First Look – Cobra KING LTD Fairway Wood

Written By: Tony Covey

Overlooked, as fairway woods often are, Cobra’s KING LTD maybe every bit the story as it’s big brother.

You’re going to want to pay attention.

Technology

As you would expect, the KING LTD Fairway has several key technologies in common with the KING LTD Driver.

TeXtreme Crown – A material which makes the crown 5% lighter than traditional carbon fiber and 15g lighter than steel.

SpacePort – a 13.5g fixed-weight window that allows golfers to literally see inside the clubhead. SpacePort saves 6g compared to a standard housing.

Internal Tungsten weighting – 12 grams fixed inside the head.

For those who consider such things, I should also note that the face is made of a lightweight 475 stainless steel, which helps free up mass for the SpacePort.

The Mass Properties

We love that while much of the industry speaks in meaningless phrases, Cobra talks about actual mass properties. Take a look at how the King LTD Fairway compares to many of the popular fairways on the market today.

As you can see, while MOI is comparatively within average range, the center of gravity is significantly closer to the neutral axis, which creates more efficiency at impact through comparatively higher launch and lower spin.

The design suggests a fairway wood suitable for people looking to maximize carry, while willing to sacrifice a bit of forgiveness (that is to say there are more forgiving options on the market).

Hands On

I had a chance to hit the KING LTD Fairway and found myself more than pleasantly surprised. I’m not a fan of conventional fairway woods, which is why I’ve carried a SLDR Mini for more than a year now.

That may change.

What impressed me most is how easy the KING LTD is to hit. It gets up in the air quickly while producing a high, yet still boring trajectory. It’s effortless – and that’s something I seldom say about fairway woods.

It’s the first conventional fairway wood I’ve been excited about in quite some time.

Off the tee it’s just as easy. Coming from a deeper faced mini driver, I was concerned the shallower face would be an issue (actually I was afraid I’d dent the damn crown), but that too proved a non-issue.

I’m not willing to go all in yet, but as we do some further testing, it’s entirely possible that KING LTD could prove to be the most significant step forward in total fairway performance since the original RBZ – which unlike LTD wasn’t so easy to hit.

Specifications and Pricing

Like most Cobra fairway woods before it, the loft-adjustable KING LTD Fairway is available in 3/5 and 4/5 models with the loft ranges shown below.

 

Retail price for the KING LTD Fairway is $299.