With the previous Cobra Fly-Z fairway there were two models to choose from, with different head shapes that had a fixed weight in either the forward or back position.
This created a little bit of a dilemma, but now you don't have to worry as Cobra has replaced them with just one King F6 fairway head with a moveable weight.
The 20g weight is made of tungsten in an aluminium shell and swaps positions with a lightweight black plastic cap to move the weight forwards or back across two positions in the sole.
This alters the Centre of Gravity (CG), with the weight in the back position moving the CG back and increasing the spin to make the ball launch higher and vice versa for the weight in the front.
It's simple enough to swop the weights around, but it's not as slick as some moveable systems. However you are only going to do it once or twice to get the right setting and then leave it, so it is not a big issue.
Having the weight in the back position of the 17-4 Steel head noticeably increases the height of the ball flight and it also made the club feel a touch lighter to swing. Not sure if mine was 'Towering' in the back position or even 'Penetrating' when in the front, but I like the sentiment shown on the sole next to the weight ports.
The sound and feel is really good, especially in the back and more like you would expect from a better players' fairway and it generally feels a bit more alive than the Fly-Z
There are three heads, with a 3/4 wood covering 13°-16°, a 5/6 wood covering 17°-20° and a 7/8 wood covering 21°-24° so there is plenty of choice and no overlaps. You can also change the flight by varying the loft using the same MyFly8 adjustable hosel as before.
The MyFly8 hosel covers five points over this 4° range with a further 3 draw settings, so combining the loft and the weight placement can pretty much guarantee you get the right flight for your game.
It is very clear and straightforward to use and the raised SmartPad section on the sole enables the face to pivot back to square when the adjustments minutely change the inherent angle of the face. Compared to the Fly-Z, the SmartPad does not go all the way across the sole, but it still does the job as well.
At address the King F6 fairway profile is looks a little more compact and not as deep as the Fly-Z and it also sits a little more square like the Fly-Z+ did. It's a small point but I also prefer the single line around the back of the head that is a little more subtle than the double line of the Fly-Z.
Another small point is the return of a proper head cover, which, whilst fairly understated, is a more practical replacement for the previous Fly-Z sock.
There is an all black head, but I would go for either the blue and white crowns to contrast with the black face, which still features the SpeedChannel around the perimeter to increase ball speeds on off-centre hits.
I like the way the white lines on the Forged 475 High-Strength Carpenter steel face frame the ball and don't go right the way across like they do on the Cobra King F6 hybrid, as it looks a little bit less busy.
The Cobra F6 fairway comes with the Matrix Red Tie 65Q4 shaft as standard, which is silver and complements the looks as the performance of the club well.
Overall I really like the Cobra King F6 fairway as it combines the best bits of the two previous Fly-Z fairways in one model. It has the head size and looks of the Fly-Z+ with the forgiveness and the flight of the Fly-Z, making it a worthy contender for all levels of player.