According to the National Golf Foundation, the average score of golfers who regularly keep score is 94. The same study shows 32 percent of golfers report average scores between 90-99, with 29 percent of golfers reporting average scores between 80-89.

While many of us want to play players irons, the reality is that most of us should be using more game improvement-style irons, or at least strongly considering this category. PXG wants to show you that just because you need game improvement irons doesn’t mean you have to give up soft feel, great sound, and classic looks.

Where we come in

GolfWRX took to our forum to find two gearheads who not only wanted, but needed to make a chance when it came to the irons in their bag. That’s where Dan and Joe come in. Two longtime GolfWRX forum members and Scottsdale, Arizona, golfers who were looking for added distance, forgiveness, and were interested in the tech behind the PXG Black Ops irons.

About the members

.. and how the PXG Black Ops irons could benefit them:

Dan: “The dual cavity will hopefully give me the added distance while maintaining the aesthetics that we all want from a players/players distance iron.”

Joe: “I personally could benefit on a number of fronts. Firstly, the forgiveness the Black Ops technology is providing will be truly welcome. The mishits have increased right along with age – so need some irons that reverse aging! The distance provided of course is going to be beneficial, but if I am going to get forgiveness and length back – sign me up. Mentally, the look is going to be a big win – some of the GI/SGI irons look like a shovel and my head gets wrecked looking at those. These look streamlined and thinner at the top so as not to cause a mental breakdown.”

Getting fit

PXG welcomed each member to their Scottsdale location for a fitting. Remember, getting fit is a vital step to find what clubs will work best for you and uncovering the most optimal setup to unlock your full potential as a golfer. Dan was fit into a set of Black Ops irons (4-gw) with Aerotech SteelFiber 95s shafts.  Dan picked improvement in distance (approximately 5 yards), but his “dispersion and ball descent was much better.”

Joe had never been fit for irons. He came into this fitting looking for better distance, more forgiveness and to hit the ball higher. After working through a few different options, Joe and his fitter settled on the PXG Black Ops irons with the Accra I-series Graphite shaft. Joe stated that this setup was “balanced, the head felt great and it really inspired confidence“. With this setup, Joe was able to achieve a faster swing speed, more distance, and a 30 percent increase in height.

Hitting the course

By this time we had seen the improvement in their numbers following their fitting, but we wanted to see how it impacted their game on-course in a location that they frequent, one they’re familiar with, and perhaps have proved challenging to them in the past. We hit Camelback Golf Club’s beautiful Ambiente Course, a 7,225-yard, par 72 course that challenges players with several striking features: eye-catching elevation changes and rolling fairways with significant drops.

No. 4, a long par-5 on Ambiente, is one that has particularly proven to be one that is tough to overcome for Joe. This time, though, it was different. He came equipped with the PXG Black Ops irons, a set of irons that was more suitable for his game and packed with technology, ultimate forgiveness, and maximum distance for a mid-handicap player like Joe.

Tune in below to see how both Dan and Joe fared. 

For more information on the PXG Black Ops irons, visit the PXG website here and be sure to schedule a fitting at one of their 200+ fitting locations. Read more about this experience from Dan and Joe, and get in on the action by visting our forum.

This article is presented in partnership with PXG.