FIRST LOOK! – 2013 Cobra Amp Cell Driver

Industry Changing Technology? (The 6-In-1 Driver)

What if I told you that starting on Feb. 8, 2013 Cobra-Puma Golf was going to give you 6 drivers ($1,794) for the cost of just 1 ($299)? You might have noticed from the banner that their new slogan is “Golf Made Easy”.  And while this might not be easy to explain the first time around (there is a LOT going on with this new driver), in theory it does make things a hellova lot easier, not only for the golfer but also for the stores that will be carrying these new Cobra Amp Cell drivers.  And then there are the ways it could change the game and other possibilites it will begin to offer the consumer.

Days Of Selecting Loft On Your Driver Might Be Over!

That’s because the days of having to worry about selecting the right loft on your driver might just be over!

Remember when we talked about the new trademarks Cobra applied for…the MyFly and SmartPad?  Well if you don’t…no need to worry.  Basically in a nutshell these two words that sound like something Apple would have invented and had people waiting in lines wrapped around a building for mean that you only need to buy one driver and you will get all the lofts included.  Sound crazy?  So, imagine you have a 10.5 degree driver but the wind conditions for today’s round would be better suited for an 8.5 degree driver…no problem.  Or how about the course conditions you are playing would lend itself better to a 9.5 or how about an 11.5…no problem.  Because now Cobra is basically giving you a 6-in-1 driver in the bag to choose from.

“Golf Made Easy”

Like I said they’re making it easy for you.  Just choose what color and what flex and your done.  Tired of complex adjustability, they thought about that.  Tired of having to carry so much inventory as a retail store owner, problem solved.  Want a fade or draw setting or square face, you starting to get the point…they got you covered.  Only want to carry 1 fairway wood but have it serve the purpose of a 13°, 14°, 14° Draw, 15°, 15° Draw and 16°?  Well…their 3-4W offers that.  And their 5-7W model adjusts between 17°, 18°, 18° Draw, 19°, 19° Draw and 20°.  Like I said their is a LOT going on here and even more so when you look at the graphics of the head, shaft, headcover and grip.  Little bit overwhelming to be honest…but in a good way.  I get a lot of emails from readers wishing that golf manufacturers would give them some new technology and outside the box thinking…well…here it is.

Evolutionary Tech & Revolutionary Tech?

When we first heard the rumors about the MyFly and SmartPad technology in the yet to be released Cobra Amp Cell driver a couple months ago…it had many of our readers believing that Cobra had somehow figured out a way to sprinkle pixie dust over the common physics principles we have come to know when it comes to “true loft” (vs) “effective loft”.  Yeah I know…for many of you…you might not care about this which is why I won’t get into an in-depth lecture on the specifics.  But what I will say for those that are going to ask the question…is that no Cobra has not defeated the laws of physics but they did bend the rules in a way that is going to make it much more user-friendly, easy to understand than any of the other companies with similar technology to date.  Do other companies offer similar technology?  Yes.  But were the others able to put it in a marketable package that was easier to understand and use for the consumer and one that could effectively change the way golfers purchase woods from this point forward like the Cobra system?  No.

We Asked Cobra – “How Did You Do This?

So…for those who are wondering how they have achieved this feat and how it might differ from similar systems like that of a Taylormade’s, I went directly to the source.  I knew that many golfers were going to be asking this question so I wanted to hear it directly from the creators.  I asked the R&D guys over at Cobra point blank: “How does this MyFly and SmartPad technology improve over the Taylormade system and other similar technologies from other companies.  And is this simply a dummy down version or an improvement.  Or has your team come up with some magic no one in the industry has known about.”

Cobra’s Response

From Cobra: “Our MyFly^TM technology combined with our SmartPad^TM technology provides great benefits to the golfer.. The benefit is ease of use and ability to manipulate face angle on the golf course.  The combination of the two technologies allows the face angle to sit relatively square when the golfer holds the club at address regardless of the loft setting.  This simplifies the adjustment process by not having to make a second adjustment to keep the face square.  The golfer simply sets the club down at the face angle position that appeals to him.

MyFly technology allows the golfer to adjust his loft.  Six settings (8.5°,9.5°,9.5°D,10.5°,10.5°D, 11.5°) are available in the AMP CELL Men’s driver.  DRAW settings are a result of the lie angle in those settings being more upright than the non-draw settings.  For example, the 9.5° D setting is two degrees more upright than the 9.5° setting.  This more upright setting causes the toe of the club to be higher than the heel (when the club is held in the golfer’s natural address position).  The loft on the face of the club becomes angled slightly to the left of the target (for a right handed golfer).

Cobra’s new SmartPad technology keeps the face relatively square for different MyFly loft settings and allows golfer’s to easily adjust face angle to their preferred position.  Cobra’s SmartPad sole is designed to address the face angle problems that are seen with the fixed sitting positions of conventional (slightly curved) and two point sole designs.  By reducing the SmartPad contact area to about 1.5 cm. the club will sit within this narrow area for all loft settings.  The result is that the sole surfaces will not hit the ground in back or front of the SmartPad which, if they did hit the ground, would cause the head to rotate closed or open since the club will want to rotate until the sole contact point is sitting under the club balance point.  With the SmartPad sole design the face angle will look relatively square compared with a sole that makes contact with the ground further back or forward on the sole for the higher and lower loft settings.

The SmartPad sole design also allows golfers to easily adjust their preferred face angle either in the store on a flat surface or on the varying terrain of a golf course.  With the reduced contact area provided by the SmartPad, they can easily rotate the head open or closed without resistance from the sole surface hitting the ground.  Once the desired position is set, the golfer can easily hold the club in position without any tension in his hands or arms.  Since the technology is inherent in the design of the sole shape, no mechanical features need to be adjusted, which allows golfers to set the club at their ideal face angle for every shot during play.”

How Does It Perform? (Million Dollar Question)

Now that brings us to how these things perform…the million dollar question.  Well, literally we just got them in our hands so we will have to wait until we put them through our “Ultimate Review” process before we tell whether or not this thing is worth bagging.  But I will say one thing…Cobra is changing the game with this release and that might be an understatement.

How It Could Change The Industry

Just think about one of the biggest things it will change for your game.  Think about how many options this could possibly open up in your bag.  You could add a couple more wedges, a driving iron, you could keep the 3 or 4 iron in your bag just because you can now.  Hell, you could even start to carry 2 putters if you want.  That’s because you will now only need one driver one fairway wood and one hybrid.  Then think about the logistical inventory nightmare that has been solved with these new clubs when you begin to offer all this customization & personalization.  Let’s say you have 4 color options for the driver and you have to carry all those colors in all the different loft options.  The combinations and variables begin to boggle the mind from a deliverability stand point and just as bad from the standpoint of excess inventory.  It’s very difficult to try and predict which color will be most popular when carrying all this excess inventory…so what happens…well your left with a ton of clubs sitting on shelves and left over clubs that go to die in the “golf club graveyard”.  Then there is the fitting aspect which is made easier by this new release.  And also the benefit of this technology for the pros on the tour vans.

More Details:

Once again lots going on with the new Cobra Amp Cell line-up.  I rarely pull much info from the manufacturer when we give you a behind the scenes look at new products.  I mean at the end of the day, their always going to want to tell you that their new club is the longest and most forgiving club they have ever produced.  Funny though how that greatest product is ALWAYS replaced with something even better.  Which is why we always tell you what we think and while the golf companies might not like it and often times call us in the hope that we will change the way we think and edit our new feelings in our articles, that’s never gonna happen.  But with all that being said this time I feel it is necessary to highlight some of the info they provided so you can see all the things going on.

:: MyFly Technology – Allow golfers to select from 6 different loft/trajectory settings (in one club) for optimized performance and distance based on a golfers’ swing or weather and course conditions.

:: The AMP CELL Driver can be adjusted to the following lofts with a simple wrench; 8.5°, 9.5°, 9.5° Draw, 10.5°, 10.5° Draw and 11.5°; and the AMP CELL Pro can be adjusted to 7.5°, 8.5°, 8.5° Fade, 9.5°, 9.5° Fade and 10.5°.

:: Golfers can now customize their club based on swing speed (higher lofts for slower swing speeds and lower lofts for faster swing speeds), weather (lower lofts to bring ball flight down on windy days) and course conditions (higher lofts for more carry).

:: SmartPad Technology – Unlike other drivers that require a golfer to adjust the sole plate after adjusting loft for a square face, COBRA’s proprietary SmartPad technology delivers a square face at address regardless of loft setting and still allows for workability to slightly open or close the face as desired.

:: Color Options – available in four fresh colors – Silver, Directoire Blue, Barbados Red and Vibrant Orange.

:: Cell Technology – Advanced Material PlacementTM and Cell technology work together to enable a 12% larger elliptical E9 Face shape to deliver faster ball speeds and high MOI (moment of inertia) on mis-hits.

:: The AMP CELL Driver is also available in an offset model designed to help tame a slice.

:: The Cell technology saves and redistributes weight in a granular way and is visible on the drivers in the Cell band which wraps around to the crown.

:: Easy adjustability and loft changes seen through a window in the hosel.

:: White Fujikura Fuel shaft features an edgy paint splatter graphic.

:: AMP CELL Fairways and Hybrids also feature MyFly technology and are available in the same four colors while the AMP CELL Irons are a clean silver with hints of color

Let’s Hear Your Thoughts!