King Cobra SZ v Steelhead III

King Cobra SZ 3-wood.

King Cobra’s latest SZ fairway metals are not yet widely available but I was fortunate to get my hands on one recently and compare it against my trusty Callaway Big Bertha Steelhead III 3-wood, probably the best and most versatile of its kind, ever made.

The driving range conditions were perhaps not the best, using the usual poor one-piece range balls (which travel on average 20-30 yards less than normal good quality balls) and the cold, wet but not too windy weather allowing for little run.

I alternated clubs every two shots and hit 25 balls off a tee and 25 balls off the deck.

At address, the Cobra is handsome (though still lacking the looks of the Mizuno MP001) and the head cover is a
vast improvement on previous protection. It has a 183cc head and the face is deeper and slightly longer, (heel-to-toe) than the Callaway. It has 15.5 degrees of loft compared to Callaway’s 15.

Trusty Callaway Steelhead III 3-wood.

The SZ inspires confidence with the illusion of far more loft, a useful attribute from semi-rough or fairway.

From a tee peg, the Cobra launched higher than the
Callaway and despite the stock 60gms Aldila (mid-bend point) regular shaft being a tad soft for me, it gave good feedback and didn’t misbehave, even when I really laid into some shots.

The Cobra is forgiving with a bigger sweet spot than the Callaway, and even mishits didn’t penalise distance too much. However, the SZ has a definite heel weight bias to promote a draw and I do admit to a few ‘duck-hooks’.

I initially thought the Cobra might not be as effective as my Callaway ‘off the deck’ because of its deeper face and oversize head but I was pleasantly surprised. As for overall carry it also compared favourably.

As for feel and sound, the Cobra is lively and active at impact – with a slightly lower resonance than the Callaway.

Mid to high handicappers will love it, especially for tee shots, but with its draw bias it’s difficult to shape a fade.