Cobra Golf is one of the world’s top manufacturers of golf equipment. The company is known to produce a full line of golf clubs ( excluding putters), along with accessories, such as golf bags. However, the brand has seen a change of hands in ownership several times since its inception. In this article, we will find out who makes Cobra Golf clubs and discover the key traits of this brand.
Cobra Golf Origins
The brand’s foundation was laid down in 1973 by a former Australian golfer, Thomas Crow. Crow was an amateur player then and spent years of his life working for the Australian golf equipment company, Precision Golf. However, he soon came up with his own designs and resettled in San Diego, and introduced Cobra Golf to the world.
Innovations
Although Cobra Golf started off in 1973, the company witnessed its breakthrough in 1975, with the launch of its first major product. The Baffler was a 23-degree, persimmon 7-wood club and laid the stage for the hybrid clubs that we see today. Cobra Golf still launches updated versions of the original Baffler to meet the demands of this retro club.
After the Baffler, Cobra Golf continued to present a series of innovative products under Crow’s supervision. One example of this was an extended-length driver, which was 46 inches long. The club was launched in 1979 and was several inches longer even according to the standards of that time. The vision behind this new design was to increase the speed and distance in golf clubs for recreational golfers.
In the ensuing years, Cobra Golf established itself as a pioneer in presenting game-changing innovations in golf clubs. For instance, in 1985, Cobra Golf offered graphite shafts as stock options in irons and woods. This made the company the first United States-based equipment manufacturer to modify shafts in this manner.
Later, in 1992, Cobra Golf earned the title of being the first company to offer a complete set of oversized irons. The company kept on innovating in different spheres of golf and even came up with the autoclaving manufacturing process, which allows manufacturers to strengthen graphite shafts.
In 2000, Cobra Golf developed the Airweight shaft, which was the first graphite shaft that weighed less than 50 grams. Lastly, in 2017, the company became the first big brand, after Tommy Armour Golf, to offer sets of single-length irons to consumers.
Greg Norman’s Role in Cobra Golf
Interestingly, only a few people know that Greg Norman associated himself with Cobra Golf in 1991 and become an endorser of the brand. The legendary golfer had joined the company in exchange for partial ownership. However, this was a step forward for the company, as he worked tirelessly with Crow to design Cobra’s first set of forged irons. In the later years, Norman became the full owner of Cobra Golf’s Australian distributor.
Although Norman’s initial stake in the company was worth $2 million, its value ballooned up to $40 million when Cobra was acquired by another larger company (Titleist). These days, Norman doesn’t have an ownership stake in Cobra Golf, but he continues to be its brand ambassador.
Cobra to Titleist – The First Large Transfer
Cobra Golf’s first large sale came at the hands of American Brands (now Fortune Brands), which was Acushnet’s parent company at the time. The company was bought at a staggering price of $700 million. This union was in the interest of both these companies as it allowed them to benefit from each other’s strengths.
Cobra Golf had been the leader in the oversize iron market and excelled at producing graphite-shafted irons for players that had slower swing speeds. On the other hand, Titleist had expertise in golf balls and gloves.
Although the plan was great in theory, Cobra Golf didn’t do well as a sister company to Titleist. This was partly due to the fact that Acushnet Co. started to produce high-quality golf clubs.
Cobra to Puma – Second Change
In 2010, Acushnet, the parent company of Titleist, decided to sell Cobra to Puma AG in 2010. The reason for this transfer was that Cobra Golf clubs had started to compete with Acushnet’s own brand of golf clubs, instead of complementing them.
However, Puma AG made most of the acquisition of Cobra Golf and expanded its production by several folds. As a result, Puma was able to become a significant player in the manufacture of golf equipment at the back of its large distribution base in footwear. To this day, Puma continues the legacy of Cobra Golf and comes up with innovative designs for recreational players.
Where Can You Buy Cobra Golf Equipment?
Being one of the leading equipment brands, Cobra Golf’s clubs and accessories are available at most big retail shops and online golf equipment retailers like Amazon, as well as the smaller golf retail outlets.
An Overview of Cobra King F9 Speedback Driver
Since Cobra Golf was one of the pioneering companies that led the innovation in club designs, you will find innovation as the recurring theme in its products. Therefore, it is no surprise that the Cobra King F9 Speedback Driver is one of the most advanced drivers in the market. Let us take a look at the product’s key features:
Shape
The interesting thing about golf clubs is that even the smallest changes in its design can have a huge effect on the club’s performance. Considering that, Cobra Golf has ensured that the F9 Speedback Driver has an optimal aerodynamic shape.
Due to its unique aerodynamic shape, the club-head faces minimal resistance from air, which allows players to deliver powerful shots with minimal effort. Furthermore, it automatically makes the center of gravity low for the club, enhancing the extent of forgiveness in the club even more.
Improved Distance
F9 SpeedBack Driver is a high-performance club. The club’s light weight, coupled with its aerodynamic shape, allows the player to strike the ball with greater power. This automatically translates into an improved distance range.
However, the club is extremely powerful and can be difficult to handle for someone who is just starting to play golf. Although intermediate players can brush up their skills with F9 SpeedBack Driver, it is more suitable for professional golfers.
Quality
The quality of the material used in production is one of the most important factors to consider before buying a club. It can have a significant impact on the performance and durability of the golf club. Therefore, players should be careful and only buy clubs that can suit their skills, thereby allowing them to improve their game.
Cobra Golf’s F9 SpeedBack Driver is made with high-quality shafts that improve the sound and feel of the club. Furthermore, features such as ‘Power Ridges’ act as air tripping devices that ensure smooth airflow and increase the impact of your swing.
Dual Roll
Cobra Golf’s F9 carries the legacy of its previous models and offers exciting features, such as Dual Roll. The player can use the Dual Roll design in two ways, depending on the situation. If you want to strike the ball with a higher launch and less spin, use the upper face that has an increased curvature. When you want to achieve high spin for your strike, use the lower face.
Our Final Thoughts
Even after having a history of transfers, Cobra Golf has continued its legacy of delivering innovative solutions to the golf industry. They seemed to have a bit of a lull for a while, but are back to producing some very high-quality clubs now.
