Two release cycles ago, Cobra came out with a head unlike others we have seen. Their technology advanced to the point where they could eliminate large amounts of headweight by wrapping carbon around the traditional ‘edges’ and provided extreme weight saving opportunities alongside a milled face that promoted consistency. They took it a step further in their next release by sending that milled face through the hard edges of the crown and sole to promote better aerodynamics (and let’s be honest, less chance of skymarking), with a brilliantly designed metal exoskeleton that further promoted weight efficiencies. It is simply hard to fathom how you can build off that kind of design. Enter the Cobra RADSPEED Drivers.
A name that absolutely begs to be explained because it is somewhat out of left field after “F9 Speedback” and “Speedzone” by comparison. Where does it originate? A concept we as basic consumers are probably unfamiliar; “Radius of Gyration.”
If you ask Cobra what that means (I thought about Googling but decided to commit to their smart people definition), “The distance away from an object’s geometric center that an engineer or designer can position mass or a technology. The further away from the center it is, the better the performance gain.” In short, locating weight away from the CG offers different benefits. The more forward, the higher the ball speed. Going lower promotes the lowest spin. It seems like that critical give and take between forgiveness (MOI), spin, and speed.
Now that we have mentally unlocked what radius of gyration is, and can only assume based on “RAD” that it is a big part of this release, where does it come into play? For Cobra, it came down to their engineers finding the perfect blend using extreme weighting to maximize the critical elements of performance for all types of players, continuing their trend of low back weighting but also taking into consideration extra weight low and forward to gain on that ball speed metric. And, for the benefit of our golf swings, have three heads to deliver performance where we need it.
First, RADSPEED- the primary source for ball speed and low spin workability. This head is designed for the better player hunting for maximum performance with extra weight forward by comparison. Taking full advantage of their TBar Speed Chassis, they were able to save enough weight to get apply 16g of locked weight in the front of the head, with 8g locked into the back. Weight ports of 12g in the front and 2g in the back (that can be changed out) produce in total, 28g forward and 10g in the very back of the head. It will be available in 9.0 and 10.5 degree heads.
For RADSPEED XB (or ‘xtreme back”), the design lends itself more to forgiveness while maintaining solid speed. In this head, the near-to-face weighting is dropped to 8g and a whopping 14g of secured weighting in the back, with a 6g movable weight. This is definitely looking like the next generation of the Xtreme lineup for those who enjoyed the forgiveness and support of the last offering. It will be available in 9.0, 10.5, and 12.0 degree heads.
Finally, RADSPEED XD (or ‘xtreme draw”) – built on the same basic platform as the XB but have moved 10g of radial weight to the heel side halfway between the hosel and the back of the head to promote a draw bias. There are still 8g of weight locked into the front and 8g in the back, with a 6g movable weight. It will be available in 10.5 and 12.0 degree heads.
It is an awful lot to take in, but the basic reality is, Cobra has taken radial weight placement with their new driver head, and allocated weight to places that promote benefits for all levels of golfers. They were able to do this because of new carbon wrap technology that saved six grams of weight from the crown, and continue to promote consistent performance with their infinity face, which is a 25 minute milling process that results in a level or precision that greatly exceeds hand polishing. Continuing from previous models, the dual roll tech (where the face operates slightly different when hit high vs low), and their tri bulge face (basically autocorrect for golf balls) are still very much present. Slight improvements to the face milling came from solid tour feedback and additional research, which include the decision to introduce a horizontal milling pattern in the central location for moisture management, and a new laser etching of the central circle and infinity logo to further support that moisture control.
It would not be a Cobra driver release, however, without discussing color. To continue with their last couple models, they have added a fresh version of the yellow using what they call “turbo yellow” as an option, offering a matte black in the RADSPEED head, and gloss black in the XB and XD offerings. While this type of discussion will be a totally personal perspective, I believe the yellow they selected was a great transition from former offerings. A little livelier, more ‘current’ so to speak.
Additionally (and from my perspective the greatest thing ever), they have brought in their ever popular peacoat blue color for the RADSPEED and RADSPEED XB heads. A perfect combination of blue, white, and red accents compliment the overall presentation and present two outstanding cosmetic choices for consumers looking for variety in the RADSPEED and RADSPEED XB heads. Anyone who is familiar with Puma knows that Peacoat is a popular color throughout their apparel, and it makes perfect sense to bring that subtle yet solid presentation onto a driver. For the first time, I am not totally for one color and indifferent on the other. This is about two great choices, and it would not surprise me to see people feel the same way (although the right answer is of course, blue).
Each setup comes with a couple popular shaft options, Cobra connect in the grip, and tour length will return with the RADSPEED head. On the junior head, Cobra is still honoring the free shaft upgrade which is a great feature. MAP for all three heads is $449.
I for one am incredibly excited to give RADSPEED a try. F9 came in with a bang, redefining what could be done with carbon fiber, and showcasing that there are numerous ways to achieve consistent performance off the face of the head. They doubled down on Aerodynamics for Speedzone, and are now going another direction to make sure that we as golfers make only the concessions we need to promote the performance we seek.
The Details
Available: January 29, 2021
Price: $449
Website: www.cobragolf.com
Any way you could post of pic of the 12* head specs for the B and Draw versions…this looks like the 10.5 Speed model.
I can later. This is all that I have at the moment.
Did you see the in hand pics of the blue? It’s actually pretty damn subtle.
I wonder if they have this color because the Pars and stripes model Speedzone sold really well.. That was more white, but the blue really popped.
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Sorry Cobra ????
I still have that head and save very little equipment. Loved it.
Its unique, just maybe a bit too unique for me.
Cobra is bringing out a driver that has as much tech and R&D as anyone else. But they are doing it for pretty $100 less retail than anyone else for 2021.. That is really pretty cool..
That entire line, including Puma Apparel was legit, still upset I wasn’t able to get the cardigan for the wardrobe.
????
Similar to last year (this year), Cobra (with tech included) is doing incredible things for the MSRP price
I’m actually REALLY excited to see how this release impacts their marketshare.
For sure.. Cobra has been a fav brand of mine since I started playing golf back in 94. I think they understand their customers very well. I always look at and consider their stuff. including my current irons.. Cobra King forged CBs..
Do you have any insight on how much they’ve gained with any past lineups, or specifically the 2020 lineup, which I thought was fantastic.
The have been like a pac man.. eating one dot at a time.. Steady and consistent. Its pretty awesome. They were kind of the only real mid market brand. But I think they are starting to bulk up like Bryson..
I have no idea what I can share in that regard, but I think most of it is available for public consumption somewhere.
That said, what I heard was very cool (because I am a fan of those guys).
It’s crazy to see how much weight they are able to move around to accomplish that low spin and forgiveness. It’s interesting to me how different companies approach their drivers. Some are all about the total MOI but then you look at an approach like this and it makes total sense. Discussing those differences and approaches would be super interesting to talk to Mike Yagley about.
That is a round of golf in many cases!! You could almost market the Cobra driver as a driver with a round of golf.. $50-100 less. Heck that is a round of golf and a box of prov1s potentially..
Think about it..
I’m still happy with my F9 though and don’t plan to change anytime soon. I’m sure I’ll pick this one up if it’s ever available sub-$300 new like the F9 eventually was.
That’s my point. A good salesperson will help the buyer see the negligible differences and help them spend that money elsewhere in the store/shop they wouldn’t have otherwise. I mean, maybe add the accompanying fairwaywood to their game or like you said, a dozen of their favorite balls.
Sounds good to me!
That blue is siiiiiiick
I feel like they’ve been flying under the radar around here. I hate to use our market as much of an example of anything only because we’re far from being a hot bed of golf activity. But, I just didn’t see many cobra clubs in play around here at all until recent years. Drivers have always been on the rack. But, irons have been hard to come by to even try out. Now, I am seeing some irons in play and on the shelf. I love that they’re delivering tech driven designs at a much easier to digest price.
I intend to
I saw the photos in this thread… and I prefer the black. Maybe it’d look different in person contrasted to a green tee box, but I’ve always just preferred muted (black) colour heads.
Now THAT is saying something! I already feel that the F9 is quite stable! I’ll have to watch their review tonight.
The cost is a great thing Cobra has been doing for the community the last several years. However, I’ve found their drivers flat out perform. I bet most salespeople could sell them on the performance and the savings just is the cherry on top for the customers. Cobra making a great product at an truly great price point.
I think the blue RAD XB is going to be a huge seller. I will be looking at that one first and the RAD Speed in blue second.
Is it far and away the best looking?
Two of the models are available in two colors.
One glossy and one matte.
Based on previous years, the glossy would be the top seller.
While I am not sure which will win this year, offering that many skus could really be problematic for some companies.
Look up
Really looking forward to see what the Morgan Cup participants that played Speedzone all year think of it if they get to try it out. And any other THPer that can compare for that matter.
I completely agree with this. Especially when you consider the tech story behind it.
It’s a little crazy to see the tech they have, and have had for some time, that other brands have copied. IMO Cobra is really overlooked in the technology department.