MODEL AND SHAFT PLAYED: Cobra Long Tom driver 9º loft fitted with stiff flex Grafalloy Blackbird shaft.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS: You certainly notice the long shaft and light weight very quickly. Another thing that makes an immediate impression is the short grip. The clubhead has a fine look, with a composite-like appearance although it is all-titanium. Funnily enough, though, for all the differences, it looks familiar to the other Cobra drivers I’ve used.
VERDICT: You expect this kind of driver to go long – maybe you have too much expectation that it will go further than you’ve ever hit it. It did turn out to be long, and when I think about where I was on the course during a windy day, it was probably getting out there past where I would usually be.
The sound at impact was good, a bit muted. The ball flight was high, comparable to how I usually hit it. One great thing about the dark finish of the head was being able to see where it came out of the face, which told me a lot about how forgiving this driver was.
I found the shaft was well-suited to my swing. I was able to get used to the length of the 48-inch shaft fairly quickly – it didn’t feel like you were too far away or reaching for the ball. The only thing I’d worry about with this shaft would be trying to fit it in a standard travel cover bag!
MODEL AND SHAFT PLAYED: Cobra Long Tom driver 10º loft fitted with regular flex Grafalloy Blackbird shaft.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS: It looks easy to hit, even with the longer shaft. The look of the entire package is very fine – even though the head is less than 460cc, effectively it appears the same. I noticed good depth in the face – something you don’t see with a lot of drivers these days.
VERDICT: It didn’t take much to get used to this driver, even for all the quirks like the long shaft and short grip, which I didn’t find to be too much of a problem. 
It was definitely longer, but only by a bit. Because it’s so light and easy to swing, you have to be careful not to overdo it. Make a good swing, and let the extra length in the club pick up the extra clubhead speed.
The level of forgiveness was very good. I did miss a not quite out of the middle, and especially had a few out of the toe, but I found they wouldn’t go too far off course.
I’m always looking for higher ball flight with the driver, and overall the trajectory was good. The shaft flex felt well-suited to me. Overall, for players with slower swing speeds, I think this driver would be fantastic.
FACTS & FIGURES
SUITABILITY: Players seeking maximum distance.
SHAFT: Grafalloy Blackbird 50g.
LOFTS: 8, 9 and 10.
LENGTH: 48 inches.
LEFT-HANDED MODELS?: Yes, in 9º model only.
HOW MUCH?: $399.
COBRA SAYS: “Cobra is going the distance and letting it fly with the Long Tom Driver, a four-foot-long, ultra-light driver that is the ultimate weapon for jaw-dropping distance. At 48 inches and 269 grams, the Long Tom has the highest length to weight ratio of any Cobra driver.
“The clubhead features Cobra’s Advanced Material Placement, with a high-strength, thin Titanium 8-1-1 alloy face that repositions up to 20 grams of weight to move the centre of gravity extremely low and deep.
“The Long Tom also incorporates E9 technology with dual roll. The elliptical face features an new canted bulge with the dual roll design, providing more distance to shots hit above and below the centre line.”
Contact Cobra-Puma Golf on 1800 811 511 or www.cobragolf.com.au