Cobra has announced the successor to its F9 Speedback range (from which we reviewed the driver), for 2020 as the King Speedzone. Featuring two drivers, three fairway woods, three hybrids and two sets of irons, the brand claim it is their fastest and most advanced family of products yet.
Cobra King Speedzone and Speedzone Xtreme Driver
There are two new drivers hitting the market for 2020, which have been designed with inspiration from attributes of the fastest racecars in the world.
The Speedzone is a better player's driver with a traditional shape and workability, whilst the Speedzone Xtreme offers great forgiveness and a straighter ball flight.
Both drivers feature six unique performance 'zones', where each component has been engineered to maximise output:
1. Power Zone - CNC Infinity Milled Face
The infinity milled face is referred to as the engine of the driver, crucial for generating ball speed. It is the only driver in golf to use a CNC Milled Face, and Cobra has expanded the milled area by 95% this time around, to better control face and leading-edge thickness.
Cobra inspects all aspects of every face to ensure a larger Speedzone across the face, maximising ball speed.
2. Strength Zone
The new drivers feature a new Titanium T-Bar Speed Chassis, where titanium is removed from the head to create surplus weight which is redistributed elsewhere for a lower CG and higher MOI, creating fast and forgiving performance.
Despite this, the titanium frame maintains a strong structure which is designed to withstand high speed impact.
3. Light Zone
The new Speedzone chassis allows for even more carbon fibre to be added than in previous Cobra drivers. There's a new 360 Carbon Wrap Crown design, which makes up half of the driver body to give it extra support whilst also saving 25 grams of weight.
This weight is then redistributed low and back in the head to provide optimal launch characteristics.
4. Low CG Zone
A low centre of gravity is vital in a good driver as it maximises ball speed, launch and spin.
The Speedzone driver places 69 grams of mass, 29 grams more than last year's Speedback, low in the head for better launch conditions.
5. Aero Zone
The new Speedzone focuses on aerodynamics, harnessing airflow to reduce drag and increase clubhead speed.
6. Stability Zone
The high MOI design of the Speedzone driver positions weight away from the centre of the head, giving the club more stability on off-centre hits for longer and straighter drives.
Tom Olsavsky, VP of R&D for Cobra Golf commented:
Our new King Speedzone drivers emphatically answered the question we are always asked - can you really improve the driver any further and stay within the rules of golf? That answer is yes.
By approaching design the same way you would if you were trying to create the world's fastest cars, we left nothing on the table in terms of speed considerations. With our six zones of performance, Speedzone is the fastest driver that we have ever produced.
The drivers are available in a choice of two different colours: Gloss Black/Yellow and Matte Black/White. The standard Speedzone driver comes in 9 and 10.5 degrees, whilst the Speedzone Xtreme is available in 9, 10.5 and 12 degrees with an extra Women's driver option at 12.5 degrees.
They are priced at RRP £349 and will be available from January 24 2020.
Cobra King Speedzone Fairway Woods
For 2020, Cobra is introducing 3 distinct fairway wood offerings designed to suit a wide variety of golfers: The King Speedzone, King Speedzone Tour and Speedzone Big Tour.
The King Speedzone (£229) is the traditional model with back weighting and a shallower face for easy launch, high ball-flight and added forgiveness.
The King Speedzone Tour (£229) is smaller in shape with a forward CG to suit better players who want a low-spin and low-flight option with added workability.
Finally, the Speedzone Big Tour Fairway (£229) has the largest profile of the three, with a stronger loft and forward CG which creates fast ball speed with a high launch and low spin for maximum distance.
The fairway woods benefit from four key zones of performance:
1. Power Zone
The only fairway woods to have a CNC Milled Face, this allows for a thinner and hotter face that is as much as 5 times more precise than normal methods. This allows the team at Cobra to consistently create clubs built closer to maximum tolerances, for faster ball speeds across the face.
2. Flex Zone
A new split rail structure means that there is now a front and rear portion. The silver front rails are hollowed out to make them thinner, and flex at impact whilst still featuring the Baffler Rail technology for better turf interaction.
The overall result? More flexion to create better ball speed and improve launch, with a leading edge that gets through the ground more easily for better speed throughout the strike.
3. Stability Zone
The two Baffler Rails provided stability and speed through the turf and can improve strike and consistency on a variety of different lies out on the course.
4. Light Zone
An ultralight carbon fibre crown saves 10g of weight, which is positioned elsewhere to lower the Centre of Gravity, for a higher launch and increased forgiveness.
Down on the hosel, MyFly with SmartRail technology allows golfers a choice of five different loft settings and three ball flight settings, allowing them to manage their trajectory and shape.
SmartRail ensures that the face remains square regardless of the setting that the club is in.
Cobra King Speedzone Hybrid
Providing the perfect complement to the fairway woods, Cobra's Speedzone Hybrids are available in both standard and One Length variations, and also utilise specific zones of construction to form such a high-performing hybrid.
1. Hollow Split Rail Technology
This allows for more flex than solid rails, creating a larger hot spot for higher launch and increased distance.
2. Back Weighting
Concentrating weight lower and further back in the head promotes a higher launch, more spin, higher trajectories and optimum carry distance.
3. Forged E9 Face
A forged two-piece construction features high-strength stainless steel which is extra-thin for added ball speed.
4. Refined Shape
The Speedzone is slightly larger than a conventional hybrid, and this shape promotes a high MOI for increased forgiveness on off-centre strikes, as well as a square leading edge to aid alignment and accuracy.
5. Cobra Connect
Golfers can record and track their distance, accuracy and overall performance using the Arccos Caddie app alongside Cobra Connect.
The King Speedzone Hybrids are priced at £189 and are available between 17 and 24 degrees for men, and 21 to 31 degrees for women.
The Speedzone One Length Hybrid, like the One Length irons, features a 7-iron length to promote a consistent set up and swing and is available between 19 and 24 degrees. As with the rest of the range, they will be available from January 24th 2020.