In golf, getting the ball to the green is important on the par 5’s, and just getting it in the fairway on the short par 4’s saves a number of strokes.

For many golfers, the answer is a fairway wood they can control yet provides both distance and accuracy. Especially off the turf. Nothing might be worse than the dreaded, low burner of the mighty worm.

 

Enter the Air Force One Air Foil Black Fairway woods, an answer to combining more distance with accuracy without a hefty price tag. Yes, every club manufacturer tells you their woods will get more distance. They change the crown, the face and the weighting. However, there is so much that can do for distance and how the face propels the ball forward.

 

In the case of Air Force One, they patented a system where the club head is charged with Nitrogen. This is one zippy club that feels like someone is assisting your swing.

 

The first design innovation for distance was their “dual wave slot” just behind and below the face of the club. Upon impact, it essentially creates a spring or accordion effect with the thin face. As the compressed Nitrogen is further compressed from the impact with the ball, the rebound effect comes into play, resulting in a faster ball speed from the face of the club. On tour, this is the smash factor, and really good players have ball speeds that are 35-45% above club head speed. Increase the smash factor, and you increase your distance. However, if you try to swing as fast as the tour players it will likely result in wildly errant shots as your control will more than suffer.

 

In the case of the Air Foil woods, you don’t swing faster yet the design and the compressed nitrogen result in a faster ball speed. So, in essence, you are getting more ball speed with the same club head speed. This is important because in tight lies, like the fairway, golfers tend to change their swing to gain distance and get the ball airborne. The result is sometimes that low scooter which doesn’t go the distance. Not so much with this club!

 

Because you can swing at your normal speed and get a little more pop with the ball, you are more likely to swing consistently in a sweeping motion and thus get the ball airborne.

 

The club at $149 comes in either a 3 wood (15 degree) or 5 wood (19 degree) with a variety of shaft options. The standard was quite good, yet for a mere $50, you can upgrade to a Fujikura Pro 63 shaft.

Bang for your golf buck? A better way to describe this club is more golf zoom for your buck.