Cobra Drivers by Year: 1979 to 2025

Cobra drivers were used to win perhaps the two most memorable majors of the 1990s. 

As the ninth alternate, John Daly did the unthinkable and won the 1991 PGA Championship. Highlights of that week emphasize Daly’s laughably long drives, which came with a Cobra Ultramid driver in his hands.

Six years later, another star was authenticated. Tiger Woods lapped the field to claim his maiden major at the 1997 Masters. Woods ran away with a record 12-stroke victory by finishing 18-under par, bringing Augusta National to its knees with the help of the King Cobra Deep Face driver.

Despite enjoying some of the highest highs in golf, Cobra was founded on the principle of making great clubs at fair prices. Today’s newest Cobra drivers come with a sticker price of $549, not exactly bargain-bin material, but compared to top competitors from Callaway, TaylorMade, and PING, Cobra drivers are still around 10% less expensive. 

Cobra has a colorful history that connects some of the biggest names in golf. In addition to Daly and Woods, Greg Norman not only gamed Cobra clubs, but bought a healthy percent of Cobra in 1991. Lexi Thompson signed with Cobra as a 15-year-old professional, and Bryson DeChambeau helped Cobra jump into the one-length iron market and used a Cobra driver to win his own maiden major, the 2020 U.S. Open. Most recently in 2025, Max Homa joined Team Cobra, gaming the DS-Adapt LS driver, and LIMIT3D and KING CB/MB irons.

Remarkably, DeChambeau's was Cobra’s second U.S. Open win at Winged Foot, as Geoff Ogilvy won the 2006 U.S. Open there using Cobra’s X Speed driver.

Perhaps the most recognizable Cobra staffer of all, Rickie Fowler has played Cobra clubs since 2012. 

Here’s a complete look at the history of Cobra drivers by year, and some of the biggest breakthroughs throughout the timeline of Cobra drivers.

The History of Cobra Drivers

Cobra was founded in 1973 by Australian Tom Crow, who moved to California to get the company on its feet. In 1975 Cobra created the hybrid category with the Baffler, and in 1979 Cobra’s first driver, the Long Tom, was released.

Greg Norman bought 12% of Cobra for $2 million in 1991, and in 2010, Puma bought Cobra from the Acushnet Company (Titleist, Footjoy).

Here’s a look at some of Cobra’s most popular drivers, and some of the brand’s biggest technological breakthroughs through the years.

1979: Cobra Long Tom Driver

Cobra’s first driver, the Long Tom, got its name from its 46-inch shaft. That’s long even by today’s standards. With the USGA limit on driver length now measuring 46-inches the longest drivers you can buy off the rack today are typically 45.75 inches to allow some breathing room.

1990: Cobra Ultramid Driver

Made of Kevlar – yes the same material used in bulletproof vests – the Cobra Ultramid driver, with its signature ivory head, is an iconic driver both for its looks, and for its role in Daly’s dominance of the 1991 PGA Championship.

1997: King Cobra Deep Face Driver

Tiger’s undressing of Augusta National began with his King Cobra Deep Face driver. Using that Cobra driver, Tiger averaged 323.1 yards off the tee that week, the longest driving distance at the Masters through at least 2020.

Cobra’s SS line of drivers were the top-selling drivers of 2003. The popular SS drivers were available in several head sizes, 350cc, 427cc, and 380cc, before 460cc drivers were standard, and instead, driver head sizes were all over the map.

With the help of the Center for Advancement of Science in Space, Cobra designed the KING LTD Driver after conducting research aboard the International Space Station.

Cobra introduced a CNC Milled face to its drivers in 2019 with the fan-favorite KING F9 Speedback driver. This driver was among the best-performing drivers of 2019, and checked in at a refreshingly lower price compared to the premium competition.

The 2024 line of Cobra drivers – continuing a common Cobra theme – were designed to crank out the highest possible swing speeds from the same swing you already put on your driver. Cobra used a focus on aerodynamic shaping to increase speed, which could be a reason it created a 6.5-degree long drive version of the DarkSpeed driver.

Cobra made huge moves on the course and in retail in 2025. 

Let's start with the driver. Cobra released the most adjustable driver ever made to kick off 2025, the DS-Adapt series. DS signifies the continuation of Cobra's 2024 Darkspeed line, and Adapt signifies the 33 unique (2-upping Baskin Robins) combinations of loft and lie at your disposal.

The unique hosel adapter comes with a cheat-sheet to help players dial in their preferred specs to find the perfect setting for their swing and needs. Beyond the loft and lie adjustability, every driver in the DS-Adapt line offers interchangable weights, allowing players even more room to tinker with trajectory, forgiveness, and shot-shape bias.

As if dropping the most adjustable driver ever wasn't enough, Cobra added arguably the most charismatic golfer on the PGA Tour to its staff in 2025, Max Homa. Cobra lured Homa away from Titleist with hopes of doing the same thing with many of the weekend warriors out there.

All-Time Cobra Drivers by Year

Here’s the list of Cobra drivers by year, from the Long Tom in 1979 to the DarkSpeed drivers in 2024.