All posts in Hybrids

Skating on Rails: Cobra’s Baffler Rules!

by Annie Latham on June 4, 2011 in Golf Equipment, Cobra, Fairway Woods, Hybrids with No comments

Have  you ever found yourself off the fairway in just enough rough to truly muck with the clubhead?  I’m not talking about literal muck.  I’m talking about the stuff that seems to grab the club and keep its face open as you address the ball.  It is bad enough to be off the fairway to begin with.  But having your subsequent shot move further to the right is downright cruel — especially if that right puts you into someone else’s fairway.

That is why I am here today singing the praises of Cobra for their Baffler Rail fairway and hybrid clubs.  I added a 3 Fairway and a 4 Hybrid to my bag for the last two rounds I played and was truly amazed at the difference.  I’m usually skeptical of the marketing speak of golf equipment manufacturers.  But this time, I have to admit, the club worked as promoted:

Cobra’s Baffler Rail Fairway features a sleek-looking, 17-4 steel clubhead that has a thin, high-strength 465 maraging steel clubface designed to increase ball speed and distance. The elongated clubface and low-profile head result in a low, deep center of gravity – to help golfers launch the ball with ease – and a high Moment of Inertia for maximum forgiveness. The new four-way rail sole is designed to help the club move effortlessly through turf – to provide more consistent ball contact and improved control. The Baffler Rail Fairway features a premium, high-performance Fujikura Motore shaft for optimum distance and control.

“Golfers struggle with hitting traditional fairway woods, so we made the Baffler Fairway more like the Baffler Hybrid in terms of versatility and forgiveness, which makes hitting fairway woods a lot more fun.”

The key words to pay attention to here are “maximum forgiveness” and “a lot more fun.”  I wholeheartedly agree.  The ball just sprung off the clubface and went where I intended.  Plus I got a nice lift.  Very cool!

Here’s are the key points of the Women’s Baffler Rail Hybrid :

  • Innovative Rail Sole:  A four-way rail sole reduces the area of the club that comes in contact with the ground, resulting in improved turf interaction and maximum forgiveness.
  • 9 Point Face Technology:  Incorporated across the clubface, these create an expanded Sweet Zone that promotes more consistent distance and forgiveness.
  • High-Strength Face Insert (Utility):  A thin, lightweight maraging steel face allows for 10% of the weight to be strategically repositioned low and back, resulting in faster ball speed and improved launch characteristics.

Along with the above, the Baffler Rail fairway woods feature a unique oversize head design and a very shallow face result in an extremely forgiving fairway wood that launches the ball with ease.

For women, these clubs (roughly  $169 for fairway wood and $149 for the hybrid) are well worth the investment.  Guys should give them a test drive too.  Take advantage of the playability guarantee a lot of retailers offer and get them out on the course.  See (and feel) for yourself.  To me, the Rail technology is a true game changer.

Here’s a video clip shot during the recent Golf Expo at Haggin Oaks where Charlie Hazzard of Cobra Puma explains the rails.

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Adams Golf Intros Idea Pro a12 Hybrids & Forged Iron sets

by Annie Latham on April 28, 2011 in Adams, Hybrids, Irons with No comments

Adams Golf just introduced their new Idea Pro a12 hybrids and forged iron sets. Engineered to meet the standards of better players, the premium hybrids deliver tour-preferred launch conditions, enhanced playability and a sleek black finish. The superior forged iron set (4-GW) produces exceptional feel and performance on every shot with precisely located centers of gravity and ultra thin faces born from a triple milling process.

Per their announcement, Idea hybrids are ranked as the most-played on the PGA, Champions and Nationwide Tours. Thousands of Idea hybrids have been put into play on tour since their introduction in 2003. The Pro a12 is already in the bags of several players, including Adams Golf staff members Tom Watson and Ryan Moore. An Idea Pro a12 hybrid was also in the bag of the winner of the 2011 Heritage tournament.

The Idea Pro a12 hybrids begin shipping to golf shops May 5 with a suggested retail price (SRP) of $299.99.

For the Idea Pro a12 Forged Irons (4-GW), their forged 8620 carbon steel head construction provides “outstanding control, performance and feedback for the lower-handicap golfer and appeals to better players with a thin top line and improved camber on the sole.” Each head is triple milled (on the face, grooves and cavity) for more exacting performance from club to club. A precisely located low center of gravity and progressive heel to toe weighting provides added stability in the long irons and more workability in the short irons and wedges. The progressive offset through the entire set offers better players superior control and workability of their ball flight.

The irons sets are available right-handed in regular, stiff and x-stiff flexes and begin shipping to golf shops May 5 with a SRP of $1,099.99 for graphite and $899.99 for steel.

Source: Adams Golf

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Adams Golf Unveils New ‘Easy-to-Hit’ V3 Hybrids

by Annie Latham on September 27, 2010 in News, Golf Equipment, Adams, Hybrids, Manufacturers with No comments

Earlier this month, Adams Golf unveiled its new Idea Tech V3 hybrids and hybrid irons that are supposed to establish a new standard in the “super game-improvement” category.   Intended for aspiring and recreational players looking to improve their games, the Idea Tech V3 set is offered in two configurations (forged or all-hybrid) in order to meet each customer’s preferences. The Idea Tech V3 hybrids may also be purchased individually.

In both configurations, the eight-piece Idea Tech V3 set consists of 4-, 5- and 6- progressively-sized hybrids and a 7-mid-hybrid.

  • The forged set features four oversized cavity-back forged irons in 8-iron through gap wedge.
  • The all-hybrid set features four hybrid scoring clubs in 8-iron through gap wedge.

The easy-to-hit hybrids in both configurations feature strategically placed tungsten weighting in the premium stainless steel heads for enhanced forgiveness and spin.

A four-way cambered sole and recessed heel and toe areas reduce turf drag for superior playability and versatility.

The transitional hybrid mid-iron includes a viscoelastic vibration dampening system for exceptional feel.

The stock shaft for the Idea Tech V3 hybrids is the Mitsubishi Rayon Bassara graphite shaft. Offered in four different flexes and weights–stiff (65g), regular (60g), lite (55g) and super-lite (50g)–the Bassara shafts are designed to exactly fit each player’s swing speed and type. For the short irons in either the forged or all-hybrid set, consumers may choose between True Temper Performance Tech shafts in steel or Mitsubishi Rayon Bassara shafts in graphite.

The eight-piece sets begin shipping to golf shops October 1 with a suggested retail price (SRP) of $899.99 for steel and $999.99 for graphite.

Individual Idea Tech V3 hybrids are available right-handed (2-7) or left-handed (3-6) with a SRP of $249.99 and will begin shipping November 1.

There is also a Women’s’ version of the Idea Tech V3 hybrid iron set fwhich provides the same advanced features and materials found in the men’s sets, but with dedicated tooling and design specifications created specifically for a woman’s swing.  Available with the Mitsubishi Rayon Bassara graphite shafts in the super-lite (50g) flex, the eight-piece women’s set begins shipping to golf shops October 1 with a SRP of $999.99.

Watch the commercial here.

Cobra Baffler Rail H Hybrid: First Impressions

by James on June 10, 2010 in Golf Equipment, Cobra, Hybrids with 1 Comment
The Cobra Baffler Rail Hybrid

The Cobra Baffler Rail Hybrid

Before I take the Cobra Baffler Rail H Hybrid to the range, I thought I’d ‘tee off’ on it with my initial impressions. I currently carry a 20* Cobra Baffler Pro Hybrid in my bag, so I’m really curious to see how it performs in comparison. The club that Cobra sent my way is the new 17* Cobra Baffler Rail H Hybrid… and it looks sharp.

Besides the obvious difference in loft, the other major difference between the two Cobra hybrids in my possession are the shafts. My 20* baffler has a stock stiff steel shaft, while the new Rail Hybrid is packing a Fujikura Motore graphite shaft in a stiff flex. The difference in weight will be obvious, so it should be interesting to see what I prefer. I know it’s more of a personal choice… From my point of view I always shafted my hybrids with steel, as I considered them part of my pseudo iron set… Will the graphite shaft perform for me? Will I enjoy the feel and performance of the graphite? You’ll just have to wait and see!

While I’m talking shafts, I might as well touch on the shaft options available on the Cobra Baffler Rail Hybrid. It comes stock with the Fujikura Motore (in your choice of regular or stiff flex), and both of these shafts have a mid-kick point, weigh in at 65 grams, carry a 5.0 torque rating and produce mid to high launch conditions. For those that maybe don’t have the fastest of swing speeds, a ‘Lite’ flex is also available, and this one offers a low kick point, weighs in a 60 grams, carries a 5.0 torque rating and offers a high launch trajectory. If the Fujikura Motore shaft options aren’t for you, Cobra also offers quite a few custom shafting options. You can check out the options (including shafts from Aldila, Fujikura, Graphite Design, NS and True Temper) in this PDF (go to page 4 under ‘Baffler Shafts’).

Cobra Baffler Rail Hybrid with Fujikura Motore Shaft

Finally, I simply have to mention the sweet looking headcover on the Baffler Rail Hybrid. I snapped a quick photo of it below… it certainly puts the previous generation of Cobra headcovers to shame 🙂

Cobra Baffler Rail Hybrid Headcover

Stay tuned for more photos and a thorough review of the Cobra Baffler Rail H Hybrid. Can’t wait for the first practice session with it in the bag!

Special thanks: To Terra and the team at Cobra-Puma Golf for the continued support!

Cobra Introduces the Baffler Rail H Hybrid

by James on April 6, 2010 in Golf Equipment, Cobra, Hybrids with 1 Comment

I was alerted just a few minutes ago about a brand new club hitting the market, from our good friends at Cobra Golf. The new club is a utility, and has been dubbed the Baffler Rail Hybrid. I’m quite excited to give this one a shot, as I have a 20 degree 2008 Baffler Pro Hybrid in the bag (and love it). Surely the new Baffler Rail Hybrid will build upon previous successes in the hybrid arena.

Cobra Baffler Rail Hybrid

Built for anyone looking for long game performance (aren’t we all), the Baffler Rail Hybrid features a 17-4 steel body with a 465 maraging face insert. The insert promotes faster launch speeds, PLUS, the lightness of the insert allows for 10% of the weight to be repositioned low-and-back in the clubhead. A new four-way sole reduces the area of the club that comes in contact with the ground, making it easier to hit… much easier than pulling that 2 or 3 iron out of the bag.

The last of the key features in the Baffler Rail is the ‘9 Point Face Technology‘ that we see in all of Cobra’s current driver, fairway metal and hybrid lineup. I can speak from experience, that yes, in every current Cobra metal I’ve put to the test the face is indeed ‘HOT’! With the Baffler Rail you’ll no doubt get tremendous ball speed, and improved feel and forgiveness no matter where you hit it on the face.

Out of the box your Cobra Baffler Rail Hybrid comes with your choice of regular or stiff Fujikura Motore graphite shaft. It’s also available in lofts of 17 degrees (2/H), 19 degrees (3/H), 22 degrees (4/H), 25 degrees (5/H) and 28 degrees (6/H). A wide range of lofts = a wide range of options.

For more information hit up Cobra, or check out the image gallery below.