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The Great Super SGI Shootout! XL Halo vs PXG 0211Z vs PXG 0311XP

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sfdoddsy

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Evidently I'm bored.

Thus late night eBaying has resulted in three sets of SGI irons arriving on my doorstep.

The THP favorite Cleveland XL Halo. The web favorite PXG 0311XP Gen 3. And the mostly ignored ugly duckling of the PXG family in the form of a set of 0211Z 'irons'.

The 0311XPs and the 0211Zs both have Elevate Tour stiff shafts. The Halos have XP90 stiff.

I normally play Modus 105 stiff.

Initial aesthetic impressions are that the 0311XPs look like skinny blades next to the others.

Interestingly, they also have less offset (per degree of loft) than their better player 0311P brethren (my gamers). As someone with a left miss this is good.

The XL Halos look giant next to the 0311XPs, but petite next to the 0211Zs.

The 0211Zs simply look ginormous from any angle. There's zero attempt to hide what they are.

The weather where I live has been so awful my club's course is closed, but I did get in a damp range session this afternoon.

Given the rain and wind initial impressions are somewhat premature.

Nevertheless, the 0311XPs seemed longest. As one would expect from the lofts (28* 7 iron vs 30*).

I tried out the 7, 9 and wedge of each set and could draw no conclusion about forgiveness. Bad swings aside, I hit all three high and straightish. I was expecting to draw the 0211Z most due to the extra offset, but that wasn't the case.

The biggest surprise was how much better the 0211Z sounded and felt compared to the Halos. Not as good as the 0311s, but Gen3 PXGs are the best irons for feel I've ever tried so that's a high bar.

But notably better than the Halos.

I'm not sure that counters their appearance though.

I'd seen Halos before (and used to own Altitudes) so I knew what to expect.

The long and mid irons of the 0211Z and Halo are about the same chunkiness. But the Halos get slimmer as loft increases.

The 0211Z maintain their obesity defiantly.

The sand wedge makes even the Cleveland Smart Sole SW look demur.

On the other hand, I guess once you go down the hybrid iron rabbit hole carping about looks seems kind of pointless.

So my shootout is going to be somewhat scientific. I have booked time at my local Trackman facility early next week and will report back with numbers.
 
I'd be interested to see how the soles compare out on the course, especially if you're playing in some not-so-great conditions.
 
I’m very pleased with my Halos!
 
sfdoddsy said:
Evidently I'm bored.

Thus late night eBaying has resulted in three sets of SGI irons arriving on my doorstep.

The THP favorite Cleveland XL Halo. The web favorite PXG 0311XP Gen 3. And the mostly ignored ugly duckling of the PXG family in the form of a set of 0211Z 'irons'.

The 0311XPs and the 0211Zs both have Elevate Tour stiff shafts. The Halos have XP90 stiff.

I normally play Modus 105 stiff.

Initial aesthetic impressions are that the 0311XPs look like skinny blades next to the others.

Interestingly, they also have less offset (per degree of loft) than their better player 0311P brethren (my gamers). As someone with a left miss this is good.

The XL Halos look giant next to the 0311XPs, but petite next to the 0211Zs.

The 0211Zs simply look ginormous from any angle. There's zero attempt to hide what they are.

The weather where I live has been so awful my club's course is closed, but I did get in a damp range session this afternoon.

Given the rain and wind initial impressions are somewhat premature.

Nevertheless, the 0311XPs seemed longest. As one would expect from the lofts (28* 7 iron vs 30*).

I tried out the 7, 9 and wedge of each set and could draw no conclusion about forgiveness. Bad swings aside, I hit all three high and straightish. I was expecting to draw the 0211Z most due to the extra offset, but that wasn't the case.

The biggest surprise was how much better the 0211Z sounded and felt compared to the Halos. Not as good as the 0311s, but Gen3 PXGs are the best irons for feel I've ever tried so that's a high bar.

But notably better than the Halos.

I'm not sure that counters their appearance though.

I'd seen Halos before (and used to own Altitudes) so I knew what to expect.

The long and mid irons of the 0211Z and Halo are about the same chunkiness. But the Halos get slimmer as loft increases.

The 0211Z maintain their obesity defiantly.

The sand wedge makes even the Cleveland Smart Sole SW look demur.

On the other hand, I guess once you go down the hybrid iron rabbit hole carping about looks seems kind of pointless.

So my shootout is going to be somewhat scientific. I have booked time at my local Trackman facility early next week and will report back with numbers.
Click to expand...

Can you take some side by side pics. Familiar with the halos and 0311 but not the 0211Z’s
 
Has anyone here tried the Tour Edge Hot Launch ironwoods? When I was struggling to find a traditional hybrid I could hit I went with their HL3 and HL4 ironwoods. and I liked them. Wondering how the new ones are (E522 irons).
 
I am intrigued by / pondering the PXG 0311XP Gen 3’s. They’re down to $129 a club. I’ve been set on the Stealth’s but now they’re about the same price.
 
Sorry about the upcoming lengthy rant, but I've had a few beers. :)

I've now taken each set for a couple of runs on course, and done a lengthy Trackman session comparing the 9 and 7 irons.

Due to loft differences (the PXG 0311XP 7 iron is 28* compared to the 0211Z 31*) I included the 0311XP 8 iron (31*) and the 0211Z 6 iron (27*)

The Halo 7 iron is 30*.

My swing is pretty wonky at the moment, but that is likely a good thing for a test like this.

The 0211Z had the least deviation when confronted with wonkiness. So I guess that would make them the forgivingest forgiving iron.

But not by a massive amount. Especially when matched for loft. And also because I'm only testing mid-irons down.

The Halos were next, then the XPs.

The 0211Z went highest.

Again, not by much.

They also spun the most. 500rpm more than the Halos with a 9 iron. The Halos in turn spun 500rpm more than the XPs.

On course however, I saw no difference in stopping power. I creamed the XP 7 iron a couple of times on a 175 yard (downhill) par 3 and the ball stopped within a yard of the pitch mark. My 'occasional' power draws created too much run for all sets.

The 0211Z were noticeably shorter, even when matched for loft. An easily swung but solidly struck 9 iron averaged 114 yards carry compared to 121 for the Halos and 130 for the XPs.

The XP 7 iron averaged 8 yards longer than the 0211Z 6 iron but tended a little more left.

My miss is a hook and I expected the higher offset of the 0211Zs would exacerbate that, but in fact they had the least right to left movement. The miss with them tended to be a straight push. The Halos have less offset than most players irons but were a little easier to draw. The XPs actually have less offset (at equivalent lofts) than the 'player' 0311Ps but were most likely to be lost left.

I could kind of manufacture a fade with the Halos and 0211Z. The best I could do with XPs was to hit them straight.

Subjectively the XPs look, sound and feel vastly better. The 0211Z sound and feel better than the Halos, but don't even attempt to hide their girth. The Halos sound 'tinky' next to the PXGs. And not as good (again subjectively) as either the HB Turbos they replaced or the Altitudes I tried a while back. Visually they strike me as being the golf club equivalent of a comb-over. They try to disguise their bulk, but fail. You get the impression that PXG, having decided to go all out on forgiveness, have refused to make any compromise. Hence the SW is just as gross as the 6 iron.

But what about where it counts, the scoreboard?

Due to increasing years (I'm 60) and a dissolute lifestyle I use hybrids instead of long irons these days. What irons I still carry are exclusively scoring clubs I use on short par fours, medium par 3s and long par 5s.

As mentioned, my miss is left. With the 0211z I don't recall missing left on the course. I just whacked them. With the Halos I had to be a little more careful. And with the XPs I had to concentrate on my minimising my swing flaws.

Defined by not cussing or hurling a club into a pond, I hit more good shots with the 0211z. The Halos and XPs had about the same level of goodness. The misses with all sets were mostly off the toe. I hit more fat shots with the 0211z and Halos.

But I hit more really good shots with the XPs. The aforementioned 175 yard 7 iron to within 4 feet. Wedges, 9 and 8 irons almost as close. The misses weren't quite as friendly as the 0211Z or Halo, but definitely less penal than my Forged Tecs.

Thanks to a sudden inability to swing a club properly my handicap has blown out from 5 to 9 in recent months. If I thought the loss of any kind of rhythm was permanent, or if I was a true mid-capper with long-standing iron issues, I'd probably bite the bullet and play the 0211z on the theory that mostly good is good enough despite the icky appearance.

But since I'm somewhat optimistic that the golf gods will take pity on me I think the XPs will stay.

With the 0211z and Halos I'm less likely to embarrass myself on one of the numerous bad days I've had recently.

But with the XPs I feel more confident about going low when the swing clicks.

I guess I'd rather have small moments of glory than longer moments of averageness.

If I'm being honest, a well-struck shot with the XPs produces a sound and feel that makes me think I actually am a decent golfer. It's the kind soft yet solid thunk your playing partners acknowledge even without seeing where the ball lands.

And it's addictive.
 
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Great write-up! It sounds like you're basically saying the XPs potentially produce more bad shots but more great ones as well, plus they're more enjoyable to hit. If that's the case I'd play the XPs as well. Considering the gen3 XPs were arguably a flagship model for a company that makes some of the best playing and best feeling irons there is, it's not too surprising. If you're taking requests I'd love to see how the 0211DCs would fit in there. Those give you a bit more loft with a bit less offset in a similar sized club to the XP which sounds like it might be an even better fit.
 
sfdoddsy said:
Sorry about the upcoming lengthy rant, but I've had a few beers. :)

I've now taken each set for a couple of runs on course, and done a lengthy Trackman session comparing the 9 and 7 irons.

Due to loft differences (the PXG 0311XP 7 iron is 28* compared to the 0211Z 31*) I included the 0311XP 8 iron (31*) and the 0211Z 6 iron (27*)

The Halo 7 iron is 30*.

My swing is pretty wonky at the moment, but that is likely a good thing for a test like this.

The 0211Z had the least deviation when confronted with wonkiness. So I guess that would make them the forgivingest forgiving iron.

But not by a massive amount. Especially when matched for loft. And also because I'm only testing mid-irons down.

The Halos were next, then the XPs.

The 0211Z went highest.

Again, not by much.

They also spun the most. 500rpm more than the Halos with a 9 iron. The Halos in turn spun 500rpm more than the XPs.

On course however, I saw no difference in stopping power. I creamed the XP 7 iron a couple of times on a 175 yard (downhill) par 3 and the ball stopped within a yard of the pitch mark. My 'occasional' power draws created too much run for all sets.

The 0211Z were noticeably shorter, even when matched for loft. An easily swung but solidly struck 9 iron averaged 114 yards carry compared to 121 for the Halos and 130 for the XPs.

The XP 7 iron averaged 8 yards longer than the 0211Z 6 iron but tended a little more left.

My miss is a hook and I expected the higher offset of the 0211Zs would exacerbate that, but in fact they had the least right to left movement. The miss with them tended to be a straight push. The Halos have less offset than most players irons but were a little easier to draw. The XPs actually have less offset (at equivalent lofts) than the 'player' 0311Ps but were most likely to be lost left.

I could kind of manufacture a fade with the Halos and 0211Z. The best I could do with XPs was to hit them straight.

Subjectively the XPs look, sound and feel vastly better. The 0211Z sound and feel better than the Halos, but don't even attempt to hide their girth. The Halos sound 'tinky' next to the PXGs. And not as good (again subjectively) as either the HB Turbos they replaced or the Altitudes I tried a while back. Visually they strike me as being the golf club equivalent of a comb-over. They try to disguise their bulk, but fail. You get the impression that PXG, having decided to go all out on forgiveness, have refused to make any compromise. Hence the SW is just as gross as the 6 iron.

But what about where it counts, the scoreboard?

Due to increasing years (I'm 60) and a dissolute lifestyle I use hybrids instead of long irons these days. What irons I still carry are exclusively scoring clubs I use on short par fours, medium par 3s and long par 5s.

As mentioned, my miss is left. With the 0211z I don't recall missing left on the course. I just whacked them. With the Halos I had to be a little more careful. And with the XPs I had to concentrate on my minimising my swing flaws.

Defined by not cussing or hurling a club into a pond, I hit more good shots with the 0211z. The Halos and XPs had about the same level of goodness. The misses with all sets were mostly off the toe. I hit more fat shots with the 0211z and Halos.

But I hit more really good shots with the XPs. The aforementioned 175 yard 7 iron to within 4 feet. Wedges, 9 and 8 irons almost as close. The misses weren't quite as friendly as the 0211Z or Halo, but definitely less penal than my Forged Tecs.

Thanks to a sudden inability to swing a club properly my handicap has blown out from 5 to 9 in recent months. If I thought the loss of any kind of rhythm was permanent, or if I was a true mid-capper with long-standing iron issues, I'd probably bite the bullet and play the 0211z on the theory that mostly good is good enough despite the icky appearance.

But since I'm somewhat optimistic that the golf gods will take pity on me I think the XPs will stay.

With the 0211z and Halos I'm less likely to embarrass myself on one of the numerous bad days I've had recently.

But with the XPs I feel more confident about going low when the swing clicks.

I guess I'd rather have small moments of glory than longer moments of averageness.

If I'm being honest, a well-struck shot with the XPs produces a sound and feel that makes me think I actually am a decent golfer. It's the kind soft yet solid thunk your playing partners acknowledge even without seeing where the ball lands.

And it's addictive.
Click to expand...
Good stuff. But insert the "This Thread is worthless without pics" meme :)
Any chance you can post some pics of the 3 clubs side by side. I am familiar with the 0311 and Halos but those 0211z are what I really want to see. And how they looks compared to the Halos.

Also how did you get just a 7 and 9i in the 0211z? thought you had to buy the full sets to get them.
 
Here are some pics of the pitching wedges. The rear of the 0211Z is more visible in hand than the photos.IMG_4580.jpegIMG_4579.jpeg
 
I would highly recommend hitting Sub70 up and getting a demo 799 with the similar shaft setup and see what happens
 
Second @kiwichris 's recommendation regarding the 799s. Full disclosure, I have not hit these yet, but yesterday ordered a 799 7i to use as a "hybrid" in place of my G710 7i. Cody at Sub70 recommended going this route after assuring me that Sub70 has no plans to release a 939X 7H, and mentioning that Jason Hiland (founder and owner of Sub70) also does this because he hits his 7i too low, which is my problem. The guys at TXG did a review of these clubs (with Matt hitting right handed no less) which was really positive.
 
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