Equipment
Powerbilt launches Air Force One DFX
Though not one of the “big-name brands” in golf equipment, Powerbilt has striven to push the envelope in club innovation with its patented Nitrogen N7 “Nitrogen Charged” technology in its new Air Force One DFX driver.
The cavity of the DFX (Deep Face Extreme) is filled with highly pressurized Nitrogen (80 pounds per square inch), which independent testing has shown increases distance through a trampoline effect when the club face strikes the ball. This pressurized effect allows Powerbilt to reinforce the driver head without adding weight, which further increasing the trampoline effect of the club face to the maximum allowed by the USGA and also enables Powerbilt to increase forgiveness on less-than-perfect hits.
The DFX also has a 5 millimeter deeper face than the previous version, and six more grams of weight have been moved low and forward in the head to improve smash factor, the company says.
“We reduced the nitrogen pressure to 80 pounds, for better impact feel,” said Ross Kvinge, president of PowerBilt. “This new amount of nitrogen generates a tremendous trampoline effect for increased ball speed. In fact, now the trampoline effect is up to the USGA maximum limit. Shot dispersion is also the tightest ever in our drivers.”
The Air Force One DFX features a forged titanium body and titanium face and will be available for both right-handed and left-handed golfers in lofts of 8.5, 9.5, 10.5 and 12.5 degrees. Several shaft options will be available, including premium options from Fujikura, Fubiku, and Aldila. The Air Force One DFX will retail for $299.
Neal Shipley was the first to admit that he enjoyed his food while in college. But since his days at Ohio State, he’s slimmed down and earned a PGA Tour Card.
That hasn’t stopped him from having fun with his wedge stampings, though it’s led to some misunderstandings.
On the 54 (degree), we have ‘Big Fudge,'” Shipley told GolfWRX. “It was supposed to be ‘Big Fridge,’ so this happened a little while ago. ‘Big Fridge’ was a nickname between my college teammates and I, with ‘fridge’ meaning stomach, a big stomach.
“We told the Ping guys to put … ‘Big Fridge’ on it, and I think maybe some bad cell service or something, and they thought I said ‘fudge,’ so they put fudge on it.”
On Shipley’s 50-degree he also continues the food theme, this time with his go-to order at the “Golden Arches,” and his stamping “DONS 7.”
“The number 7 meal, the two cheeseburger meal, that was my McDonald’s order, back when I would have McDonald’s frequently,” Shipley shared.
At GolfWRX, we are a community of like-minded individuals who all experience and express our enjoyment of the game in many ways.
It’s that sense of community that drives day-to-day interactions in the forums on topics that range from best driver to what marker you use to mark your ball. It even allows us to share another thing we all love – buying and selling equipment.
Currently, in our GolfWRX buy/sell/trade (BST) forum, @raw10628 has a L.A.B. DF3 putter and Masters putter cover up for grabs.
From the listing: “Some great items here today, time to thin out and make room for next set of gear. All prices include shipping.
LAB DF3 Purple 33.5” 68° lie with TPT – $725. LAB Masters release DF3 cover – $150.”
To check out the full listing in our BST forum, head through the link. If you are curious about the rules to participate in the BST Forum, you can learn more here: GolfWRX BST Rules
Driver: Ping G440 LST (9 degrees)
Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 5-M4
3-wood: Ping G440 Max (15 degrees)
Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 6-M4
5-wood: Ping G440 Max (19 degrees @18)
Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 6-M4
Hybrid: Ping G440 (23 degrees)
Shaft: Oban Isawa Red Hybrid Shaft 04 Flex 70 Gms
Irons: Srixon ZXi7 (5-P)
Shafts: Aerotech SteelFiber Private Reserve i80
Wedges: Cleveland RTZ (50-MID, 54-FULL, 58-MID)
Shafts: Aerotech SteelFiber Private Reserve i105
Putter: L.A.B. Golf OZ.1i
Shaft: ACCRA Putter Shaft
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet
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Maria Torres WITB 2026 (June)
Driver: Ping G440 LST (9 degrees) Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 5-M4 3-wood: Ping G440 Max (15 degrees) Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 6-M4 5-wood: Ping G440...
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Driver: PXG Lightning Tour Max (9 degrees) Shaft: Project X Titan Yellow 70 TX 3-wood: TaylorMade Qi4D (15 degrees) Shaft:...
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Driver: Callaway Quantum Triple Diamond (8.5 degrees) Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X Mini driver: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Mini...
Wyndham Clark’s winning WITB: 2026 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
Driver: TaylorMade Qi4D (10.5 degrees) Shaft: Project X Titan Yellow 60 TX 3-wood: TaylorMade Qi4D Tour (15 degrees) Shaft: Project...
Martin
Jul 31, 2014 at 5:06 pm
I was just fitted w/this driver. It’s for real. Did it on a launch monitor. Compared it to my SLDR and titleist 913 D3. Also used a new Adams head. Switched out a bunch of shafts and heads over 2 fitting sessions Adams was longer than both of my drivers. Performed great. The Power Bilt was just a notch above the Adams. Carry distance was a few yards longer. Spin was down and launch was up. ( About 2400rpm and 12+ on the launch) difference for me was the smash factor. Was around 1.45+ w/the Adams. Was 1.5 nearly every time w/Power Bilt. Had a few max out at 1.52. Went from low launch high spin with my sldr that gave me about a 240-245 carry to a 260+ carry with the right launch and spin w/Power Bilt. Swing was 105-110. This will surely help my game.
jtizzle
Apr 7, 2014 at 3:49 pm
The top end jdm brand Kamui Pro has a nitrogen driver that is supposed to be one of the longest out. I am actually waiting on one to arrive right now. I have also heard that the Powerbilt drivers are fairly long too.
Jack Nash
Mar 24, 2014 at 11:45 am
I remember when My brother and I were kids, we had the old style wooden matches we’d put between the ball and the old wood driver head. We’d do it in a corner of the course where we were surrounded by trees. When hit properly it would sound like a gun going off, making a scotch mark on the ball and club head. I would imagine that with this new driver that act wouldn’t be recommended? Would this new driver come with the appropriate warnings?
Taylor Made
Mar 22, 2014 at 8:54 pm
Do I have to yell “POOOWWW!” “BOOOMM!” when i swing it? Air Force One??? Even the name is gimmicky. Ill pass.
Jed
Mar 23, 2014 at 5:53 pm
Leave it to somebody with the name Taylor Made to talk about being gimmicky.
You hitting 400 yard bombs yet?
Travis
Apr 16, 2014 at 12:32 pm
Yea, because TaylorMade “ROCKETBALLZ” and “JETSPEED” isn’t gimmicky…
The dude
Mar 22, 2014 at 6:51 am
Awesome!!…..now they can get Fuzzy and Jodie Mudd back 🙂
Perry
Mar 22, 2014 at 1:34 am
Nice to see a different manufacturer for a change. Get a bit sick of only seeing Taylormade and the other biggies. This site sure must be greeting some good kick backs.
RadioActive
Mar 21, 2014 at 2:57 pm
isn’t everyone up to or near the .830 limit?
Jack
Mar 26, 2014 at 12:05 am
That’s what I thought. So the hydrogen brings it up to (or close to) the limit that everyone has been at already. Wonderful. Thanks for no advantage. Isn’t this the definition of a gimmick?
Beau
Apr 6, 2014 at 1:59 am
Um, its nitrogen not hydrogen that powerbuilt uses. They have been using nitrogen in their drivers since the mid 90’s so would that really be a gimmick?? At least they can think outside the box for a change… maybe stop mocking companies that don’t conform to what is seen as normal? cheers
Joe
Mar 28, 2014 at 10:42 pm
Actually, the .830 limit is no longer used as the standard for top limmits. What is used is something called Characteristic Time, which is how long the ball stays on the face when being struck.
That said, I agree with your premise about everyone being at that limit.
Supposedly though, there can be a lot of variance amongst clubheads, even though they are all “supposed” to be at that limit.
Adams Golf, for example, claims that they test all of their clubheads to make sure that they are at the top limit. That’s something other companies do not do. With most companies, the goal is to make a clubhead where the top limit of the best one is at the limit, but many of them may not reach that level. That’s why pros test many of them, looking for that “hot driver” amongst the group, according to legends like Lee Trevino.
As for Powerbilt, I really don’t understand how the Nitrogen gas helps that trampoline effect, but I’ve heard that somehow it actually does so. Perhaps it helps on mishits somehow? In any case, Powerbilt drivers usually get extremely high marks in the distance category every year when numerous drivers are indepently tested, such as on sites such as this. Not bad for a brand that most folks don’t give a second thought to, and one that many stores don’t even bother to carry because of that.