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According to the old golf adage, you “drive for show and putt for dough.” But it’s much tougher to make a birdie after a tee shot sprayed wide and short into the rough than it is from the middle of the fairway. So a reliable driver is crucial.
Enter the PXG Black Ops series of drivers. Using cutting-edge tech and high-performing materials, these drivers help players of all calibers consistently smash long and straight tee balls. That’s why you’ll find the PXG Black Ops Pro driver in my bag.
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What It Is
Courtesy Image
The PXG Black Ops series aims to provide golfers with a high-launch, low spinning driver that is both forgiving and long. That was the challenge according to company founder Bob Parsons. “We’ve spent much of our R&D efforts focused on that challenge, and I am proud to say…we’ve cracked that nut,” he said. “Black Ops woods are straight like an arrow, more forgiving than a priest on Sunday, and absolutely stunning to boot!”
The Black Ops Drivers come stock with one heavy (12.5 grams) and two light (2.5 grams each) sole weights. But they are interchangeable and fitters can make tweaks with additional options in 2.5, 5, 7.5, 10, 12.5, 15, 17.5, and 20 grams, to create preferred spin and bias settings for each individual player. (Adjustable weighting can increase the combined MOI to over 10,000 grams/cm^2.)
The Black Ops Driver is available in three different head designs. The Black Ops Driver is geared toward a majority of players. The Black Ops Tour-1 Driver uses a pro-inspired head shape aimed at more advanced players with a taller face with a more curved crown to create a dynamic aesthetic at address. The new Black Ops Ultra Lite is engineered to help golfers with slower swing speeds. Thanks to a club head mass of 189 grams, 14 grams lighter than the standard PXG Black Ops Driver, it’s a bit easier to create more club head speed with less effort.
PXG Black Ops Pro Overall Impressions
Nicholas McClelland
During my fitting, I fell in love with the smaller head size and new glossy crown of the Pro model right off the bat. It was also instantly longer than my current driver (a PXG Gen 6). Though my fitter was convinced we could do better. After several configurations, shifting the moveable weights in the head and swapping shafts in and out, he landed on a setup that yielded 13 more yards of carry on average and a dispersion pattern around 15 percent smaller—using the same Fujikura Ventus shaft from my old driver.
Key Features and Tech
The designs use a proprietary high strength titanium alloy face material called AMF (Advanced Material Face) technology that ratchets up ball speed for added distance. PXG also deployed a variable thickness, non-uniform bulge and roll face design. So strikes that miss the center enjoy a more consistent energy transfer and still fly long and straight.
Nicholas McClelland
The crown and portions of the sole are constructed from lightweight, high-grade, compression-molded carbon fiber. The weight saving is then shifted to increase the moment of inertia (MOI) and push the center-of-gravity (CG) lower and to the rear, facilitating a high launch angle and low spin rate that produces both increased distance and additional forgiveness.
Pros
- Player-focused design
- Distance gains over the PXG Gen 6
- Titanium face
- Custom fitting
Cons
- Not as workable for players who want to shape shots
Final Verdict
The proof here is in the pudding. More than a dozen yards longer off the tee than my old driver and a much tighter dispersion pattern should consistently yield more fairways and shorter iron approaches into greens.
Nicholas McClelland
On the course, I’m seeing fewer over-cooked draws off (though my snap hook is very much still in play—no amount of tech is going to solve that). But one to two more fairways should let me go at a couple more pins per round giving me some extra chances to putt for some dough or at least a round at the 19th hole courtesy on my buddy’s tab.
Why You Should Trust Me
I’m a long-time contributor to Men’s Journal, who’s written extensively on golf gear, courses, architecture, and the professional game. My work has appeared in publications such as Golf Digest, InsideHook, SPY, Esquire, L’Officiel, Sports Illustrated, Fatherly, TripSavvy and TIME. IRL you can usually find me bopping around the New Jersey burbs, but whatever I’m doing in the moment, I’m probably secretly planning my next round of golf.
