RICHARD OLSEN
HANDICAP: 10

WHAT OUR TESTER SAID: I found this driver just encouraged swing at the ball because I knew I would still get a good ball flight even with a mis-hit.

MODEL & SHAFT PLAYED: King Cobra Speed LD M driver with 12° loft and fitted with a Cobra/Graphite Design Tour AD YS 56-gram regular shaft.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: I quite liked the look of this King Cobra driver, especially at address. The ridge down the middle of the crown, created by the scalloped shaping towards the heel and toe of the head, offered a unique alignment aid which I thought was terrific.

VERDICT: I didn’t have trouble hitting the ball with this King Cobra driver.

The size of the clubhead at 460cc is a small step up in size from my own driver but I didn’t feel intimidated by the size. In fact, I found this driver just encouraged me to swing at the ball because I knew I would still get a good ball flight even with a mis-hit. That said, I didn’t miss too many out of the sweetspot area during the road test.

The feel of the club was quite good. It was solid at impact without feeling hard but this good feel was accompanied by a slightly tinny sound that was a little off-putting. That said, if you are the kind of player who wants to hit the ball longer and straighter, regardless of the sound at impact, then this is the driver for you.

Facts & Figures

SUITABILITY: The Speed LD M is designed
for moderate-ball-speed players with a
tendency to fade or slice.
SHAFTS: Cobra/Graphite Design Tour
AD YS (56-gram).
GRIPS: Cobra/Golf Pride Tour Velvet 45D.
LEFT-HANDED MODELS?: Yes.
HOW MUCH?: $499.
COBRA SAYS: “The Speed LD M driver maximises distance on hits across the entire clubface. With one of the largest faces on the market, the Speed LD M is forgiving, which, combined with extra-high launch and a draw bias design, provides increased distance.

“Cobra has pushed the centre of gravity (CG) even lower and deeper, further
increasing the moment of inertia (MOI) to 5000+ for longer, straighter drives.
“Part of the process in moving the CG lower and deeper, was helped by
increasing the crown slope and deepening the dimples on top of the crown.

This has increased the MOI and high launch for longer carry. “The Speed LD M is available in Straight Neck (SN) and Offset (OS) head designs. There is also a Speed LD F model for fastball speed players. The LD M driver comes
in 10.5° and 12° lofts, while the LD F model has 9.5° and 10.5° lofts.”

For more information please purchase a copy of the April issue of Golf Australia or Contact Cobra on 1800 660 535 or visit www.cobragolf.com

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