When I think Cobra Golf fairway woods -- and, to a lesser extent, their hybrids -- I think one thing: those rails, man.
The Baffler rails are a thing of beauty, and I'll never forget the first time I used a Cobra fairway wood with them. A buddy of mine and I were on a driving range, and he told me about the woods. He said the rails would help me hit the ball perfectly, even with the ball in a divot. Natural skeptic I am, I took him to task and dropped a ball in a divot and swung.
High and straight, as far as I could expect.
Fortunately, the rails are a key feature of the Cobra Golf fairway offerings in the modern era, and that's no different for 2020 with the King Speedzone line. However, they rails have been changed to improve the overall performance of the club.
King Speedzone fairway woods
In the new Speedzone fairways, the dual Baffler rails have a split structure, with a hollowed-out front portion designed to create thinner walls that flex at impact while still allowing the rails to offer better turf interaction. The rare portion of the structure is solid. The end result is a structure that prevents the leading edge from digging, while delivering higher ball speeds and launch angles.
The face of the fairways is CNC milled, like with the Speedzone drivers, to deliver a more precise end product and increase ball speeds with a thinner, hotter face. Meanwhile, a carbon fiber crown saves 10 grams of discretionary weight that is positioned to lower the center of gravity.
MyFly technology offers five loft settings and three draw-bias settings, while the Smart Rail technology keeps the face square to the target regardless of loft setting.
The King Speedzone fairways comes in three models:
- a traditional model with a shallower face and back weighting to promote better launch conditions and more forgiveness with less effort
- a Tour model with a more compact shape and more forward center-of-gravity weighting for players who want lower spin and trajectory, as well workability
- a Big Tour model which actually has the largest profile of the family, with a more forward center of gravity right on the zero axis from face to back, as well stronger lofts.
All three models are $279 each.
The King Speedzone fairway comes in 3- (13-16 degrees), 5- (17-20 degrees) and 7-wood (21-24 degrees) models, in gloss black-and-yellow or matte black-and-white. There are two stock options in graphite, but there are 20 aftermarket shafts available as a no-charge upgrade.
The King Speedzone Tour fairway comes in 3- (12.5-15.5 degrees) and 5-wood (16-19 degrees) models, in gloss black-and-yellow with a stock Project X HZRDUS Yellow 70 graphite shaft in stiff and X-stiff.
The King Speedzone Big Tour fairway comes in a 3-wood (12-15 degrees) model with a stock Project X HZRDUS Yellow 70 graphite shaft in stiff and X-stiff.
King Speedzone hybrids
The King Speedzone hybrids, of course, have some resemblance to the fairways. However, they also have some unique features unto themselves and not quite the same diversification.
They have the hollow split Baffler rail setup, with more flex for an increased hot spot. The overall profile is bigger than a traditional hybrid to deliver increased moment of inertia and a more square leading edge for improved alignment.
The weight is centered low and back, as with most hybrids, to create higher launch conditions with more spin and maximum, par-5 reaching carry.
The 455 stainless steel face is forged and has a two-piece construction with an E9 design for the most forgiving structure.
The King Speedzone hybrids are available in variable or One Length designs.
The King Speedzone men's hybrids are $230 and available in 2- (17 degrees), 3- (19 degrees), 4- (21 degrees) and 5-hybrid (24 degrees) heads with UST Recoil 480 ESX graphite shafts in R, S or Lite flex . The King Speedzone men's hybrids come in a matte black and rose gold look in 4- (21 degrees), 5- (24 degrees), 6- (28 degrees) and 7-hybrid (31 degrees) heads and come stock with UST Recoil 450 ESX shaft in ladies’ flex.
The King Speedzone One Length hybrids are the same price but have a 7-iron length and configuration to create a repeatable swing. They're available in 2- (19 degrees), 4H (21 degrees) and 5-hybrid (24 degrees) heads and come standard with a UST Recoil 480 ESX shaft in S, R or Lite flexes.
