Equipment
What's your priority off the tee?
When you step onto any given tee with your driver in-hand, how are you feeling? Are you ready to rip one far and straight into prime fairway position, or does the finely cut grass look rather narrow among the rough, shrubbery, and hazards that line it on either side?
Are you thinking tactically of where you want to set up your second shot or are you just happy if your drive makes it to the fairway? We’re all golfers of different abilities, but even the very best of us have had wobbly moments standing over our first drives of the day.
The fact is, landing your ball on the fairway has a direct outcome on how well you’ll play the rest of the hole. Let’s walk you through the facts…
Why making the fairway matters
Let’s start by talking about greens. Having consulted trusted Shot Scope data, GolfMonthly.com found that Tour pros regularly hit 12 out of 18 greens while mid-teen handicap players only find 4 out of 18 greens on their approach shots. Clearly, the more skilled you are, the more greens you land on your approach shots, setting you up for better putting opportunities.
Landing the green is therefore paramount if you want to score well. It’s not hard to conceive that one good shot best leads to another, and the data is also there to support the notion that landing the fairway on your tee shot puts you in a better position to land the green on your following approach shot.
Mygolfspy.com similarly studied Shot Scope data, pulling statistics from handicaps across the board, they found that players were more likely to go on to make a green in regulation if they first made a fairway in regulation.
Today we want to help you consider what you think of most when you’re walking onto the tee, and pair you with a Cobra driver that would best help you reach more GIR.
Accuracy
If your tee shots can go any number of different ways, you might have your fingers crossed you find the fairway when set your ball down on your tee. Finding the fairway off the tee is not only sets you up for a better second shot but gives you a confidence boost when you’re walking off the tee having played your shot.
We want you finding the fairway more often, and Cobra’s range of OPTM drivers will help you get there. The OPTM X serves as the versatile everyman driver that will help a broad range of players make more accurate tee shots.
It has a symmetrical, rounded head shape that sits square and confident at address. It utilizes a dual-port weighting system that allows players to toggle between a stable, forgiving back-weight setting or an accuracy-focused toe setting. This model strikes a perfect balance between high-end ball speed and consistent forgiveness for the broadest range of handicaps.
Distance
Everybody wants to hit the ball long and far, and if you’re a skilled player there’s a good chance this is regularly how you fire one off the tee. Low handicap players can generally strike the ball just how they want to, and therefore need a club that can keep up with their desire to shape their tee shots. If this sounds like you, you’ll want the OPTM LS in your bag.
This model is the low spin variation in Cobra’s OPTM driver lineup. Designed for high-speed players, the OPTM LS model is compact and has a slightly triangular tour shape and low-spin profile. This club has been engineered to provide a penetrating ball flight and maximum shot-shaping control. The 11g, 7g, and 3g weight configuration allows golfers to fine-tune their launch and spin characteristics to an elite level.
Forgiveness
For some novice players who aren’t used to the game, we completely understand how standing on the tee in front of other players can feel very daunting. Like most things in life, the more practice you put in with your driver, the more confidence you’ll feel each time you play golf.
If you’re a high handicap player, you’ll want to be paired with a driver that’s packed with forgiveness, enter the Max-K and Max-D OPTM drivers.
Built for ultimate stability, the Max-K features a single 11g weight fixed deep in the rear to achieve a very high-MOI construction for excellent accuracy. With an oversized 460cc footprint aesthetic, this club provides a massive, confidence-inspiring profile that resists twisting on off-center hits. This is the most forgiving driver in the lineup, specifically engineered to maximize carry distance and keep the ball on the fairway.
The Max-D is the dedicated forgiving draw-biased model. This driver Utilizes a fixed 11g heel weight to help golfers square the face and eliminate slicing the ball. Despite its internal draw weighting, it uses Smartpad technology to ensure the driver looks visually square at address rather than closed or hooked. If you feel you struggle to find the fairway from the tee, this is the solution to your problem.
Whatever your ability, we can all agree that it’s an amazing feeling when you make great connection with the ball. If you’re interested in strengthening your game off the tee, you can always find us in the pro shop ready to help you.
