Golf Republic – Titleist – Cobra – Pre-Launch Sneak Preview

The buzz in the market is on the eagerly awaited Titleist New AP1, Titleist New AP2, Titleist MB and Titleist CB irons. Although we often heard of them being called the Titleist 710 series irons, Rick Brown, the Brand Manager for Titleist and Cobra for South-East Asia clarified that the name is wrong. The 710 on the hosel is simply a code for Titleist staff to identify which model of AP1 and AP2 and it is incorrectly called the Titleist 710 AP1, 710 AP2, 710 CB and 710 MB respectively.


Golf Republic members with Rick Brown and Cheng from Titleist and Cobra.


Rick Brown explaining the technology behind the clubs

Golf Republic is proud to host the Pre-Launch Event together with Friend of Golf Republic, Titleist and Cobra on 14th October, 2009 for selected members to do a review on the soon to be launched Titleist irons, the Cobra ZL driver and the Scotty Cameron California Series putters. We would like to thank Heartland Golf Schools (Singapore) at Jurong Country Club for letting us use their premises.

Rick Brown first started by introducing the Titleist New AP2. The AP2 is the most played irons and Titleist is keen to keep the winning formula. Slight changes are made to the New AP2, notably the shape and the bounce. Titleist shaved off 1* bounce off the shorter irons to make them more playable after feedback from tour players.


The forged piece of the AP2. Tungsten with higher density is inserted and welded at the sole to lower the CG.


Components of the new AP1 and AP2


Next is the New AP1 irons. Unlike the AP2, the New AP1 is a cast iron instead of forged. However, the shape has changed considerably making it look more like the New AP2. In fact, the New AP1 looks like an oversized version of the AP2. Do not expect ultra thin topline from the AP1 as it still has many game improvement characteristics but it is certainly more playable than the previous AP1 and is also adopted by some tour players. Here are some pictures comparing the AP1 and AP2.


Notice that the AP1 has a bigger blade than AP2


AP1 and AP2 at address. Notice that AP1 is like a enlarged version of AP2.


The soles of AP1 and AP2

The Titleist MB and the Titleist CB is received very favourably. The shape has returned to a more traditional blade and cavity back as opposed to the previous Titleist ZB and Titleist ZM irons. The New CB is a pure cavity-back irons from 3 iron to PW unlike the ZB which is blended cavity-to-muscle back. Here are some pictures comparing the MB with the CB.


MB and CB comparison


Almost identical width of CB and MB


Nice work for the CB that makes it look almost similar to the MB at address

The Cobra ZL Driver is a adjustable face angle driver. Compared to the Nike and Taylormade Adjustable drivers, the Cobra ZL is perhaps the simplest to use. It has three settings which is O for open, N for neutral and C for closed. Open is 1* open, while Neutral is almost neutral and Closed is 2* closed for players who prefer to play a draw. The driver comes with a 50g and 46” Tour AD shaft to promote higher speed. Here are some of pictures of the Cobra ZL driver. There were concerns raised by members that the spining of the shaft would be affected by changing the club face angle but Rick explained that the improvement of shaft technology has caused such issues to be minimal and tests done had shown that players do not gain statistically significant advantage by spining.


The face of Cobra ZL driver


Check out the artwork of the Cobra ZL Driver


The Cobra ZL driver at address


Adjusting the face angle. It has built in safety mechanism to avoid over-tightening and you will hear clicking sound to alert you once the head is tightened.

Lastly but not least, is a feast for all Scotty Cameron fans. The new Scotty Cameron California Series putters are indeed a treat to the eyes. The new putters are named after the cities of California and are known as Del Mar, Monterey, Sonoma, and Coronado respectively. Del Mar has a large, circular back flange and a high toe area. The Sonoma has a plumber’s neck, rounded back flange, single alignment line, and longer face. Monterey is an Anser-style blade with a single alignment line. Coronado is a classic blade putter. Scotty calls them "honey dipped" as they are coated to give them a dull golden finish which looks as if they are coated with honey. The treatment is to reduce glare from the putter and it makes the putters a treat to the eyes.


The 'honey dipped' Scotty Cameron California Series


Check out the Dancing Cameron Grip


The face of a Scotty Cameron California Series putter


4 Cities; 4 Putters

Our members eagerly tested the irons, driver and putter after the explanation. Here are some of the feedbacks.


Cheng helping out Rick Brown

SGtiger:

What I like about the clubs:
AP1 is a very easy club to hit. Beginners will find it so much easy to play with this club. AP2 is looks and feels great at address and the 3 irons are quite easy to hit also. MB irons were like the perfect blades. They have a nice feel at impact and the ball flight is nice. CB irons i thought was just ok and in between everything.

ZL driver sounds good. It is also easy to adjust the face angle.

The California Putters look very different this time round. I think when struck on the sweet spot they have a nice 'ting' sound on them.



SGtiger and Quinike testing out the irons

What I do not like:
AP1 is cast iron and is probably difficult to bend the lie angle to match my swing.
AP2, MB, CB should all come in at least 3 shaft options like kbs or prioject x so everyone has good options to choose from rather than custom order. At the moment, only NSPRO 950 or DG S200 for some irons and only DGS200 for MB.

My favourite:
My favourites are the AP1 and MB. I will choose to play AP1 coz it may lower my score although it does not look great.

Jimmychoo:

What I like about the clubs:
AP1 is very easy to hit. AP2 is the most forgiving forged iron I have ever hit. MB is very handsome and has a clean look. It has very good feel. The CB looks almost identical to the MB. very good choice for players who prefer a bit more forgiveness.

The ZL Driver will be appreciated by most beginners as it very easy to launch the ball. I personally like the new colour of the Scotty!


jimmychoo left a star-blazing trail

What I do not like:
The AP1 don't feel like a Titleist. The AP2 lost the feel of a forged iron as off center hits still feel great but who cares? MB would probably need a much higher swing speed to handle these as I have problem launching the longer irons. The CB doesn't have too much feedback.

I do not quite like the ZL driver. I am personally concerned about the spine of the shaft when it comes to adjusting the face angle as I am a strong advocate for shaft spining.

There is nothing I do not like about the Scotty Cameron California Series. If there is any, it must be the price. Yes it is a Scotty after all.


jimmychoo putting with the California Series putter with SGtiger in the background

My favourite:
I rated them with stars.
- AP1 - ****
- AP2 - *****
- MB - ***
- CB - **
- ZL Driver - ****
- Scotty Putters - *****

Quinike:

What I like about the clubs:
The New Ap1s have very minimal offset compared to the old model. It still has game improvement characteristics like thick topline wide sole and perimeter weighting. The fact that some PGA pros are using this model means that it becomes a more all-rounded model, and people looking for game improvement clubs can use this even after they get better (no need to "upgrade").

I like the AP2 as it is still the same as before in terms of look and playability. Only difference is the sound and impact feeling is a little bit more muted - and not so ‘clickly’.

Titleist really brings back old-school blade designs from the 1990s for the MB. Very minimal forgiveness, but when struck sweetly the ball flight is low and penetrating. Impact feel is the most solid amongst all the clubs tested. You can really feel the mass in the head compressing the ball.

The CB is very similar to the MB, but since there is perimeter weighting the ball flight is marginally higher than the MB. Otherwise, it sets up very nicely and similarly to the MB with almost no offset.

What attracts me to the ZL driver? Great looks! New and improved over the Cobra LV5. That was already a pretty solid driver, so i believe what they did was just to remove the insanely loud sound and the adjustable face angle technology.


Quinike testing the Cobra ZL driver

What I do not like:
I can’t say that I don’t like them, because these are so many models that are targeted for different players. But the only comment I can give is that the 4 different iron models are distinctively different from each other and there are no overlapping characteristics. So I believe if you are a discerning golfer looking for a particular type of irons, you should be able to find one you like within the 4 models. I do not like the limited shaft selection though.

My favourite:
I like the MB! It is followed by the new AP2 because they look so fierce now.

Slinger:

What I like about the clubs:
For the high handicappers, the AP1 irons are extremely easy to hit and launch. I tried both the NSPro 950 and the DG S200, but still prefer the lightness of the NSPro. I personally think it will challenge the likes of Callaway/Mizuno/TM for this segment of the market.

The AP2 is easy on the eye. I like the way the irons set-up. They also comes in both NSPro and DG shaft. In terms of softness, it is very similiar to the AP1. I hit more balls with the AP2 than the rest of the other irons during the session pretty much said it all. Simply LOVED IT.


Slinger testing the new AP2

The CB feels quite similiar to the AP2, as far as how the irons set-up to me. Aesthically, I like the clean and satin look. But I keep going back to the AP2 for whatever reasons. Maybe if I have more time with the irons, my opinion might change in favour of the CB.

The shape of the Cobra ZL driver is appealing, I personally like the black and boring colour as I never really like drivers with colour highlights or with indentations. But that is just my preference. It is similiar to the TaylorMade R9, with the adjustable hosel, however, the key is different from the R9. Thus R9 owners, the ZL driver is not doing to work with your R9 shaft. I put some mileage on this driver. It is a very solid driver, unlike the S9. I much prefer the sound of the ZL driver. Would I buy it? Looks good, sound good, hit far - everything you need the driver to be. I can't wait to hear the retail price.

I really like the shaft option. Besides the DG and NSPro shafts for the irons, I was told that they can provide DGSL shaft as well. However, the lead time will be slightly longer as compared to off the shelf. Similarly for the Cobra ZL driver, they can provide other shafts options, like V2, Diamana and others.

What I do not like:

I really want to like the Cobra ZL driver but unfortunately, I am launching too high for my liking. This is probably due to the stock shaft. But I am already hitting quite long with this driver. As Rick Brown mentioned, they have various shafts option for the ZL so I am sure I can find something suitable.

As for the Scotty Cameron California Series putters, I never try it as I really like my current putter. But a Cameron is a Cameron. The name sells by itself. That said, I don't really like the "bronze" look of the new series. Give me a Plat Mil Spec anyday and I will putt with it.

My favourite:
Probably the AP2 and the Cobra ZL driver.


Ending with some goodies




----------------------------------------- End of Review -------------------------------------------

Interview with Quinike after the event:



Stay tuned for more videos soon!

hiaz ... wish i would be there ...

excellent! this is very professionally done and well written. great reviews guys! and it feels good to know GR is making it's name known!

Wahh.. so lucky..

Err.. Got Discount for GR members? hahaha

Nice job on the review and pics guys.

I thought under the what I don't like section, SGTiger would say everything since he only plays Nike.

How I wish I was there man...keke... Had tried my friend's ZB, the feel is very soft n solid. So I believe the new clubs will not be anything worse.

As for the cobra driver, the looks is damn killer man.... roughly know the price when it's out? Damn gianzzz...

wa got free gift somemore...
I also wana test the new driver and AP2!

Free free to ask our reviewers their thoughts

Nothing beats a Mizuno MP Iron(except Miuras which burns a very neat hole in your wallet). Titleist does not even come close.

jordychan wrote:

Nothing beats a Mizuno MP Iron(except Miuras which burns a very neat hole in your wallet). Titleist does not even come close.

excuse me... please do not say such things here... mizuno not friend of Golf Republic... but titleist is... so u better say titleist is the best and mizuno does not come close... otherwise u will be censured!

Hi MT, everyone is entitled to their opinion and as long as it is civil, it is fine.

jordy,

I am sure Titleist staff on the forum would actually love it if you can tell them why you feel that Mizuno is better than them so that they can improve. I am currently a mizuno mp user (mp 57 and mp 33) and one of our reviewer jimmychoo is a die hard mizuno fan but both of us feel that Titleist has done well for the mb and ap2. Perhaps you could share more about your experience instead

i have not tried titleist (i'd love to own the new MBs) but i love my mizunos.. i was caressing my 9i and talking to it just now.. haha

dear all, just to clarify.

Titleist, FootJoy and Cobra are Friends of Golf Republic but this is not a sponsored forum and users are still free to discuss any topics or equipment manufacturers.

They are here to help with the education and grow the game of golf together with us.

They may from time to time sponsor some of the forum initiatives such as our caps at the moment and as friends, we would appeal to everyone to treat them with respect.

You may not be a fan of their product and you may have differing opinions. It is alright to voice out or to support the brands that you are loyal to as long as it does not degenerate into personal attacks or mindless name calling.

got it sunny. i am only short of ecstatic that the folks from acushnet have reached out to this online community which i am very proud to be part of. i sincerly appreciate each and every one of them that take the time to answer our questions and contribute to this forum.

oh and just wondering, how does the honey-dipped look compare to the bronzed look on the odyssey white hot tours? they've got the same idea to reduce glare..

sunny wrote:

Hi MT, everyone is entitled to their opinion and as long as it is civil, it is fine.

jordy,

I am sure Titleist staff on the forum would actually love it if you can tell them why you feel that Mizuno is better than them so that they can improve. I am currently a mizuno mp user (mp 57 and mp 33) and one of our reviewer jimmychoo is a die hard mizuno fan but both of us feel that Titleist has done well for the mb and ap2. Perhaps you could share more about your experience instead

Oh man, where to begin?
I currently use the MP-32 Mizunos. Very soft feel, much softer than any Titleist blade I've ever come across. I used to use the MP-67s until I lost them to thieves ( sadly ). The astounding quality of Mizuno irons, and their craftsmanship lure me away from close-but-not-close-enough Titleist / Callaway Forged irons. As Sevey ( Ballesteros ) once said : " There's nothing like a Mizuno. " I'm currently scouting for a MP-68 Mizuno set, from 3-9 or PW. Those 67s are very lovely blades, appealing to the eye and hands and I like the slightly weaker loft. The first set I've ever played was MP-14, also very soft off the face. The next good thing about the Mizuno blades is the ability to shot-make. Cut / Fade / Draw / Hook - it's easy.

Nonetheless, I am still faithful to Titleist balls, and Cobra drivers. I've changed from TaylorMade Tour Burner to Cobra S9-1.

Its ok. I have differing views with Jordy too. Have hit the 32s, 60s, 52s, 67s, 68s and 25s. All are ok only despite all the hooplah.

Nice bulldog, so cute.

vyeo,

questions moved to Ask Cobra thread

hhmm.. Been dying to try both Titleist and Mizuno irons, preferably in a range. any one has any suggestions where can try both without having to have the pressure to commit to a purchase immediately?

Come to our range outings. If not you probably need to do it at the indoor range at golfhouse

been wanting to join.. but after reading about all the "gao shou-s" there, a bit pai seh to go.. hee..

haha go lah.. i've been planning to go too but usually wednesday nights i'm too tired from school. there's plenty of mizzy and titleist fans there so you can swing and demo to your heart's content. you're welcome to try out my mx200s anytime too.

The Titleist irons look very pro. I am glad Cobra is a sister coy of them...

Golfzilla, question moved to ask Titleist