FIRST LOOK! – Cobra Puma Ferrari Driver

Cobra Puma Ferrari Golf

First it was Taylormade and Porsche Design…then Callaway and Lamborghini…now it’s Cobra and Ferrari partnering up to produce golf gear.  So, sounds like to me if you’re a golf company and you want a high-end premium line you better hurry up and call one of the few remaining elite car companies to collaborate with before they’re all taken.

So what is Cobra doing?  Well…way back when Cobra and Titleist split up and then hired Rickie Fowler to be their lead spokesperson and changed the power color from red to orange we wondered what they were doing and how this would impact them as a company.  The consensus around here was they were going for the younger demographic (which can be risky since the older demographic spends more money on golf equipment) and they were going to go after them with guns blazing.  They were going to be different, which I think is great…although high risk and high reward.  But still a great outside the “golf industry box” mentality.

So fast forward to this year and Tiger Wood’s patented red sunday gear has quickly been replaced not only on the greens but in the bleachers with Rickie Fowler’s Vitamin “Sea” of orange.  Doesn’t take long to see the impact their marketing plan has had on golfers.  When you see what can almost be described as flourescent colors being worn on the PGA Tour you know it’s all about Cobra-Puma.  Similar to when you see a white driver.  And actually Cobra had the white driver before Taylormade…but that’s another story.

So Where Does This Line Come In?

When Puma bought Cobra one thing I knew was that you were going to start seeing a lot more “Limited Edition” gear being produced by the newly owned golf company.  Puma specializes in that type of stuff and they have cookie cuttered that model over to Cobra Golf.  First you saw the “Limited Edition” Cobra white driver, then the Long Tom Raw and now the Ferrari Collection.

Does it really impact their bottom line of profit…not really in my opinion.  But what it does do is…one…take you from being pigeon holed into a young demographic to opening your product line to other types of consumers.  Golfers…hell almost everybody likes having something no one else has.  Also it gives the perception that you don’t just make run of the mill golf equipment.  Take two sets of forged irons produced with similar materials and forging process for example.  One set sells for $899 and is well known as one of the best in the industry and another sells for $2,499.  Which one is better? Well that answer doesn’t matter to some people, because the set priced at $2,499 is perceived to be better to a % of consumers.  Even if they are made by the exact same company the exact same way just with different names engraved on them.

So does this mean this new driver is that much better than the Cobra driver you are playing now?  Probably not.  But like I said it takes a company like Cobra and their young color orange which is cool for only a finite number of people and makes them have the appearance of being more than just a company for Rickie Fowler wannabes.

What Cobra Has to Say About The Driver

“After studying the COBRA ZL EncoreTM Driver Ferrari aerodynamics engineers suggested shape changes that would reduce drag coefficient, making the club swing easily through the air and resulting in more club head speed. These changes included new radii along the face perimeter, smoothing of the bottom sole surfaces and raising the trailing edge of the driver higher off the ground (to delay separation). These new designs along with multi-material construction reduce drag, increase club head speed and maximize distance.” said Tom Preece.  The collection can be found in select golf retailers, select Ferrari Stores and select high end retailers starting in July, 2012. {$2,000 Retail Price}

The new line-up of Cobra-Ferrari gear will also include luxury apparel, footwear and accessories. For more info: Click Here

YOUR THOUGHTS?