Review of the Powerbilt Air Force One DFX Tour Black Driver

Welcome to my first product review.  Going forward, I plan to test out several different products including clubs, equipment, training aids and apparel.  After testing them out, I'll be providing my readers with honest reviews of each in order to help you come to a decision when making a purchase.  I hope that you find the information useful and insightful and please feel free to post comments about your experiences with the product or any questions you may have.

Today I'm going to be reviewing the Powerbilt Air Force One DFX Tour black driver.  A few weeks ago, I spoke with a rep at Powerbilt and he had me fitted for a driver with 10.5 degrees of loft and a Fujikura Pro 63 stiff flex shaft.

Overview

When most people think of a driver, they immediately look to the well-known brands such as Ping, Taylormade, Callaway, Cobra and Titleist (just to name a few).  It's a competitive market and consumers are ultimately looking for a driver that provides them with the best combination of maximum distance and maximum forgiveness.  Powerbilt is not necessarily a household name in the driver market, but the company is hoping to make a name for itself with the AFO DFX Tour black driver.

This driver is available in lofts of 8.5, 9.5, 10.5 and 12.5 degrees.  The 8.5 and 9.5 degree drivers are only available in right hand models.  Standard length for this driver is 45.5 inches.  You're offered a choice of several stock shafts:  Aldila NVS, Aldila RIP Beta, Fujikura Fuel, Fujikura Pro 63 and Graphite Design G Series.  Custom shafts are also available for an additional charge (Diamana, Fubuki, Fujikura and Oban).

What makes this driver different from the rest is Powerbilt's patented Nitrogen Charging technology.  This method is designed to reinforce the face of the club without adding any weight.  Compressed nitrogen provides tremendous support to the club face so every golfer can benefit from maximum C.O.R., maximum C.T., maximum trampoline effect and maximum smash factor, thus resulting in maximum distance.  After I read about having compressed nitrogen behind the face of the club, I was very eager to test this out for myself to see if it really made a difference.

Aesthetics

This driver is very simple and clean looking with a matte black head and a deep black face.  It has an aerodynamic look to the club head and has a very pleasing look at address.  There's nothing about this club that looks cheap and Powerbilt has done a great job giving it the look of a premium driver.  I don't like to see a lot going on with a club when I'm at address and getting ready to swing.  My focus is on making a good swing and not a flashy club head.

One thing I've noticed with many of the new drivers these days is the unappealing sound that they make when striking the ball.  Since this club is injected with Nitrogen, it definitely has a different sound to it and I like it much better.  It has a 'smack' to it, but one that sounds more solid than many of its competitors.

How the Club Performed

 Well, I must say, I was very impressed with the overall performance of this driver.  Powerbilt definitely has a winner here and I'm not sure if it's due to the Nitrogen Charging technology, but I was hitting the ball longer and more consistently.  On average, I was gaining an extra 16 yards in carry distance, 6 mph in club head speed and 11 mph in ball speed.  My normal ball flight with a driver is a baby fade and that was also the case with this one.  In addition, my misses were less exaggerated and I felt like I had more control over the ball when hitting my fade.  One thing I did find difficult was turning the ball over and hitting a draw.  My current driver is set for a draw and I can usually turn it over when needed, but it wasn't so automatic with the Air Force One driver.

One thing to note about this driver is that it's not adjustable and I'm totally fine with that,  Once I was fitted for my current adjustable driver, I never touched it.  So, as long as you're fitted for the correct AFO driver (loft, shaft, flex), there shouldn't be a need to have it adjusted at all.

Conclusion

Overall, I'd say that this is a great driver and can easily compete with the name brands.  MSRP for the driver I tested is $299 US.  That's much lower than its rivals and I can honestly say that it performs as stated by Powerbilt.  Their patented technology is something for you to consider when making your next purchase for a driver.  For more information on the Air Force One and entire line of Powerbilt products please visit the Powerbilt website.

A Simple Drill to Prevent 3-putts and Lower Your Scores

Do you know how many times you 3-putt during a round of golf?  The average golfer does this as many as three to four times a round, if not more.  A great way to shave some strokes off your scores quickly is to eliminate those dreaded 3-putts.  40% of the shots you take during a round of golf is with your putter.  Many golfers face an average of their first putt being outside of 30 feet.  The big problem is that the average golfer leaves it well short or knocks it five feet past the hole.  That puts a lot of added pressure on you when you're trying to make par and usually results in a 3-putt.  You need to make pars if you want to lower your scores, so the goal to better putting is to knock those 30 footers within two feet of the cup.  If you can do that, your chances to make par (or at worst, bogey) will rise by 80%.

With that being said, here's a great drill to help you gain control of your distance on long putts.  When you're on the practice green, take the flag stick or a golf club and place it two feet behind the hole (as in the picture below).

Walk off a point on the practice green that's about 30 feet away from the hole.  Next, place three balls in a row about six inches apart.  Now, while looking at the hole, take some practice swings and 'feel' the distance you need to swing the putter in order to get the ball past the hole and not touch the stick (or club) behind the hole.  This allows you to get a feeling for the distance.  Address the first ball, look at the hole and the stick behind the hole and strike the ball while looking at the hole.  Don't worry, you'll definitely hit the ball and I bet you won't leave it short.  Hit all three balls like this and see how many you can get in between the hole and the stick without touching the stick.  To make things more interesting, make a little game out of it and associate points with where the ball ends up.  If you leave it short, count it as zero points.  If you go past the hold and hit the stick, that's also zero points.  If you get between the hole and the stick, count that as one point.  If you hole the putt, count that as three points.  When you get to ten points, move ten feet further away from the hole and start over.

Do this drill from 20 - 30 - 40 - 50 feet before your next round and I guarantee that when you get out on the course and face long putts, you'll knock it closer than ever before and you'll be well on your way to shaving some strokes off your score.

Some Simple Tips to Help Improve Your Chipping Around the Green

Are you looking for ways to shave a few strokes off your scores?  Do you have trouble getting the ball up and down when you miss greens in regulation?  When you're standing over a chip, are you thinking "just get the ball on the green so I can putt...it doesn't matter how far I end up from the hole"?  If you answered yes to any of these questions, let's go over some basic fundamentals so that we can get your chipping back on track.  By following these tips, hopefully you'll be able to 'knock it tight' and leave yourself with a 'gimme' from anywhere around the green.

Choke Down on the Grip
This seems like an obvious mechanic, but choking down on the grip actually does a lot more than simply get your body closer to the ball to make a delicate stroke. Choking down also counterbalances the club, meaning added weight above the hands work to make it easier to make less than full shots without flipping the hands over too soon. As for your body, remember as you choke down: Don’t hunch your upper body. Instead, choke down with your hands, and get your body lower by adding more flex in the knees, as opposed to hunching over.

Keep Your Stance Open and Narrow
Many of my students assume the best way to chip is to align their body either at or parallel to the target. I advise against this, since it’s important for the body to rotate (unlike a putt where it doesn’t rotate) just as with a full shot. Also, when it comes to chipping, because the hands have a delayed or lesser release than they do with a full swing, it’s even more important that the body be poised to turn. Think of it this way: If you’re too square, the body will resist rotating, and the hands will take over and get too active. That is, they’ll start to flip! Instead, make a narrow and open stance (don’t just flare out one foot) and let your body turn through the shot.

Weight Forward and Ball Back in Your Stance
Why? Simple. Keeping your weight predominantly on your forward side with the ball back in your stance (toward the target) helps to ensure a steeper downward blow into the ball. This prevents fat and thin shots and helps you make consistent contact with the ball. Also, by keeping your weight leaning toward the target, this helps maintain a consistent impact position, which will help you better control your shots and gauge different distances. As for the ball position, I like to play my shots just off the inside of my back toe. But you may prefer it slightly farther back or slightly farther forward. It’s okay to be flexible, but try to keep it consistent. And stay away from placing the ball too far forward in your stance. If you move it forward, you’d better be ready to hit a flop or lob shot—which is a different lesson for a different day.

Keep Your Head Up
Let’s get this straight: Keeping your head down is never a good idea, especially with your chips. If you stuff your head into your chest, your upper body loses its ability to rotate and, once again, the hands will try to take over. When that happens, the hands get flippy, and even if you manage to make decent contact, you’ll have a hard time trying to control your distance and direction. Instead, keep your head upright and your neck in line with your spine. This will free your upper body to rotate. And, by the way, keeping your head up doesn’t mean taking your eyes off the ball. 

Always Be Sure to Choose the Right Club
When chipping, I like to mix up my club options, depending on the amount of height and roll I want. This allows me to maintain the same chipping stance and ball position, and lets the club do the work for changing the way the ball flies and rolls. More often than not, try to carry the ball just onto the green and then let it roll out to the hole.  This will allow you to have better control over your distance.  I like to use an 8-iron when I'm just off the green so I can carry the ball over the light rough and fringe and have it roll to the hole.  My pitching wedge does the same, except that I use it in deeper grass.  When I need to carry the ball in the air a further distance to get it onto the green, I suggest using a 56-degree sand wedge (rather than a lob wedge).  Reason being, a lob wedge is for lob shots, not chip shots. A 56-degree sand wedge gives me the optimal height/spin combination, and, because of the bounce, making solid contact is a lot easier than with a low-bounce lob wedge.

Make a Single-Lever Swing
Steve Stricker does it best. Next time he’s on TV, check out his single-lever chipping style. What that means is he hinges his wrist at the setup, then maintains that hinge all the way through the chip. The body rotates the clubhead through, and because of this, Stricker is able to consistently reproduce a stacked impact position. What’s that mean? It means Stricker, like many good players, can better gauge different distances by adjusting his swing length. So, longer chips require a longer swing; shorter chips need a shorter swing. He doesn’t have to make big changes to his ball position, how he releases the hands, etc. Instead, by using a single-lever method and rotating the body through the shot, Steve Stricker is able to get up and down a whopping 75 percent of the time.  Copy this method and you’ll become a better chipper in no time. 

Of course, as with all other aspects of the game, it takes time and practice in order to make improvements and have them feel natural.  The more you can practice and work on these fundamentals, the more improvement you'll see in your game and the lower your scores will be.  So, next time you're at the driving range or at your local golf course, head over to the chipping green and work on these fundamentals.  Be sure to post your comments and let me know if these tips helped you improve your chipping.

Tips on How to Read Greens Effectively

The goal of every golfer is to shoot the lowest score.  One of the best ways to lower your scores is to become a better putter.  Did you know that putting constitutes approximately 40-45% of your score on average?  Yet, I bet that most golfers probably don't spend 40-45% of their time practicing putting as they'd rather be out smacking balls on the driving range.  The following are some tips on how to read greens effectively so that you can become a better putter while managing your practice time so that you practice with purpose.

The ability to read the correct line and speed of a putt is an important skill to develop.  To help develop such a skill, consider the following points:

Speed
Controlling the speed of your putt is vitally important.  The quicker the ball is rolling, the less the ball will break.  The optimum pace to hit a putt is one that would take the ball 15 inches to 17 inches past the hole. This speed ensures that the ball holds its line.

True Downslope Direction (TDSD)
The momentum of the stroke makes the ball roll along a straight line initially.  However, as the ball gets closer to the hole the ball begins to lose its speed.  As it loses its speed the ball will start to look for and go down the true downslope of the green as gravity starts to take over.

Target Point
Every putt is therefore effectively a straight putt, it all depends on how hard you hit it as to whether it takes any break.  With your pace of putt in mind, pick the break you envisage the putt will take.  Then pick your target out as a straight line and hit the ball at the right speed so that it takes the break.  When you approach the green it is important, therefore, to look at the contours and assess the slopes and lie of the land.  Firstly, assess whether the putt is uphill, downhill or across any slope.

Downhill Putts
With less momentum from the strike on a downhill putt, gravity will act upon the ball sooner on its run towards the hole and force the ball down the direction of the true downslope.  On downhill putts, therefore, we need to allow for more break.
Remember: less speed equals more break.

Uphill Putts
Uphill putts are much easier than downhill putts because they have less break due to the momentum of the strike required to hit the ball up the hill.
Remember: more speed equals less break.
The ball will take any break when it starts to "die" (loses speed) as this is when gravity starts to takes over and the ball will follow the true downslope.

Side Slope Putts
It is important to note that putts hit across any side slope are uphill on the first part of the putt and then downhill on the second part of the putt.  Once you have assessed whether the putt is uphill or downhill (to help you determine the pace of the putt and initial starting line) then focus on the area around the hole where the ball will die and gain an understanding of the direction of the true downslope, as this is where the slope will have the greatest influence on your putt.  By building up a picture of the contours you will build up a picture of the line and pace you will need to hit the ball on for it to go in the hole.

Practice reading putts in the same way you practice your mechanics.  This will help you learn to assess the effects different slopes and speeds have on your putts.  Building up such experience will help you make more decisive and accurate reads out on the course.  You'll inevitably build up your confidence on the putting green, eliminate those nasty 3-putts and lower your scores.

Quick Tips on How to Become a Better Ball-Striker With Your Long Irons

Do you have trouble making solid contact on a consistent basis with your long irons (ie. 3, 4, 5 irons)?  It's a very common problem amongst amateur golfers, although the advent of hybrid irons has definitely made things a bit easier for the average golfer.  Understanding how to strike the ball effectively by using your body properly will go a long way to building your confidence when standing over those long approach shots from the fairway.

What makes an exceptional ball-striker is the ability to differentiate between the upper and lower body at impact.  Being able to shift your weight into your lead foot allows you to stay behind the ball and utilize the true loft on the clubface, so the ball launches higher and lands softer.  The most common mistake that amateurs make with their longer clubs is that when they shift their weight left on the downswing (for right-handed golfers), their upper body goes with it. There’s no differentiation between the upper and lower body, and they typically come over-the-top of the ball and hit it to the right, or mishit it off the toe, which shoots it low and to the left.  On the flip side, if they try to stay behind the ball with their upper body, their weight stays on their back foot and they hit behind it. With no differentiation, they may still hit their short irons okay (because of the loft), but they’ll launch their longer irons, hybrids, and fairway woods too low. Here are two drills to help you create this differentiation and improve your ball striking.

DRILL 1: 
PRE-SET IMPACT
Take your setup with a 5-iron and, from there, assume a good impact position. Move your weight into your lead foot and open your hips, but keep your spine tilted to the right, behind the ball, as it was at address. You should feel a good stretch between your upper and lower body, and your shoulders should be closed relative to your hips. Hold this position for a second or two, and then return to your address position and swing, trying to recreate the differentiation you felt between your upper and lower body at impact.

DRILL 2: 
USE THE GROUND
Place a towel or sponge (something that offers a little resistance) under your lead foot and, as you swing down, feel as if you’re applying pressure from the left foot into the ground, through that towel. This drill will teach you to shift your weight forward so that the clubhead doesn’t bottom out too soon and you hit the ball solidly, with the club’s full loft.

Practice this move at the driving range and keep repeating until it becomes natural.  You'll soon notice that your ball striking will improve not only with your long irons, but with all the clubs in your bag.

Stay warm and keep practicing with purpose through the winter so you're ready to shoot low scores as soon as the golf season arrives!