Golf ball speed and the resulting distance continues to be the dominant fascination for many golfers, whether it should be or not. Last year COBRA Golf played into that thirst very well with their COBRA LTDx drivers that seemed to satisfy testers and consumers alike in regards to that quality. When you mixed in a full range of clubs the result was an attractive line-up that appeared to do well for the company.
Of course, there are limits on the rebound of the face in a driver set out by the governing bodies of the game so if engineers want to squeak out a few more yards, they often have to look elsewhere.
Such is the case this year with the COBRA AEROJET drivers (and lesser so in the supplementary fairways and hybrids) where the company turned their attention to another huge input factor in the distance equation, clubhead speed itself. On top of a number of feature upgrades, the design of the 2023 woods have a huge focus on aerodynamics of the clubhead, to reduce drag, and helping golfers move the club faster into the golf ball.
Here are six things to know about the new AEROJET drivers, which get their official public reveal today and will be in play this week at the PGA TOUR’s Sony Open in Hawaii.
- There are three AEROJET driver models, the AEROJET, the AEROJET LS, and AEROJET MAX, all designed with more aerodynamic profiles but varying in design to better suit players looking for different spin conditions, launch/ball flight conditions, and levels of forgiveness.
- The drivers each use a “PWR-Bridge” weighting technology just behind the clubface. The suspended weight help to push mass forward to boost ball speed, and lower in the face to promote contact above the centre of gravity to reduce spin.
- When tested against the COBRA LTDx JS driver on a robot, the AEROJET LS driver produced up to 1.5 mph more clubhead speed. The LS has the most aggressive aerodynamic shape of all three new drivers with a crown peak further back and a higher tail on the sole to promote air flow.
- The “PWRSHELL Face Insert” was designed with artificial intelligence to create varied thickness across the face to maximize performance in regards to ball speed and spin.
- The entire family of AEROJET metals comes in a black colorway with a raw carbon fiber gloss crown that shows off the material while being low in reflection properties.
- The three driver models are available in both left and right hand editions with various premium real aftermarket shafts (not “made for”)and are also offered in specific configurations targeted towards women and junior golfers. Junior also get a free shaft upgrade for when they grow.
