Lighter equals faster. That’s Cobra’s concept with its new F-MAX Superlite men’s and women’s driver, fairway woods and irons. These super-light iron and combo sets, as well as their complimentary drivers and fairway woods, are designed to help players with slower swing speeds gain more clubhead speed, and in turn, more distance.
Cobra’s F-MAX irons started the drive towards aiding for golfers with lower swing speeds. It was a success, and now Cobra is building on that, creating irons that are even lighter and can be swung fasters. The goal of F-MAX Superlite is to offer a game improvement iron for slower swinging golfers, while still maintaining the level of forgiveness that works for higher-handicap players.
“We’ve reengineered Superlite to be our lightest, fastest and most forgiving game improvement clubs ever,” said Cobra Vice-President of Research and Development Tom Olsavsky.
Cobra’s F-MAX Superlite driver offers much of the same tale—a lighter clubhead and high level of forgiveness promoting faster swing speeds and more distance. The lighter driver, which includes even a grip that weighs less than normal, is meant to promote a swing with a smooth tempo.
Key Technologies
Irons:
- F-MAX Superlite is four grams lighter than the previous generation, while maintaining a high moment of inertia that offers the forgiveness golfers of game-improvement irons expect.
- Part of the weight savings comes from a lighter grip design and shaft combination, resulting in 16 grams of overall savings. Less weight equals lighter clubs and faster swing speeds.
- Higher launch—By using progressive hosel lengths, Cobra managed to create higher launch conditions in the longer irons, and lower, more controlled flights in the scoring irons. Similarly, Cobra used progressive offset in the set, so there’s more offset in longer irons and less in short irons.
- Stronger lofts—Given the fact the clubs are engineered to fly high, Cobra strengthened the lofts to maximize flight trajectory and increase carry distances.
- Wedges—Cobra specifically designed the gap and sand wedge in the set for increased versatility.
Driver and fairway woods:
- Bigger head—An oversized clubhead shape increases MOI (essentially the club’s forgiveness), making it more accurate.
- E9 Face Insert—a variable thickness face structure, as well as the forged titanium E9 face insert, improves ball speed and offers higher ball speed on mishits.
- Higher, straighter launch—a weight pad positioned low and back helps deliver higher tee balls that fly straighter.
- Hosel options—the F-MAX Superlite offers an offset hosel designed to promote a draw, or a straight-next version for players who want a more traditional appearance.
Who’s it for?
“Any player with a moderate swing speed will benefit from the design innovations in this product line,” says Olsavsky.
That’s not to say Cobra wasn’t concerned about the product’s appeal. No one wants a clunky set of game improvement irons, and with that in mind, Cobra used a premium chrome two-tone nickel finish to create an appealing aesthetic. The men’s seven-piece set is stock 5-iron to gap wedge, in stiff and regular flex, while there’s also a graphite combo set that comes 4-hybrid to GW in light flex. The women’s combo set is 5-hybrid to sand wedge.
The story is similar for the driver. The average golfer doesn’t have the swing speed of those we see each week on television, and the F-MAX Superlite driver’s lightweight construction, coupled with high MOI, makes it ideal for the player who wants to keep up with friends during weekend games. By offering complete sets—driver through wedge—Cobra is helping players find consistency throughout their bag.