I first saw the Cobra ZL (Zero Limits) driver at the 2009 BMW Championship, before it was released to the general public, and at that time Ian Poulter was testing out the driver. Up to that point I wasn’t sure what all the fuss was about, it’s not like adjustable face drivers are a new concept. The Cobra ZL driver is designed to help all golfers with accuracy and distance, and I was really interested in finding out if the ZL could accomplish this.
Look and Feel
The Cobra ZL driver is made from what their engineers refer to as Advanced Multi-Material Construction, which is a carbon fiber crown and sole insert that is blended together with the titanium 6-4 clubhead body and clubface. The titanium face on the ZL features Cobra Golf’s patented Milled Rhombus face insert, along with a thinner perimeter area for faster ball speed and consistency across the face of the club.
On the sole of the ZL you have a swingweight screw, which helps with shifting the Center of Gravity (CG) toward the heel, optimizing ball flight, and MOI. The Cobra ZL also features Adjustable Flight Technology, which is an adjustable hosel that golfers can set into one of three face angles (O-open, N-neutral, C-closed) for a quick and easy way to optimize your ball flight.
The Cobra ZL driver has a great classic pear shape and profile that sets up really nicely at address, and makes it one of the best looking drivers that I have tested from Cobra Golf. Gone are the crown dimples that were on previous Cobra driver models. Round this out with the 46″ 59g Aldila VooDoo shaft and Cobra/GolfPride grip, and you have a very lightweight and innovative driver.
Performance
Accuracy and distance are two qualities that any golfer would want when selecting a driver to put int their golf bag, and that’s what I set out to test. How does the Cobra ZL do in terms of accuracy? The ZL does a very good job of being one of the more forgiving Cobra drivers I’ve tested, thanks to the swingweight screw that moves the center of gravity toward the heel and gives the driver a high MOI. This makes the ZL very stable and easy to hit.
The Cobra ZL driver has their patented Milled Rhombus face insert and a thinner perimeter area of the titanium face maximizes the Coefficient of Reinstitution (COR) for faster ball speed and shot consistency across the face, for a wider hitting area. COR is the spring-like effect that happens to the driver face when it depresses as the ball is struck, then rebounds-providing a little more power to your drive. In the case of the Cobra ZL driver, this translates into longer drives and higher ball trajectory. During my tests I was able to gain 5 -7 yards more per drive, because of the increased ball speed.
The Adjustable Flight Technology is so simple to use, just loosen the screw in the sole of the club with the provided torque wrench and you can change the face by up to 3 degrees for either a draw, fade, or straight/neutral bias. Three positions may seem too simple, but I actually kind of liked having only three options. When you have more incremental options for face angle adjustments, you spend more time having to dial in the driver to find out which increment you like best.
The flight trajectory on my drives were very high for a driver of this caliber and one of the reasons you get a lot of distance off the tee with the ZL. My only concern with a high flight trajectory is playing the ZL in windy conditions, which would lead to less distance off the tee. If you live in a windy part of the country, like Chicago, you might want to consider a different shaft or alter your ball position.
Another hallmark of Cobra drivers is the high-pitched “ting” sound they made at impact, which a lot of people didn’t like. The Cobra ZL does an excellent job of frequency tuning and making a more quieter sound at impact, than previous models.
The Cobra ZL driver is probably the best driver that Cobra Golf has to offer and does a great job of achieving maximum distance and accuracy. If you’re looking for a driver that can easily be adjusted, provides maximum distance, accuracy, and forgiveness. No wonder it’s in the bag of J.B. Holmes and Ian Poulter.
Cobra ZL Driver $349.99
Tweet
{ 14 comments… read them below or add one }
It is not in any pros bag with that stock shaft in it. Every where else I have read that this driver is failing miserably. Lack of distance and huge lack of accuracy thanks to the stock shaft. Yet you saw increase in both. Interesting.
It’s rare to find a pro playing a stock shaft and in the case of the ZL, most pros probably wouldn’t like the high flight trajectory, so they opt for a different shaft with a lower trajectory. That’s why it’s important to get fitted. My swing actually benefits from the high launch for added distance, because of my swing speed. I think this is probably the best driver that Cobra has developed so far.
i just bought this driver two days ago and im a 3 handicap and use the 62g stock stiff shaft and really bombed it!!! i mean BOMBED!!! i have an ernie els like tempo and the 1″ of extra length with the nice set up face angle at neutral and this baby rockets the ball for me, on a launch monitor with my ping i15 i was carrying ball 276 very respectable with the cobra ZL carry is 284!!
plus all pros go through extensive fitting and they use every piece of technology and computers to squeeze every drop of distance out of their game….i worked for 2 years at southern hills country club in tulsa oklahoma and when pga championship was there in 2007 the taylormade users found distance from every tweek they made! they would just hit the taylormade van and say “man i need 5 more yards” and the techinicians would make it happen…..we amateurs are not so lucky we maybe have 1 or 2 different shafts that we can switch out.
Rob,
i was just wondering do you know if it is possible to only buy the adapters that fit on the end of a shaft for this driver? i have a couple of shafts here at the house and wanted to try them, however i dont have any idea of how to get ahold of those darn adapters so that the shafts i have can fit into the hosel.
matthew
Hi Matthew,
I don’t think Cobra Golf sells the adapter for the hosel to convert your shafts into adjustable face. Let me ask Cobra about this. Are you planning on using your spare shafts on a different driver head?
Thanks
Rob
Hi Matthew,
I spoke with Cobra Golf and they do not sell the adapters, but they do sell other shafts with the adapters already installed. I know that doesn’t help you with the extra shafts you have at home, but at least now you know.
Thanks
R
I purchased the Cobra ZL Stiff Shaft and find it about the same as the M Class drivers. I have not seen any improvement in distance after hitting 100 balls in all weather conditions. Not sure the ZL is all it is supposed to be, but I see no major increase in distance.
I have just bought the ZL with standard voodoo shaft and can only praise it, it sits so easy at address and it has a slightly heavier feel when you swing the club which i really like, i had the L5V before this which i was averaging around 250 – 260 off the tee, with the ZL
i have gained 20 – 25 yds .
This is a quality driver which has given me more distance, better ball flight and a straighter dive would recomend it to anyone looking for a easy club to use.
I was wondering why neither Cobra nor professional evaluators mention much about the MOI swing weight. I understand there are two other weights besides the 6, a 2 and a 10. Don’t necessarily think I need something different, it’s just interesting that there is so little info on this. Whadaya think?
In an answer to Jim’s question, the weights used are really to balance the chosen shaft. When the club is ordered, they put the weight that will maximize the utility of the chosen shaft.
We just had Club Fest at our club. All of the major manufacturers were there. I was expecting to fall in love with the Taylormade R9 TP, but hated it. It felt like older Cobras I’d tried.
The Callaway FT-Iz was a great club. But, keeping the ball straight sacrificed distance. Also, the feel wasn’t there. Until that day, I was playing an FT-IQ, but didn’t like the feel and I knew I was sacrificing distance.
I also quite liked the FT Tour. It had a 0.5* open offset that really appealed to me. However, it just looked odd at address.
Next was the Ping G15. I’ve always loved the way the Pings feel. Great sound. Great distance. But, the shaft options left me wanting. I didn’t feel like I had the right control for my swing.
The surprise was the Cobra ZL. I was fortunate enough to hit the Mitsubishi Javln M7 shaft. LOVED IT! If my swing has a weakness, it’s that I sometimes tend to over-draw my driver, so the “open” position on the club was manna from heaven.
I’m 39, 6’3” and am a 6 handicap. The Cobra ZL with the Javln M7 Stiff shaft set to “open” feels like it was meant for me. Crazy long, very consistent, with wonderful feel and sound. I was hitting a beautiful, slight draw over and over.
My golf club’s practice facility is set up so that you can hit across a long area toward another driving range coming back at you. Because of the distance involved, people can hit both directions simultaneously. A lot of my drives were rolling up to the middle of the far driving range. My distance was averaging 300-315 depending on the breeze. Because of my swing it was easier to work the ball right to left than left to right. But, I could do it. The trajectory was perfect for me. Medium height with a boring slight draw. Miss hits weren’t too punishing, but were still straight.
I probably hit more than 200 balls while at the Cobra display. The sales guy told me they were going to have to refinish the club after I was done swinging. I loved hitting it that much. Standing over the driver preparing for the next swing gave me so much confidence.
They told me 11 days until I’d receive mine. 9 more days…
Golf Digest gave this a Gold Medal and it tops in the category of Look/Feel/Sound. I absolutely agree.
im 14 years old, 19 handicap, i have been playn 5-6months. previously i had a nike ignite with stiff shaft,i was averaging 22o yards with a best of 260, but i wasnt very accurate.
i have had my cobra ZL 9.5 with aldila voodoo stiff shaft. i love this club!! im am now averaging 240-250, hitting twice as many fairways, my best is 275 yards. my nike feels like a tank compared to this BEAST!! i cant praise it enough. i highly recommend but you must get the aldila voodoo shaft.
p.s i have only had this club for 2 days!
now my best is 290 yards