After being impressed by the technology in the Cobra DS-ADAPT MAX-K women’s driver, I was keen to see if the same tech would translate to the DS-ADAPT MAX fairway wood with similar results. This club not only promises a blend of forgiveness and versatility, but it also features a sharp-looking design in a bold finish, which is very dark, it’s almost black, but I like it!
Like the driver, this fairway wood features Cobra’s FutureFit33 system with 33 loft and lie settings. This means that you can tweak the loft and lie by +/- 2 degrees, while the SMARTPAD keeps the face square, so this can be a real game-changer for women who want to dial in their ball flight. For my testing, I kept the 3-wood in a standard setup, but the potential to customise this club for any lie or swing is impressive.
(Image credit: Alison Root)
Right away, before even swinging, I noticed it felt a little heavier than some other fairway woods I’ve hit recently, models like the XXIO Prime Royal Edition or TaylorMade’s Kalea Gold. I typically lean towards lighter clubs, so even with the UST Helium Nanocore 4F1 shaft (which is designed for lightweight speed and performance), I was curious to see how that slightly added weight would feel through the swing, especially when trying to sweep it off the fairway.
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When it came to hitting shots, especially from tighter lies on the fairway, I was really impressed. Despite my initial apprehension about the weight, this club felt incredibly solid through impact. There was a fantastic pop off the face, and the ball launched with a lovely, high trajectory. The solid feel wasn’t just comforting, it really helped me get consistent ball speeds. I also found ‘the C’ on the crown to be a useful alignment aid, although it’s not very clear to see.
(Image credit: Alison Root)
Even on shots that weren’t perfectly struck, those that normally lead to a nasty slice or a low runner, the ball stayed straight and got airborne with ease. The internal adaptive weighting, designed to put the weight low and back, clearly does its job to maximise stability and helps to get the ball flying.
Overall, the Cobra DS-ADAPT MAX is a fantastic performer as one of the best women’s fairway woods. While it felt a touch heavier to me than some competitors, that weight contributed to an incredibly solid feel at impact and a consistently high, strong trajectory. If you’re looking for a versatile fairway wood that prioritises forgiveness and delivers a powerful, high ball flight, this is one to try.
