Cobra Air-x range
From £169
The Air-x franchise is the latest evolution of Cobra’s popular lightweight club category, designed for players with moderate swing speeds. It’s a family that builds on the success of the super-gameimprover F-max range that debuted back in 2017, and includes new drivers, fairways, irons and hybrids for both male and female golfers.
The theme of being lightweight and easy to hit continues into this new range, with the drivers featuring a lighter and thinner ply carbon crown that is 30 per cent thinner than the previous generation. The head, shaft and Lamkin grip have all been made lighter, which has saved eight grams in total. As a result, the new driver weighs just 277 grams. In addition, the Air-x drivers feature heelbiased weighting and an offset-hosel design to help correct a slice and make it easier to hit straighter shots. Meanwhile, for players who prefer a traditional, square set-up at address, the drivers are also available in a straight-neck model.
Cobra says the irons take lightweight performance to a new level. The clubheads themselves have been made two grams lighter, while a six-gram-lighter standard-size grip with a softer rubber compound offers greater feel. Weight low and wide increases stability and forgiveness on off-centre hits, while heel-biased weighting provides draw-trajectory for enhanced accuracy and directional control. Meanwhile, the long-irons, which high-handicap players typically find hard to launch, feature more offset to increase accuracy and forgiveness. In short, game-improvers should find this set even easier and more enjoyable to hit.
The Cobra Air-x range is available now with the following RRPS: driver: £299; fairways: £189; hybrids: £169; irons: £599 steel, £699 graphite (5-SW).
1. Would those who play F-max notice much of a difference?
Our Air-x range of clubs has again been built to maximise distance, forgiveness and accuracy. By saving weight through the carbon fibre crown on the drivers and fairways, we can help golfers generate greater club speeds to increase distance and consistency. This design shift also lowers the centre of gravity for higher launches and even more distance.
2. How do you arrive at the right level, one that’s not too light?
Typically, we strive to get the lightest weight but still make it playable. This requires balancing, in a design sense, the specific component weights (head, shaft, grip) along with the head CG and shaft-stiffness profiles. Through extensive testing, we can determine the correct weight for maximum performance. There is obviously a trade off: too light would reduce control/feel, and too heavy would have the opposite effect. The Air-x family has a two-year product cycle, so we can use factual data and extensive testing to ensure we see performance gains with this new family of clubs.
3. What does Cobra class as a ‘moderate swing speed’?
It’s hard to quantify with a number, but this is usually less than 85mph for a male golfer’s driver swing speed. The Air-x family is designed for that super-gameimprover category. The offset design of the irons will boost launch and reduce a slice, and the club specs are built around ensuring slower-swingspeed players see performance benefits. You’ll notice the lofts are slightly weaker versus the LTDX irons, which helps us deliver consistent trajectories through the set.
“THIS RANGE LOOKS TO BE AN IDEAL STARTING POINT FOR GOLFERS COMING INTO THE GAME WHO WANT PERFORMANCE FROM THE GET-GO”
Joel Tadman, GM technical editor