After months of Tour testing, Cobra’s King Tec-MD is finally hitting stores

More than a year after the first prototype surfaced on the PGA Tour, Cobra has finally joined the retail minidriver fray.

Cobra releases the King Tec Mini Driver, becoming the latest OEM to offer a club in the ever-expanding category that typically serves as the second-longest club after the driver in a player’s bag.

“This mini driver is suitable for all golfers because for the best players in the world they need a product that works on thinner fairways or fairways where they need to place it in a position and not run their driver through a fairway or be too far,” Jose Mirafor, Cobra’s VP of Product Architecture and Consumer Connections, told GOLF. “For the normal golfer, it’s a lot easier to hit from the tee than from the fairway wood because it’s much bigger.”

The new King Tec Mini Driver has been in the works for over a year and has already been used extensively at the professional level, including in the bag of 2019 US Open winner Gary Woodland, and more recently with 11-time LPGA Tour winner Lexi Thompson.

Keep reading below to learn more about the Cobra King Tec Mini Driver, including my thoughts on the release.

What’s actually new with the Cobra King Tec Mini Driver – and why should you worry about it?

Worth the wait

The first prototypes of the Cobra mini driver appeared on Tour almost a year ago, when Rickie Fowler, who started using a mini driver in 2024, was spotted with a Cobra prototype called ‘The Duce’. Cobra Tour representative Ben Schomin told GOLF that Fowler was initially the catalyst for putting the minidriver into development.

“We started working on it almost a decade ago, but it wasn’t something the market was really interested in,” he said. “We’re a little late to the market with it, but at the time we were trying to assess: Do our players need it? Do consumers need it?

“Obviously it’s gotten to the point where it’s like, OK, Rickie feels like this is an important part of the game in terms of finding more fairways.”

It wasn’t long before every member of Cobra’s Tour staff had a prototype minidriver, and it found a permanent place in Gary Woodland’s bag.

But why did it take so long for Cobra to bring the club to the store? One reason was Fowler’s unique preference for the starting line and combining this with creating a product that would be successful on Tour and at retail.

“Because this minidriver was tested for months, there is no difference between what is sold at retail and what is played on tour,” Mirafor said. “I would love it if we got six months of tour feedback [on everything]. Because then the product really works out well.”

A do-it-all club

One of the reasons Cobra pursued the minidriver for so long is that they believe the category is a truly unique club that benefits top players and amateurs alike.

The mini aims to be a club that is shorter than the driver, but more forgiving than a 3-wood for professionals who are often fascinated by shorter holes and doglegs. But it is unique because it is also beneficial for the amateur who does not get nearly as far with it.

“I always ask people: who do you sell? Who do you fit? Who do you think would benefit from a minidriver? And the best answer to that is all players,” Mirafor said.

He pointed out that the center of gravity of the 303cc mini driver is closer to the Hosel than that of a standard 460cc driver, making it easier to square for a higher handicap golfer. It’s also easier to drive because of the 43.75-inch axle.

Versatile and adjustable

With a capacity of 303 cc, the King Tec-MD is increasingly becoming the standard size for modern mini drivers.

“I think size has as much to do with playability,” Schomin said. “We still want to be able to hit from the deck, so it can’t be too big. We want it to be a good, fast and forgiving club off the tee, so we don’t want to make it too small. We just felt like the 300cc series was a really good place to live.”

Cobra believes their King Tec-MD has a huge advantage over all other entries in the category with their FutureFit33 hostel system.

With 33 different cage and lying combinations, Schomin called the fitting options ‘dynamic’. That’s especially true considering the FF33 hostel’s ability to go two degrees flatter, which is unique among minis on the market.

The King Tec-MD also has adjustable weights in the front and rear, with the standard position having a weight of 12g in the back and 2g in the back. As with most minis with fore-aft adjustability, moving the heavy weight forward turns the King Tec into a low-spin monster off the tee, while moving more weight back improves off-deck performance.

Cobra King Tec-MD

What it is: A mid-sized 303cc mini driver, Schomin said its size makes it playable from the tee or fairway, while not looking “clunky” on a shorter shaft. The King Tec-MD also has 66 possible loft, lie and CG combinations thanks to the fore-aft adjustable sole weights and FF33 hosel. A titanium head features Cobra’s PWRSHELL face insert with HOT Face technology to increase ball speed and increase the size of the sweet spot.

Who is it for: Both taller players looking for a secondary option off the tee and just any player looking for a more forgiving option than a 3-wood where they can get a little more out of it. The 303cc size makes this good for both players who use a mini exclusively from the tee and those who use it from anywhere.

My opinion: A mini driver done right

Cobra waited a while until they were sure this Mini Driver was fully cooked and we’re very glad they did.

I was skeptical of the mini driver for a long time, but I have found that given the larger face, being able to swing it more like a driver can make it super forgiving off the tee. Cobra follows along with that idea by adopting the 300cc size, which I’m all for becoming the standard size for mini drivers in the future.

If it is larger, I feel it includes off-the-deck capabilities and spins too much. If it’s any smaller, it just becomes a big fairway wood and you won’t get that same swing-like driver feel off the tee.

The King Tec mini was an easy fit for me because it really fit my eyes, flew through the exact number I like to see and was easy to hit from both the tee and deck.

This is a mini driver that I think will instantly catapult Cobra to the top of this category.

Price, specifications and availability

The Cobra King Tec-Mini Driver is now available for pre-orders January 12 and arrives at retail locations at January 16.

It will cost $479.99.

The only loft available is 13.5˚ and the standard length is 43.75″ with a Mitsubishi Kai’li axle. Due to the tubing length, any standard 3 wood length shaft can be installed in the King Tec-MD with a playing length of 43.75″.

Do you want to find the best mini driver for your bag in 2026? Find a club fitting location near you at True Spec Golf.

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