A golf club filled with nitrogen? Some golfers may still have not gotten the word but in fact one of the oldest names in the club business, Powerbilt Golf, has been making drivers (fairways, hybrids and irons too) with clubheads having nitrogen inside under pressure for over five years.
They asked me to include their newest driver, the Air Force One DFX, in my unique testing schedule done over an extended period and I agreed because the technology is intriguing…and I found out the performance was as well.
Understanding the idea behind the extended testing is simple…I believe it produces the truest evaluations and since I don’t spend a lot of time discussing products with the club maker’s personnel, you won’t find press releases parroted in my reports. In addition, it’s not that I don’t like or trust swing monitors, radar, digital imaging and computers, it’s that I believe golf is a game of feel so the best way to find out what a club does or doesn’t do is to take it to the course—i.e., combat conditions. Sure this type of evaluations take more time than hitting a few balls into a net or spending ten minutes on the range but they sure are a lot more fun.
The first round with the DFX I got two impressions that were reinforced as I used it for more rounds.
First was the feel and sound of the ball impacting the face are great…confidence building so there was no “break-in” period to become “used to” it. Powerbilt says the nitrogen pressure has been slightly reduced from previous models which they also say accounts for the solid feel contacting the ball.
Second, the trajectory was nice and flat with little or no tendency to balloon in the wind. The tested club was a 10.5 degree model with a Fujikura Motore F3 shaft and that was a good combination for my swing. Since, compared with its successor, they have moved the center of gravity lower and closer to the club face the launch angle is lower so you should consider at least one degree additional loft from what you usually use.
The standard shafts include besides the Fujikura Motore F3 are the Aldila NVS, Aldila Rip Beta, Fujikura Fuel and the Graphite Design G Series. Should you want other than standard there are several choices such as the Diamana S Blue Board, which is an additional $100.
This is a good solid driver and at a suggested retail of $300 with a standard shaft, the Air Force One DFX is a strong candidate for a slot in anyone’s bag.
