Cobra Radspeed Drivers £369

GM Verdict

Cobra claims its Radspeed drivers will offer increased distance without sacrificing forgiveness, thanks to more extreme weighting and more head options to cater for every player type.

We tested the new models against the two prior Cobra drivers to get a flavour for how the performance has evolved. We were able to retro fit the new stock Fujikura Motore X F1 x-stiff shaft into all three heads in 9° for a more accurate comparison, too.

There are three heads to choose from now, with the standard Radspeed driver offering up a slightly more compact profile, while the other two look more stretched out from front to back. The wrapped-over top section of the CNC

Infinity face helps with alignment, too.

In its low-spin setting (with the

12g moveable weight at the front), the Radspeed knocked off a considerable amount of spin versus the two previous-generation drivers, which will appeal to faster swingers or anyone who generates too much spin.

This did lead to a greater average carry distance, too, but the spin dropping this much is a slight concern for golfers prone to the occasional high toe strike, where spin comes down significantly. But with the forgiveness of the head and the in-built fade bias, we found the ball flight to be surprisingly stable and straight on all but the worst of mishits. Moving the 12g to the back increased the spin by over 400rpm, a little more than we’d hoped. Flights and distances were much more consistent, but it wasn’t quite as long.

We were surprised to see that moving into the Radspeed XB driver seemed to be the best middle ground. The ball speed and launch stayed the same, but the spin came down to around the 2,200rpm mark, which was lower than the King Speedzone and closer to the 2,100rpm we would deem to be optimal with our usual ball speed and attack-angle tendencies. This resulted in strong carries with control and a best shot that flew 280 yards.

In summary, the optimum results from the Radspeed and Radspeed XB drivers were quite similar. The theme from both was lower spin than what came before, and while that might work on the really great hits, it can have a negative effect on the mishits.

The Radspeed driver in its low-spin setting was marginally the longest we tested and seemed to be more stable overall than the older King F9 Speedback. The Radspeed XB was nearly as long but even more user

We gained distance with Radspeed while maintaining control

friendly thanks to higher, more consistent spin and more forgiveness. Where last year’s King Speedzone Xtreme was too high-spinning for us, the lower-spinning Radspeed XB has created a bit of a dilemma.

On centred hits, you will likely experience longer carries with Radspeed than prior-generation Cobra drivers. The option of the moveable weight in the Radspeed, as well as the extra forgiveness of the Radspeed XB, the new slice-fighting capability of the Radspeed XD and the £369 price tag, once again mean the new Cobra driver range is a mightily appealing prospect for all types of player.