Targeting stiffness and ball control, the Warrior Cobra X lacrosse head features an insert moulded throat design. This head features a 2-tone colour hit for completely unique look. Its ultra-lightweight sidewall design emphasizes the stiffness in the bottom section of the head ensuring durability. It is ready for NCAA and NFHS play and not to be confused with Michael Dudikoff.
The scoop of the Warrior Cobra X is quite flexible which may be a result of the weight reduction efforts. The tip of the scoop is pointy enough that we were able to string a really nice channel. When shooting, you may feel some flex. We had to really wind it up to feel it, but it's there.
On grass, we found ground balls were a little tricky with this head. The angle at the back of the scoop suggests that you need to approach a ground ball at a higher angle. We like to get down and over the ball (we're good boys), but as you get lower, the lip at the back does lift the tip of the head off the ground slightly. If you get really low and off centre, you can't pick the ball up.
Ground balls in line drills were ok, but where it really got found out was with the ball rolling across your path. We found a few times it took two or three attempts to pick it up. This was mainly a problem with the Cobra X on grass surfaces, because you need to get lower on grass due to the variable texture of the turf. Artificial surfaces weren't much of a problem. We found this with earlier Warrior Evo's as well.
There isn’t a plethora of stringing holes, but that shouldn't be much of a concern. There's enough at the top and the bottom of the sidewalls to string up any pocket.
We strung up a mid-pocket to be consistent across all our reviews, but the reverse flared sidewalls of the Warrior Cobra X scream out for a high pocket. If you're an attacking type of player, take note. This, combined with the tip of the scoop and the offset, makes for an accurate and fast shot.
The sidewalls leverage well off the throat stability and the reverse flared sidewalls do offer some substitute for pinching.
With the 2010 NCAA lacrosse head specifications, it's difficult for the throat to be a point of differentiation. The reinforced neck flows through to the sidewalls for added stability, also strengthening the throat on its way.
We have no idea what the raised ball stop is for. Maybe they're trying to compete with the STX Proton Power. Warrior says "it's to help prevent the ball from being dislodged in the stick". Huh? You'd need to string an ultra-low pocket to get the ball behind the balls stop. Maybe even tie the bottom strings off at the shaft. And as soon as you do this your head will be illegal because the ball won't freely roll out when tilted forward. Furthermore, with a low, mid or high pocket the ball will sit higher than the ball stop when you start cradling. But it looks nice!
We're pleased to say that's it is stiff. Warrior has made a concerted effort to improve this whole area. As we said above, it provides a lot of support for the sidewalls. We liked how it felt sturdy on the shaft. Warrior have done well getting this right.
One observation of the NCAA and NFHS compliant lacrosse heads is that the sidewalls have to extend from the elongated throat up to a 6.5in wide scoop. Once you become aware of this distinction, the "all play" heads really start to stand out. However, catering to a broader set of requirements means some compromise. The sharp curve from the sidewalls to the scoop does concern us. It introduces more of a chance for a head to hourglass. This isn't a dig at the Warrior Cobra X lacrosse head specifically, but more the category.
There is enough flex in the lacrosse head that it can be used for face off, but the stiff throat may cause the head to pinch after some face offs. Especially if you're the type to get a little over excited. To be honest, this head is better suited to shoot goals with, don't go wrecking it in the face off!
We had no problems fitting this to any of the heads. Obviously, it's a real snug fit on the warrior shafts.
The Warrior Cobra X is built for attackers. The coop, sidewall flare, flex and lightweight structure all point to one thing: scoring goals. It's not bad for midfield & long stick midfield, providing that you're predominantly playing on artificial surfaces and not grass.
The head is not an out-and-out face off head but can do the job on the odd occasion. The stiff neck does make it a candidate for defence. But the lack of consistent rigidity throughout the whole head leaves us with some reservations about using this for straight D.
The Warrior Cobra X has been designed with the goal scoring forward in mind. We love how Warrior have targeted a specialist position, and uncompromisingly stuck to that goal. Aside from the queries we have with the ground balls and ball stop, it ticks all the boxes for an attacking lacrosse head.
