The Cobra ZL Encore Driver is the replacement for the ZL driver and features the same E9 face technology as the Cobra S3 driver which uses an elliptical face shape to extend the sweet spot a diagonally shaped oval. This move from low in the heel to high in the toe to follow the more common impact points of the average golfer. The ZL Encore face also has what Cobra call a ‘canted bulge with dual roll’ face which is an imperceptible curve across the face from top to bottom and left to right to give more forgiveness and distance from shots hit above and below the centre of the club face.

The more noticeable change however is the look of the clubs which comes in a black and ‘electric’ (try luminous) yellow or all white finish, both of which look very striking and are ideal for night time golf! The white Cobra ZL Encore driver in particular with its white shaft and grip looks excellent and will appeal to those looking to make an impact on the course

On the course the ZL Encore driver was great fun and very forgiving to hit right across the face. The adjustable hosel gives 3 very distinct face angles and better players may want to go for the Open setting to have the driver sitting a little more square at address as the neutral setting is more closed than most. However if you have trouble avoiding the right of the course then the draw bias of the ‘standard’ or closed setting will get you more to the centre of the course. The sound was a little hollow due to the carbon composite construction but was still pretty good for this type of head. Remove the weight at the back and you get a slightly lower flight and a little better sound but you are probably not meant to do that.

Overall this is a very good driver for mid single figure handicaps right up to the 20s provided you can muster up the cash as it is a little on the pricey side, but we think it is worth it for the looks, especially the white one.