What it's like getting custom fit for PXG's new Black Ops 0311 driver

DUBLIN, Calif. -- I first tested a PXG driver about six years ago at a club fitting.

After some mixed results, I immediately moved back into my comfort zone, gravitating to TaylorMade and Callaway sticks. When I shared my story with Ty Munneke, he smiled.

"We've come a long way since then," said Munneke, the vice president of U.S. Sales - West (Coast) who was leading my recent club fitting at PXG's first California store.

After launching a decade ago, PXG has transformed from a novelty making expensive golf clubs into a serious player in the game. Munneke said the Black Ops 0311 is PXG's most versatile product yet. Many YouTube influencers who test clubs are calling the Black Ops 0311 the best driver ever built by PXG. I tend to agree.

PXG has signed up its newest recruit ... the new driver is now in my bag.

At first glance, Parsons Xtreme Golf looks like just another retail store tucked away in a nondescript outdoor strip mall just off a main highway. Inside, though, California's first PXG store is like a Disneyland for golfers. The bold PXG attitude greets people as soon as they enter the door. You can practically hear Bob Parson's booming voice when you read the slogan on the wall: "Nobody Makes Golf Clubs The Way We Do. Period."

I wasn't the only one intrigued about PXG moving into the "East Bay" 30 minutes southeast of Oakland. During grand opening week at the end of February, a steady stream of golfers came through the door to browse the edgy polos or all-black pants with skulls on them. The "Darkness" hats sitting on a shelf are a nod Parson's military background, decorated with the logos of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines and camouflage patterns.

The dressing room features a large wall mural of Scottsdale National, the exclusive private club that Parsons owns. Trying something on is likely the only way any of us will get a glimpse of life inside its gates.

Across the floor, a young girl was finishing up a putter fitting in a corner of the store equipped with a 112-square-foot putting green and a couch, where her dad and siblings could hang out as they waited and watched.

My timing was impeccable. Jake Knapp was on TV competing in the final round of the Mexico Open at Vidanta on his way to winning his first PGA TOUR event. Knapp has a unique eight-club deal with PXG and wears the trademark PXG hat. He only uses PXG irons, along with one wedge (see what's in his bag here). Knapp is originally from California, where PXG is making an aggressive move in 2024, opening a new store in Orange County later this year, and a second store in northern California at a site still to be determined.

PXG should fit right in here. Its apparel and custom-fit clubs won't deliver the sticker shocker they might in other parts of the country.

Much of the facility's 4,000 square feet is hidden from view - the two fitting bays with guest seating and state-of-the-art golf simulators powered by TrackMan technology.

As a 'Hamilton' fan, I'm happy to finally be in " the room where it happens". I was in desperate need of a new driver, and not just because an airline recently snapped my driver's shaft in half. My old, reliable TaylorMade R 15 had passed its expiration date.

For those who don't know, PXG is a direct-to-consumer brand. Golfers can order them online, but almost everyone who wants to play PXG clubs gets fit for them. That ensures optimum performance.

I came in to my PXG custom fitting with a preconceived notion about what I needed, based on past fittings. Munneke proved me wrong. My old driver had a shorter shaft and a head with a high degree of loft (14 degrees) to launch the ball high. Carry distances, launch height and length have always been an issue for my aging game.

We tried three different shaft combinations during my PXG club fitting to find the right mix of flex and length. We eventually went back to a 45-inch shaft that I originally thought was too long and started grooving drives down the middle. To achieve better loft, a driver head with 12 degrees of loft was cranked up to 13.5 degrees by manipulating a draw setting. A heavier heel weight also promoted more of a left-miss bias to keep me from losing shots to the right on the simulator.

My carry distance average was nine yards longer and 10 yards longer in overall distance with this setup than anything else I tested. My ball flight was still low, a swing trait I've grown to live with no matter what golf club I use.

PXG is so confident in its new product that its driver challenge is back for a second season. The PXG Black Ops Driver Challenge welcomes golfers to bring their current driver to a free fitting for a head-to-head, knockout event. If the PXG 0311 Black Ops Driver is longer in total distance or has a tighter dispersion, PXG wins. If not, PXG will issue a $100 Rewards Card. This follows an incredibly successful 0311 GEN6 Driver Challenge issued last year, where PXG squared off against 44 different brands in the hands of more than 2,200 participants. PXG came out victorious 93% of the time.

"Our R&D department has gone above and beyond with these babies, and I'm proud to say PXG Black Ops Drivers stand tall as one of most versatile, high-performing clubs on the market," PXG Founder and CEO Bob Parsons said in his usual, non-corporate speak. "I'm confident that our new, breakthrough technology will knockout the competition, and if we don't, I am happy to pony up."

PXG dropped its prices more in line with other golf equipment companies a couple years ago, making its new drivers more affordable for the masses. Don't get me wrong: Buying a new driver has never been more expensive. The sad truth is, if you aren't updating every 3-4 years, you're falling behind. PXG's Black Ops pricing ranges from $599.99 and up at PXG.com and depends greatly on what shaft you choose.

The new driver took about five days to be mailed to my house. Here's its full specs:

Black Ops 0311 12-degree driver
Big + Hosel Setting with a draw bias
Heel Weight (12.5 grams versus 2.5 grams)
45-inch Graphite Design HD 5R shaft
PXG Lamkin grip

Having played a white-headed driver for nearly a decade, I wondered what type of transition I would experience going back to black. It's been easy. I love the look and shape of the Black Ops. I usually need to look down and see loft to feel comfortable, but now I'm confident a proper launch will happen naturally.

The first test drive at my home course, the Santa Teresa Golf Club, was mostly a success earlier this week. It was cold and the ground was still wet from winter storms, but I was pleased with how straight and consistent it performed.

PXG's new AMFTM (Advanced Material Face) Technology has been optimized with a variable thickness design to increase ball speed for more distance. A non-uniform bulge and roll face design
has been adjusted for more forgiveness to off-center hits. A new high-strength composite body construction has pushed the center-of-gravity (CG) lower and further back.

The 0311 Black Ops Drivers are available in two head designs with the Tour-1 Driver for better players and the slightly more traditional shape that will fit most amateurs like me.

I won't know how much of an impact, if at all, moving to PXG will have on my scores in 2024. I can share this, though: I haven't felt this excited about golf in a long time. Maybe, more than anything, that's the PXG difference ... it's all about the attitude.

What's been your experience playing with or testing PXG golf clubs? Let us know in the comments below.

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