The 3 Biggest Reasons Why We’re Excited About COBRA’S DS-ADAPT Drivers

Let me drop a concept on you.

Aggregate incrementalism.

While I’m not positive we’ve used the phrase before, we’ve definitely discussed the concept several times. Think of it as innovation’s equivalent of a death by a thousand cuts.

What I mean by that is that, as golf companies creep ever closer to the absolute limit of what’s achievable under the USGA’s innovation-stifling rulebook, there are few massive innovative breakthroughs. Instead, to be successful in golf’s annual innovation cycle, it’s rarely one big thing that makes a club better. Instead, it’s a series of small but not inconsequential updates that brands hope provide reason enough to upgrade.

With that in mind, here are the three biggest reasons (followed by a bunch of smaller ones) why we’re excited about COBRA’s newest drivers.

10,000 MOI with DS-ADAPT MAX-K

With the DS-ADAPT MAX-K, COBRA joins a growing number of companies that have crossed the suddenly mythical 10K barrier.

For what it’s worth, COBRA is claiming its 10,000 MOI driver offers slightly higher MEASURED heel-to-toe MOI than the PING G430 MAX 10K but, in the real world, you’re not likely going to notice a couple of hundred points’ worth of MOI here or there.

For some guys, 10,000 MOI is awesome. For others … Again, there’s a reason COBRA has three other models in the lineup.

If you’re not sure whether 10K is right for you, this little explainer might help.

Finer points aside, we’re rapidly reaching the point where the market all but demands 10K in your most forgiving option. So, while I would tell you that COBRA has long offered some of the most forgiving drivers on the market, the 10,000 benchmarks (and the resulting expectations) all but necessitate the bump over the line. The larger point is that if maximizing MOI is your objective, COBRA has something for you.

A secondary benefit of COBRA’s push into the 10K space is that it’s now separated its MAX offering from its MAX-D draw-biased offering.

While the DS-ADAPT MAX-D doesn’t match the MOI of the 10K, it offers a functional, if not more practical, approach to forgiveness for golfers who struggle with a consistent slice.

It’s a case where offering two discrete models offers golfers more than they get when companies try to build a lot of fitting versatility into a single head.

Refined shaping (aka EXTRME AERO)

I’m often the guy screaming that looks – and, by extension, the shape of a driver – don’t matter and that you should play what works best for you and not sweat the finer points too much, but …

Speaking as a long-time fan of COBRA drivers and their LS stuff in particular, I didn’t love what they did with last year’s LS model. Just one guy’s opinion here but, in chasing maximum aerodynamic efficiency, the LS crept dangerously close to what could be described as the better player’s triangular driver.

I’m not sure the market was asking for that.

With the DS-ADAPT LS, COBRA has managed to maintain its aerodynamic efficiency while creating a more compact driver that looks like how an LS driver is supposed to look.

It’s more rounded, it’s shorter front to back and, while I’m not sure how much you’ll notice, the symmetrical design features a crown with a higher peak height than the previous model. Again, that’s all about squeezing as much aerodynamic performance as it possibly can out of the design.

And, yeah, it looks a hell of a lot better at address.

All four DS-ADAPT driver models feature what COBRA calls a dropped-heel design. That means the skirt (the area where crown and sole come together) has been pulled down.

While the LS is the most aerodynamically efficient of the DS-ADAPT driver models, the dropped skirt works to improve aerodynamics across the board with the added benefit of pushing the center of gravity down which promotes more speed without increasing spin rates.

All four models also reflect COBRA’s approach to Excrescence Elimination. That’s a kinda fun way of saying they’ve gotten rid of anything that protrudes, projects or otherwise sticks out where it would impede aerodynamic performance.

“We’ve continued to look every which way, up, down and sideways, to see if we can get a little bit more speed,” explains Mike Yagley, COBRA’s VP of Innovation

Excrescence elimination is evidenced by the smooth shape of the sole, weights that sit flush to the chassis and the elimination of forward-facing aerodynamic trips (ledges, concave contours and anything else that could disrupt airflow during the swing).

It’s a small detail but as you start to look across the marketplace, you may start to notice examples where manufacturers clearly haven’t given that sort of thing a moment’s thought.

Pulling all this together, COBRA describes its shaping like this: DS-ADAPT LS is compact, X offers a traditional profile, MAX-K and MAX-D are both slightly oversized.

FUTURE FIT 33

It’s fair to say I buried the lede here because the biggest reason to be excited about COBRA DS-ADAPT drivers is the new Future Fit 33 (FF33 for short) adjustable hosel system.

FF33 is the reason COBRA describes DS-ADAPT as the most “fittable” driver. I think that probably holds true for both right now and EVER.

We’re going to dig into FF33 a little deeper at a later date but, for now, understand that, as its name suggests, FF33 offers thirty-freakin-three unique hosel positions.

(A quick aside: The new adapter is a dual-cog design with eight possible positions contained within each. The more mathematically inclined among you may have already figured out that there are actually 64 possible combinations. True story. Good mathing, y’all, but the key word here is unique. There are some redundancies in the design.)

While it’s not lost on me that 33 positions might sound insane, unwieldy or overly complex, COBRA has done an excellent job of labeling the hosels such that anyone with decent eyesight (or a pair of cheaters) and a second-grade education can figure it out without any additional reference material.

That said, if you feel like you need it or you’re just so used to using your phone for everything that you can’t navigate life (or your driver’s hosel) any other way, COBRA has created an app to help guide you through the adjustment process.

At an absolute minimum, the charts provided by COBRA should make it easy to understand how to tweak your driver to get your ball flight from where it is to where you actually want it to be.

While there is inherently going to be some nuance when you’re talking about 33 configurations, the total range of outcomes achievable by the FF33 hosel is compelling.

According to COBRA, robot testing at 105 mph showed a 16-yard change in left/right dispersion, a 3.9-degree change in launch angle, a spin difference of 750 rpm and 16 yards in height change. And that’s all before you start moving weights around.

Seriously. This shit is cool.

Assuming we can all accept the idea that anything that improves the fitting capabilities of a golf club is a good thing, there are a couple of ways to look at this.

Between the hosel adjustments and the movable weights available on the LS and X models, DS-ADAPT is the most fittable driver on the planet right now. It’s going to give you an amazing opportunity to optimize performance – especially if you’re working with a fitter well versed in the technology. It’s a well-documented fact that despite all of the adjustability golf companies have given us, most golfers never touch the hosel or weights on their driver. If that’s you, than 1) you’re missing out but 2) no harm, no foul. Even if you never take wrench to club, you’re still getting everything else DS-ADAPT has to offer.

But, again, this shit is cool.

Having said all of that, I’d be remiss not to mention a few caveats that come with FUTUREFIT33.

First, there’s no backwards compatibility with the new FF33 adapter. Any existing COBRA MyFly8 tipped shafts aren’t going to fit into the new head.

Bummer.

“There will be some consternation and spitting of nails,” says Yagley, “but when the dust settles, this is total worth it.”

Second, as you may know, most, if not all, large-scale custom fitters tip their demo shafts with third-party Club Connex or All FIT adapters. Suffice it to say those aren’t going to match the fitting versatility of the FF33 system which means COBRA’s full fitting capabilities may not be available through the largest custom fitting accounts.

It’s a case where one could argue that manufacturers are outpacing the fitting industry but given the shaft inventories the fitting chains need to maintain, it’s understandable.

To get the most out of your DS-ADAPT fitting, you may need to find a location with a FF33 fitting cart.

Lastly, with 33 ways to adjust your driver, many of them will take the face out of the square position. For those who sole their driver, it’s worth mentioning that COBRA DS-ADAPT feature COBRA’s SMARTPAD sole design that keeps the clubface square regardless of the lie or loft setting. The caveat is that it only comes into play if you rest the club on the ground at address.

COBRA DS-ADAPT – the other stuff

While the three things I’ve discussed above should prove to be the most notable contributions to what makes COBRA’s DS-ADAPT drivers compelling, there are a few more updates worth mentioning.

Loft-Specific Adaptive Tech Weighting

Adaptive Tech Weighting is the continuation of COBRA’s Radius of Gyration story that originated with RADSPEED. What we’re talking about is concentrating mass where it works to achieve the best result for each model in the DS-ADAPT lineup.

The nine-degree DS-ADAPT LS and DS-ADAPT X drivers feature an updated PWR-BRIDGE internal weight. As you may recall, PWR-BRIDGE is a large, minimally supported internal weight that sits just behind the face. Where low spin is the objective, PWR-BRIDGE works to position mass as low and forward as possible without restricting the face’s ability to flex.

With the 10.5-degree LS and X heads, there’s no PWR-BRIDGE. Instead, COBRA has adapted its weight placement to concentrate mass at the rear of the club.

The logic is that nine-degree LS and X players will likely be seeking lower spin while higher-lofted players are likely to be more interested in added forgiveness in a smaller shape.

With that, if you were to adjust both a nine- and 10.5-degree head to 10 degrees, you should still expect a flatter, lower-spinning flight with the nine-degree model.

With the DS-ADAPT MAX-K and DS-ADAPT MAX-D, internal weight placement is consistent across lofts. In the case of the MAX-K, weight is concentrated in the rear for maximum MOI. With the MAX-D, weight is concentrated in the heel to create a significant draw bias.

Moveable (and fixed weights)

Regardless of loft, the DS-ADAPT LS and DS-ADAPT X feature moveable weights to add additional fitting versatility beyond the FF33 hosel.

The LS will again feature a three-weight (10, 3, 3 grams) system. The default position puts the heaviest weight in the heel for neutral flight. Placing the heaviest weight in the toe position creates a fade bias while the rear position boosts launch, spin and MOI.

The DS-ADAPT X is a two-weight design (10 and 3 grams). As it always does, placing the heavy weight forward will produce a lower, flatter trajectory with less spin while the back weight position offers higher flight, more spin and increased MOI.

The MAX-K and MAX-D are both fixed-weight designs. Both come outfitted with 10-gram weights although those can be replaced as part of the fitting process. According to COBRA, the MAX-K is already at the USGA limit for MOI-yy (heel-to-toe) so replacing the stock weight with a heavier option will likely push MOI over the limit.

I’m not saying you should make it non-conforming but you could.

Updated H.O.T. FACE

Briefly, H.O.T. FACE is COBRA-speak for the AI/machine-learning driven topology of its driver faces. The purpose (as per usual) is to maximize speed over as much of the face as possible. While we’re not talking about massive breakthroughs this year, it’s one more piece that contributes to the aggregate incrementalism story.

Laser etching

A cosmetic update driven by Tour feedback, COBRA has added a pair of laser-etched vertical lines to the faces of the DS-ADAPT driver. The thinking is that it helps golfers better frame the golf ball.

Lots of little things, four better drivers

Remember at the beginning when I mentioned aggregate incrementalism? By today’s standards, I’d argue that FF33 is a big leap forward. Other stuff like the refined shaping and 10,000 MOI are the kind of things golf companies have to do to keep up in an evolving market. The reality is that unless you’re poorly fitted for your current driver (and I bet more than a few of you are), DS-ADAPT isn’t likely to give you 10 more yards. However, there’s no doubt in my mind that COBRA has incrementally aggregated enough into DS-ADAPT that if you’re looking for a new driver in 2025, it’s time to take a fresh look at COBRA.

Specs, pricing, availability

The COBRA DS-Adapt LS and DS-ADAPT X are available in nine and 10.5 degrees. The DS-ADAPT MAX-K is available in nine, 10.5 and 12 degrees. The SD-ADAPT MAX-D is available only in 10.

Stock shafts vary by model:

DS-ADAPT LS: Denali Black 60 – Stiff, Fujikura Pro Black 60 – Stiff and X-Stiff, Denali Blue 60 (10.5° only), Stiff and Regular
DS-ADAPT X: Denali Black 60 – Stiff and X-Stiff, Fujikura Pro Black 60 (9° only) – Stiff, Tensei AV Blue 60 (10.5° only) – Regular , Denali Blue 60 – Stiff and Regular
DS-ADPAT MAX-K:  Denali black 60 (9° only) – Stiff, Denali Blue 60 – X-Stiff, Stiff and Regular, Denali Red 50 – Stiff, Regular, A
DS-ADAPT MAX-D:  Mitsubishi Vanquish 40 – Regular and A, Denali Red 50 – Stiff, Regular and A

Women’s versions are available in the DS-ADAPT MAX-K and MAX-D. Both feature a gold colorway and are outfitted with a UST Helium Nanocore Shaft in L flex.

Retail price for the COBRA DS-ADAPT family of drivers is $549. Retail availability begins 1/10.

For more information, visit cobragolf.com.

If you don’t feel like you need (or want) the latest and greatest, COBRA’s previous model DARKSPEED Drivers are now available for just $399.

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