Books: Got To Catch Them All!

The SAS PTA elementary book fair will be held from November 30 through December 2 from 7:45 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. in the elementary library. Click title to volunteer.

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2015-16 Annual Report

The year's report reflects many of the events and milestones, key academic indicators, new programs and instructional strategies in each division, the way that we steward our finances, and much more.

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Digital Citizenship Week

Digital Citizenship Week is here! Your child will have the opportunity to engage in activities that promote the use of technology safely, responsibly, and respectfully.

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Active Parenting Workshop Registration

Active Parenting is a six part program where each session builds on the previous workshop, facilitated by the elementary kindergarten to grade three school counselors.

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FIRST LOOK – 2017 Taylormade M1

Today, we give you a first look (thanks to JDSclubs) at the 2017 Taylormade M1 Driver.

Take a minute.  Collect your thoughts and questions.

Alright, so why the same name you are asking?  A few reasons from what we have heard:

1. Development costs on new driver tech is high, Taylormade is in a transition, this saves cost.
2. It builds on a very established platform.
3. Same name gives perception that they are not releasing new product. Right now that is advantageous.
4. Taylormade M1 was the highest rated performing driver overall in 2016 MGS testing. It's really good.

So, what are the differences?

1. New adapter.
2. Carbon Fiber Sole Plates (Save Weight)
3. Narrower Channels (Save Weight)
4. Possible Heavier Weights
5. Greater Adjustability

Your Thoughts?

 

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Mortgage rates move up for Monday

If you're purchasing or refinancing, it may be a great time to lock in a rate.

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Paper Plate Letter Learning Activity

Letters are a funny thing. They’re just a shape, a squiggle, a design… but they mean something.

Getting kids to recognize letters takes repetition. In the past, we’ve done an activity similar to this many times, this is a simplified variation.

This idea came during a recent 7 Day Challenge when a challenger suggested laminating a pumpkin to be able to redo it over and over with different letters.

I suggested to her to write four letters around a paper plate (several times) and just call out which letter to find and paper clip it.

This is another variation on that. Simpler because it doesn’t take the refined fine motor skills of using a paper clip or clothespin.

I wrote one letter on one side of a paper plate (e) and another letter on the other side (c).

Around the paper plate, I then wrote those two letters all around the edge (plus the letter ‘a’ for this plate, but that was to make it more advanced).

Then I cut between each letter.

Then I gave the plate to Louis. He laid it with the letter ‘e’ side up first.

Remember how I said that letters are just marks, squiggles and such? Well, that’s true to a preschooler that doesn’t know what they mean yet.

Your job while doing letter learning activities is to put meaning to the squiggles.

Before starting the activity, introduce those squiggles to your child.

I showed Louis the plate and said:

This is the letter ‘e’, can you find any letter e’s that look the same around the edge of the plate?

He found the letter e’s on the plate and folded them toward the center.

When he was done, he flipped it over and we did the same thing with the letter ‘c’ on the other side.

It’s so quick to prep, that I made another plate with the letters ‘s’ and ‘t’.

For this paper plate letter learning activity, I chose to have Louis work on lowercase letters. For no other reason then to introduce him to them.

You could make this paper plate activity with anything though! Numbers, shapes, sight words, you name it!

Maybe even quick addition/subtraction facts that my oldest could be working on. I would put the total, like 15, in the center of the plate and then he’s find all the problems that add/subtract to equal 15.

What would you  make this paper plate learning activity about?

Paper Plate Letter Learning Activity on handsonaswegrow.com

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What Would Happen if There Were No Equipment Contracts in Golf?

By: Tony Covey

Golf equipment companies pay professional golfers to play their equipment.

You already know this.

But what if there were no equipment contracts? What if money were off the table and professional golfers considered performance only?

What would the equipment landscape look like?

Would Titleist still be the #1 ball in golf? TaylorMade the #1 Driver?

It's all about the Tour

You're probably also aware that The Tour makes for a pretty hefty number on the balance sheet. Big companies have big tour staffs, smaller companies…um, not so much.

If the goal is to make an impact on tour, it sucks to be the little guy on a budget.

Performance or not, you think these guys are going to play your shit for free?

Those who can afford to invest heavily in The Tour do it because there’s no more powerful statement than being #1 at something…anything at the professional level. Few things make for better marketing than to claim a portion of the credit for a tour player’s success.

Pay to play is why my inbox is bombarded every week by a multitude of companies taking an ownership share of a winner’s success. Club, shaft, and ball, footwear and spike manufactures too…they all want you to know that the most recent winner, used or wore its product while besting the field.

The implication is their gear is ALWAYS a contributing factor to success.

You buy what you buy because the Pros are paid to play what they play.

Does the Gear Really Matter?

From one week to the next, would the winner still be the winner with somebody else’s gear in the bag?

Would Dustin Johnson and Jason Day win without TaylorMade? Jordan Spieth without Titleist? Rory McIlroy without Nike? Stenson, Reed, and Mickelson without Callaway?

Absolutely not.

It definitely has to be the clubs, right? What other possible explanation could there be?

Let’s table that discussion for another day.

The Pyramid of Influence

Whether it’s through club counts or actual victories, manufacturers know that the consumer will overlook the fact that between the hot melt, the grinding belts, and the drawers full of exotic shafts fit to the nth degree, the product in the tour player’s bag is comparable in name only to what’s on your local store shelves.

But if it works for a pro, it will absolutely work for the average guy. That’s the subtext. That’s what we’re supposed to believe…and the majority of consumers do.

You buy what you buy because the pros are paid to play what they play. Not all of you, of course, but the pyramid of influence is what it is because it works.

But What if…

What would happen if professional golfers weren’t paid to play nearly every piece of gear in their bags?

What if, freed from the shackles of their multi-million-dollar equipment deals, instead of seeking out what pays the best, the best players in the world actively seek out gear that performs the best?

Crazy talk, I know, but let me finish the thought.

To some small degree, that might be what's happening now with Rory McIlroy, Brooks Koepka, Tiger Woods, and others formerly bound by their Nike bag requirements. This is basically uncharted territory. One of the biggest names in golf equipment, one with a sizable Professional Tour Staff effectively disappeared from the equipment landscape overnight. Its players are free to play literally anything, and Nike still pays them as long as the swoosh stays on the hat (and the shirt, and the shoes). For this brief moment in the history of golf equipment sponsorships, money should be no factor, at least not for the next little while.

For Nike guys, the next round of club choices might actually be 100% performance-driven. Wouldn’t that be something?

Koepka has already put a TaylorMade M2 driver in play. McIlroy did the same (along with a fairway wood) this past weekend in China. Even if TaylorMade can't use it in its next commercial, unpaid validation is unquestionably the best validation.

Tony Finau is back to playing mostly Callaway. Michelle Wie is reportedly playing a mix of PING and Callaway gear. And Tiger…there have been rumors of Miura, some wishful thinking around Mizuno, and even some chatter about Mr. Woods being part of a group seeking to buy TaylorMade.

Somebody find me an emoji to cover that situation.

Tiger’s new bag is among the greatest curiosities in the sport. He’s still the guy that moves the needle more than any other.

The Real #1

With Koepka, McIlroy, and Wie already moving on and others certain to follow, it’s got us thinking about what would happen if this free agent thing caught on.

If equipment companies stopped paying for play tomorrow, which brands would fall?

Which would rise?

Who would be the #1 golf equipment brand on the planet?

Then again, what if every golfer stopped caring what the professionals play and instead took the time to get properly fitted for everything in the bag?

Now that would really be something.

 

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Now is the time to refinance – right now

Refinance your mortgage now, preferably before the presidential election and definitely before the Federal Reserve meets in mid-December.

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Stuffies At School

This week our book for the Global Read Aloud was Twenty Yawns, a story about a child who needs to find her stuffies to sleep. On Friday, we brought our own “sleep aids” to school. They helped us to read, to write and to think with the students in Illinois about how having a stuffed toy makes us feel.

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Is WiFi Safe? Simple Steps to Reduce The Negative Effects

Technology has allowed us to go wireless and avoid the hassle of cables. We can now remotely turn the TVs on, start a coffee machine, and monitor babies using wireless technology. At the same time, we are exposed to unprecedented levels of electromagnetic radiation from wireless signals 24/7.

Have you wondered “Is WiFi Safe?” at this levels?

Is WiFi Safe?

Hang on tight… this may get controversial. There seem to be two rather extreme opinions when it comes to WiFi. One side says that it is completely safe and like the idea of “smart” houses with everything run off Wifi. The other side is ready to build a Faraday Cage around themselves at all time.

The truth is likely somewhere in the middle.

Understand the Effects of WiFi

WiFi does not immediately cause diagnosable illness. For this reason, many of us choose to ignore that it can have any affect at all. However, it can interfere with our bodily functions which may eventually progresses into diseases like cancer and neurodegenerative diseases after long term exposure.

Because these are complex diseases that develop over decades, it is difficult to conclusively show that the increase in wireless signal exposures directly cause the diseases. International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) considers wireless radiation as a class 2B possible carcinogen due to limited evidence. These small number of studies are leaning towards showing that electromagnetic radiations, including WiFi, are not safe.

In the Lancet article outlining their considerations, that IARC states that epidemiological studies that follow humans who use WiFi and cell phones for a few years are not conclusive. However, rodent studies that follow the animals throughout their lifetime find that wireless radiation does cause cancer or worsen cancer prognosis. The same animal studies also observed other changes in the brain and blood brain barrier in animals that are exposed to the radiation.

The limited evidences in humans may be why regulators are claiming that this type of radiation is safe. However, some anecdotal evidences, such as how Canadian families in Ontario are noticing headaches and brain fogs in their children, suggest that WiFi may not be healthy and it is better to err on the side of caution.

It is even more important to protect children and developing fetuses from radiation as their smaller and growing bodies are more vulnerable to radiation than adults. Many products on the market aim to help protect babies in utero from WiFi radiation (like this belly armor blanket and even this belly-shielding band for pregnant moms).

How to Reduce WiFi Exposure

First, it is important to reduce use as much as possible, especially until we know more about the long-term effects of WiFi. The pro-WiFi crowd may scoff at the idea that anything could be potentially harmful about it, but we once thought smoking was perfectly fine too!

While it may not be possible to get the entire family on board, there are many options to reduce exposure while keeping everyone happy, including:

Turn Off WiFi Before Going to Bed (Good)

Everyone should be sleeping at bed time, and WiFi signal may interferes with the brain during sleep, so it is a good idea to turn it off before going to bed. This allows the body to rest more deeply. By turning it off at night, you are effectively cutting down exposure by 33%. (Aside from the WiFi reduction, many security experts also recommend turning off your internet when not using it).

In addition, because many people browse the internet mindlessly at night, some may also find that having a WiFi curfew improves their marriage because they become more present with their partners.

Many router models will have features that make it possible to automatically shut off WiFi connection and turn it back on at the same time every day, which will be useful for this purpose.

Turn On WiFi Router Only When in Use (Better)

If you and your family members are up for giving up WiFi for the most part, but still insist on connecting some devices from time to time, then having an option to switch on the router when in use is a better option as this reduces WiFi exposure only to a few hours a day.

Give Up Wireless and Hardwire All Your Connections (Best)

Giving up WiFi altogether is the healthiest option. It may sound daunting but it is possible and may mitigate several health issues down the line. In addition, you will enjoy more consistent and faster internet on cable. It is certainly more work and not doable for everyone, but something we are attempting.

You’ll need to pick up some affordable tools, including:

• Ethernet hub – if the one you have doesn’t have enough ports for every device and everyone to use. They can be plugged into an existing hub that you already have in order to expand the number of ports.
• Long ethernet cables – to allow everyone to connect from anywhere in your home.
• Ethernet adaptors – makes it possible to connect devices that don’t have ethernet ports, including tablets, smart phones, and some computers.

It is also a good idea to use wired peripherals like keyboards, mice, and headphones instead of wireless ones to reduce exposures to electromagnetic radiation.

If that all seems complicated to set up, I’d recommend asking someone to help. My tech-savvy brother was the lucky recepient of my questions.

Hold Up on Adding Gadgets or Upgrading to Smart Homes, Offices, and Cars

With new wireless technology, wireless-enabled devices with bells and whistles are on sale every single day. Smart home thermostats, bluetooth-controlled cookers, wireless baby monitoring system, and smart beds might make life easier, but they may not be safe.

Such technologies are still very new. These devices use many forms of wireless technologies, for which we don’t fully understand the long term health consequences. For these, less is more.

Turn Devices on Airplane Mode

Cell phones and tablets emit electromagnetic frequency when the receivers are turned on. Because we typically use these devices very close to our bodies for extended periods of time, exposure levels can be very high. Therefore, important to keep them on airplane mode, especially when they are around children.

Remember, also, to teach children and caregivers to turn these devices on airplane mode to reduce WiFi and electromagnetic exposures.

How to Mitigate the Harmful Effects of WiFi Exposure

It may be difficult to completely eliminate exposure, especially if you live or work in an urban area. In addition to taking steps above to reduce WiFi exposures, there are many ways to mitigate the harmful effects of WiFi signals, including:

Use a Dirty Electricity Filter to Reduce Electromagnetic Radiation

Dirty electricity occurs when electronic devices need to manipulate the electric currents into the format and voltage that the devices need. This can create electrical surges throughout the wiring system.

Electronic devices, including WiFi Routers, phone chargers, and computers all produce dirty electricity, which can be a significant source of harmful electromagnetic frequencies (EMF) in the building.

In order to mitigate this effect, consider installing dirty electricity filters on outlets throughout the home and work environment.

Earthing

Wireless devices emit unhealthy positive ions and also interfere with the waves in our own bodies, such as our brain waves and the electrical system that runs our cells. By earthing, the positive ions in our bodies can be equalized with negative ions from earth, which can mitigate the harmful effects of EMFs.

In addition, earthing allows our bodies to synch with the Schumann resonance (7.83 Hz), which is earth’s own electromagnetic frequency that we are naturally built to be exposed to. A Japanese study in 2005 showed that the Schumann resonance can reduce blood pressure and produce some positive health outcomes. By synching with earth’s natural frequency, we reduce the risks of WiFi waves interfering with our bodily functions.

You can earth simply by standing barefoot on the ground for 20 minutes daily. Alternatively, you can also use a grounding shoes with an earthing metal piece, or bed sheets that connects to the grounding port of your home electrical outlets.

Adding Negative Ions

Exposure to WiFi can result in a buildup of positive ions in your body, which can promote inflammation. Therefore, if you are regularly exposed to WiFi and EMF, it is even more important to regularly expose yourself to negative ions to to neutralize the positive ions.

You can find naturally occurring negative ions near moving water, such as at the beach or moving streams of water.

In addition, you can use a Himalayan salt lamp or negative ion generator in your home to increase your exposure to healthful negative ions and mitigate the negative effects from WiFi exposure.

Are you concerned about WiFi exposure and new wireless technologies? Weigh in in the comments below.

 

Continue Reading...Is WiFi Safe? Simple Steps to Reduce The Negative Effects

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GIVEAWAY: The MyGolfSpy Staff Bag Tag

There are some wildly talented people in this world.

Just spend 5 minutes on the search feature in Instagram and you will no doubt have to agree (Since it's the internet I also know you will try and disagree).

The internet has given a voice and a canvas to all those that were given a talent.  Their gift of genius no matter how big or small can lead you down a many of rabbit hole.  One of those rabbit holes is what brings us to our article today.

I went down a rabbit hole, and this is what I found.

I have seen just about everything in golf.  That was until I ran in to a post by a guy that ran something called BloodSweatAndThread.  For all the other cut and paste designs and people in and around golf, I quickly realized this guy, well he was different.  In a good way.

If you have followed MyGolfSpy for sometime you have no doubt seen some of his designs.  We loved them so much we had him design our staff bag tags here at MGS. One of which we will be giving away to you today.

You might see this as just another bag tag made just another guy.  We see it as something much different.  This is a representation of everything we are about.

The truth is black and white, so are our tags. MyGolfSpy is different, so are our tags. The team that makes up MyGolfSpy is small but intensely passionate, so was the man behind the design. We give a damn about giving a damn, so does BloodSweatAndThread.

HOW TO ENTER

1. He doesn't have a website but he does have Instagram, give him a follow.
2. In the comments section, tell us why you read MyGolfSpy.

That's it.

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Mortgage rates increase

If you're purchasing or refinancing, it may be a great time to lock in a rate.

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9 first-time homebuyer grants and programs

Buying a home for the first time can seem daunting. Fortunately, many first-time homebuyer grants and programs exist to help.

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School Finance 605: Student Demographics Part 2

School Finance 605

Student Demographics, Part 2

Several weeks ago, we shared demographic information about where SAS students come from (read Finance 603 here). We now move on to information about why SAS families are in Singapore, how long students stay at SAS, and where our families live.

What brings SAS families to Singapore?

Most SAS students are here because of a parent’s job. This year, 50% of SAS parents’ jobs are in one of three sectors: 25% in finance, 15% in manufacturing (semiconductors, electronics, chemicals, and pharmaceuticals), and 10% in information, communication, and technology. Another three sectors account for around 7% each: oil, gas, and energy; consumer goods; and professional services (accounting, consulting, law, relocation, and outsourcing). Compared to last year, slightly more parents now work in finance, while 2% fewer work in manufacturing. The other sectors, including oil, gas, and energy, have remained constant since last year.

Other sectors employing over 3% of SAS parents include SAS itself, government (including the U.S. embassy and navy), and higher education. Smaller numbers work in trade, shipping and logistics, hotels and entertainment, nonprofits, healthcare, property and architecture, food and beverage, and mining. Around 5% of SAS parents provided no data on employment, while 0.1% reported themselves self-employed.

How long do students stay at SAS?

The total time the average student spends at SAS, meaning the tenure of students who are leaving (including graduating seniors), was 4.5 years in June 2016. If we turn to the average tenure for current SAS students (assuming they stay through the current school year), we see this remains at 3.9 years. This number factors in our youngest students, who "bring down" the average because, of course, they can only have been enrolled at the school as long as there have been grades to serve them; a preschool student, for example, can only have been here one year.

Average years of enrollment

Looking at current students’ tenure by grade level, it is not surprising that tenure increases each year in the lower grades, hitting the overall average at grade 6. Middle and high school students’ tenures continue to rise, spiking to 6.5 years in grade 12. This indicates that many families make special efforts to keep their children at SAS through the socially and academically critical years before graduation. Currently, 7% of our total enrollment has attended SAS for ten or more years.

Average years of enrollment by grade

 

 

One interesting subset of SAS students that stays significantly longer than average is our group of Student Pass (SP) holders. These children, who make up 11% of SAS students, hold SPs instead of dependent passes, for three main reasons: they have come to Singapore primarily to go to SAS; they are staying here to continue at SAS after a parent’s job has moved on; or they are the children of Permanent Residents who do not themselves have PR status. Many students on SPs live here with one parent, or with a guardian. Current SP students’ average tenure at SAS stands at 6 years, compared with 3.9 years for all students, indicating that this group is particularly committed to remaining at SAS.

Student pass holders, 2016-17

  

How many students who started at SAS with my child will graduate with him?

Children who enter SAS in the younger grades will see many of their friends move away as they get older, but a few friends will remain right through to graduation day. This year, out of our senior class of 285, we have 23 students (8%) who started here in either the Early Childhood Center or kindergarten: three who enrolled in preschool, seven in pre-kindergarten, and 12 in kindergarten. A further 15 arrived in first grade and 24 in second grade, so over one-fifth of this year’s graduates will have been at SAS for ten years or more.

Of course, the later a student enters SAS, the more friends he will have who have been here the same amount of time or longer. And there is a positive aspect to our student body’s fluidity: many SAS students find that they become skilled at making new friends and more open, flexible and resilient as they go through life.

 

Where do SAS students live?

Our students live all over Singapore, with the largest concentration of SAS families in the area bounded by the PIE, CTE, AYE, and Clementi Road. This area includes neighborhoods near roads such as Bukit Timah, Dunearn, Newton, Stevens, Orchard, Tanglin, Grange, Holland, and River Valley, as well as the areas surrounding the American Club. The Woodlands neighborhood is also popular with SAS families, accounting for around 450 students. This number has declined since last year, and at 11% of students is lower than most people assume. Other areas with notable concentrations of SAS families include Sembawang, Upper Bukit Timah, Yio Chu Kang, Ang Mo Kio, the ECP and West Coast Highway areas, and Sentosa.

2016-17 distribution of SAS families in Singapore

Each dot indicates a house, condo, or apartment building housing at least one SAS student

 

We hope that this article helps you more fully understand this year’s SAS community. As always, we welcome your comments, questions, and suggestions for future articles. Please send them to William Scarborough, Chief Financial Officer, at wscarborough@sas.edu.sg. We look forward to hearing from you.

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How to Make Intensive Shea Butter Eye Cream (Recipe)

Are you tired of your eyes looking, well…tired? You’ll find plenty of conventional eye creams that promise more youthful looking skin. However, this shea butter eye cream delivers, without a hefty dose of harmful chemicals on the side. Perking up tired eyes is just one of the many benefits of shea butter.

Unlike other formulas, this eye cream doesn’t contain any water. While water based creams make your skin feel moisturized at first, they end up drying out the delicate under eye area. A waterless eye cream also has a much longer shelf life (and is easier to make!).

The Problem with Most Eye Creams

Skipping harmful ingredients is just one benefit of choosing a homemade eye cream over store bought. Conventional eye creams work by temporarily constricting blood vessels or coating the skin in a film to artificially tone it. And if you’re using an antioxidant eye cream, then I’ve got some bad news for you (source).

“None of these antioxidants has been approved as a treatment for age-related skin conditions. Most of these products contain very low concentrations of antioxidants. In addition, the antioxidants are not well absorbed by the skin and have only a short-term effect.”

Natural wrinkle prevention

This recipe features shea butter, which stimulates collagen production to increase skin firmness, and improve the appearance of wrinkles around the eyes. Even better, it helps reduce inflammation to combat puffiness. You’re also getting a nourishing dose of vitamins A, E and F for healthier skin.

Coconut oil is also fabulous for skin since it’s rich in lauric acid and essential fats. Not only does it boost circulation to clear up under eye circles, but it keeps connective tissue strong and supple. This means less fine lines and wrinkles. (source)

The beeswax in this recipe prevents moisture loss that can cause wrinkles. Rosehip seed oil is very nourishing for aging skin, but since it’s a dry oil, it helps to reduce the overall greasy feel of this eye cream. And to finish it off, we’re using geranium essential oil for its ability to help diminish wrinkles and inflammation, and clear up dark circles.

Eye Cream Ingredients

• 2 T shea butter
• 1 T coconut oil
• 1 tsp beeswax
• 1.5 tsp rosehip oil
• 4 drops geranium essential oil
• Pot
• Mason jar
• 2 oz glass jar or steel tin

How to Make Eye Cream

1. Combine all of the ingredients together, except for the geranium essential oil and rosehip seed oil, into a wide mouth, glass mason jar. Fill a pot on the stove halfway with water, and place the mason jar into the water.
2. Turn the stove onto medium heat, and melt the contents of the jar on the stove for about 6 minutes. You want the water to be at a gentle simmer, not boiling, so lower the temperature if needed. Swirl the contents of the jar every so often to help everything combine.
3. As soon as everything is melted and combined, remove the jar from the water bath.
4. Pour the mixture in a small mixing bowl and let it cool for 5 minutes before stirring in the essential oil.
5. Scoop the mixture into a glass jar and use a tiny amount under the eyebrow and under eye area at night.

Eye cream tips

• As with anything that’s not specifically for the eyeball, do NOT get this into your eye!
• This recipe also works great as a nourishing and moisturizing eye makeup remover.
• If you want more of a soft salve consistency, then you can skip the whipping process and just pour the eye cream into your glass jar.

Have you ever made an eye cream? What are your favorite ingredients to use? Share below!

Continue Reading...How to Make Intensive Shea Butter Eye Cream (Recipe)

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True Intimacy

A guide to discussing sex and sexuality with your significant other

by: Laura Bradley

True intimacy is about getting to know and understand someone deeply. Learning about who our partner is sexually is part of that.

Our past experiences around sex contribute … Read the rest

The post True Intimacy appeared first on Steadfast Counselling.

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Run, Run, Run

Getting lots of physical exercise is so important for young children. It helps them to focus and to do better in all the academic things we do at school. These photos are from a recent game of sit tag that we played in the gym.

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Refinance rates advance

If you're thinking about refinancing, it may be a great time to lock in a rate.

from Bankrate.com » Mortgages http://ift.tt/2fjoqEJ

Mortgage rates move up

If you're purchasing or refinancing, it may be a great time to lock in a rate.

from Bankrate.com » Mortgages http://ift.tt/2eQdNGM

First Look: AFO Air Foil Black Fairway

By: Chris Nickel

20 SECOND INTRO

Model: Air Foil Black Fairway
Lofts: 3 wood (15*) & 5 wood (19*)
Adjustability: None
Left-handed Availability: None
Stock Shaft: Fujikura
Price: $149
Availability: Immediate
Defining Technology: Dual-slot technology with Nitrogen reinforced 17-4 Stainless Steel Face

2 > 1

Slot technology is ubiquitous. But dual-slot technology? That's a bit less common. Air Force One's latest fairway model – the Air Foil Black – is engineered with two slots, which combine to produce an accordion effect, the result of which, according to Air Force One, is higher MOI, faster ball speeds and optimal launch/spin conditions.

Specifically, at impact, the thin face flexes, which initiates the build-up of compressed nitrogen. As the face rebounds, the trampoline effect (often referred to COR or CT)  is maximized, resulting in top end ball speeds across a greater percentage of the club-face. While this sweet spot is expanded, let's be realistic about expectations. Shots hit more than a few centimeters off center will still show a significant loss in ball speed and directional accuracy. That's just how it is...with everything.

INFORMERCIAL MUMBO JUMBO?

Thin faces are fantastic for producing fast ball speeds, but they're neither durable nor do they feel particularly solid at impact. This is where Air Force One's technology shines. The company uses strategically placed compressed Nitrogen to reinforce the club face, which gives the thin face the structural integrity it needs and a quality feel at impact . The largest upside to nitrogen is that it's weightless and weight is a precious commodity when it comes to club design. If this technology had a theme song it would be "Money for Nothing" by Dire Straits.

To some, a Nitrogen infused clubhead sounds more like science fiction or an idea cast off to the parking lot during an R&D brainstorming session. But the reality is, the technology works and AFO drivers, which also leverage Nitrogen technology,  have routinely out-performed higher priced competitors in MGS testing.

It's only reasonable to expect comparable performance from a fairway wood with similar technology. We're not talking 10-15  yard guarantees over competitors, but for the player who could benefit a shallower-faced, easy to elevate fairway, I wouldn't be at all surprised to see appreciable gains.

NOT EVERYONE WILL BE SERVED

Left-handed players are once again left out and with only five shaft options (two of which are women's specific) we can't guarantee there's a shaft for everyone. That said, the target population for this club is the player who fits into a 60-70 gm shaft with medium to soft tip section. If so, either the Fujikura or Graphite Design G series should work well.

I hesitate to describe the aesthetics of the Air Foil as non-traditional, however, with two deep slots and a triangular look at address, it certainly stands out a bit, but not in an "OMG I couldn't ever bag that club" way.

WALK-OFF:

The Air Foil Black is a budget-friendly fairway wood which has a penchant for behaving  more like a hybrid in that it is engineered to launch easier and fly higher than a traditional fairway wood. The added forgiveness is a nice bonus and this club certainly provides further validation that Nitrogen-infused technology is entirely legit.

For more information on the Air Foil Black Fairway, visit the Air Force One Golf website.

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