PowerBilt Supports MMA Star Cub Swanson On Upcoming Bout

by Newswire Association LLC

PALM DESERT, Calif., June 25, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- PowerBilt wishes company staffer and Mixed Martial Arts athlete, Cub Swanson, the best of luck on his upcoming main event, 5-round, MMA bout at the AT&T Center in San Antonio. The fight, part of the UFC Fight Night 44 that takes place June 28, will air on Fox Sports 1.
 

Cub Swanson in the Gym and on the Links with PowerBilt Golf

Swanson has been training extremely hard for the bout.  And when he's not training, he's on the golf course playing his PowerBilt clubs.  In fact, here's a new video of Swanson playing golf at The Palms in La Quinta, Calif. a Fred Couples/Brian Curley design near his hometown of Indio.
 

Cub Swanson at The Palms Golf Course with PowerBilt Golf

"PowerBilt is very proud to sponsor Cub, and we wish him only the best at San Antonio," says Ross Kvinge, President of PowerBilt.  "I will personally be ringside at the fight to support him.  Cub has been a great ambassador to PowerBilt, in helping us reach out to America's youth through extreme sports such as UFC, encouraging youngsters to play golf."
 

About PowerBilt Golf
Since 1916 PowerBilt Golf has designed golf clubs the world's best have used to win such tournaments as The Masters, the U.S. open, and the PGA Championship. Today, PowerBilt is pushing the limits on technology with REAL innovation. USGA Conforming, Air Force One woods feature Nitrogen Charged Club Heads, faces as thin as 2.6mm, the largest sweet spot in golf, and maximum COR regardless of swing speed. And all Air Force One woods feature customized speed-rated shafts from Fujikura. New Nitrogen Charged Air Force irons also feature the hottest and thinnest face in golf. PowerBilt also remains the No. 1 choice for junior golfers; and the PowerBilt Air Force One irons were named to the 2011 and 2013 Golf Digest Hot List. Plus One Sports, Inc., is the U.S. licensee of the PowerBilt brand. PowerBilt is a division of the Hillerich & Bradsby Co., a family owned-company which has been making golf clubs since 1916. Based in Louisville, Ky., Hillerich & Bradsby is also the maker of the world-famous Louisville Slugger bats and Bionic gloves.
    

SOURCE PowerBilt Golf

DEEP FACE EXTREME

by golfingnews.ca

It was fun trying out the Powerbilt Air Force One N7 Driver. In a recent game with a 19 year old US college golfer the N7 went around 10 yards further than his current 2014Titleist 913 D3 Driver in back to back drives! Pretty impressive!

DFX stands for Deep Face Extreme. Once the golfer stands over this driver they will see the difference. The clubface is now 5 mm deeper than the previous version, which catches the ball at impact slightly longer and combines with the nitrogen inside the clubhead to create reduced spin and more distance.

In mygolfspy.com, Most Wanted Driver of 2014 article it rated the Air Force One DFX fifth among all new-for-2014 drivers. The article is located online at http://www.mygolfspy.com/2014-most-wanted-driver-overall-awards/ -- claims the Air Force One DFX did well in all of its test categories. Total driving distance was 222.59 yards; total gained vs. control was +1.72 yards; spin was 2991.89 rpm; launch angle was 10.9 degrees, and ball speed was 138.31 mph.

PowerBilt has signed MMA athlete Cub Swanson to promote the DFX driver and all of its latest golf equipment. An avid golfer who grew up mostly in the Palm Springs area, the MMA pro Swanson is part of a new marketing campaign to position PowerBilt with an edgier personality.

The Air Force One DFX features Nitrogen N7 "Nitrogen Charged" technology, a newly patented method to reinforce the clubface without adding any weight. The forged titanium body comes with titanium cup face technology, as well as aerodynamic clubhead shaping. It's available in both the high MOI and Tour Series, in lofts of 8.5°, 9.5°, 10.5° and 12.5°. Standard shaft length is 45 ½". The club is offered in several leading shaft models from the top OEM shaft brands, so that golfers will achieve the optimum launch angle and spin rate for their unique swing. MSRP starts at $299.99, and there is an upcharge for some shaft models.

About PowerBilt Golf
Since 1916 PowerBilt Golf has designed golf clubs the world's best have used to win such tournaments as The Masters, the U.S. open, and the PGA Championship. today, PowerBilt is pushing the limits on technology with REAL innovation. USGA Conforming, Air Force One woods feature Nitrogen Charged Club Heads, faces as thin as 2.6mm, the largest sweet spot in golf, and maximum COR regardless of swing speed. And all Air Force One woods feature customized speed-rated shafts from Fujikura. New Nitrogen Charged Air Force irons also feature the hottest and thinnest face in golf. PowerBilt also remains the No. 1 choice for junior golfers; and the PowerBilt Air Force One irons were named to the 2011 and 2013 Golf Digest Hot List. Plus One Sports, Inc., is the U.S. licensee of the PowerBilt brand. PowerBilt is a division of the Hillerich & Bradsby Co., a family owned-company which has been making golf clubs since 1916. Based in Louisville, Ky., Hillerich & Bradsby is also the maker of the world-famous Louisville Slugger bats and Bionic gloves.

PowerBilt Air Force One DFX driver: Nitrogen charged and powerful

By Kiel Christianson, Senior Writer

PowerBilt's Air Force One DFX driver is injected with nitrogen to reinforce the clubface.

The titanium revolution hit golf in the early 1990s, as club manufacturers realized they could make ultra-thin driver faces with the lightweight, super-strong metal. The thinner the face, the greater the spring-like effect and the faster the ball jumped off the face.

Then the ruling bodies got involved and limited the so-called trampoline effect, putting the reins on the springiness. Also, if you make the driver face too thin, it tends to cave in or crack. So titanium driver faces have to be reinforced with something, and that something adds weight.

PowerBilt, however, figured out a way around this problem with its Air Force One DFX driver. PowerBilt injected the driver with nitrogen to reinforce the face. Why nitrogen? It's an inert gas, which doesn't contract or expand with temperature changes. So the clubhead is lighter than most, and the pressure (and consequently the spring-like effect) in the clubhead is always constant.

How the PowerBilt Air Force One DFX driver plays The DFX in the name of this newest Air Force One stands for Deep Face Extreme. The face is 5mm deeper (higher) than the previous version, and the club inspires confidence at address.

During testing, I found a noticeable difference in feel and sound between balls struck in the sweet spot compared to ones struck a bit low on the face or out toward the toe or heel.

As for power, the Air Force One DFX has plenty.

On the 510-yard third hole of my home course, I decided to pull driver (which I haven't done there in years) to try to take advantage of a good tailwind. Next thing I knew, I felt and heard the ball contact the sweet spot, and watched the ball rocket down the fairway and over the hill. For my second shot, I had 190 yards left to the green.

PowerBilt's Air Force One DFX driver: The verdict PowerBilt's Air Force One DFX driver ($250-$300) represents serious competition to better-known companies' 2014 drivers. The stock Fujikura Motore F3 shaft is excellent, and the matte black crow and scalloped heel and toe portions of the sole all just look pretty tough.

Off-center hits have a distinct "clinky" sound, but distance did not appear to be compromised too much. And when you do catch a drive in the sweet spot, the ball leaves the face like a tracer bullet.

For more information, visit powerbilt.com.

Product Review: Powerbilt Air Force One

By Wayne Mills

Ever since the late, great Gary Adams successfully marketed the first mass produced “metalwoood” the Taylormade Pittsburgh Persimmon, in the early 1980’s there has been an arms race in driver technology.

Although the Pittsburgh Persimmon was cast steel, it was the introduction of titanium heads that really sent driver distances off the charts. Titanium is a space age metal developed by the Russians for space craft that has the strength of steel at less than half the weight.

Titanium allowed driver heads to increase in volume and to thin out the driver faces. The introduction of the Callaway Big Bertha and the Great Big Bertha and the trampoline effect of driver face recoil caused the ruling bodies of golf, the United States Golf Association and the Royal and Ancient Golf Club to institute limits in head size and trampoline effect, a/k/a coefficient of restitution.

Many traditionalists felt the horse had gotten well away from the barn before the rulers acted on setting 460 cubic centimeter size and .820 coefficient of restitution limits but that hasn’t stopped engineers at OEM’s from trying to come up with new and better technologies.

Powerbilt, an old name in sporting goods since 1916 and specifically golf equipment who used to produce high quality persimmon wood drivers has rentered the golf market with Air Force One DFX nitrogen charged driver line.

DFX stands for Deep Face Extreme. The clubface is now 5 mm deeper than the previous version, which catches the ball at impact slightly longer and combines with the nitrogen inside the clubhead to create reduced spin and more distance.

“We reduced the nitrogen pressure to 80 pounds, for better impact feel,” says 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. And by adding 6 grams low and forward in the clubhead, we moved the CG lower and more forward than in any other Air Force One driver. We did this to appease our clubfitters who requested a better smash factor. I can confidently say that this is the most solid driver we have ever produced.”

PowerBilt’s patented Nitrogen N7 “Nitrogen Charged” technology makes its debut in the Air Force One DFX driver, as well; it’s a newly patented method to reinforce the clubface without adding any weight. That means every golfer can benefit from maximum C.O.R., maximum C.T., maximum trampoline effect, and maximum smash factor for increased distance.

The Air Force One DFX features a forged titanium body with titanium cup face technology, as well as aerodynamic clubhead shaping. It’s available in both the high MOI and Tour Series, in lofts of 8.5°, 9.5°, 10.5° and 12.5°. Standard shaft length is 45 ½”. The club is offered in several leading shaft models from the top OEM shaft brands, so that golfers will achieve the optimum launch angle and spin rate for their unique swing. MSRP starts at $299.99, and there is an upcharge for ultra premium shaft options.

We tried the Air Force One DFX and found it to be quite legit. First off the looks and graphics are distinctive and attractive. The clubhead looks very compact at address especially since it is a max size 460 head. The AF One looks like a golf club and not a turtle at the end of a stick like a lot of 460 cc drivers. The clubhead looks strong but manageable creating confidence to really go after the drive.

The feel was very solid even on off-sweet-spot hits and really something else when hit on the button. That feeling is like when swinging a hammer and catching the nail perfectly. The ball carried impressively with limited side spin. Distance was quite favorable.

Any golf driver aficionado knows that all the OEM heads are good or great or whatever but the difference in performance for the individual golfer is in the driver shaft. The fact that the buyer of the Air Force One drivers can get shafts from the best names in shaft technology should erase any doubt on how serious Powerbilt is about selling a quality product. With shafts from Fujicura, Oban, Mitsubishi and Graphite Design and all the variations in stiffness, kick point and length the golfer can dial in the perfect stick to increase their distance.

For more information, visit www.powerbilt.com.

Wayne Mills is a member of the Golf Writers Association of America and Course Rater for a national magazine.

Powerbilt DFX Driver Review

by Adam Staelin

PING, TaylorMade, Titleist, Cleveland, Nike, we all have a perception of those brands that are based on the combination of experience and marketing. However, none of those names in itself has any connotation of the product’s performance. In other words, Nike is not an adjective or verb so it is only through years of commercials that we attach it to real feelings.

On the other hand, some companies choose names that are intended to incite an emotion. Hence the name Powerbilt - obviously it is supposed to infer an association with a driver that delivers what we all want – power. Ironically, it was the name Powerbilt that was at the root of my initial concern.

You see, it’s a bit of a catch 22. Without a flashy name, I likely would have never remembered Powerbilt, but the name itself was a red flag for a driver hiding behind a smoke screen of clever naming. Add the fact that Powerbilt’s most noted ambassador is not a golfer but rather an MMA fighter and you can imagine why I feared the worst.

Despite all of my initial concerns, reviewing products from new companies is always fun because I have no idea what to expect, so there is the chance I will be pleasantly surprised. Sure I had read about Powerbilt, but I had never seen one in person, let alone hit it. Therefore, I decided my first trial would be 100% straight to the course.

On that particular late afternoon, I walked right past the driving range and headed straight to the tee box (apparently everyone else is working at 1pm on a Wednesday). To be clear, there was literally no one else in sight so I even surprised myself when I exclaimed out loud “oh on my gawd” just after contact. No, not because I could tell I ripped it 325 (why is that the magic number reviewers like to use?) but rather due to the unexpected sound.

Softball bat is what I would liken the sound to, or maybe the old Nike Sasquatch, but definitely a loud “ting”. As I walked down the fairway, however, there was my ball in much the same place it always is (give or take a few yards).

Over the course of that first round I continued to hit drives to my typical landing spots with roughly the same accuracy and distance as I am accustomed to. Thankfully, the sound also became more of an afterthought rather than a jolt to my system.

What I did notice though was my ball flight was lower than most other drivers I hit. This is in part due to the fact the driver has a 9.5 degree loft. Still, the ball definitely stayed lower than I am accustomed to, with the trade-off being that it also rolled out more than usual. NOTE: the Powerbilt DFX driver is not adjustable, which is actually 100% fine by me, but you do need to make sure you get the right loft.

In addition to the supercharged name, Powerbilt also is literally super charged with nitrogen. Now I am no chemistry major but I am pretty sure that this is also what is in my son’s paintball gun. Clearly, the nitrogen in the driver is not exactly the same as what is used to power projectile war paint, but you get the idea. So in the age of endless widgets to make the ball go farther, I am not in a position to say whether this chemistry experiment works, but I can tell you that over the course of 8 or 9 rounds I hit a bunch of drives farther than normal and with roughly the same forgiveness.

Truth is, one of the reasons I was intrigued by the Powerbilt driver was because I had read the results from My Golf Spy’s driver tests and the Powerbilt was near the top for guys with sub 100mph swing speeds (hey, that’s me). Unlike MGS, we are not exactly scientific in our approach to reviews. On the other hand, we play in real conditions on courses that we are extremely familiar with so understanding distance and accuracy is something I am comfortable speaking to, and there is no doubt in my mind that the Powerbilt stacks up with the big brands, AND, considering the fact that it retails for significantly less makes it an actractive alternative.

As with the name, the Powerbilt looks are unique. While top view is pretty plain Jane (sporting a matte black finish and midsized head), the bottom incorporates orange stripes to give it a high-tech look. The reality is, however, the bottom of the club should be a non-issue as you never see it. On the other hand, how it sets up and how it looks at address are important. For me, I like the clean topline with a simple alignment mark. The face is also deeper than many drivers which helps with confidence to make square contact.

The Powerbilt DFX driver also comes with a number of options for aftermarket shafts. In my case it was the Fujikura Motore F3. While I am a not a shaft geek, I do believe that adding aftermarket shafts from companies that specialize in just that is always an advantage.

So if you are the kind of guy who likes to buy new drivers, but you’re not thrilled about dropping $400, the Powerbilt is a great option. The Tour model runs $299 and the MOI version just $249 so you can save a chunk of change. You can see the whole line on the Powerbilt website.

PowerBilt trying to get back in the game

by gary D'Amato (jsonline.com),

PowerBilt Golf has a nearly 100-year history and a tradition of exceptional persimmon drivers and forged irons once used by many of the best players in the world.

In more recent years, however, the company lost its way, lagged behind in game-improvement technology — the mortal sin in the golf equipment business — and became an afterthought.

Once instantly recognizable by its orange and black staff bags on the professional tours, PowerBilt these days is fighting for a toehold in an equipment landscape dominated by a few giants.

Peek into the golf bags of the top 300 players in the Official World Golf Ranking or the members of almost any college team and you'd be hard-pressed to find more than a handful of PowerBilt clubs.

"I think the biggest problem we've had, I walk through an airport in a PowerBilt shirt and everyone under 45 thinks I work for a tool company," said Ross Kvinge, president of the company. "Our biggest initiative is to get the brand out there again, get our market share up, get our distribution channels up."

Kvinge and partner Dennis Wente acquired the PowerBilt name in 2006 and have injected life into the company with some out-of-the-box thinking and a bold approach to attract young consumers.

PowerBilt recently signed mixed martial arts athlete Cub Swanson to promote its new Air Force One DFX driver. Kvinge said he wants to sign more extreme sports figures and that the company is in the process of developing an extreme fitness program and is heavily invested in junior golf programs.

"Cub Swanson isn't well known in traditional golf circles but I was shocked at how many people on Facebook have jumped over to follow us from him," Kvinge said.

It's probably not the best way to attract the older, money-spending demographic. But those golfers aren't going to give up their TaylorMade or Ping drivers no matter what PowerBilt does and they are aging and leaving the game, anyway.

"Everybody follows the norm," Kvinge said. "That is the problem with the industry. We're not attracting younger players and our number of players keeps declining. We're looking at reaching new golfers.

"We do a lot of junior programs and I talk to a lot of the child psychologists and they say, 'You are spot on.' Kids want everything fast action, they are into extreme sports. We think we're on the forefront of it."

Kvinge wants to put PowerBilt clubs in the hands of young players because "what we have found is by the time a kid is finishing up high school he's already made his branding decision and his father usually follows him."

No marketing program will work without a good product and PowerBilt appears to have one in the Air Force One DFX driver. It has gotten favorable reviews from equipment bloggers and golf magazines.

The Air Force One features patented "nitrogen charged" technology, in which compressed nitrogen reinforces the titanium clubface without adding weight. The nitrogen charging allows for a thinner face, which translates to greater ball speed — the speed of the ball leaving the face — and more distance.

Kvinge said independent testing proved the Air Force One produced a ball speed that was 5 mph faster than that of its closest competitors.

"It took a long time to get the shape, design, depth of face, roll of crown and to adapt to the sound and pressure," he said. "There is a point of diminishing return, too. It took us awhile to get the optimum pressures.

"In simple terms we're able to produce a bigger sweet spot. There's mechanical bracing inside the head (in other clubs) and it creates hot and dead spots. So your sweet spot varies. With ours we have a consistent thickness from toe to heel and crown to sole. You're getting that same consistent feel."

The company also uses the nitrogen charging technology in its Air Force One N7 Players Series and AFO Game Improvement irons.

PowerBilt Golf, a division of the Hillerich & Bradsby Co., originated in 1916. Olin Dutra used PowerBilt clubs to win the 1934 U.S. Open and from the 1960s through the '80s the company's Citation persimmon driver was popular on the major professional tours.

But those days are long gone. Few golfers under the age of 35 have ever hit a wood driver. It's all about technology, and after languishing for decades PowerBilt finally appears to have gotten ahead of the curve.

The next challenge is getting the word out with a small marketing budget and with no paid staff members on the PGA Tour.

"Our biggest problem is to get heard again," Kvinge said. "I can't rely on converting that core golfer who already has made his brand choice. I'd rather recruit new people. That's the direction we're looking at."

Powerbilt Inks MMA Star, Adds Punch To Golf Line

PowerBilt looks to entice young extreme athletes to consider golf

 

 

PALM DESERT, CA - PowerBilt has signed MMA athlete Cub Swanson, to promote its brand-new Air Force One DFX driver and all of its latest golf equiment. An
avid golfer who grew up mostly in

the Palm Springs area, the mixed martial arts pro Swanson is part of a new marketing campaign to position PowerBilt with an edgier personality.

"We're in the process of signing other extreme sport athletes," says 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," added Kvinge. PowerBilt will announce a power golf fitness program in 2014 that will showcase Cub and other extreme athletes. 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.

Professional golfers have become more athletic and golf is back as an Olympic sport starting in 2016. PowerBilt hopes to attract youth into golf that might otherwise not consider it by showing them how many extreme athletes play golf as well as their core sport. "We need to get them off the electronic games and out on the course. 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," adds Kvinge. "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 latest PowerBilt clubs have an edge to them, too. For instance, the Air Force One DFX driver features Nitrogen N7 "Nitrogen Charged" technology, a newly patented method to reinforce the clubface without adding any weight. The forged titanium body comes with titanium cup face technology, as well as aerodynamic clubhead shaping. It's available in both the high MOI and Tour Series, in lofts of 8.5°, 9.5°, 10.5° and 12.5°. Standard shaft length is 45 ½". The club is offered in a choice of several leading shaft models from the top OEM shaft brands, so that golfers will achieve the optimum launch angle and spin rate for their unique swing. MSRP starts at $299.99, and there is an upcharge for some shaft models.

About PowerBilt Golf
Since 1916 PowerBilt Golf has designed golf clubs the world's best have used to win such tournaments as The Masters, the U.S. open, and the PGA Championship. today, PowerBilt is pushing the limits on technology with REAL innovation. USGA Conforming, Air Force One woods feature Nitrogen Charged Club Heads, faces as thin as 2.6mm, the largest sweet spot in golf, and maximum COR regardless of swing speed. And all Air Force One woods feature customized speed-rated shafts from Fujikura. New Nitrogen Charged Air Force irons also feature the hottest and thinnest face in golf. PowerBilt also remains the No. 1 choice for junior golfers; and the PowerBilt Air Force One irons were named to the 2011 and 2013 Golf Digest Hot List. Plus One Sports, Inc., is the U.S. licensee of the PowerBilt brand. PowerBilt is a division of the Hillerich & Bradsby Co., a family owned-company which has been making golf clubs since 1916. Based in Louisville, Ky., Hillerich & Bradsby is also the maker of the world-famous Louisville Slugger bats and Bionic gloves.

About Cub Swanson
Swanson meets Jeremy Stephens in the main, five-round featherweight division bout of the UFC Fight Night card from San Antonio on June 28. A winner of five consecutive fights, Swanson (20-5) has been targeting a title shot for the last year. He's put away four out of his last five opponents by knockout or TKO.