50 Words or Less
The PXG 0311 Black Ops Tour-1 driver is among the lowest spinning drivers in golf while also having elite forgiveness. Compact footprint. A game changer for high spin players.
Introduction
PXG wants to see more of their drivers in play on Tour. They don’t have to say this; they showed it by placing three different Tour models of the Black Ops driver on the USGA Conforming List. The version that’s coming to retail – and the one you can expect to see played by the best in the world – is the PXG 0311 Black Ops Tour-1 driver. This is the model that’s most distinct from the standard Black Ops driver, and I’ll take you through all those differences in this review.
Looks
You don’t need a refined eye to see that the PXG 0311 Black Ops Tour-1 driver is a marked change from the standard Black Ops driver [review HERE]. The Tour-1 has a much smaller footprint and a more rounded, less stretched shape. PXG kept the Tour-1 at the full 460cc, which allowed them to maintain a very large, tall face and a higher, more curved crown.
What the two drivers share is the gloss black crown, a big change from the matte black of the 0311 GEN6 drivers [XF review HERE]. They also have similar sole designs, both featuring a composite plate. The Tour-1 does have a noticeably larger “pop out” on the sole, and the weights are positioned differently, which I’ll discuss more later.
Sound & Feel
While there are many big differences between the PXG 0311 Black Ops Tour-1 driver and the standard model, sound is not one of them. Both drivers have primary natural frequency modes that are almost identical. They share a strong, mid-pitch “crack” at impact that’s staccato and punchy. I asked PXG’s engineers about their goals with the sound, and they said they wanted to remove the sustained, ringing tones. Mission accomplished.
The feel of impact with the Black Ops Tour-1 driver is as solid as the sound. Though the club face is incredibly thin, it feels very stout. Feedback through the hands is clear and precise. Deciphering between truly pure strikes and the merely good is easy.
Performance
I hate when companies fill up the shelf with different products that aren’t really that different. Clearly PXG feels the same way. While they’re powered by the same AMF Technology in the face, the PXG 0311 Black Ops Tour-1 driver and the standard Black Ops are miles apart in terms of the players that they’re built for.
The raison d’etre for the Black Ops Tour-1 driver is low spin, and it delivers. In PXG’s testing, it was the lowest spinning driver by almost 400 RPM at 100 MPH club speed and by 140 RPM at 120 MPH. That gap at 100 MPH is bigger than the one from #2 to #12 (last place)! Comparing Tour-1 to standard Black Ops, the gap is about 400 RPM at 100 MPH and over 500 at 120 MPH. That low spin is paired with low launch. At both testing speeds, Black Ops Tour-1 was within 0.2 of the lowest launching driver. For the high spin player, the Black Ops Tour-1 is going to be a missile launcher.
What really separates the PXG 0311 Black Ops Tour-1 driver is not the low spin but the forgiveness. Typically low spin drivers are demanding and more than willing to send mishits all over the map. Black Ops Tour-1, however, has elite consistency. At 100 MPH, it has better left-right dispersion than all but two drivers, both regarded as some of the most forgiving in golf and high spinning. At 120 MPH, it’s even more impressive. It maintained the same standing in left-right, but the total dispersion was better than every non-PXG driver.
This driver does all of this while also being the most customizable. Like the 0311 GEN6 driver [review HERE] before it, the Black Ops Tour-1 driver has three Precision Weighting ports. PXG offers weights from 2.5 grams to 20 grams, so you can make this club anti-slice, anti-hook, lighter, or heavier. The weight ports on the Tour-1 are further forward and more centered than on the standard Black Ops driver. This allows players to make this driver even lower spinning by putting more weight in the front.
As for my personal experience with the PXG 0311 Black Ops Tour-1 driver, it was short lived. While we stress that you can’t fit golf clubs on paper, this is an instance where a club did exactly what it promised…which is not what I need. I’m a low spin player, so with this ultimate low spin head, I hit nothing but knuckle balls. I think some of the drives I hit are still rolling. And while I love that this club is naturally anti-left (it has a flatter lie angle than the standard model), I was never going to turn away from the epic forgiveness of the normal Black Ops driver.
Conclusion
The PXG 0311 Black Ops Tour-1 driver is a low launch, low spin distance machine. But you’ve heard that about other drivers. What sets this one apart is the consistency. If you’ve been holding out for a low spin driver that will still keep your misses in play, head to your PXG fitter to check out the Black Ops Tour-1.
Visit PXG HERE
PXG 0311 Black Ops Tour-1 Driver Price & Specs
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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13 Comments
I recently was fit for the “regular” Black Ops Driver and it is by far the lowest spinning driver I’ve ever put in the bag. Look at address, feel, dispersion, incredible all around.
Great to hear!
-Matt
Based on your review, can I take it the the Tour-1 is similar to the Gen 3 Proto X in that it’s playable for someone with a negative angle of attack?
Owen,
It’s a very good choice for any player who generates too much spin.
-Matt
1st round with my Black Ops Tour 1, I hit 11 of 14 fairways. I am in Wisconsin, not like I have played too much golf yet. It was very straight. The low spin was very useful. I was fit for a Gen 6, but after a friend damaged it, I replaced it with Black Ops Tour 1. My fitter used the details from my Gen 6 fitting to get me set up and it has been really great so far!
I’m a high speed player, so I don’t usually see big jumps in numbers from one driver to the next. But the Tour-1 blew my gamer Gen4 0811X out of the water and is going straight into my bag.
I’ll preface these numbers with the caveat that I hit the Tour-1 with a slightly heavier shaft (Tour AD XC 6X) than what I have in my gamer (Diamana S+ 60X). But that aside, my clubhead speed jumped from 119mph to 123mph (which alone was startling), and my ball speed exploded from 171.7mph to 177.5mph. Combine that with the Tour-1’s lower spin (down to 2,300 from my gamer’s 2,700), and I gained literally an entire club’s worth of carry: from 292.1 yards with my gamer, to 306.7 yards with the Tour-1.
Needless to say, but the Tour-1 is an absolute beast.
That’s amazing! 6 MPH of ball speed and -400 RPM…that’s a game changer.
Best,
Matt
Matt, always love your reviews. I bought a Black Ops driver and had to return it because I hated it so much. Most of that had to do with the shape I couldn’t stand the giant triangular head and the upright lie. It’s hideous! Would you say the tour 1 had a look more similar to TSR3? Kind of want to give black ops another try, if tour 1 isn’t so ugly might be worth a shot. Thanks!
Yes, I think the footprint/shape of the Tour-1 is substantially different. I’d also strongly recommend getting fit to save yourself future headaches like that.
Best,
Matt
I have found a pxg 0211 driver head on a golf course,so I got someone to place it on a shaft with grip. I have been hitting on the course and playing golf with it.
Hi Matt, I’m 70 years old, A couple of my friends bought the PXG ops driver, and their distance has improved tremendously., I would like to buy one,
Can you tell me what shaft And would You suggest the ops tour 1 ?
Jerry,
Unfortunately no one can fit you for the right shaft over the internet. I’d strongly recommend going to a PXG fitting studio or a Club Champion and getting properly fit if you want to see distance gains like your friends.
Best,
Matt
I have just been fitted for this club and oh my!
It has given me incredible distance to my game. I am now approaching greens on our championship course with short and mid irons rather than long irons or even fairway woods.
Spin has been reduced from a crazy 4,500 RPM with a Ping G430 down to 2,500 RPM with my new PXG 0311 Black Ops Tour-1 at 8 degree fitted with a 73g Diamana Whiteboard shaft.
I have gained 20-30 yards on the course with this club. I genuinely never thought this was possible.
I love this club. Game changer for me.