During the golf course testing, I hit two 9-irons on a par-3. I missed the first one but hit the second dead solid. The missed shot landed short and right of the green by about a yard; the solid shot landed in the middle of the green.
I then hit two more, and my shot dispersion was remarkably straight. I happened to hit the last one the hardest and flew the green, which makes me think I could get away with a stiffer shaft using these irons for some added distance control. Or, I might consider taking PXG up on the custom loft options and go one degree softer on every club. Nonetheless, for steep swingers out there, the noticeable bounce angle will help prevent digging and lessen fat shots.
When I hit any of the 0211s solid, the ball launched off the face like a rocket. In fact, I tested a 5-iron from about 230 yards out (I normally hit a 5-iron about 190 yards). I took a mighty rip at it and according to the shot tracker on The Grint app, I nuked it 221 yards. That was the longest 5-iron I’ve ever hit and it flew high with a boring trajectory. Again when I missed the sweetspot, the ball flew a little lower, but shots still managed to produce reasonable distance. As for left or right misses — to me that’s a function of my swing so I don’t really account for that much.
Maneuverability/Playability: Usually, irons built for big-league forgiveness and power aren’t the kind of sticks that yield a lot of room for shotmaking. With the 0211s, it’s a mixed bag. Longer irons have more offset, which makes hitting shots that curve on demand a little more challenging. But with shorter clubs there’s less offset, making it easier to hit crafty fades and draws on command. On one hole I hit a 145-yard pitching wedge (that’s nuts!) with a little draw. Back at the range using Toptracer, I put some ridiculously big swings on it and was able to hit it 150-yards straight as a rope. Thank you PXG for the ego boost!
One more note on maneuverability. The set I tried came with a 60° lob wedge. It felt lighter than I’m used to, and it packed a wide 13° bounce sole to prevent digging. This meant it was hard for me to hit my signature low flying/high spinning lob shot that Stan Utley taught me to hit, and I had to hit high lobbers pretty much every time. Meaning, that the 0211 lob wedge is for lob shots and fluffy sand shots only, not for finesse shots around the green. By all means, that’s not a bad thing — most golfers out there should be using a lob wedge just like this one. For shallow swingers like me, the added bounce was a bit restricting.
Feel: The 0211s don’t have the buttery soft feel of a forged wedge, nor do they have the tinny hollow feel of a hollow-cavity iron. The 0211s have XCOR2 have a polymer core which gives them a unique firm feel for a pleasing click at impact. I’d go so far to say that these irons have one of my favorite feels for 2022.
Surprises: No doubt the distance is what surprised me most. I hit these a mile, in some instances two clubs longer than my clubs. Also, I liked the progressive nature of the set, making the short irons surprisingly nimble to hit a variety of shots with. The only gripe, if you can call it one, is having a set like this will skew the rest of your set, likely forcing you to carry an extra gap wedge in the bag in favor of carrying a hybrid or a wood.
