Cobra Optm Max Fairway Wood Review

Completing the trio of Cobra's new fairway wood releases is the Optm Max fairway wood. While the LS targets the more confident ball striker and the X serves as the versatile all-rounder, the Max (£299) has a singular focus - maximum forgiveness with a draw biased flight.

Resting the club down at address, I noticed an immediate difference in profile. The Optm Max is noticeably larger than its siblings, with a stretched-out, rounded geometry that looks really friendly behind the ball, ideal for those seeking confidence when attempting to reach a par-5 in two or a longer par-4.

Cobra has included a logo alignment aid on the crown to help center the ball, and while it certainly does its intended job, I do think it could be a little smaller, similar to that on the TaylorMade Qi4D and some of the other best fairway woods. It just draws a little too much attention for my taste, though I suspect many golfers will appreciate the help it offers in alignment.

Utilizing the same Low POI philosophy as the rest of the Optm range, focusing on diagonal rotational stability to reduce gear effect, the Max fairway pairs this with a specific shape and weight distribution designed to help less consistent golfers get the ball airborne and keep the ball in play, much like many of the most forgiving fairway woods.

The Optm Max features the shallowest face of the three models, a design that is essential for positioning the CG lower to help increase ease of launch, combined with weight ports in the rear and heel positions, housing 14g and 3g moveable weights.

By positioning that heavier 14g weight in the heel, the Max fairway wood is actively fighting the golfer's tendency to leave the face open, encouraging the toe to release faster and promoting a draw bias ball flight. This was immediately noticeable upon testing - in fact, I really struggled not to miss the target left.

Testing the club inside on a Foresight Sports GC3 launch monitor, the intentions of the Max became clear very quickly. Looking at the data, I saw a peak height of 128 feet - by far the highest of the three models, and that height was largely due to the extreme launch angle, averaging 12.3°.

In terms of some of the other metrics, the Max held its own, and despite being the ‘forgiving’ model, I still achieved a 155.8 mph ball speed (from a 109.5 mph club speed). However, the trade-off for that easy launch is spin - something that ultimately robbed me of a little distance.

I averaged 3565 rpm, which is roughly 600-700 rpm more than the LS model - something worth noting if you’re someone who already spins the ball a lot or perhaps not enough. While this extra spin resulted in a towering ball flight, it resulted in a modest average carry of 251 yards.

Out on the golf course, the Optm Max continued to impress, particularly when my striking wasn't quite on point. The H.O.T. Face technology really did help with the stability on off-center hits, and I saw my ball travelling my intended distance almost every time, which was very encouraging.

From the fairway, the performance is exceptional. The shallow face glides through the turf, producing an effortless high launch that was equally as effective when playing from the first cut in the rough. However, if you are someone who regularly uses a fairway wood from the tee, you may want to consider the X model instead.

While the Max is reliable and has no trouble producing a consistent ball flight, the high launch and high spin characteristics meant I felt I was sacrificing a little too much total distance off the tee compared to the more penetrating flight of the X or LS.

Overall, I found the Cobra Optm Max to be a fantastic fairway wood for high handicappers and will instil confidence in anyone who uses it. It might not be the longest off the tee, but for sheer playability and the ability to turn a terrifying long approach shot into a manageable one, the Optm Max is a fairway wood worth adding to your bag.