By Ed Travis
Zero Friction Stand Bag
If you’re New Year’s Resolution was to lose weight and walk more on the golf course, Zero Friction has introduced a lightweight stand bag with dual strap and useful features including a six-way top to make carrying those sticks a lot easier. 
Getting the right carry bag is a key to comfortably walking the golf course. In addition to weighing less than five pounds and having six dividers to keep your clubs in order, the dual strap is designed for comfort.
A hip pad is built into the side, along with conveniently placed handles. A variety of pockets include one lined for valuables and an insulated one just the right size for a water bottle. Glove, towel and umbrella holders are standard.
Zero Friction also packages the bag, a 40-inch slotted towel and one of their Performance branded gloves, for no additional charge.
Fast Facts Zero Friction Golf Stand Bag:
Dual Strap stand bag
Six-way top
Full length dividers
Weight less than 5 lbs.
Seven zippered pockets
Two color choices (White or Navy)
$199.99 at ZeroFriction.com
Laser Pro Rangefinders from Zero Friction
Zero Friction has also entered the rangefinder business with two pistol grip models with a range of 1,000-yards, the Laser Pro and Laser Pro SM.
Serious golfers consider their laser rangefinder to be as important as their favorite putter.
“We wanted to be in the laser business but didn’t want to make another ‘me-too’ palm-held unit,” said John Iacono, Zero Friction Founder. “What we really wanted was a pistol-style grip. It’s simple to use. It’s much easier to hold steady in your hand than a unit that sits in your palm. It vibrates when it locks in on the target. So, we ended up with exactly what we wanted: A unique product with impressive technology that fits our brand.”
This medium-priced rangefinder has a comfortable rubber-surfaced grip that makes the unit easy to use with one hand, plus the 6X magnification LCD display assures an easy selection of a specific target.
The Laser Pro SM measures uphill and downhill slopes allowing the user to make any necessary compensations in club selection, plus there is a magnet in the handle for attaching the unit to a golf cart or pushcart.
Zero Friction also includes at no charge with each of the rangefinders their smartphone distance measuring app with 36,000 courses preloaded.
Fast Facts Laser Pro rangefinder:
Range up to 1,000 yards (+/- 1 yard)
LCD display with 6X magnification
Vibrates when locked on target
Scan and pin lock modes
Pistol grip handle
Weight 6.5 oz.
Waterproof carrying case
SM model measures slope
Laser Pro $229.99
Laser Pro SM $329.99
Find them at the website: https://www.zerofriction.com/
Cobra Radspeed Irons
Made with weighting positioned using similar principles as the woods of the same family, Cobra’s Radspeed irons also have an innovative 3D printed polymer medallion. The weighting is placed as far as possible from the head’s center of gravity. The resulting configuration is described by Cobra as “Extreme Heel & Toe Weighting.” 
The ten-gram toe screw and three-gram weight towards the heel put the head’s center of gravity at the center of the club giving a more stable impact for directional control and forgiveness for off-center impact. Custom club fitters can adjust the toe screw weight by +/- 6 grams from 4 to 16 grams in two-gram increments to accommodate the particular need of the player.
The thin high-strength stainless steel forged cup face, with variable thickness design, wraps around the leading edge of the sole helping face flex and distance potential.
Of interest to the technically minded, for the first time in any iron, 3D printing was used to manufacture the polymer medallion in head’s cavity back. Medallions are frequently used to improve an iron’s feel by dampening vibration. The Radspeed’s medallion, which has an intricate lattice work pattern, accomplishes that along with the added benefit of saving weight versus conventionally pressed polymer medallions.
The medallion’s pattern is not possible to be manufactured using a conventional process. Carbon fiber was substituted for steel along the topline giving both an improved look at address, plus weight savings so more weight could be located lower in the head.
We also like the more rounded trailing edge of the Radspeed irons compared with the preceding Speedzone model. It is both better looking sticking out of the bag but also helped with adjustment of the head’s balance.
One Length Radspeed Irons, played by Bryson DeChambeau, are also available and additional details may be found on the Cobra website.
Fast Facts Cobra Golf Radspeed Irons:
Game-improvement category irons
3-gram heel weight, 10-gram toe screw
Forged 17-4 stainless steel L-shaped variable thickness face
3D printed lattice polymer medallion
Carbon fiber topline
5-iron loft 21°, pitching wedge 42.5°
Reduced spin V grooves long irons, added spin U groove short irons
Cobra Connect by Arccos
Stock shafts: KBS Tour 90, UST Recoil 460 ESX
Stock grip: Lamkin Crossline Connect
Available January 29, 2021
Seven piece set $899 steel shafts (5-GW or 4-PW)
Seven piece combo set $999 graphite shafts (5H-GW)
Available at: https://www.cobragolf.com/radspeed-irons
Cobra Golf’s Radspeed family of woods use newly designed radial placement of internal weighting for low spin and high forgiveness in three drivers, four fairway woods and two hybrids.
The concept came from Cobra designers reviewing the various elements in a clubhead, such as internal weights and the radius of gyration. For those of us lacking engineering degrees, the radius of gyration is the distance from the clubhead’s center of gravity to the location of each weight mass.
Cobra R&D realized this measurement is key to developing an effective blend of high ball speed, low spin, forgiveness, and launch angle, by calculating the proper amount of weight and where it should be placed.
The solution was to push the front and rear weights as far apart as possible thereby increasing the distance between them. Cobra calls this “Radial Weighting,” hence the name Radspeed.
“Our new Radspeed drivers represent a true breakthrough in performance,” said Tom Olsavsky, vice president of R&D. “Our engineers have outdone themselves by pushing the Radius of Gyration to new levels and delivering three distinct drivers aimed at three different types of golfers. With the Radspeed driver family, COBRA can truly offer optimized performance for everyone from Tour players to weekend warriors and those who need help correcting a slice.”
Cobra’s Radial Weighting is an innovative way to keep the launch angle in the correct window, while retaining lower spin rates.
Three Radspeed Driver variations are available. Each has an internal T-bar frame lighter by 7 grams than in last year’s SpeedZone driver and a 30% thinner carbon fiber crown that extends over the skirt replacing sections of the sole with a saving of another 6 grams.
The “Infinity Face” wraps around the front of the crown and leading edge of the sole, as well as, up the hosel. The weight saved from the crown and frame enabled reallocation of mass close to the face and to the extreme rear of the head so launch and spin could be adjusted to compensate for the needs of different players.
The standard Radspeed, for the better player, places 28 grams of weight near the front (16 grams fixed, 12 grams adjustable) and 10 grams in the rear (8 grams fixed, 2 grams adjustable). It produces low spin with a somewhat lower launch and allows the most workability.
The Radspeed XB (“Xtreme Back) is weighted to have the most forgiveness with 20 grams (14 grams fixed, 6 grams adjustable) in the rear and 8 grams (fixed) in front. It is the most forgiving Cobra has ever made.
The Radspeed XD (“Xtreme Draw”) is for those needing help in straightening out their slice. Unlike other anti-slice drivers there is no extra offset of shaft to head giving it a confidence-building look at address. Weighting is draw-biased with 10 grams near the heel and 14 grams in the rear for higher launch, more forgiveness plus additional ball speed from 8 grams in the front.
The Radspeed family of fairway woods ($279 each) and hybrids ($229 each) have similar constructions using the radial weighting concept.
For the first time Cobra was able to make use of a CNC milled face for the standard Radspeed fairway wood and the hybrids continue to use the hollow split rails on the sole, a valuable performance feature used for years in previous Cobra hybrids.
Bryson DeChambeau and One Length fans will appreciate this new family includes four One Length hybrids with lofts from 17° to 24°.
Fast Facts Radspeed drivers:
460cc clubhead
Carbon fiber crown
T-bar chassis
CNC milled wrap around face
Adjustable hosel
Cobra Connect by Arccos
Color choices: black/Turbo yellow, Peacoat blue/red
Radspeed Standard: 28 grams front weighting, 10 grams rear
Radspeed XB: 8 grams front weighting, 20 grams rear
Radspeed XD: 8 grams front weighting, 14 grams rear, 10 grams heel
Stock shafts: Fujikura Motore X F3, Project X HZRDUS RDX Blue, Fujikura Motore X F1
Stock grip: Lamkin Crossline
Suggested retail for each $449. Full specifications on Cobra website
Hold onto your credit card, the only problem with these new Radspeed Family of Drivers and Fairway Woods from Cobra, is that they are not available until January 29, 2021.
