50 Words or Less
The PXG Wildcat golf clubs are a set built for new players or those who want more help on the course. Nine club set makes great sense for many players. Strong value.
Introduction
When PXG first entered the game, the one thing that everyone knew was that their clubs were expensive. Several years later, there is not a single OEM doing more for the budget-conscious golfer. The PXG Wildcat golf clubs are a follow up to the 0211 Z line [review HERE] and arguably the best way for new and higher handicap players to get a sensible set of clubs with great performance at a reasonable price.
Looks
Overall, the PXG Wildcat golf clubs have a sharp, premium look that’s largely in line with the rest of PXG’s offerings. The black and silver color scheme is the same, the PXG branding is the same, and the black headcovers even have the same QuickStick magnets. You’re not going to see the elaborate mill marks like on the Sugar Daddy III wedges [review HERE], but that’s reflective of the price gap.
Starting at the top of the bag, the PXG Wildcat driver looks really good. The crown is a high gloss black with a white stripe that gives the shape definition. It’s round and symmetrical, not stretched or leaning toward the heel. The only sign that it’s meant for higher handicap players is that the face is a little closed.
You get a very similar story with the PXG Wildcat fairway wood. It has a traditional, symmetrical shape that I found really appealing. The face depth is average, making it comfortable to hit off the tee or turf. It’s also a little closed at address, which makes sense for the target audience.
While all three of the woods are better looking than I expected, the PXG Wildcat hybrid may take top prize. It’s slightly pear shaped, which is something we usually only see in players hybrids. The alignment mark skews slightly toward the heel and there’s some offset, both of which nod toward a draw bias.
Finally, the PXG Wildcat irons are thick. In the bag, they show off their ultra wide, anti-digging soles. At address, the top line is thick and softly rounded, there’s a healthy dose of offset, and the large face encourages players to take a confident swing.
Sound & Feel
Starting again at the top of the bag, the PXG Wildcat driver was a pleasant surprise. Most “high handicap” drivers are loud and unrefined. This club, in contrast, has medium volume with a concentrated, mid-pitch, metallic tone. The ball feels fast off the face. There’s moderate feedback through the hands and ears when you have more than a slight mishit.
Both the Wildcat hybrid and fairway wood lean toward the prototypical fairway wood sound. Both are quieter than the driver but higher pitched and more metallic in tone. The feel in both is more fast than solid, which should provide confidence and excitement for the newer player.
Finally, the PXG Wildcat irons have the soft, bouncy feel that I’ve come to associate with many of PXG’s premium irons. The ball feels like it’s springing off the face, even on slight mishits. This feel accompanies a quiet “thud” which doesn’t change unless you hit only the bottom groove.
Performance
The PXG Wildcat driver is the club that really helps the Wildcat golf set stand apart from other premium options. It’s built to 44″ with 16 degrees of loft, so it’s engineered to be a fairway finder. And PXG didn’t skimp on the materials either, making the entire head and face from titanium for durability and ball speed. This is a high launch, high spin club – largely as a result of the loft – but these are good things for a new player or any player without a lot of swing speed. But the real selling point is the dispersion. Players can stand on the tee feeling confident that their shot is going to go in the right direction and get the hole started the right way.
Both the PXG Wildcat fairway wood and PXG Wildcat hybrid carry forward that idea of making the long game less intimidating. Both of these clubs have more loft than you might expect – 19 and 26 degrees, respectively – but, as with the driver, that’s the key to making them work so well. That added loft gets the ball airborne, and strong ball speed across the face gives every shot the potential to carry a long way. The additional loft also helps those longer shots to land softer – something golfers struggle with at almost every handicap level. There is a notable draw bias in these clubs, which will help players fight that hated slice.
From a technology standpoint, the PXG Wildcat irons might be the most exciting and best value in this set. These irons feature the same proprietary XCOR2 polymer core that PXG uses in their Black Ops irons [review HERE]. This material supports an ultra-thin face which means that players get exceptional ball speed, even on mishits. The thick soles help player by lowering the CG for higher ball flight and providing insurance against digging.
While these irons are miles from my gamers [the PXG 0317 T, review HERE], I had a ball hitting them. Every shot launched high and carried forever. With so much forgiveness, I felt free to swing away. That freedom led to exceptional accuracy. PXG put a note in this box saying that these irons aren’t for me, but I’m not so sure about that.
Overall, the PXG Wildcat golf clubs deliver on their promise of exceptional performance for the new or high handicap golfer. Every club is easy to hit with a look that promotes confidence. It is worth noting that this set is offered with graphite shafts only – Project X Cypher – in R, A, or L flex.
If you’re wondering about the PXG Black Hawk putter which can be included in the Wildcat set, I have a full review HERE
Conclusion
Available as a complete set or individually, the PXG Wildcat golf clubs are a great choice for a new golfer, someone coming back to the game, or any higher handicap player looking for great value. As a nine-club set, this covers everything that most players need without giving them things they don’t, and it lets players take advantage of great technology without breaking the bank.
Visit PXG HERE
He founded Plugged In Golf in 2013 with the goal of helping all golfers play better and enjoy the game more.
Matt lives in the northwest suburbs of Chicago with his wife and two daughters.
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19 Comments
The irons seem like modern Ping G20’s, not a bad thing, but ya they are thick. Great review, as always
Would be interested at $999. Not a chance at $1499. PXG missed the mark (and market) in a major way IMO…
I think a lot of people would be more interested at $999, but I could say the same about anything – I’d be more interested in the new TaylorMade/Callaway/Titleist driver at $399 rather than $599. The question to ask is, where else are you getting anything comparable – including the bag – for $1,499? Most iron sets are at least $1,200, drivers are $599, fairways are $299 or $399, a bag is $200+. If you want a top brand name, this set is a great value.
-Matt
You can get JPX925 HL irons, a JPX 925 Fli Hi hybrid, a ST-Max FW, and a ST-Max driver all with no upcharge grips and shafts for $1380 as priced on TGW. A much better option IMO….
I just went to TGW and the JPX925 Hot Metal HL irons are $1,049, and the driver is $299, so you’re at $1,350 with a FW, hybrid, putter, bag, balls, or hat. Maybe you have special pricing at TGW that I’m not privy to.
-Matt
Exactly! I was pricing the new Callaway Elytes and way more expensive than the PXG’s. The Driver is 599.00. Irons starting 899.00. Does.’t include bag, putter, wood, and hybrid. The PXG are great value for a top brand.
Great review and I think it is thought provoking as well. How many clubs does a player with low swing speed really need? That said, I think it would be nice to have the option to buy a 5 hybrid and a seven wood in the same series. As an aging golfer, I find a 7 wood very helpful and a 5 hybrid is also a useful club. I agree that these clubs as a set offer a great value, so I would expect to pay more or maybe just have the option to but separately? I do really love PXG equipment, so maybe I’m biased.
Mark,
You can buy each club individually, but there is only one fairway and one hybrid available.
I think that PXG has put a lot of thought into the loft structure of this set, and I would expect that very few players would have distance gaps that are too large with these nine clubs.
-Matt
I’m sure you’re right, just speaking for myself and my personal preferences. There is a lot more right than wrong with PXGs approach here. Certainly the target group wouldn’t need a low lofted driver, a three wood or a lob wedge. I don’t mean to be critical at all.
For a new golfer the Costco 10 piece set at $579 makes more sense IMO at almost a third of the price. Totally fine for a beginner to get them started to see if the game is for them, sell them used after a couple of years and upgrade as they improve and it will have cost very little, instead of dropping $1,499 straight off. I would put the $900 saved towards lessons, much better bang for your buck.
For the returning experienced golfer or high handicapper, it would make more sense to buy a full set of used clubs. Not sure dropping $1,499 on a partial set makes a lot of sense.
Adam,
It all depends what the new golfer is trying to accomplish and how soon they want to be back at the store buying the next set. My feeling on very inexpensive box sets has always been that A) people move on from them quickly, if they like the game and B) they have no resale value. You could add C) those clubs are unlikely to perform as well as a better set.
With regard to a “full set” – I will continue to say that the vast majority of golfers do not need to or benefit from carrying 14 clubs; they simply don’t have the club speed.
-Matt
I am working on the assumption that the new golfer wants to improve as quickly as possible, so spending less $ on something like the Edge set and putting the $900 saved towards lessons will likely be more beneficial.
Better still, buy a pre-owned Edge set from the official Callaway pre-owned website, starting at $428 (the fact that they can sell it for that price gives you an indication of the demand out there) and even if you can only sell it for $200-$250 after 2 years (it won’t be zero, the Callaway brand has cachet), you will lose less money than buying the PXG Wildcat set at $1,499 and you will probably be a better golfer too after $900 spent on lessons.
Adam,
That’s certainly a reasonable plan.
However, another major objection I have to this, personally, is this idea that money spent on lessons is money well spent, full stop. There are tons of bad teachers out there, and no one is less equipped to know a good teacher from a bad one than a new golfer. Also, loads of golfers don’t take lessons because they don’t want lessons, they don’t want to work on their game, they just want to slap the ball around.
I think what we could agree on, I hope, is that there is not one right path for new golfers because their motivations are all unique.
Best,
Matt
Hey Matt, just out of curiosity, what numbers did you see with the driver? I’m not exactly a slow swing speed player(100-105) but I look at this driver at 16* and 44” as basically a mini driver. If you tee the ball down more, than I see this as a fairway finder all day long. Thanks!
Justin,
PXG built these clubs for me to give away to a friend, so they have lightweight shafts that are two flexes softer than I normally play. All that to say, my numbers are meaningless, but it was still a fairway finder because of the specs. If I put a fitted shaft in it, it could be a real weapon.
Best,
Matt
Hi Matt, is the driver head a standard sized head or smaller cc?
Steve,
I believe it’s 460cc. If it’s smaller, it’s not by much.
Best,
Matt
I think this set makes a lot of sense for the older, slow swing speed beginner who is not price conscious. These are the people who would otherwise spend twice this much on a set of new Big Berthas or Pings and only use 8 or 9 of the clubs anyway.
Thanks Matt, really interesting review. I’m tempted to give these a go myself as even as a 12 HCP . I’m into my mid 50s now and swing unlikely to get any quicker and as I like to carry, a reduced set really appeals. Im not a long hitter prob around 88 mph with a driver, around 220 , 7 iron 140 so just having fairway finders with a bit more distance might get me to single figures I play the Gen 5 irons and am a PXG fan of their fitting and customer service as is my wife who plays the old 0211z to nudge her way around the course.