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
He knows many non family friendly forum things
F3 is a noodle in stiff. Do you guys find the XB sits a little more closed than the standard?
Not to me. I can measure it vs the standard if you want tomorrow. They seem pretty similar to my eye though.
I’ve pretty much changed my swing since Las Vegas and have lowered my ball flight while picking up about 10 yards carry. AoA was 8 and measured 3 this morning. Ball starts on line pretty well as intended but seems to drift a little right even with toe and centered strikes.
I change my swing every hole
Black.
Let the colors pop?
Fo sho. That purple POPS in the sunlight
48 degrees today and STILL brought the heat from the back tees. Super pleased.
I was thinking about a new driver in spring but now that I’ve gotten used to the new shaft and head lofted at 7.5 degrees I’m really enjoying teeing the ball lower and back and not losing distance.
Oh, the new Cobra will still be mine in the spring, NO doubt
any interest in the gunmetal or just the purple?
I would bet I take the plunge if it gave me a little more. A full fitting may help.
Dude, make the drive to Cinci, lots of good fitters here, or at least Cbus
I fit myself off of feel on everything but the irons
Club Head Speed: 116
Ball Speed 165
Spin 2450
Launch 13
Carry 284
Total 305
The numbers are there if you release the club!
Don’t. Change. Anything.
I’m about a month late but finally at the results I wanted. Now… if I can get that 3 iron fixed
I’ve been playing a G425 Max all season, initially with a Motore X F1 and latterly with a Ventus Blue, and it has been the most consistent I’ve driven the ball in as long as I can remember.
For context, my driver ball speed is in the mid-140s, and my target over winter is to get that consistently into the 150s. As usual, when I was driving poorly all I wanted was to be able to hit the fairway at a reasonable distance… but now I’m hitting fairways at a reasonable distance, I want to be hitting fairways at a longer distance!
I’ve dabbled with a few drivers this year, always trying things out mainly as I enjoy testing different clubs. I played a Radspeed for a few weeks and loved it… it felt better than the Ping, sounded better than the Ping, etc… but, in my hands, it couldn’t quite compete with the Ping’s consistency. However, the Radspeed was so good that it has remained a scratch I’ve wanted to itch again and again throughout the season, as I feel it could be great for me.
The itch then developed into the intention to pick up a Radspeed XB to experiment with, hoping it takes everything good about the Radspeed but adds the additional forgiveness which has kept the Ping in the bag all season.
Given we’re approaching the new launch cycle, we’re starting to see discounts on 2021 clubs and I recently picked up the Season Opener version of the XB with the Hzrdus Hulk (well, not actually the ‘Hulk’, but the softer 6.0 version of it) at a price which should allow me to sell the head and shaft separately and recoup what I’ve paid out… so of course I had to buy it. Internet golfer maths and all that.
The weather in my part of the UK has been poor recently, so I’ve not had the XB out on the course yet. However, I do have a SkyTrak meaning I’m able to provide those of you who are interested with some data driven testing results between:
– Ping G425 Max (9* head) | Ventus Blue 6s | 9* @ 45.25”
– Cobra Radspeed XB (10.5* head) | Hzrdus Hulk 6.0 | 9.5* @ 46”
(Remember that SkyTrak ‘calculates’ clubhead speed, so ignore that as I’m confident it’s incorrect more often than not)
Ping G425 Max:
Given this has been my gamer all season, I’m very familiar with ball flight. My tendency is a right to left shot shape throughout the bag, and that’s what I tend to see with this driver, with the weight either in standard or fade setting (never draw setting).
Contrary to some feedback I’ve read, I find I can keep the G425 Max in a good spin window. From YouTube reviews, the G425 Max does tend to be a little down on clubhead speed vs other clubs, and this is something I’ve been keen to test vs the XB (disregarding the G425’s disadvantage of shorter playing length). Here is my best shot from a few swings earlier this morning with the G425:
Cobra Radspeed XB:
Whilst I prefer the feel / sound of this setup to the G425, it’s not as pleasing as I recall the Radspeed being (albeit I hit the Radspeed outside only). Ball flight is right to left as I was expecting, but I’ve struggled a little with both spin and dispersion. It took me more than twice as many shots (compared with the G425) to get five keepers for the stats, with many of the removed shots being what I’d consider to be a good ‘bad strike’ rather than horrendous, yet some of the spin numbers I was seeing were crazy high. Here is my best shot from a few swings earlier with the XB:
Comparison:
Here are 5 drives with each setup, the first being Ping (which probably took me 6 shots) and the second being the XB (which took me many many more). Ball speed is maybe 3mph down on what I’d typically average, but the data is typical of my comparisons between these two setups.
Overall, whilst I want to love the XB, the G425 with Ventus is a better and more consistent fit for me. This obviously means I need to pick up another Radspeed for testing purposes as I didn’t own my SkyTrak at that point. However, for now, the G425 Max reigns supreme.
That said, is it time for preorders if the 2022 driver yet?
Yes, but the lure of the Season Opener edition was too strong… and it only comes in 10.5*!
I lofted down the XB to 9.5* (and also tested at 9*), which put it at a comparable loft to the G425. That also opened the face a little which was the only ‘fade bias’ option I had vs the weighted fade setting I use on the G425 probably 95% of the time.
Certainly not a like for like test for various reasons, including shafts with rather different profiles, but hopefully the data may prove useful for some.
Or possibly a ball switch?
See, that’s something I’ve always threatened to do but never actually pulled the pin. I really do need to just buy a selection of different balls and really get out and see what a difference it really makes.
Yeah, the XB seems to get quite a bit of love. May need to test one out.
I’m a low launch/spin monster……and I hate it.
So the XB (assuming more spin) might be a nice fit for me.
I used to game a Ping G400Max driver and it was the closest I’ve come to being automatic off the tee. I have speed, but tend to struggle with consistency with the driver.
I tend to make up most of my scoring after I get off the tee box.
I gamed the Ping G400, coming from a similar place in that if I can get off the tee I can score well for my abilities. The XB has been better. I still struggle with consistency, no driver can produce good results with the face wide open to path, but the results that I have gotten off some of the times I’ve varied my location on the face of the driver has been eye-opening at times.
I also like how the infinity face can show the location of each strike if you wipe that face after each tee ball. It can tell my visually where I struck it on the face. And I’d say half my strikes are not within the center circle
Part of it may be the pairing with the LINQ Purple. I’ve heard the terms ‘magic’, ‘perfect pairing‘, and ‘an extension of your arm’ to describe it with the XB head. It just stayed with me for anything I put into it. I didn’t feel like I had to aim it at all. (I put in the 6F4 coming from the Motore F3 stiff, tipped a 1/2” for those curious)
Two weeks off, straight to the tee, and this thing performs just like it did for me in Vegas. Just piss missiles, drawing piss missiles, that left me laughing. Makes me a little sad I finally gave this one a full run so late in the season.
Small sample size impression…..she bad…
Had quite a few on the LM just like this.
View attachment 9046916
I wish I could swing this driver more consistently. No matter what swing I put on it my shot shaped looked like this. Some may have been worm burners, but left to right dispersion was pretty shocking.
It is a heck of a driver. Good launch, lowish spin, no L/R bias whatsoever, and very stable feeling all over the face through impact..
I wasnt sure what to expect with the sound and its great. Really like it. Nice and mushy off the face.
Do share.