All posts in Cobra

Cobra’s S3 Irons are the Real Deal

by James on June 15, 2011 in Cobra, Golf Equipment, Irons with No comments

I’ve had the pleasure of striking the Cobra Golf S3 irons for 3 rounds now. And let me tell you… These irons produce a solid feel and penetrating ball flight on each and every shot. They’re the real deal.

With the Cobra S3 Irons, Cobra Golf incorporated something they call their ‘E9 Face Technology’. The E9 technology offers a massive sweet spot. Combine that with a unique multi-material construction, and these irons could be some of the easiest to hit on the market today… and I sincerely mean that. From the first shot through to the last wedge I hit the other day, shots come of crisp, clean and consistent.

An interesting little tidbit about these irons is the actual material used in head construction. The 3 through 7 irons are made of 17-4 hyper steel, while the 8 through lob wedge are made from 17-4 stainless steel. The difference? I suspect the stainless is offers a tad more feel for those scoring shots around the green, and the hyper steel provides a crisper contact, for more distance. Just a hunch, but that’s what is has to be!

The last (and quite unique) feature of the S3 irons is the stepped crescent sole design. You’ll notice the sole design right off the hop if you ever see these clubs on display or in a bag around the course… The design allows for what Cobra calls ‘superior turf interaction’, for consistent and accurate shot making.

Cobra Golf S3 Irons

While all this is well and good, don’t take Cobra‘s word for it. Take MY word for it. I had the pleasure of playing the course on which I learned the game over this past weekend. I’ve looped the course many hundreds of times, and while I’m a decent player, had never carded a round under 75. With the Cobra S3 irons as an integral part of my game, I managed to get around all 18 in one-under par. A 70. I was flabbergasted!

While sitting in the clubhouse with some buddies to reflect on the round (and enjoy a beer), I decided to break down the round… and this is where the impact of the S3 irons became clear. Fairways hit? 6 of 14. Not so good. Total putts? 31. Again, not so good. Greens in regulation? 14 of 18… and the four that I missed… were right on the fringe. So what does that mean? Well, in the end it means my iron shots were finding the target. I was on or around the green, and managed to hole out with 2 putts (on average) to take my par and run. My mid and short iron shots with the Cobra S3′s were on the money, and thank goodness for that!

Stay tuned very shortly for an S3 iron photo gallery. I’m very eager to show off these beauties to you… and as always, an extra special THANK YOU to the good folks @CobraGolf!

Skating on Rails: Cobra’s Baffler Rules!

by Annie Latham on June 4, 2011 in Cobra, Fairway Woods, Golf Equipment, Hybrids with 1 Comment

Have  you ever found yourself off the fairway in just enough rough to truly muck with the clubhead?  I’m not talking about literal muck.  I’m talking about the stuff that seems to grab the club and keep its face open as you address the ball.  It is bad enough to be off the fairway to begin with.  But having your subsequent shot move further to the right is downright cruel — especially if that right puts you into someone else’s fairway.

That is why I am here today singing the praises of Cobra for their Baffler Rail fairway and hybrid clubs.  I added a 3 Fairway and a 4 Hybrid to my bag for the last two rounds I played and was truly amazed at the difference.  I’m usually skeptical of the marketing speak of golf equipment manufacturers.  But this time, I have to admit, the club worked as promoted:

Cobra’s Baffler Rail Fairway features a sleek-looking, 17-4 steel clubhead that has a thin, high-strength 465 maraging steel clubface designed to increase ball speed and distance. The elongated clubface and low-profile head result in a low, deep center of gravity – to help golfers launch the ball with ease – and a high Moment of Inertia for maximum forgiveness. The new four-way rail sole is designed to help the club move effortlessly through turf – to provide more consistent ball contact and improved control. The Baffler Rail Fairway features a premium, high-performance Fujikura Motore shaft for optimum distance and control.

“Golfers struggle with hitting traditional fairway woods, so we made the Baffler Fairway more like the Baffler Hybrid in terms of versatility and forgiveness, which makes hitting fairway woods a lot more fun.”

The key words to pay attention to here are “maximum forgiveness” and “a lot more fun.”  I wholeheartedly agree.  The ball just sprung off the clubface and went where I intended.  Plus I got a nice lift.  Very cool!

Here’s are the key points of the Women’s Baffler Rail Hybrid :

  • Innovative Rail Sole:  A four-way rail sole reduces the area of the club that comes in contact with the ground, resulting in improved turf interaction and maximum forgiveness.
  • 9 Point Face Technology:  Incorporated across the clubface, these create an expanded Sweet Zone that promotes more consistent distance and forgiveness.
  • High-Strength Face Insert (Utility):  A thin, lightweight maraging steel face allows for 10% of the weight to be strategically repositioned low and back, resulting in faster ball speed and improved launch characteristics.

Along with the above, the Baffler Rail fairway woods feature a unique oversize head design and a very shallow face result in an extremely forgiving fairway wood that launches the ball with ease.

For women, these clubs (roughly  $169 for fairway wood and $149 for the hybrid) are well worth the investment.  Guys should give them a test drive too.  Take advantage of the playability guarantee a lot of retailers offer and get them out on the course.  See (and feel) for yourself.  To me, the Rail technology is a true game changer.

Here’s a video clip shot during the recent Golf Expo at Haggin Oaks where Charlie Hazzard of Cobra Puma explains the rails.

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Cobra S3 Driver Photo Gallery

by James on May 14, 2011 in Cobra, Drivers, Golf Equipment with No comments

The Cobra S3 Driver is one darn good looking driver. That’s why, when Cobra told me they were sending one over for my review… I was, in a word, excited. The S3 packs-in something Cobra are calling their ‘E9 Face Technology’, which creates a 30% larger sweet-spot. Of course, Cobra’s Adjustable Flight Technology (AFT) is on-board as well, allowing the player to adjust the clubface from an open, to a neutral or closed position.

I won’t get into the details of the technology and design at this moment (although I do have to admit I love the deeper face on this one in comparison to the Cobra S2 Driver)… For now, I decided to take a few snapshots. Enjoy.

Cobra S3 Driver Photo Gallery

Quick Look: The Cobra Special Release S3 Driver

by James on April 21, 2011 in Cobra, Drivers, Golf Equipment with No comments

You may recall our quick look at the Cobra S3 Driver a little while ago. It’s a sharp looking driver, packed full of technology to help you hit the ball farther and straighter than ever before.

As wonderful as the S3 is, Cobra has stepped-up to offer a special release driver, much like they did for the ZL Driver last year. The Special Release S3 Driver (coming soon) features an all-white paintjob, and an Aldila RIP Beta Shaft.

On top of the features listed above, all of the standard tech you find in the stock S3 driver is on-board as well. You’ll get the E9 Face Technology, Adjustable Flight Technology, and a titanium 6-4 head and face with an aluminum hosel sleeve.

Look for the Cobra Golf Special Release S3 Driver to hit a pro shop near you at the end of April 2011. Hopefully I’ll get a chance to give this one a swing. She’s a sharp one!

Cobra Special Release S3 Driver Photo Gallery:

For more information, hit up Cobra Golf.

The Cobra S3 Driver: A Closer Look

by James on March 17, 2011 in Cobra, Drivers, Golf Equipment, Manufacturers with 3 Comments
cobra-s3-driver-1

As part of their 2011 lineup, Cobra recently released the brand-spanking new S3 Driver. Building upon the foundation laid by the S9, and then the S2, the S3 features a new ‘E9′ face technology… a technology that creates a 30% larger sweet spot. Plus, the Adjustable Flight Technology built into the club head and shaft allows you to make adjustments to fine tune your shot shape or compensate for shot tendencies.

So what is the Cobra E9 Face Technology all about? It’s pretty darn simple, really. The face of the S3 features a taller elliptical face with a beveled perimeter. The end result is a 30% larger sweet spot, allowing you to grip it and rip it down the middle more often. Distance, accuracy and forgiveness are all built-in.

Digging deeper into the E9 Face Technology, Cobra has tested and proven that 99% of shots hit by golfers miss the center of the face in a tilted, elliptical pattern from low heel to high toe. With that in mind, they created a taller and more elliptical face to mirror that miss-hit pattern.

The S3 offers a ‘hotter’ club face in comparison to the S2 driver… take a look at the comparison of the S2 and S3 clubface below.

S2 and S3 Face Comparison

The Adjustable Flight Technology (AFT) built into the shaft and head is exactly the same as previous models (the S2 and ZL). The club comes with three settings, open, neutral and closed. While these three settings aren’t as many as some of the other technologies available today, some might argue that anything more than 3 settings is overkill. I do enjoy the simplicity of the Cobra AFT… Open, neutral or closed… pick your poison and work with it. Easy as that.

The Cobra S3 is available in 8.5, 9.5, 10.5 and 11.5 lofts. All models are available in 45.5″ lengths with D5 swing weight (the 11.5 is available in a D4 as well) and multiple shaft flexes. The Fukijura Blur is the stock shaft of choice, available in the TX006 and TX005 models. The tX006 is available in regular, stiff and extra-stiff, all having a mid kick and 5.5 degrees of torque. The TX005 comes in lite flex only, with a low kick point and 5.6 degrees of torque.

Fujikura Blur Shaft on the Cobra S3

Cobra S3 Photo Gallery

For more information, head on over to Cobra Golf.

Cobra Golf Launches Limited Edition ‘All-White’ ZL Driver

by James on November 5, 2010 in Cobra, Drivers, Golf Equipment, Manufacturers with 2 Comments
Ian Poulter and the Cobra All-White ZL Driver

Cobra Golf All-White ZL Driver

When it comes to stylish and powerful golf clubs, one of the names that comes to mind (for me, anyways) is Cobra Golf. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that they’ve graciously sent me their Cobra S2 Driver and Cobra ZL Driver for review… Yeah, you know what, that’s what it is! :) But seriously, the folks at Cobra-Puma Golf are on more of the ‘cutting edge’ when it comes to combining solid golf clubs and stylish apparel.

This story is perhaps a mesh of the two. A wonderful, wonderful mesh of the two.

Cobra Golf has announced a limited edition ‘all-white’ ZL driver. How awesome is that!? You thought the TaylorMade Rossa Corza Ghost putter looked slick, wait until you feast your eyes on this bad boy. To start, below are a few images of the all-white Cobra ZL driver in-use by Ian Poulter:

Ian Poulter and his new Cobra All-White ZL Driver

Ian Poulter and the Cobra All-White ZL Driver

Only 500 of these drivers have been made, and each is marked with a production serial number. Also of note, Cobra staffer Ian Poulter is using the all-white ZL Driver at the World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions event in Shanghai, China. Gotta love that Ian Poulter. So stylish.

I’ve included the official press release after the jump for your reference. All of the club specs and features are there, so you may want to give it a read if you’re interested in this one. It’s certainly a one-of-a-kind, er… well, perhaps a 500-of-a-kind item… and speaking from experience, the Cobra ZL is a very solid, workable and explosive driver off the tee.

Let it be known… I want one of these.

Continue reading →

Cobra S2 Driver Photo Gallery

by James on September 28, 2010 in Cobra, Drivers, Golf Equipment, Manufacturers with 2 Comments
The Cobra S2 Driver

As you may have noticed, I recently posted my first impressions of the Cobra S2 Driver. So far so good with the S2, and for the moment I’m quite content to keep this bad boy in the bag.

You’ll want to stay tuned here at GolfCrunch for a more thorough review of the S2, but until then I’ve posted a few photos for your review below. I think you’ll find the Cobra S2 is not only a powerful and forgiving driver with great feel… but the darn thing looks mighty nice as well. Enjoy.

The Cobra S2 Driver

The Cobra S2 Driver at address

Face of the Cobra S2 Driver

Sole of the Cobra S2 Driver

Stylish Cobra S2 Headcover

The Cobra S2 Driver and Headcover

The Cobra S2 Driver: First Impressions

by James on September 27, 2010 in Cobra, Drivers, Golf Equipment, Manufacturers with 3 Comments
Out on the course with the Cobra S2 Driver

I had been wanting to get my hands on the Cobra S2 Driver for some time now. A few months back, the good folks at Cobra Golf were nice enough to send me the Cobra ZL Driver for review… and after putting that one through its paces, I loved it. Naturally, with the S2 as their other big driver option, I wanted to do the same. Without hesitation Cobra obliged my request, so… the other day I took the S2 to the range, and then out on the course for some testing. What I found was all good.

The club in my hands was a 10.5 with stiff Cobra Fit-On Max 65 gram shaft. On the range, my first few drives were straight and true. Much like the ZL, the feel at impact was solid as a rock, and I was able to work the ball either direction with ease. It’s important to note that the Cobra S2 Driver has Adjustable Flight Technology (AFT) built-in as well, so if you’d rather not make changes to your setup, simply adjust the clubhead to the open, neutral or closed position to help you work the ball (or straighten out that slice!).

Out on the course, my drive off the first tee made me smile. Straight down the pipe, right down the middle of the fairway leaving me a gap wedge into the green. Needless to say, I was loving the Cobra S2 already. Never mind the fact that I missed the green and 3-hacked it from there for a bogey… the purpose of my round was to get some initial impressions of the S2 :)

The Cobra S2 Driver in the bag!

The Cobra S2 Driver taking its place in my bag. You may also notice the Cobra Baffler Pro Hybrid in there too. Solid club.

As the round went on, one thing became quite apparent to me. The 9 Point Face Technology that Cobra touts was clearly in effect. If you have never heard of this, Cobra advertises that their drivers have 9 ‘hot’ points across the clubface, giving you consistently long and accurate drives no matter where you strike the ball. As long as you make contact in the area containing these 9 points, you’ll feel the difference. And, I’ve got to say… in comparison to the ZL I really felt this in the S2. Maybe it’s because my swing was a little bit off, but I was hitting quite a few drives off the toe-side of the driver, and all of them took off like a rocket. The feeling of these drives off the face was as if I had pured it off the sweet spot. It felt great, to say the least.

Much like the Cobra ZL Driver, the S2 sets up nicely to the ball, and inspires confidence. The overall look and feel of the club is sharp as well. In fact, I prefer the styling on the S2 over the ZL. Not by much, but I have to admit, the S2 wins in overall looks.

I’m going to stop here for now, but expect a more thorough review (with pictures) in the near future. I’ll probably put the S2 through some more testing, and form some takeaway conclusions for you to keep in mind.

At first blush though, the S2 is certainly getting my seal of approval. Solid distance, great accuracy, and a consistent feel off the face.

For more information on the Cobra S2 Driver, head on over to CobraGolf.com.

Stay tuned for more.

Note: As always, a special thanks goes out to Terra and the team at Cobra Puma Golf.

Cobra ZL Driver Photo Gallery

by James on June 15, 2010 in Cobra, Drivers, Golf Equipment with 2 Comments
Cobra Zero Limits Driver and Headcover

Cobra Zero Limits Driver and Headcover

The Cobra ZL Driver (Zero Limits) is a solid piece of equipment. I can say that with certainty now, after having tested it numerous times on the range, and on the course. The feel off the face is solid, and making adjustments to the club face is fast (and easy). One other thing I’d like to note today is the trajectory of the tee. It’s piercing, and the ball looks like it never wants to come down. It goes without saying, I’m loving it.

While I’d love to blab on and on about the Cobra ZL Driver, I’m going to save that for a later date. What I’d like to do now is share some photos with you. Go ahead and take a look-see below. I hope you enjoy!

The ZL Driver, bag with AFT face adjustment tool, and headcover

The ZL Driver, bag with AFT flight adjustment tool, and headcover

The ZL and black suede bag containing the face adjustment tool

The ZL and black suede bag containing the face adjustment tool

A look at the face of the Cobra ZL

A look at the face of the Cobra ZL. '9 hotter points'? You betcha!

ZL profile view

3/4 Profile view of the Cobra ZL

The sole of the Cobra ZL Driver

The sole

Another look at the sole!

Another look at the sole!

A closeup of Cobra's AFT Technology (Adjustable Face Technology)

A closeup of Cobra's AFT Technology (Adjustable Flight Technology)

Adjusting the face of the ZL

Adjusting the face of the ZL

Changing the face to the closed setting

Changing the face to the closed setting

The head and shaft

The head and shaft

The driver head, shaft and adjustment tool

The Aldila Voodo stiff flex shaft

The Aldila Voodo stiff flex shaft

A view from behind

A view from behind

The stylish headcover that comes with the ZL

The stylish headcover that comes with the ZL

So there you have it! Hope you enjoyed this photo gallery of the Cobra ‘Zero Limits’ driver. If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment.

Cobra Baffler Rail H Hybrid: First Impressions

by James on June 10, 2010 in Cobra, Golf Equipment, Hybrids with 1 Comment
The Cobra Baffler Rail Hybrid

The Cobra Baffler Rail Hybrid

Before I take the Cobra Baffler Rail H Hybrid to the range, I thought I’d ‘tee off’ on it with my initial impressions. I currently carry a 20* Cobra Baffler Pro Hybrid in my bag, so I’m really curious to see how it performs in comparison. The club that Cobra sent my way is the new 17* Cobra Baffler Rail H Hybrid… and it looks sharp.

Besides the obvious difference in loft, the other major difference between the two Cobra hybrids in my possession are the shafts. My 20* baffler has a stock stiff steel shaft, while the new Rail Hybrid is packing a Fujikura Motore graphite shaft in a stiff flex. The difference in weight will be obvious, so it should be interesting to see what I prefer. I know it’s more of a personal choice… From my point of view I always shafted my hybrids with steel, as I considered them part of my pseudo iron set… Will the graphite shaft perform for me? Will I enjoy the feel and performance of the graphite? You’ll just have to wait and see!

While I’m talking shafts, I might as well touch on the shaft options available on the Cobra Baffler Rail Hybrid. It comes stock with the Fujikura Motore (in your choice of regular or stiff flex), and both of these shafts have a mid-kick point, weigh in at 65 grams, carry a 5.0 torque rating and produce mid to high launch conditions. For those that maybe don’t have the fastest of swing speeds, a ‘Lite’ flex is also available, and this one offers a low kick point, weighs in a 60 grams, carries a 5.0 torque rating and offers a high launch trajectory. If the Fujikura Motore shaft options aren’t for you, Cobra also offers quite a few custom shafting options. You can check out the options (including shafts from Aldila, Fujikura, Graphite Design, NS and True Temper) in this PDF (go to page 4 under ‘Baffler Shafts’).

Cobra Baffler Rail Hybrid with Fujikura Motore Shaft

Finally, I simply have to mention the sweet looking headcover on the Baffler Rail Hybrid. I snapped a quick photo of it below… it certainly puts the previous generation of Cobra headcovers to shame :)

Cobra Baffler Rail Hybrid Headcover

Stay tuned for more photos and a thorough review of the Cobra Baffler Rail H Hybrid. Can’t wait for the first practice session with it in the bag!

Special thanks: To Terra and the team at Cobra-Puma Golf for the continued support!

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