Tested by real golfers
Edited by Joel Tadman
Cobra King Speedzone Drivers £349 G M Verd i ct The King F9 was a big success story for Cobra, so we were keen to discover how its replacement, the King Speedzone (SZ), stacked up. We had an exhaustive testing session indoors on the Foresight Sports GCQuad and a quick glance at the numbers suggested the performance was virtually identical between the old and new drivers. Delve a little deeper into the data, though, and there were some more interesting findings to be had. In the exact same shaft and loft with the weights in the low-spin positions, we actually swung the King SZ driver more than 1mph slower than the King F9. The strikes were much more centred with the King F9, yet the launch monitor told us the King SZ was actually more efficient at translating club speed into ball speed.
The King Speedzone in action
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It is impossible to tell why we swung the King SZ slower, but if it was down to us, not the aerodynamics of the head, then there’s a case to be made that over a longer period of time, golfers should be able to get marginally more performance out of the new King SZ model. Alternatively, the lack of Aero Trips is slowing the head down slightly. For us, the sound has taken a step back with the new model. It is now louder, higher pitched and overpowering, which is surprising given the addition of carbon fibre. We much preferred the duller, muted sound and feel of the King F9.
In the same setting, the King SZ Xtreme driver didn’t quite deliver the distance of the King SZ, owing to the extra 400rpm of spin, but it did flight the ball much higher – ideal for golfers with slower swing speeds. In summary, those who bought the King F9 have no real need to upgrade, but golfers who put off buying it will be pleased with what the King SZ offers. It’s a driver that competes with the very best but comes without the top-end price tag.
