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Cobra Golf Fly-Z XL Driver Review Thread

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Hawk

Hawk

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The Fly-Z XL shares the same name and some similar technologies as its sister drivers, but is quite different than both of them. It's a bonded head with quite a bit of draw bias built in to help those folks that need some slice correction off the tee.

Specs:

Lofts: 9.5°, 10.5°, and 11.5°
Length: 45.75"
Volume: 460cc
Swing Weight: D3-D3.5
Shaft: Fly-Z XL Graphite - 55g (Lite) thru 60g (Stiff)
Availability: RH (All) and LH (10.5°)
Price: $279

The technologies that the XL shares with the other 2015 Cobra drivers are the visible ones - Speed Channel milling around the border of the face and the Back Zone weight on the sole. In addition, it's got a slightly shallower face and a pretty good amount of offset, which Cobra claims adds up to 17.5 yards of draw bias. In addition, they claim that it offers significant forgiveness.


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Definitely a closed face but I could see this helping a TON of amateurs out there.

Hopefully the offering does well.
 
#Cookie said:
Definitely a closed face but I could see this helping a TON of amateurs out there.

Hopefully the offering does well.
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Agreed. Could help a TON. Its all about getting them to try it.

I'm one that prefers the way PING did it with the SF-Tec (internal bias instead of external) to get people to try what could really help them. But this one is the best looking XL release to date IMO. Its a solid looking head.
 
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Not too many slicers out there apparently :D
 
hahaha, I have a feeling some heads would turn at a demo day. The offset, the setup.. It makes a ton of sense for a lot of golfers.

Looking forward to your thoughts hawk!
 
Hawk said:
Not too many slicers out there apparently :D
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with that offset and closed face, I'll be hitting hooks all day #internetgolfer

Actually, maybe the best looking version of this style head they have made in quite some time. People should go back and watch the TO interview about COG. Perhaps they would look at this one a little differently.
 
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Should be fun to see what comes out of it based on where I've been hitting driver lately. And then compared to the Fly-Z. I think it says even compared to the D settings on the Fly-Z, there should be 10.5 yards more slice correction or draw flight. However you want to describe it.
 
Hmm that looks like a launch machine, I remember TO saying that exactly what I need
 
I'll be curious to see how this one compares to the Baffler XL. I hit the Baffler last year at a demo day and no matter the club, 11.5* A, 10.5 R and 9.5 S flex the Baffler XL just hit moon balls. I'm not a long hitter either. It would have been a zero roll club. I passed
 
mikedean441 said:
Hmm that looks like a launch machine, I remember TO saying that exactly what I need
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He said that to you back in August when we were out there.
 
JB said:
He said that to you back in August when we were out there.
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Yes sir, I mean Im still not sure he knows what he is talking about but whatever :)
 
I'm with James in that I prefer heel weighting vs. a closed face. I know it's a mental thing, but I find that if I put most of my adjustable clubs in "closed" setting, I end up making things worse for me from a slice perspective.
 
I tried this driver a few weeks ago and it was giving me amazing results. what was almost always a fade or slice turned into pretty straight to a few draws here and there. I cant say enough how great of a feeling it was to actually hit the ball where i wanted to. I ordered a standard fly-z and have a feeling i might send it back and get this instead.
 
musicmaster6921 said:
I tried this driver a few weeks ago and it was giving me amazing results. what was almost always a fade or slice turned into pretty straight to a few draws here and there. I cant say enough how great of a feeling it was to actually hit the ball where i wanted to. I ordered a standard fly-z and have a feeling i might send it back and get this instead.
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Did it keep up with the normal one you ordered distance wise? I imagine some distance.would be lost but more than offset by better accuracy
 
I second 441's question.
 
mikedean441 said:
Did it keep up with the normal one you ordered distance wise? I imagine some distance.would be lost but more than offset by better accuracy
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Not sure as I still haven't received the Fly-Z I ordered..... Once I get the one i ordered i can compare on a monitor next time im around one. For reference I play the standard Bio Cell driver currently at 10.5 loft Draw setting and The Fly-Z XL i tried was also 10.5 and I was hitting comparable distances (about 200-210ish). Biggest thing was I was MUCH more on line and not 40+ yards to the right on mishits. I could aim where I wanted the ball to go and was relatively close to that spot. Where as with the BioCell even in draw setting still find myself aiming 20+ yards left to try and hit my target. Now I know i really need some lessons and to improve my swing but this version of the XL really did help alot.
 
Good info. This thing sounds like it was made for you mm.
 
Hawk said:
Good info. This thing sounds like it was made for you mm.
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It kind of seemed like it. Now to just get over the mental stigma of not having the driver I "wanted". (standard Fly-Z) I will be going back to where I demo'd it the first weekend of march and will be hitting it again and if I get the same results again probably going to pull the trigger and get one.
 
This s my first post, but I thought I could actually add to this conversation.

I bought one of these today. I have such a bad slice that I have not even attempted using a driver in a couple years, but I went to the local shop today with the intention of finding something I could hit. The salesperson had me hit a TaylorMade SLDR, and a Bio Cell, both tweaked to the max to try to compensate for my slice. I was getting about 205 to 215 yds from each, with around 30 yds right with the SLDR, and 20-25 yds right with the BioCell. We both had about given up hope when she remembered they had one 11.5 Deg Fly-Z XL and got it for me to try. It took a couple hits to get the feel of it, then I hit a string of five shots that averaged 220 yds and 5 yards right of center. I was so happy to find a driver I could hit, I bought it and a 5 wood from the same line.
 
Just a question if one draws the ball with their natural swing will this make them hook a lot more? Could one just hold it open a bit to hit it straight? I don't quite understand about how they are set up with draw bias or something like that.
 
deadeye said:
This s my first post, but I thought I could actually add to this conversation.

I bought one of these today. I have such a bad slice that I have not even attempted using a driver in a couple years, but I went to the local shop today with the intention of finding something I could hit. The salesperson had me hit a TaylorMade SLDR, and a Bio Cell, both tweaked to the max to try to compensate for my slice. I was getting about 205 to 215 yds from each, with around 30 yds right with the SLDR, and 20-25 yds right with the BioCell. We both had about given up hope when she remembered they had one 11.5 Deg Fly-Z XL and got it for me to try. It took a couple hits to get the feel of it, then I hit a string of five shots that averaged 220 yds and 5 yards right of center. I was so happy to find a driver I could hit, I bought it and a 5 wood from the same line.
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Welcome to THP deadeye and thanks for the feedback. Stop back and keep us updated please.

Sounds like a solid match for you and I'm not surprised to hear you even gained yards with the better dispersion.

lopsta5 said:
Just a question if one draws the ball with their natural swing will this make them hook a lot more? Could one just hold it open a bit to hit it straight? I don't quite understand about how they are set up with draw bias or something like that.
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I'll hopefully be able to answer that a little better tonight lopsta.
 
To answer your question simply, lopsta - yes.

Just a first session, so I'm going to be a little brief, but here were go.

-The offset is very evident at address. Not saying it's bad or good - just that it's there.
-Sound seemed a little on the louder side, but I wasn't getting anything that seemed objectionable that I recall.
-Seems to launch high (considering it's a 9° driver). LA's in the 14° range.
-A little spinny for me - at least last night.
-Shorter than the Fly-Z for me. Combination of ball speed, directional issues, and probably a little bit related to spin.
-Definitely wanted to be left and that was an issue for me. Fairway missing left. For me, not a great thing. For a right misser, potentially a very good thing.
 
I think I'd really like this driver if it didn't make balls live in the left rough.

Very easy to hit and it launches very high for the loft (9° and I'm in the 14-15° LA range - that's a good thing). Spin is definitely too high to be optimal, but on the list of important things that becomes less and less important to me.

It's loud. Definitley very loud.

I think if you're a slicer and not a big swinger you'd be silly not to try it though.
 
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