Cobra

Cobra, Cobra Golf, Cobra Driver, Cobra Fly Z +, Cobra Fly Z Plus

If you are looking for a new driver, now is a very exciting time to go shopping. With all the major brands releasing their 2015 models the choices are almost endless and extremely confusing.

After a great run with my Taylormade R11 it was time for an upgrade (well, not really time, but I was looking). I went looking for a driver that would be as long and hopefully more forgiving. I’ve never had a problem with distance, so this wasn’t a real factor in the search. I guess I was looking for something that looked good, felt and sounded good and maybe gave me more accuracy. I know accuracy has more to do with face and path angles but I do get a lot of spin which can turn the ball further than some low spin drivers. Almost all of these brands advertise lower spin and lower center of gravity. I went shopping and came home with the Cobra Fly Z Plus. When I say came home, I had to wait for it to be built.

Cobra, Cobra Golf, Cobra Driver, Cobra Fly Z +, Cobra Fly Z Plus

Appearance

It’s hard to know where to start. It is a great looking club with a huge, square-ish black face. At address it is confidence inspiring and gives me the feeling that I just couldn’t miss. The face is surrounded by a ‘speed channel’ which looks like a recessed slot running around the perimeter of the face. You can not see it at address and it really looks quite different. I chose the black version (it comes in 5 colours with a green reported to come). The top is a speckled shiny colour and looks really nice. The head shape is not to drawn back and looks quite compact, definitely the shape I was looking for. On the sole of the club there is a deep channel with a gold movable weight. This weight can be moved forward or back depending on the flight you are after. All-in-all a fantastic looking club. No surprises there, I have always loved Cobra’s design and attention to detail.

Cobra, Cobra Golf, Cobra Driver, Cobra Fly Z +, Cobra Fly Z Plus

Performance

Firstly it must be said that I am a huge believer that the right shaft or type of shaft in the driver can make a huge difference in the overall performance of a club. Cobra have done something here that amazed me and bought a smile to my face. They offer 6 shaft options at no extra cost! Yes, 6. The stock shaft is a Matrix VLCT ST which is a nice shaft. Plus 5 other shaft options! As soon as I saw the Aldila Tour Green X flex (I currently play the Aldila RIP Alpha and love it) I was very interested. Let’s put it into perspective, I could get a nearly $200 shaft that I trust will do the right thing for my swing for free. Huge selling point. At the time the Cobra cost $499 (6 shaft options) compared to the new R15 at $540 with no shaft options and the Titleist was more again. Master stroke Cobra. Had me in almost immediately.

I have used the club for about a month now and I must say that I’m very impressed. The ball flight is low and penetrating. It carries a long way and rolls out nicely for me. My misses are no where near as bad, showing that I am indeed getting low spin and the shaft and head combination is indeed working well. I have played around with the settings and moving weights does effect the flight higher and lower. The loft is also very easy to adjust via the MyFly8 adapter. It can be adjusted 8.5 to 11 degrees with some draw options as well. The smart pad ensures that the club looks nice and square at address no matter the loft.

When hit it has a loud(ish) noise. It feels solid but not harsh. The ball really flies out off the face and feels hot. There just is nothing better than a well hit driver, is there? This driver is quite workable too. I can work it both ways and control the flight quite well.

Cobra, Cobra Golf, Cobra Driver, Cobra Fly Z +, Cobra Fly Z Plus

Specifications

The marketing around this driver is really very good. If you would like to learn more about flip zones, speed channels, smartpads, lofts, composite materials, lower center of gravity etc. please refer to the Cobra website, they will do a better job than me. And let’s be honest, you’re here to hear my thoughts on the driver, not theirs. From what I’ve been able to do so far, I believe all of the marketing. Obviously you do need to put a good swing on it, it won’t hit the ball for you.

Cobra Fly Z + Website

Recommendation

Yes. Huge yes. Just love it. The right looks and performance for me. Free premium shafts are a huge plus. Another fantastic product from Cobra. If you’re in the market, go and find one to try, you won’t be disappointed.

Oh, and on a side note, I just won the Club Championships with it. A bit brave given I’d only had it for two weeks but it just felt really comfortable in my hands from day 1 and performed very well.

Cobra, Cobra Golf, Cobra Driver, Cobra Fly Z +, Cobra Fly Z Plus

Luke @ Golf Blog Australia

Cobra Wedge, Cobra Golf

Appearance
A very nice looking club with a traditional shape. They are a good size and looking down at them they instil a feeling of confidence.
Putting the clubs down at address they have a very straight leading edge with minimal to no offset. They look like precision clubs that are aggressive and ready to tackle any challenge.
The top line is not too thin and the club sits squarely on the ground making it easy to get your alignment right.
The clubs are a matte silver colour which reduces glare and the back K Notch section is polished to a shiny silver. They have a nice orange printed name on the back with great branding and graphics which gives the clubs a prestigious look – you know that the designers have thought about both performance and aesthetics. You have a real feeling that you’re playing with some very special clubs.

Tour Trusty, Cobra, Cobra Golf

Performance
Before I talk too much about performance let’s look at some of the technology in these clubs. Cobra says their “15% larger and wider cnc milled grooves create more spin and control trajectory on even the shortest wedge shots”, that the “Notch K-Grind Sole optimises performance and versatility” and their “Proprietary Variable feed Rate (VfR) milling delivers optimised surface roughness across the face to maximise spin on all shots”.
These clubs perform very well from tight fairway lies, thick rough and also from the sand. There is no doubt that these clubs are designed to spin. They rip the ball and I found myself being able to spin the ball back on full shots, sometimes too far, coming off the green. There is no doubt that the larger grooves and milling works based on the fact I managed to control spin from even long rough! After about two months of use the spin is still good and I find the spin a bit more controllable now. I guess the milling is a bit duller. All this extra spin is great when it comes to shorter chip shots, I am really able to control the ball when I make an aggressive downward strike.
The thing that I love most about these wedges is the K-Grind Sole. I often find myself in tricky positions around greens and need to open the club up to play flop shots. This club, while feeling a bit larger and heavier in my hands (which I like because it gives me a good feeling of where the club head is during the swing), seems to be able to open up with the leading edge very flat to the ground. This ensures you are able to slide through the turf and pick the ball up nice and clean – no chance of a thin (unless you get it wrong)!
The shaft and grip are amazing. They feel great in the hands and the shaft is well suited to the club, giving it a responsive, positive and solid feel at impact. Even shots that find the toe and heel feel pretty good and travel well through the air. I find that I hit these clubs fairly high and they land very soft with plenty of spin to stop the ball.

Tour Trusty, Cobra, Cobra Golf

Price
At around $135 AUD these wedges are great value.

Specifications
These wedges come in two degree increments. They are available in 48, 50, 52, 54, 56, 58, 60, 62, 64 degree options. The 56 and 60 degree models come in two bounce options.
All wedges come with Dynamic Gold S200 shafts and Golf Pride New Decade Multicompound grips.

Cobra Tour Trusty, Cobra, Wedges

Recommendation
I would recommend these wedges to just about anyone from low markers to mid to high handicappers. If you are in the market for new wedges then do yourself a favour and try these out.

The clubs tested were: 56° with 12° of bounce and 60° with 6° of bounce.

For more information on these wedges visit Cobra Tour Trusty.

Luke @ Golf Blog Australia

All opinions expressed are my own. Information accurate at time of publication.