Equipment

PowerBilt moving the way of… Mixed Martial Arts?

Published

10 years ago

Apr 21, 2014

As the age-old question goes: Are golfers considered athletes? Ok, maybe not age-old. John Daly, Craig Stadler and even Jack Nicklaus put kinks in any argument that the stereotypical definition of athleticism is required to be a successful golfer. However, with athletes like Gary Woodland, Dustin Johnson and Tiger Woods choosing golf instead of another “more athletic” sport, the argument now has some substantiality. The youth of today is seeing younger, more fit players taking the reigns of professional golf.

PowerBilt is taking the argument a step, a few powerful kicks and a choke-hold farther by signing professional MMA fighter Cub Swanson to their team to promote the company’s new Air Force One DFX driver and other new releases. Swanson is an avid golf who grew up in Palm Springs, Calif., and will help PowerBilt in their marketing campaign with an edgier personality.

“We’re in the process of signing other extreme sport athletes,” said Ross Kvinge, president of PowerBilt. “Cub is the first because of his passion for golf and his connection to the local community. Cub gives us the opportunity to enhance the future of golf and the idea of golfers as athletes. In signing Cub, other MMA athletes, and additional extreme sports figures, we are reaching younger demographics to entice them to consider PowerBilt for their golf equipment. We are breaking the mold of who golf companies should endorse.”

Not only does the new campaign influence young athletes to take up the game, but it will help develop their bodies to become more powerful, specifically for the needs of a golf swing.

“PowerBilt will announce a power golf fitness program in 2014 that will showcase Cub and other extreme athletes,” Kvinge said. “The program will feature custom fitting instructions and extreme fitness techniques with the theme of ‘get your game power-built’ from the ground up with PowerBilt Golf.”

Golfers like Rickie Fowler, who engages himself in the motocross and extreme sports world, help to expand the horizons of golf and perception of the sport. PowerBilt is moving in a similar direction.

[youtube id=”38XFxeQachQ” width=”620″ height=”360″]

“We need to get them off the electronic games and out on the course,” Kvinge said. “The youth are following the extreme sports athletes and we feel we can have an impact by reaching out through our athletes and introduce them to golf. PowerBilt will reach out to baseball players, MMA fighters, BMX, Motocross, surfers and snowboarders.”

The newest technology from PowerBilt represents the edgy quality of the company’s marketing direction and philosophy. The Air Force One DFX driver features Nitrogen N7 “Nitrogen Charged” technology, which is a newly patented method that reinforces the club face without adding weight.

The driver also comes equipped with a forged titanium body, titanium cup face technology and what the company calls an “aerodynamic clubhead shape.” It’s available in either a high MOI or Tour Series, with lofts of 8.5 degrees, 9.5 degrees, 10.5 degrees and 12.5 degrees. Both drivers are sold at retail starting at $299.99, with an upcharge for certain shaft models.

Maybe the PGA Tour won’t be stealing its tour pros from the UFC or NBA anytime soon, but the sport of golf is definitely moving in a more athletic direction with the help of PowerBilt, and a generation of younger, in-shape and body-conscious players.

Your Reaction?

LIKE1
LEGIT0
WOW0
LOL0
IDHT0
FLOP0
OB0
SHANK0

Related Topics:drivers Powerbilt

Up Next

Kuchar makes tweaks to his Bettinardi Arm Lock putter

Don't Miss

TaylorMade launches White SLDR Driver, appoints new CEO

Andrew Tursky

He played on the Hawaii Pacific University Men's Golf team and earned a Masters degree in Communications. He also played college golf at Rutgers University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism.

16 Comments

Anthony

Apr 29, 2014 at 10:35 am

Does anybody remember that Calloway tried something like this? Commercial with tattooed guy hitting a ball out of a trailer. Remember the Diablo?….?…..neither do I. Powerbilt is still Powerbuilt….the club that big box stores sell to people that are new to golf or don’t want to/can’t spend the money on name brand clubs. Good marketing try but I am going to stay with name brands a model year or two old or demo’ed and save some money.

Reply Report comment
TheLegend

Apr 26, 2014 at 4:15 pm

This is why power built is being forgotten. What are they thinking? I could bring powerbuilt to new levels. This direction will only hurt the however.

Reply Report comment
Dave S

Apr 23, 2014 at 11:40 am

I don’t get it… seems like they’re trying too hard. There’s not even a crossover at any point in the commmerical b/w the two sports. It’s just a guy doing MMA with a Powerbilt tee on and then pics of a driver interwoven. This could have been more effetive IMO had at the end the MMA guy changed into athletic golf apparel, pulled the driver, gave a mean look down the fair way and then crushed a drive.

Reply Report comment
3 putts

Apr 22, 2014 at 3:18 pm

Pay atention to most low handicap golfers. They often are the more than not a pretty good athlete. Comparing NFL players to pro golfers is apples vs oranges. It’s not even fair to compare a defensive back vs an offensive lineman. I think of Olympic athletes that throw javelin or dicus. It requires good form to optimize efficiency and maintain consistency. Are they athletes? Hard to deny if you see there physiques. Golf is like this. Can you do it and not be athletic? Sure, but don’t forget about that unathletic kid that played right field in little league. He played but prob wasn’t very good.

Reply Report comment
Justin

Apr 22, 2014 at 11:14 am

I can’t see any of my buddies that are fans of MMA dropping 300+ bones on a driver with a bunch of tribal graphics.

Reply Report comment
Elmo

Apr 22, 2014 at 10:46 am

Golf is a sport because physical training is will make you better. Those who are physically fit have an advantage over those who are not. You could play soccer while holding a beer and being 340 lb. You just will be out advantaged by those who are in shape. Therefore the difference between a sport and a game is wether physicality makes any difference.

Reply Report comment
christian

Apr 22, 2014 at 8:35 am

Sport it is, just not an athletic one. Hand eye coordination and balance does not make you an athlete. That would be like calling throwing darts an athletic sport, or archery, fly fishing.

Reply Report comment
Scooter McGavin

Apr 22, 2014 at 8:22 am

Are kids still into extreme sports? I thought the extreme sport fad ended a decade ago…

Reply Report comment
Christian

Apr 22, 2014 at 12:27 am

That driver looks like it wants to take me into an alley n kick the s**t out of me..I’m scart.

Reply Report comment
Miles

Apr 21, 2014 at 10:08 pm

Ok I’m sorry but did you proof this before posting? Additionally Rickie Fowler is into Motocross not BMX…

Reply Report comment
RG

Apr 21, 2014 at 9:27 pm

If you can drink beer and smoke cigarettes while your doing it it’s not a sport it’s a game.
If your waist is 46 and your length is 34, your not an athlete, but you could be a golfer.

Reply Report comment
- MHendon
  
  Apr 21, 2014 at 10:57 pm
  
  That’s just a stupid statement. You can drink beer and smoke while playing any sport and I’m pretty sure there are some guys in the NFL and maybe even the major leagues with a waistline pretty close to that. If your only definition to what makes a sport running then I guess golfs not. But to me great balance, body coordination and hand eye coordination are very athletic traits. Elite golfers display if nothing else great hand eye coordination so its definitely a sport. Just look how unathletic golf makes some of the so called greatest athletes of other sports look. Michael Jordan and Wayne Gretzky almost look spastic and don’t even let me get started on Charles Barkley!
  
  Reply Report comment
  - christian
    
    Apr 22, 2014 at 8:36 am
    
    How do you smoke and drink beer WHILE playing soccer, do a high jump, wrestle etc etc?
    
    Reply Report comment
    - MHendon
      
      Apr 22, 2014 at 5:09 pm
      
      How do you do it while swinging a golf club, you don’t! its in the breaks between shots. Not different then a guy sitting on the bench in any other sport between action. Its just the moments of action in golf are shorter followed by longer moments in between.
      
      Reply Report comment
  - TheLegend
    
    Apr 26, 2014 at 4:16 pm
    
    well said.
    
    Reply Report comment
- Jlam1127
  
  Apr 22, 2014 at 12:24 pm
  
  Well, look up Roy Nelson… he has just about a 46 inch waist and he’s a pretty solid athlete….and also the linemen in the NFL…
  
  Reply Report comment

Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Equipment

A shocking Backstryke putter appearance + 7 interesting gear photos from the Zurich Classic

Published

5 hours ago

Apr 25, 2024

Andrew Tursky

Welcome to New Orleans, where TPC Louisiana plays host to the 2024 Zurich Classic. In between breakfast beignets and nightly Creole feasts, PGA Tour players are also competing in the unique two-man format at the Zurich this week.

Although the vibes in Nawlins are a bit lighter-fare than the recent back-to-back competitions the Masters and the RBC Heritage signature event), the gear news was no less serious this week.

We spotted some recent changes from Rory McIlroy, a very rare Odyssey Backstryke putter, dove into the bag of legendary New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, and spotted Patrick Cantlay continuing to test new equipment.

Get your beads out and crack your crawfish, because it’s time for an equipment rundown from The Big Easy (meaning New Orleans, of course, not Ernie Els).

See all of our photos from the Zurich Classic here

Rory’s on-and-off lob wedge

Since the end of 2023, Rory McIlroy has had an on-again, off-again relationship with a Titleist Vokey K-Grind lob wedge. In his last start, it was on, and the wedge is back in the bag again this week. We got a great look at the complicated grind that McIlroy uses.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by GolfWRX (@golfwrx)

A full look into McIlroy’s bag above also shows that he switched out of the TaylorMade BRNR Mini Copper that he used at the RBC Heritage, and he’s back into the Qi10 core 3-wood. As we discussed last week, McIlroy will likely keep the BRNR around as a course-specific club, trading it in and out for the 3-wood.

See Rory McIlroy’s full 2024 WITB from the Zurich here

Turning Back the clock

Unless Tommy Gainey is in the field, it’s unlikely you’ll ever see Odyssey’s Backstryke technology make an appearance on the PGA Tour.

But then, when you least expect it, Russ Cochran shows up.

For more than a decade – since the 2013 Sony Open in Hawai’i – Cochran has been stuck on 599 PGA Tour starts. This week will be his 600th.

Cochran is in the field at the Zurich this week playing alongside Eric Cole, whose regular caddie is Reed Cochran, Russ’s son.

The Backstryke putter was first released back in 2010, and its unique design helps shift the axis point of the putter closer to the CG of the head. And, the putter is getting a nod this week at the Zurich Classic, thanks to Cochran’s 600th career PGA Tour start.

The putter is certainly awesome, but don’t forget to check out Cochran’s full WITB from this week.

Drew Brees with a Super Bowl winning Scotty Cameron putter

Drew Brees, a legendary retired quarterback for the hometown New Orleans Saints, made an appearance at the Zurich’s Wednesday Pro-Am, playing alongside Zach Johnson, Ryan Palmer, and current Saints QB Derek Carr.

Brees’ bag included a TaylorMade Stealth2 Plus driver, a BRNR Mini 13.5-degree, a Stealth 5-wood, a mixed set of P-790 and P-760 irons, Milled Grind Hi-Toe wedges, and a custom Scotty Cameron “New Orleans Saints” putter, which Scotty made for Brees following his Super Bowl MVP-winning performance in 2010.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by GolfWRX (@golfwrx)

It should also be noted that Brees has his Venmo QR code as a bag tag.

If you’re gambling with Brees on the course, just know that not having cash won’t work as an excuse.

Brilliant.

See Drew Brees’ full WITB from the Zurich here

Stricker’s unrecognizable putter

Steve Stricker has made numerous upgrades to his bag recently, including a new TSR3 driver and T100 irons, but his longtime Odyssey White Hot No. 2 putter is still going strong. It’s the most recognizable unrecognizable putter ever.

Here’s a better look at Stricker’s flatstick, which he started using back in 2007.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by GolfWRX (@golfwrx)

Patrick Cantlay has opened the equipment-switching floodgates

Over on the PGA Tour’s Equipment Report this week, we covered Cantlay’s recent switch into Ping Blueprint S irons, and a Titleist TSR2 driver.

Cantlay hadn’t switched irons for about seven years, so the iron switch he made at The 2024 Masters came as a shock to the norm. He simply isn’t one to change gear very often, so anytime Cantlay makes a switch, it’s news.

It seems the floodgates of equipment testing have opened up a bit for Cantlay, who was also spotted testing a custom Scotty Cameron blade putter on Tuesday this week. By Wednesday, Cantlay was back practicing with his familiar Scotty Cameron T5 Proto mallet, but it’s certainly something to keep an eye on going forward.

Daniel Berger’s custom Jailbird site lines

Berger, who’s currently using Odyssey’s Ai-One Mini Jailbird mallet putter, has a unique 3-dot, 2-line alignment on the crown of his navy-white-navy-white mallet putter. Looking down at the putter, it’s easy to see why this alignment system would help; it just seems impossible to set up to the ball off-center, or misaligned to the target.

Also, for anyone worried, you can rest easy. Yes, he’s still playing the 2013 TaylorMade TP MC irons, which we highlighted in our recent “Modern Classics: Old vs. New” video testing series.

FitzMagic teams back up

Brothers Matthew and Alex Fitzpatrick are teaming up once again at the Zurich this year, and Bettinardi Golf hooked them up with some festive “FitzMagic” headcovers to match this week.

See what else is in Alex Fitzpatrick’s WITB here

And, with that, we say goodbye to the Zurich Classic in New Orleans. Don’t forget to check out all of our photos from this week, including 30 unique photo galleries full of equipment photos.

We’ll see you next week in Texas for the 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson!

Your Reaction?