The History of Cobra Golf Clubs

In 1973, former Australian amateur champion Thomas Crow started Cobra Golf and began by designing specialized clubs meant as individual replacements. Crow's initial offering in 1975 was the "Baffler," a utility wood that revolutionized club design with its patented sole design.

Cobra continued to serve as an innovator in the market by introducing the first extended-length driver with a 46-inch shaft. Club manufacturers today recognize the correlation between shaft length and distance--Cobra was the first to introduce this concept.

Cobra will be known for several major advancements, including the utility metal Baffler that ignited the hybrid club frenzy and the introduction of oversized irons and progressive graphite shaft technology. In 1992, Cobra introduced the King Cobra oversized irons, which quickly became the best selling iron set in the industry. The autoclave system in graphite shafts, introduced in 1989, was another sign of Cobra's commitment to bringing the newest technology to every player. Cobra was the first company to have graphite shafts in all clubs, from woods to wedges.

Throughout the 1990s Cobra pushed its brand through worldwide campaigns starting with pro shop professionals and following all the way to the top player in the world at the time, Greg Norman. Cobra leadership recognized the power of pro shop recommendations and pushed their product there. The oversized technology in their irons and woods was geared toward average players and average swing speeds; consumers had more options in Cobra clubs, and that helped the company gain a foothold in the retail business.

A handful of top players on tour including US Open champion Geoff Ogilvy play Cobra clubs. CVS Caremark champion Camilo Villegas, FBR Open champion J.B. Holmes and long-drive champion Jason Zuback are all Cobra contract players. Cobra has proved its versatility to perform at tour levels of accuracy and distance.