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Today I’ll be reviewing the Cobra RADSPEED XD (‘XTREME Draw’) driver.
The RADSPEED XD (or KING RADSPEED XD) benefits from all the technologies that make Cobra’s RAD driver line shine including RADIAL WEIGHTING technology, but its internal weighting shifts the CG more towards the heel for a slice-fighting draw bias.
How does the RADSPEED XD actually perform when put to the test? How does it compare to the other models in the RAD line? Who is it best suited for? Is it worth putting in the bag?
Read on to find out what you need to know to make an informed purchase.
Note: Unless otherwise stated, stock shafts and stock grips are used when evaluating this club. In most cases, the golf clubs reviewed on Golfstead are acquired temporarily for testing purposes and are not purchased. The review that follows is based on the personal experience and research of the author. Because everyone’s swing and body are different, results with a particular club may differ from person to person.
What are the reviews like?
The Cobra RADSPEED XD driver won a gold medal on the 2021 Golf Digest Hot List and has been praised by critics for its strong draw bias.
It currently enjoys average customer ratings of 4.9/5 on Global Golf, 4.5/5 on PGA TOUR Superstore, and 5/5 on Rock Bottom Golf.
What People Like
- slice-mitigating ability is powerful
- consistently high ball speeds
- consistent spin
- quality stock shaft options
- easy to swing
What People Don’t Like
- not ideal for golfers who don’t struggle with a fade/slice
- not for shot shapers
The Features
The technologies that go into the RADSPEED XD driver are the same as the original RADSPEED, namely:
- RADIAL WEIGHTING: this technology consists of weight in the extreme front and back of the driver, producing lower spin, fast ball speeds and great forgiveness all at the same time.
- CNC-Milled Infinity Face: created using Cobra’s proprietary CNC milling process, this face design expands the milled area by 95% and wraps around the body in an effort to increase the zone of maximum ball speed.
- Carbon Wrap Crown: this light, thin-ply crown design is made of a carbon fiber material that is 30% thinner than the previous generation, saving 6g more weight than the Speedzone which is redistributed to further improve performance.
- T-Bar Speed Chassis: 7g lighter than the previous generation, this enables weight savings which are redistributed forward to reduce spin and increase ball speed.
- Arccos Sensors: the purchase of Cobra golf equipment like the RADSPEED driver immediately makes you eligible to receive free Arccos Smart Sensors and a one-year free trial to the Arccos Caddie app.
The key differentiators are:
- 10g of weight is positioned near the heel to make it easier to close the face and encourage a draw
- 14g of weight is positioned in the back (instead of 10g for the RADSPEED)
- the front lacks an adjustable weight and only contains 8g of fixed weight
- the head is slightly altered to have more of an oversized profile at address
Stock Info
The RADSPEED XD driver is available in 10.5° and 12° standard lofts at 460 CC.
The driver comes with a MyFly adjustable hosel that has eight loft settings: -1.5°, -1°, -1° Draw, STD, STD Draw, +1°, +1° Draw, and +1.5°.
Sole weights with gram values 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 12, and 16 can be purchased separately.
Several premium aftermarket shafts are available with the RADSPEED XD. The stock options are the Fujikura Motore X F3 (mid/high launch, mid spin) and Project X EvenFlow Riptide (high launch, high spin). The stock grip is the Lamkin Crossline Black.
If you’re interested, full information on the driver, shafts, grips and their specs can be found here.
Below are the specs of the RADSPEED XD driver. Click or zoom to enlarge.
The Performance
Distance
One of the things about most draw-bias drivers is that in exchange for the shot shape correction, some ball speed and distance is often sacrificed. The RADSPEED XD does extremely well in minimizing this tradeoff.
Smash factor, or the amount of ball speed produced for a given clubhead speed, is roughly the same as the original low-spin RADSPEED. And despite the higher spin rates (350+ RPM) and higher launch angle, total distance is only marginally less.
Results may vary, but in my estimation, it’s quite easy to get the ball up in the air and get good carry. In this regard, the driver is certainly friendly towards golfers with slower swing speeds.
Forgiveness
It became clear during my testing that the RADSPEED XD is exceptionally forgiving when it comes to straightening out slices.
I don’t have issues with slicing the ball these days, and in fact, I was struggling to keep the ball from missing to the left because of how strong the draw bias is. On average, I was seeing about 17-20 yards of draw bias which is substantial.
Beyond the draw bias, the forgiveness of the XD is comparable to the XB model. Ball speed is maintained very well across the face.
Bottom line? If you suffer from a persistent slice off the tee, you will likely see a significant improvement in fairways hit.
Playability/Trajectory
Trajectories with the RADSPEED XD driver tend to be fairly high, thanks to the combined effects of the higher spin and higher launch angle. For me, it was easiest to get elevation on the ball with the XD compared to the other models in the RAD line.
As previously mentioned, the RADSPEED XD produces a significant draw bias. Putting heavier weights in the back sole port might dampen this bias somewhat since it crowds out the heel weight.
Workability is very limited. With enough competence and skill, you can control the flight to an extent, but frankly, most people who play this driver shouldn’t want to.
The Look
The RADSPEED XD driver sets up surprisingly square; the clean look at address would hardly suggest this is a draw driver.
The XD is similar to the XB model in that it has an oversized shape, with a large footprint and more length from front to back. It comes in two different colour schemes:
- Black/Turbo Yellow: black crown with white and vivid yellow accents on the sole
- Peacoat/Red: deep navy blue matte crown with red and white accents on the sole
The bold, progressive design of the driver seems to try to cater to a younger demographic. The shape of the RADSPEED XD looking down at address is sharper and more triangular than other brands.
Looking at the sole design, one thing that stands out is the presence of a heel weight which has been inserted into the bottom region. Some of the yellow accents have been turned white in an attempt to make the aesthetic gel more with this weight port.
The Cobra logo alignment aid on the crown, the infinity face, and the raised crown accents help keep the ball in visual focus, which can help golfers hit the sweet spot more consistently.
The Sound & Feel
All of the RADSPEED drivers feel great at impact, the XD included. The feel is nice and solid with just a touch of softness.
There is also an element of hollowness that resembles the forgiving XB, but at the same time, the driver is extremely stable through impact. You can almost feel the slight heel bias when swinging through the ball.
The sound is a medium-pitched “slap” at impact that isn’t too loud nor too quiet.
Feedback is about as informative as it is with the XB model, which is to say very minimal. Mis-hits feel and sound very similar to sweet-spot strikes, and I reckon that most people interested in a draw-bias driver will have no problem with this.
Where To Buy This Driver Online
The RADSPEED XD driver is not a current-season model, so ordering it custom is difficult.
A terrific place to snatch up this driver at low prices (new or used) is eBay. Some of the listings there allow you to choose colour, shaft, flex and loft.
I also recommend looking at the stock available on Global Golf, PGA TOUR Superstore, and Rock Bottom Golf. These vendors may offer club trade-ins, performance guarantees, and/or financing plans to help you minimize the financial hit and maximize peace of mind.
Conclusion
The Cobra RADSPEED XD driver has a remarkable ability to take some of the worst slicers in the game and get them hitting arrows straight down the middle. And ultimately, this is what every draw driver should strive to do.
The RADSPEED XD does what it claims, and it does it very well. The icing on the cake is fast ball speeds across the face and a high launch, making it ideal for slower swingers and beginner golfers.
If you don’t mind the draw bias and you’re looking for a forgiving, high-launching driver, I actually recommend this model over the XB.
Are you interested in the RADSPEED XD driver? Have you tried it yet? What have your results been? Let us know in the comments below.
