Cobra launches new F1-inspired Speedzone Driver

Cobra Golf has taken inspiration from Formula 1 in creating the new Speedzone (SZ) family and with it they have produced one of the most talked-about designs in the hardware industry. They have looked to increase performance in six key areas of the club to give an overall improvement on clubhead speed and more importantly – distance! The speed zones they have improved are: power, strength, low CG, weight, aerodynamics and stability. We headed down to eGolf Megastore at The Track, Meydan to speak to Marno Vorster about the new Cobra King SZ driver and the fairway woods to see what his thoughts were ahead of the upcoming release.

CNC Infinity Milled Face

The ‘CNC Infinity Milled Face’ is the most visibly different technology which makes it unique compared to other drivers on the market. The face is milled by a CNC machine to increase precision, and Cobra has increased the milling area in the new SpeedZone designs. This allows for greater precision over leading edge, face thickness and curvature, according to the company. The extended milled face of the new Cobra SZ helps enlarge the sweet spot and helps protect ball speed on mishits more effectively.

Weight

With an increase in the amount of carbon fibre, a lightweight material, used in the head Cobra have shifted the rest of the weight around different areas of the club. The carbon fibre crown now wraps around the head into the sole, thus increasing the amount of carbon to 50% of the driver body. With this extra weight, Cobra could then move the CG (center of gravity) lower and more towards the back of the head to help optimise launch conditions.

Aerodynamic shape

Cobra have emphasised the aerodynamic shaping of the driver head and high MOI (moment of inertia) construction, a combination that both increases clubhead speed by reducing drag, and maximises stability on off-centre hits.

Low Centre of Gravity

The standard Speedzone driver has CG adjustability, with interchangeable weight ports in both the front and back portions of the sole. It contains a 69-gram internal weight positioned at the back of the sole which helps pull the center of gravity down and away from the hitting area, which encourages a higher launch angle and boosts stability. Cobra further enhanced stability by adding a pair of weights to the heel and toe areas behind the face. They help the club resist twisting on off-centre hits.

Shaft options

Stock shafts include: UST Helium, Mitsubishi Tensei CK AV Blue, Project X HZRDUS Smoke Yellow and Aldila Rogue Silver, and over 20 shafts are available.

Two different colours

Both the Speedzone drivers come in Gloss Black/Yellow or Matte Black/White colorways

Two different heads

Two head shapes are available in the new range, the lower spinning Speedzone head (available in 9 and 10.5 Degree lofts) and more forgiving, higher MOI Speedzone Xtreme head (9, 10.5 and 12 Degree lofts).

Fairway Woods

In order to provide the best combination of power, speed, and distance in a fairway wood, Cobra Speedzone uses four specific optimised zones. This quick guide shows you where the four zones are and how they help your game:

1. Power – CNC-milled face is five times more precise to consistently produce a club face that is right up to the legal limit of speed.
2. Flex – Hollow split rails on the sole flex more for a 70% larger sweet spot from heel to toe for higher launch and great ball speed.
3. Stability – Dual Baffler rails maintain stability through the turf so the club glides effortlessly from any lie.
4. Light – Carbon fibre crown frees up more weight to move the center of gravity lower and deeper.

Marno Vorster,
Custom-fit Specialist – eGolf Megastore

The previous Cobra F9 Driver was widely heralded as one of the best performing drivers of 2019, so the new Speedzone for 2020 has a lot to measure up to. It certainly doesn’t disappoint. I generated three miles per hour more ball speed than my current driver which wasn’t surprising as you can feel the explosiveness off the new Infinity Milled face. The same face is responsible for outstanding feel which Cobra drivers deliver through their unique milling on the face, something that the other driver manufacturers still haven’t incorporated into their driver face technology. The Xtreme more forgiving version is a brilliant option for the higher handicappers seeking more distance off the tee and good performance for off-centre hits. I was incredibly impressed with the fairway wood. I’m expecting it to do exceptionally well as soon as it’s released.