An emerging brand and a long-established brand, PXG and TaylorMade are two of the most popular golf club producers today. As is the nature with golf, there are a lot of similarities between the two. Yet, they are very different. And the type of golfer you are goes a long way in determining the right one for you.
We won’t do just a specific one for one golf club comparison of any PXG vs TaylorMade product, but instead are going to walk through the clubmakers as a whole. This means looking at full brand offerings, performance trends, design, value, and what brand to choose based on your abilities. We’re going to tell you what you need to know.
Overview of PXG Golf Clubs
PXG is an abbreviation for Parsons Xtreme Golf, named after founder Bob Parsons. The company was founded in 2012 and has taken major strides forward in the decade it’s been around.
With the help of golf executives poached from other companies, Parsons began his pursuit of clubs engineered for distance with a massive sweet spot. After some time and a ton of research, PXG began producing customizable irons where the ball flew off the face. Since then, they have expanded to different types of clubs and all skill levels.
In many ways, PXG is exactly what happens when you have golfers running a company for golfers with an unlimited budget. Innovative designs, unmatched quality, and looks that stand out.
Overview of TaylorMade Golf Clubs
Established in the late 1970s, TaylorMade has grown into an institution for golf excellency. And what catapulted them into the bags of golfers everywhere? Being the first company to produce metal drivers and fairway woods. Where would we be without them?
Since then, they have remained among the best in the business by staying modern and pushing the boundaries of what’s normal. You don’t see many other brands with driver designs like the Burner or SIM Max. But you do with TaylorMade.
A TaylorMade golf clubs review can go in any direction because they offer such a wide selection of clubs. From your first set to the pro level, and all the way back down to juniors, TaylorMade has a club engineered to match your skill level. Outside one or two other brands, that is not the case.
Performance Comparison
PXG focuses heavily on distance. For them, everything else is secondary. However, expanding their selection in recent years has come with more options for players in need of assistance in other parts of their game. A welcome addition for many.
As is the theme with most PXG vs TaylorMade debates, there is more to say about the latter. TaylorMade produces clubs that are extremely forgiving, have corrective measures for bad contact, and make it easy to hit the ball high. They also have clubs where you’re expected to do that on your own.
No matter your skill level, you can find success with TaylorMade clubs. Saying that with PXG may be a bit of a stretch, especially for high handicappers.
However, for the highest level of performance by top golfers, PXG appears slightly ahead going into 2024.
Design and Aesthetics
Look good, feel good, play good? Maybe not in that order, but aesthetics plays a major role in choosing golf clubs. For many, golf club comparison starts there. PXG vs TaylorMade is a fun one because their visuals are so different.
PXG by far has more unique designs than TaylorMade when it comes to irons. Offering a split selection of gray, black, and gray/black combo designs, you have more colors to choose from than other brands. Additionally, external weights and milling offer a different look than you’re used to.
TaylorMade mostly sticks to traditional silver heads with some accenting. Practicality above all.
If you’re looking to compare hybrids, woods, and drivers, it’s a different story. TaylorMade doesn’t have anything as strange looking as the Burner in its lineup anymore, but they do have far more variety. TaylorMade utilizes different colors and visible weighting to distinguish itself. PXG opts for a clean and sophisticated look using black, white, and some gray. Nothing unusual there.
Price and Value for Money
Any good PXG golf clubs review will call attention to price. Across all brands, they are considered one of the most expensive. Or at least they used to be.
It is true that PXG’s expensive reputation was earned, but they are now coming back down to average for top brands. As the years go on, it wouldn’t be surprising to see people talk more about the durability and quality of their PXG clubs than the price.
TaylorMade, on the other hand, is everywhere on the price scale. They have extremely affordable options and others that rival the price of any brand. Quality across all options is solid. However, you receive higher quality materials more likely to last in good condition with expensive TaylorMade options. Not too surprising.
Recommendations for Different Skill Levels
Don’t really know what you want, or aren’t sure how to apply what we’ve shared in this article? How about a couple recommendations?
And of course, just because we didn’t list every option doesn’t mean something you had your eye on isn’t worthy. If it’s from PXG or TaylorMade, it is. Neither brand makes any “bad” clubs.
Beginner
TaylorMade M4 Combo Set
The TaylorMade “M” line has been around longer than, or just as long as, any individual line from a major brand. It has a reputation for helping lesser skilled players hit the ball consistently and results that exceed their skills.
With the M4 Combo Set, you’re choosing golf clubs created specifically for beginners. And yes, this incorporates club design and bag composition. Hybrids ease difficulties of beginner golfers with long irons. And the irons themselves are engineered to be extremely forgiving.
A combo set also puts you in good position for your next purchase. As you improve and fully commit to the game, you will begin to cycle clubs out of your bag, rather than replacing them all at once. With a combo set, you can choose irons or hybrids/woods first depending on what you feel your greater need is.
Intermediate
TaylorMade Stealth Irons
While the Stealth driver was once used by PGA pros, the Stealth irons were not. Because of an abundance of forgiveness and launch assistance, they are much more geared towards the average golfer than the scratch handicap.
PXG GEN6 0311 XP and PXG GEN6 0311 P
Both made for intermediate golfers, it makes sense to do a direct golf club comparison with the PGX Gen 6 0311 XP and P irons.
Starting the PXG golf clubs review, XP irons are more forgiving than P irons, but both lend themselves to golfers with handicaps between 6 and 20. If you’re closer to 20, lean towards XP. Closer to 6, towards P.
XP irons are designed to be more forgiving and help you hit the ball higher. Additionally, the offset design helps to control ball flight better and promotes consistency.
One other difference between them are lofts. XP irons are stronger lofted. This is a way companies like to help you “gain distance”. For example, the loft of a XP 6-iron is 23 degrees, and a P 5-iron is also 23 degrees. This is yet another reason to approach choosing golf clubs on a variety of factors, such as flight, dispersion, and feel—not just distance.
Advanced
TaylorMade P7MC
A little forgiveness never hurts on the golf course. We picked the P7MC irons as an ideal option for low handicap players for a couple reasons. They are easier to work left and right than the P770s or P790s. They’re also more forgiving and geared towards distance than each of the other TaylorMade layers irons. A perfect match for a skilled golfer whether they’re striking the ball well or struggling.
Final Verdict
We said it in the last section, and we’ll say it again. Neither PXG nor TaylorMade produce any club whose quality would make someone question why they bought it. However, a beginner playing some PXG 0317 irons might. It’s all about finding the right clubs for you.
As a whole, TaylorMade is great for everyone. They have been around long enough and have an expansive enough catalog that you can have a perfect match whether you shoot 70 or 120. They have varying designs that make it easy to identify which club is for which type of golfer. There are also enough simple educational resources you’ll know what you’re getting yourself into.
PXG is still a new brand, working to find where they fit best. They do not have the market share TaylorMade does. Yet, they are producing extremely good clubs, making actual updates in their yearly releases, and will continue to grow. They aren’t in bags at every course yet, but they will be soon.
If you don’t know what you want or need to be educated before splurging on new clubs, shop with TaylorMade. If you’re someone who has done their research, knows themselves and what they need, and want clubs that are flashy and innovate, PXG might be right for you. Know all the stuff that qualifies you for PXG shopping, but don’t care much about the looks? There’s a TaylorMade club for you too.
