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In this story, we breakdown everything you need to know about Cobra’s new expansive line of Radspeed products, and we’ll explain what “Radspeed” means, too.
Also, don’t miss out on the bonus driver review at the top of the story. Recently, 8AM Golf content creator DJ Lantz and myself, GOLF.com senior equipment editor Andrew Tursky, hit all 3 Cobra Radspeed driver models against each other at True Spec Golf in Scottsdale to see what they really do.
What does the “Rad” in “Radspeed” mean?
While “rad” is a slang word, such as “cool” or “sweet,” Cobra’s version of rad really stands for “radius,” or “radial weighting.” Basically, with the new Radspeed products, Cobra wants to improve something called the Radius of Gyration, which Cobra says is the distance from the club’s center of gravity (CG) to where the added weights are located. That means Cobra, for example, sought to extend the added weights on the sole of the drivers more toward the edges to boost MOI (moment of inertia) and overall performance. With a wider radius from the sole weights to the CG of the Radspeed clubs, Cobra is able to achieve more “rad” speed. The radial weighting strategy also helps Cobra dial in spin and trajectory throughout the entire lineup.
Three new driver models, explained
As part of the Radspeed lineup, Cobra is offering three different driver models made for three different types of golfers: the Radpseed, the Radspeed XB (Xtreme Back) and Radspeed XD (Xtreme Draw). As mentioned previously, the drivers use a system of weights on the sole to effect the ball flight in certain ways to benefit certain golfers.
Like the rest of the products in the Radspeed lineup, the drivers ($449 apiece) will become available for purchase on January 29 at retail and online.
Cobra Radspeed driver
Notice the configuration of sole weights in the photo above. Made for a lower and fade-biased ball flight that’s best for high speed players, the Radspeed driver has most of its weight directly behind the face for a more forward CG. Cobra loaded 28 grams of extra weight up front (16 grams of fixed weight and 12 grams of adjustable weight) and an additional 10 grams positioned in the back (8 grams fixed, 2 grams adjustable). The result is a driver that’s both forgiving, and has low-and-forward CG for a more workable ball flight and faster ball speeds.
Cobra Radspeed XB driver
The Cobra Radspeed XB driver, on the other hand, is made for golfers who need a bit more height and forgiveness on their drives. That’s why Cobra designed the XB driver with weights positioned in the rear of the club head to get CG further back. The XB driver has 20 grams of weight positioned back (14 grams of fixed weight and 6 grams of adjustable weight) with 8 grams of fixed weight up front. This model is likely to perform best for a wide range of golfers, from low-to-high handicaps.
Cobra Radspeed XD driver
The Cobra Radspeed XD driver is built for golfers who want to reduce their slice. The driver is made with 10 grams of fixed weight in the heel to help the face turn over more easily for those who need help hitting the ball right-to-left. Also, for even more forgiveness from the design, Cobra put an additional 14 grams of weight in the rear end of the club head.
To Infinity Face and beyond
As with its King SpeedZone drivers, the Radspeed drivers also have a CNC Infinity Milled face. The face technology is used on the drivers to increase precision during manufacturing, and Cobra says the bulge and roll tolerances are five times more precise due to the process. As Cobra explains, each of the Infinity Faces takes about 25 minutes of milling to produce. Additionally, the face wraps around body of the club, creating an “infinity effect” that helps stretch the sweet spot to help golfers on off-center hits.
To help save weight and boost performance, the Radspeed driver designs also have a Carbon Fiber crown and a T-Bar Speed Chassis structure.
There are two different crown options, as well; a matte and a gloss finish. As you can see above, the crowns also feature aerodynamic designs to help the drivers move faster throughout your downswing as the club enters impact.
Three different Radspeed fairways
As with the drivers, Cobra is offering three distinct fairway wood models within the Radspeed lineup. Each of the fairways uses Cobra’s radial weighting system to produce different ball flights, and they have Cobra’s popular Baffler Hollow Split Rails on their soles to increase speed and turf interaction. The fairways below will sell for $279 apiece.
Cobra Radspeed fairway
With 16 grams near the face and 7 grams place in the back end, the Cobra Radspeed fairway is built for low spin, high launch and maximum forgiveness, and it also has Cobra’s CNC Infinity Milled face design.
Cobra Radspeed Big Tour and Tour fairways
The Radspeed Big Tour and Tour fairways also have 23 grams of weight in their soles, but they’re designed with the lowest-spinning shapes of the Radspeed fairway wood options.
Cobra Radspeed Draw fairway
Like the Cobra Radspeed XD driver, the Radspeed Draw fairway wood is made for a draw-biased ball flight. The fairway has 16 grams of weight in the heel, and 7 grams of weight back to help produce a high-launching ball flight with ample slice correction.
Radspeed and Radspeed One hybrids
Available starting Jan. 29 for $229 each, Cobra’s new Radspeed hybrids will be offered in both matte and gloss finishes. The radial weighting on the hybrids focuses on forward weighting for lower spin and more distance. They also have a forged high-strength face insert, and they have Hollow Split Rails on their soles for enhanced versatility for shots from different lies.
3D Printing in Radspeed irons
Recently, Cobra released a revolutionary limited edition King Supersport 35 putter that was manufactured using a 3D printing method. That revolution is continuing to expand, as Cobra has incorporated 3D printing into its new King Radspeed irons, too.
In partnership with HP and Parmatech, the 3D printing system allows Cobra to prototype and test products faster than with traditional manufacturing processes. While the King Supersport 35 putters had fully 3D-printed bodies (made from a 316 stainless steel mixture), the Radspeed irons use a 3D printed nylon medallion, with a detailed lattice structure that Cobra says enhances feel and reduced unwanted weight.
With the weight savings, Cobra designed the irons to have more mass on the low toe and low heel section in order to lower CG and make the irons faster and more forgiving. There is a 10-gram screw-in weight (to dial in head weights) in the toe section, and 3 grams of mass positioned in the heel.
Additionally, the Radspeed and Radspeed One irons have carbon fiber toplines that help save 2 grams of weight to be used lower in the head. For more speed and higher launch, the irons also have what Cobra calls a PWRSHELL Face Insert made from 17-4 stainless steel that’s built thin and flexible.
The Radspeed variable length irons and the Radspeed One irons each come with a nickel chrome finish and sell for $899 with steel shafts or $999 with graphite shafts. The one-length irons have progressive head shapes, groove shapes and hosel lengths to help optimize launch characteristics throughout the set.
Curious about how the Radspeed drivers perform? Don’t forget to watch the driver review video at the top of the story!
For more on the latest gear news and information, check out our latest Fully Equipped podcast in the Spotify embed below.
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