PowerBilt Air Force One Line Introduces 'Nitrogen-Charged Technology'

"Air Force One" is the monicker that PowerBilt has bestowed upon its newest drivers, fairway woods and hybrids (available in Jan. 2009). Nitrogen is what's inside them all.

What PowerBilt calls "Nitrogen-Charged Technology" is this: clubheads filled to high pressures with nitrogen gas. The nitrogen can be injected at pressures up to 150 psi (a resin coats the interior of the clubhead, preventing leakage) and buttresses the clubface, providing support without requiring mechanical bracing.

The result is options - options for PowerBilt and options for golfers. For example, PowerBilt Air Force One drivers will be available with two different face thicknesses - 2.8 millimeters or 2.6mm.

What's the difference? According to PowerBilt:

The Air Force One driver's thinnest face – 2.6mm – benefits golfers with moderate and controlled swing speeds. Combining the ultra-thin face with the appropriate air pressure helps optimize "trampoline" effect as well as ball spin rate so that the ball stays airborne longer to maximize distance.

The Air Force One driver with a 2.8 mm face promotes a lower spin rate to prevent the ball from ballooning, which can hurt distance for golfers with fast swing speeds.

The company says the absence of mechanical bracing of the clubface also means more of the face is able to flex at impact. This, the company claims, results in tighter dispersion patterns in tests of the Air Force One driver, and in particular, better performance on strikes toward the heel.

The driver will also come in two shapes, one a more traditional, "tour preferred" shape for golfers who like to work the ball; a second geometric shape to maximize MOI and forgiveness.

The MSRP for the PowerBilt Air Force One driver is $499.99; for the fairway woods, $349.99; and for the hybrids, $249.99.