Equipment

Q&A: Air Force One launches new irons, sheds Powerbilt branding

Published

8 years ago

Apr 11, 2016

Succeeding in the golf equipment industry takes good science. There’s the science of engineering top-performing clubs, but companies also need to be scientific in delivering the right message to consumers.

Ross Kvinge, formerly President and CEO of Powerbilt Golf, says his company was doing the hard work of making great golf clubs, but were overlooked by consumers – at least partly due to Powerbilt’s divided brand image. While Powerbilt made high-end golf equipment through its Air Force One line, it also made budget-friendly equipment for recreational golfers.

Could Air Force One products enjoy more success without the Powerbilt name?

Ross Kvinge, President of Air Force One Golf

Kvinge is about to find out. His new company, Air Force One Golf, will keep the nitrogen-charged technology that its clubs were known for, but leave the Powerbilt name behind. Enjoy our Q&A with Kvinge, now president of Air Force One, about the new brand, as well Air Force One’s AFX Pro Series new irons and yet-to-be-announced fairway woods.

WRX: Was it a tough decision to leave behind a company name that has been such a big part of your life since 1998?

RK: No doubt. There is a lot of heritage in the PowerBilt brand and we felt we would be able to leverage that with the introduction of the nitrogen charged patented technology. However, we found we were investing in re-establishing the PowerBilt brand in the premium market. We found that to be a bit more difficult than a clean launch of our patented technology under the Air Force One brand. As an industry veteran I grew up with the PowerBilt brand and remember the good days when PowerBilt was a leader in the persimmon wood market and forged irons. Unfortunately younger generations don’t know about those days and see the value in the brand.

WRX: Tell us about the new AFX Pro Series irons. What’s the target audience?

RK: The AFX Pro Series has evolved over the years mainly from input from our customers. We first introduced the Game Improvement iron with every club in the set pressurized with nitrogen. We found in the short irons, control was more of an issue than the added distance from the nitrogen so we went to a cavity back. We then saw better players interested in just the long irons with nitrogen due to the feel and distance the clubs delivered. We saw a market there, but knew we needed a club head shape that would appeal to the better player. Through that we developed the AFX Pro Series iron with a thinner top line and sole along with reduced offset.

WRX: We reviewed the Air Force One DFX MOI and Air Force One DFX Tour drivers when they were Powerbilt products, and found their performance to rival or even surpass top-selling drivers. Will anything change about them?

RK: We are working on new drivers for the future, however, to help with a smooth transition we utilized the same tooling. As you stated, the DFX MOI and DFX Tour have tested quite well against the competition. We have a huge potential to increase our distribution and reach a lot of people now that haven’t had a chance to experience the Nitrogen Charged Technology. We felt the current model would position well for the new launch.

WRX: You told us there’s a new fairway wood in the works. When will it be released, and what makes it different?

RK: Yes we do have a new fairway wood that we will introduce in late April. On our previous fairway woods we lost some of the benefits of the nitrogen technology due to the shallow face on the woods.

The key for the nitrogen is to get the trampoline effect and allow the nitrogen pressure to rebound the face and increase ball speed. Since it is more difficult to create the same effect on a fairway wood we went to our Air Foil dual slot technology. This has somewhat of an accordion effect on the sole and the crown that allows the whole face to move and allows for the spring back effect of the Nitrogen pressure. This will enable us to compete in distance and accuracy that we have seen in some of the most recent competitor fairway woods.

WRX: Thank you for your time, Ross.

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16 Comments

Shank-Master

Apr 19, 2016 at 7:17 pm

Change the brand to Titleist and all those who voted shank would be drooling and performing self gratifying acts on themselves in a circular formation at the thought of being able to buy these at 4 times the cost these clubs sell for.

Reply Report comment
Jbeagle

Apr 12, 2016 at 3:41 pm

If you reshaft does the nitrogen leak out? or is it trapped in the head?

Reply Report comment
- Tj
  
  Aug 9, 2021 at 10:39 pm
  
  Idk.. Does nitrogen leak when u change your tire??
  
  Reply Report comment
Frank Gatazka

Apr 12, 2016 at 11:36 am

The end of an era! First there was Hagen, then MacGregor, now PowerBilt. The brand did not quite make 100 years. I have played PowerBilt equipment since I learned the game in high school, 42 years ago. I fondly remember their persimmon Citation woods and forged Citation irons, both in stainless and high nickel chrome plated carbon steel. They were played by some of the best including Bobby Nichols, Miller Barber, Frank Beard (I have one of his PB drivers in my collection), Gay Brewer, Charlie Coody, Bill Kratzert and Fuzzy Zoeller. The persimmon woods were simply the best crafted commercial woods that could be had at the time. I was lucky to have a custom set made in 1990 at the very end of the persimmon era and visited the then famous “Slugger Park” factory in Jeffersonville Indiana to watch them be completed. The TPS cavity back irons in their original configuration were some of the most forgiving cast clubs available. Recently, I’ve played the Air Force One irons and Air Foil 2 woods and found the irons and driver very easy to hit, and long. The only problem is that I managed to crack three of them (not due to my swing speed for sure, as it is 85-87 MPH), due to a design defect where the sweet spot has milled grooves in the already thin face, thus precipitating a fatigue crack problem (I suppose if I didn’t hit the sweet spot as frequently there would not be a problem?). PowerBilt was always there with great customer service, and I have had the cracked clubs replaced. I believe the newer models have a slightly thicker face to avoid this cracking problem. To me it is sad indeed to see the name go the way of low-cost starter sets and junior clubs (now licensed to Hireko Golf) when PowerBilt used to stand for quality, and was for many years the “pride of the pro shop”. Alas, time marches on! I wish the new Air Force One brand good luck, as the product is for real and not just a gimmick!

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- James
  
  Apr 26, 2016 at 5:27 pm
  
  The Powerbilt brand is not dead, it was just purchased by another company.
  
  Reply Report comment
- James
  
  Apr 26, 2016 at 5:29 pm
  
  Oops, didn’t read your entire post before commenting. Sorry!
  
  Reply Report comment
George

Apr 12, 2016 at 8:44 am

Is there a problem with the nitrogen leaking with time since there is material fatigue from use?

Reply Report comment
Chuck D

Apr 12, 2016 at 12:46 am

Nitrous oxide has to be the next frontier for golf distance, right? Hitting it 400 has to be the next

big thing for amateurs! Oh wait…………..

Reply Report comment
Brian

Apr 11, 2016 at 1:58 pm

I game an AFO DFX and it’s really a fantastic club. The sound is a little tricky to get used to initially, but the numbers and performance are there. The only thing I wish AFO would do with the next iteration is add adjustability. My shaft selection has brought ball flight down, but I’d love to be able to control it that much more. Good luck, AFO!

Reply Report comment
Regis

Apr 11, 2016 at 1:39 pm

I flirted with the idea of buying the Air Force One driver several times because it received very good reviews from a number of sites. I always failed to pull the trigger because it was never available for demo anywhere near me and I live in a densely populated area with a very big golf presence. In today’s market I just don’t see any manufacturer making substantial gains without in hand availability and that, to some extent goes for Bridgestone (clubs), Srixon , Wilson and a lot of other traditional names. What I see in a private cub environment is that one guy shows up with a new driver (set of irons, putter) he’s loving it and all of a sudden its the local rage. Changing the name is not going to be significant.

Reply Report comment
Ron

Apr 11, 2016 at 12:24 pm

The first set of iron I had were Power Bilt Citation Levelumes. Should have kept the Power Bilt name!

Reply Report comment
Meaks

Apr 11, 2016 at 11:32 am

Clearly this was an in-house branding effort. No legitimate marketing vendor would have advised them to use this name for a brand name and I wish them luck trying to compete against Nike in SEO on Air Force One.

Reply Report comment
- Eric
  
  Apr 12, 2016 at 8:36 pm
  
  Kind of a harsh comment but I totally. The name just reeks of gimmick low end gear. Shame they didn’t at least split the brand the other way, restore the strength of the venerable Powerbilt brand and rename the low end.
  
  Reply Report comment
TCJ

Apr 11, 2016 at 8:30 am

Nitrogen?! Now all they need are some ball bearings…

Reply Report comment
- Tom
  
  Apr 11, 2016 at 9:04 am
  
  or carbon fiber.
  
  Reply Report comment
- Blmarling
  
  Apr 11, 2016 at 2:15 pm
  
  For more power, more oomph…LOL
  
  Reply Report comment

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Equipment

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

Published

4 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.

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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.

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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.

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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!

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