The Cobra FlyZ Plus Driver
In this age of adjustable drivers, golfers have
become accustomed to a being afforded a sometimes
mind-boggling number of settings to dial in their
desired launched conditions.
What golfers aren’t accustomed to being able to
do, however, is change the CG (center of gravity),
and that’s where Cobra’s new driver, the Fly-Z Plus,
enters the fray.
Using something called FlipZone weight
technology, the player can move the CG forward or
back, thus inducing a lower or higher ball flight.
Cobra says this allows high-ball and low-ball hitters
to adjust the driver to dial in the launch conditions
that are most conducive to ball speed, launch angle
and, naturally, distance.
The key to this technology is a 15-gram weight
on the sole of the driver. According to Cobra, the
launch conditions differ accordingly:The front CG
position provides a mid-launch angle with ultra-low
spin and a penetrating ball flight with more roll for
maximum distance.
The back CG position delivers a mid-launch
angle with 400 RPM’s of additional spin, resulting in a
towering ball flight, maximum distance with more
carry.
Rickie Fowler, Cobra’s top Tour pro, has
weighed in with his endorsement of the new
adjustable weighting system and described how he’ll
use it on Tour.
“For me, the front CG setting yielded the ball
flight I want to see on the course," Fowler
said. "The adjustable loft setting COBRA
introduced last year was a huge advantage to my
game, but now adding this new Zone Weighting to
fine tune ball flight is really game-changing."
 |
The Cobra FlyZ Driver
allows a player to control launch conditions with a
moveable FlipZone weight |
The weighting system works in conjunction with
Cobra’s new speed channel technology to deliver
increased distance.
These technological tweaks have been married
to the forgiveness of previous Cobra drivers to
provide more speed and distance all across the face
of the driver.
Being Cobra, naturally the driver comes in array
of style colors for men and women. Men: Black,
White, Blue, Orange and Red. Women: Raspberry,
Silver Flower Pearl and Ultramarine.The MAP for the
Fly-Z Plus is $329. It will be available in stores
starting Feb. 2.
There are three drivers in the Fly-Z family, but
the Fly-Z Plus is specially designated for 15-
handicaps to Tour pros.
On The Range
First off, you adjust the CG with the same tool
you use to change the loft. The gold-colored,
triangular weight loosens quickly and is easy to slide
forward or back. If the weight doesn’t initially move
easily for you, don’t force it; just give it another turn
or two. Sometimes, after you flip it, you have to
jiggle the weight into its new slot, but it ultimately
finds it place when you screw it in.
As for performance, I started with the weight
back and the driver set at 10 degrees of loft – my
normal set up. The club felt instantly comfortable
and almost immediately produced drives that looked
like my drives – decent height, slight draw.
When I moved the weight forward, I hit some
pretty low shots, at least in the beginning. Then I
moved the ball slightly more forward in my stance
and produced respectable drives and ultimately the
lower ball flight that Cobra intends.
The big jump came when I maxed out the loft to
11.5 degrees. My drives noticeably increased, with a
boring-type flight that seemed to roll out forever. In
fact, the forward CG seemed to produce more rollout
at every loft setting. You can quickly see why this is
Rickie’s preferred position.
Leaving the loft at 11.5, I moved the CG back
again. Predictably, my drives skied, but so much so
that I sacrificed distance. My distance seemed to
max out at the 10-degree setting.
And, by the way, my observations are purely the
eye test, but I’d be curious to get this club on a
launch monitor to see if the numbers match my
perceptions.
When it comes to adjustable clubs, I’m not
normally a big tinkerer, but this club was fun to
adjust and test because of the new CG variable.
Between the two CGs and the five loft settings,
there’s enough adjustability without being
overwhelming. And the CG setting allows you to
appreciate another variable of ball flight and now
immediately see the impact.
Finally, I will say that no matter the CG or loft
setting, I found this driver to be remarkably straight.
My normal miss is left and that rarely happened with
this club. My misses were mostly low, often right
after I’d made an adjustment.
The club does make a “tink” sound that recalls
the impact of a softball bat, but you won’t mind
when your ball is flying straight down the fairway.