By Coach Erik Schjolberg – Jan 3, 2024
Contents
Key Takeaways
- At only 277 g the Air X weighs in 40 g lighter than most drivers
- Best suited for slower swing speeds and higher handicaps
- Loft options of 9.5°, 10.5° and 11.5°
- Cobra Ultralight 40 g shaft comes standard in stiff, regular, or lite flex
- Weight saved from grip to clubhead making a light package throughout
- Offset club head design fights the slice
Lost some swing speed? Struggle with a slice? Looking to make golf fun again? The Cobra Air X Offset may be the answer to your troubles. The lightest driver Cobra has ever made allows for an easy swing, speed gains, and heavy draw bias.
Tipping the scales at a whopping 277 grams, the Air X offset is nearly 40 grams lighter than standard drivers on the market! This lightweight killer will help find those lost yards, straighten that embarrassing slice, and keep you in the short grass with a smile!
King Cobra Air X Offset Driver Review
Lofts Available: 9.5°, 10.5°, and 11.5° (LH 10.5° Only)
Shaft Options: Cobra Ultralite 40 (Stiff, Regular, and Lite)
Pros:
- Price
- Effortless swing
- Sleek looking design
- Most forgiving lightweight option
- VERY light weight (lightest Cobra offers)
- Very very straightish/draw shots
Cons:
- Distance suffers without much weight behind it
- Not very many shaft options
- Only one loft option for lefties
- Difficult to shape shots both ways
- No adjustability
Lofts Available: Right: 9.5, 10.5 and 11.5 degrees Left: 10.5 degrees
Handicap Range: 12+
Shaft Options: Cobra Ultralite 40 (Stiff, Regular, and Lite)
Technical Review
Cobra took their lightweight design, managed to shave more weight, and made it more forgiving. How is this possible? Making a lightweight driver is no small task. Deciding where and how much weight to move, while delivering performance, is more difficult than typical driver construction.
I know what you’re thinking; Light means flimsy and weak. Not here. The weight is saved through the club, not just the head. A lighter shaft, nearly weightless hosel, and even a lightweight grip are used. This creates balance and stability.
You will find yourself reaping the benefits of the lightweight design. Faster club speed turns to faster ball speed which equals more yards off the tee.
The previous version, the F-MAX, felt like a feather, yet the Air X is even lighter. 8 grams lighter to be exact. This was done by reducing the thickness of the carbon crown.
This saved more than 8 grams, and that discretionary weight was moved low and back. The result, was much more forgiveness, which was the major complaint with the F-MAX. How much forgiveness? Try the USGA limit on off-center forgiveness.
The Air X driver features a well-hidden offset that does wonders for a struggling slice. The offset allows you to square the clubface much easier than a straight-neck driver.
Sometimes offset can be visually unappealing, but Cobra made a point to disguise it with paint color and face angle. This club is truly a lightweight marvel.
Performance
Even at higher swing speeds, this club picks up speed. The ultra-lightweight design makes it effortless to swing. For older players, it is like a time machine. Taking you back decades. To that swooshing swing power.
The forgiveness is just as impressive as any club on the market. Furthermore, moving weight from the crown to the lower rear, along with a resigned face, gives ultimate forgiveness to this lightweight wonder.
Initially, I was leery of this club before putting it in my hands. In fact, lightweight offset is typically for older golfers with a slice problem. **However, the Air X Offset bucks the trend of your run-of-the-mill lightweight designs.
The weight took some getting used to; however, once I got the timing down, this club was a big performer for me.
I was truly impressed with the distance compared to a regular-weighted driver. In fact, without the weight behind it, the Air X still had carry distances just short of a heavier option. Nevertheless, with slower swing speeds, expect to see the opposite effect.
Overall, the Air X Offset performs quite well and is, therefore, sure to get the results desired for its target market (my dispersion was left of center with slight baby draw shapes).
Taking right completely out of play, impressive distance, and maxed forgiveness make it a perfect option for slower swing speeds, beginners, and slicers.
Looks
The Air X Offset is a slick-looking club. In particular, the flat, muted gray with red accents gives it a premium look. For example, it resembles an expensive sports car with a custom paint job. Additionally, the same color for the shaft gives it a uniform look.
At address, the offset isn’t noticeable, which helps with confidence. Moreover, the small Cobra logo for alignment and slight red pinstriping keep the club simple when standing at the address, thus serving as another confidence booster.
Sound and Feel
The feel of this club was quite a surprise. Initially, I was expecting a flimsy, weak impact; however, I was wrong. In fact, it’s pleasantly strong at impact. Moreover, outside of the weight, it didn’t change the feel of a regular-weight driver.
The sound was again, another surprise!
Although not as powerful of a “BOOM” from a full-weight driver, the Air X Offset delivers a fairly satisfying sound at impact.
Pros
- VERY lightweight (lightest Cobra offers)
- Effortless swing
- The most forgiving lightweight option
- Sleek looking design
- Price
- Very very straightish/draw shots
Cons
- Distance suffers without much weight behind it
- Not very many shaft options
- Only one loft option for lefties
- Difficult to shape shots both ways
- No adjustability
The Bottom Line
The Air X Offset from Cobra is a true testament to the advancements in club making. To make a club weigh in at only 277 grams, and perform at such a level is impressive stuff.
This club is designed for a specific golfer – the golfer that slices, misses fairways, has lost some speed, and is looking to get some consistency in their game. But anyone can have fun with this club.
The slick design, color scheme, and innovative construction deliver the perfect driver for a large portion of the golf community. In fact, I would be hard-pressed, especially at $349, to recommend any other club to a beginner or older golfer.
On the other hand, if you are still 95+ mph in swing speed, don’t struggle with a slice, and hit fairways with relative consistency, you are better off with a regular weight option. Nonetheless, this driver is still a lot of fun to swing around!
If you’re looking for a more premium option, and you still want to look at the Cobra brand, AND you still want to stay in the “slice fixing” draw-biased category – then definitely give our review of the Cobra LTDx Max a read.
Lofts Available: 9.5°, 10.5°, and 11.5° (LH 10.5° Only)
Shaft Options: Cobra Ultralite 40 (Stiff, Regular, and Lite)
Pros:
- Price
- Effortless swing
- Sleek looking design
- Most forgiving lightweight option
- VERY light weight (lightest Cobra offers)
- Very very straightish/draw shots
Cons:
- Distance suffers without much weight behind it
- Not very many shaft options
- Only one loft option for lefties
- Difficult to shape shots both ways
- No adjustability
Here is a Cobra Air X Driver Review https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HzGNGj6XBfM&pp=ygUZQ29icmEgQWlyIFggRHJpdmVyIFJldmlldw%3D%3D
Cobra Air X Straight Neck Driver (Quick Review)
Cobra offers the Air-X in a straight-neck option as well. A straight neck is the same as the offset option, just without, well, the offset (so not as draw-biased).
The Air X Straight neck is available for right-handers at 9.5 and 10.5 degrees. The stock 40-gram Cobra Ultralite shaft is offered in stiff, regular, and lite.
The straight neck is best suited for someone who isn’t battling a slice. This club offers a more square look at the address, which is preferred by most players.
The lighter weight, balance, shaft, and grip come together with the redesigned head to help golfers gain speed off the tee. Indeed, with 1 mph of ball speed equating to 3.16 yards of carry, every little bit counts!
Furthermore, I’m not going to lie, I did not get a chance to hit the Aix-X Straight Neck; however, I imagine it plays very similar to the Offset version without a draw bias.
For a more premium option, non-draw biased, and with a lot more adjustability, check out my experience with the Cobra LTDx Driver.
And if you truly think you’re ready for an advanced-level player’s driver, the low-spin Cobra LTDx LS will be right up your alley.
FAQ
Note – Some of these FAQs were covered throughout the article; however, I still get these questions a lot. Therefore, here are the “short and sweet” answers to the most common questions:
The Cobra Air X driver was released on January 28, 2022.
Yes, Cobra makes an offset driver – the Air X Offset. It’s designed to help mitigate the slice.