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.
This week, we have our Tour Photographer, Greg Moore, on the ground at the OccuNet Classic at Tascosa Golf Club in Amarillo, Texas, for the 14th event of the 2026 Korn Ferry Tour season. With that, we see some great things in the Lead Tape Report as we roll into Amarillo.
Joel Thelen
Monday Qualifier, Joel Thelen is in the field this week. He has played on the Korn Ferry Tour for a full season in 2023, and he is back in action this week. A couple of clubs caught my eye this week in his bag.
First off: His trusted Titleist 816 H2 hybrid. This club came out in October of 2015, and it still remains strong in the bag. Also, take a look at this Odyssey White Hot OG 7, putting a capital S in the 7S model. This custom neck has some impressive lean for an arm-lock-style putter. The bottom of the putter is covered in tape for optimal weighting.
Mitchell Meissner
Taking a look at Mitchell Meissner’s bag this week, we have some great lead tape coverage. Top to bottom working from fairway metals, irons, and wedges. We can see on the short irons and wedges that there is tape at the base of the grip, adding a little counterbalance. Along with that, some tape on the short irons and wedges as well. Moving to his putter, he rolls the Odyssey 7 Bird putter. Meissner putts left-handed and strikes the ball right-handed.
Bud Cauley had >14 clubs in his bag when photographed prior to the Memorial Tournament.
Driver: Titleist GTS2 (8 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X
3-wood: Titleist GTS3 (15 degrees, B1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Chemical Tensei 1K Pro Red 70 TX
7-wood: Titleist GTS3 (21 degrees, D1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Chemical Tensei 1K Pro Red 80 TX
Irons: Titleist U505 (3), Titleist 620 MB (4-9)
Shafts: Fujikura Ventus Black HB 8 X, True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM11 (48-10F, 52-12F, 56-14F), WedgeWorks (60-K*)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400
Putters: Scotty Cameron Tour Prototype, Scotty Cameron GOLO 6.3 Prototype
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Align
Ball: Titleist Pro V1
In our forums, one user has offered up a prompt for the true sickos, inviting fellow forum members to share every set of irons they’ve ever owned. As to be expected, this is a lengthy forum topic.
@Lamosteve began:
Can you name every set of irons you’ve owned? Here’s mine
Spalding Dots
Spalding Eclipse
Ram Lazer FX
Lynx Parallax
Mizuno EZ Comp
Ben Hogans
Cleveland CG Red
Taylor Made R9s
PING i20
PING iE1
Taylor Made M6
Our members in the forum have been offering up their own collections. Here are a few posts from the thread, but make sure to check out the entire discussion and have your say at the link below.
- macedan: “Started with a hand-me-down Golden Bear set from my brother when I was in high school, never really played more than once a year or got into the game until about summer of 2017. First purchased a set of Cleveland CG4’s (I actually really miss this set sometimes, soft & not terribly large for a GI iron), moved into Nike Vapor Fly’s by the end of the year. Those lasted until spring of 18 when I decided I wanted new, so I traded them in for TM Rbladez. Honestly, although I liked the Rbladez, poor decision on my part, I think this was really about the only time so far that after a week or two I was kicking myself for not staying with what I had. Rbladez stayed with me until late last summer when I switched to P790’s and (knock on wood) I am hoping this will be my longest lasting set.”
- JimmyC59: “MacGregor Jack Nicklaus Triple Crown. Palmer The Standard. Still play these.”
- jgrzask: “Tommy Armour 845u
Mizuno MP-32
Mizuno MP-33 (2 sets)
Bridgestone J33cb – still own
Srixon i-302 (2 sets) – still own
Tourstage X-Blades – still own
Mizuno Hot Metal – still own
Nike Forged Blades – still own
Titleist 714 AP1 – still own
Cobra Forged SS – still own”
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Best irons 2026: Best irons overall, most forgiving irons, and more
Bud Cauley WITB 2026 (June)
Bud Cauley had >14 clubs in his bag when photographed prior to the Memorial Tournament. Driver: Titleist GTS2 (8 degrees) Shaft: Fujikura...
Hannah Green WITB 2026 (June)
Driver: Titleist GTS3 (10 degrees, D4 SureFit setting) Shaft: Mitsubishi Chemical Diamana RB 53 S 3-wood: Titleist GT3 (15 degrees,...
Asterisk Talley WITB 2026 (June)
Driver: TaylorMade Qi4D (9 degrees) Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Blue 6 S 3-wood: TaylorMade Qi4D (16.5 degrees) Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Blue...
Brianna Do WITB 2026 (June)
Driver: Callaway Quantum Triple Diamond (9 degrees) Shaft: KBS PGW 3-wood: Callaway Elyte Titanium (15 degrees) Shaft: KBS PGW 5-wood:...
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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.