We've launched the new forums! Read more here

Cobra KING F9 SPEEDBACK Driver

SuperStroke
ddec said:
It looks super busy, but Cobra has been down that road before and with most busy looking drivers, I forget about the looks after a few swings. The one thing that gets lost on me, mostly because I've become numb to it, is the aerodynamic talk. For the most part, companies have been pushing the faster & more efficient aerodynamic shape for some years now, and at the end of the day, that is something for me that is hard to quantify. In a way I blame PING for that when they first brought out the turbulators, and then other companies have done their own twists on fins, speed steps, micro vortex generators(or Michael Vrska Generators). This one kind of looks like a mashup of several designs, both within the walls and outside of Cobra. But one thing that we have come to know and expect is that Cobra R&D has push a lot of tech in to a head.

I'm a fan of the 1 head design and then tweaking the profile by loft. I remember Callaway doing that with the V series, and I thought that was relatively smart. It should help on multiple facets, between customer confusion and eliminating some SKUs on the back end.
Click to expand...

I have wondered a lot about the aerodynamic claims as well. In a lot of the tests I've seen online with clubs that have something like this the speeds seem relatively the same. Then I got to thinking... What if it was significantly slower without them? Weight distribution, CG and aerodynamics are all give and take so maybe to keep the speed where they want and the CG where they want the Aero features are needed, not to increase necessarily but to counter other design elements that are a hinderance to speed.
 
Don't love the yellow, but the love the tech. Hopefully I can manage to finagle one of these next year, I'm due for an upgrade.
 
Canadan said:
The final thing I want to talk about is the decision to go single head, multiple loft. I am really intrigued by it. They have implemented basically a two zone system to the face, where lower on the head spins and launches differently from the top of the face. This design changes depending on the head loft, which closes the gap on that idea of '+' drivers being lower launch/spin. I had a chance to hit both of the lofts in both color profiles, and I am still trying to figure out which one I preferred.

I just can't say enough about the presentation, technology, and monitor experience I had. There is so much going on with F9, I think people would be crazy to not spend some time with one before they buy their next driver. This is probably as excited I am about a Cobra release since the King LTD which basically had to be ripped out of my hands.
Click to expand...

Dan, could you expand on what the two zone system means and what the advantages/disadvantages would be?
 
I think the wrap around carbon crown looks cool.

yellow_cobra_speedback_open_driver_two.jpg
 
Jeff Spicoli said:
Dan, could you expand on what the two zone system means and what the advantages/disadvantages would be?
Click to expand...

spin characteristics change on the lower half vs the upper half (angled line) on the face. So, where you don't want spin to be present, it's lower. Where you want it, you get higher. That, and it's different for each loft - So the lower lofted options are going to profile a bit more like a traditional "tour" or "+" or "Pro" models out there.

I don't want to give false info, and it was a while ago, so that level of vague information is going to have to be as good as it gets unless JB can expand.
 
obedt said:
I was thinking about this aerodynamics package, and what I find so different is the rear sole of it. Looks a lot lower/deeper than what I'm accustomed to. Like the sole is flatter. I'm a fan of companies taking risks and pushing innovation; think this may be one of those times. Like you though, I wonder how much effect the improved aerodynamics has on club head speed. Even if it's 0.5 mph more, that would be an improvement though, right? Not one that we can notice in hand, but one that can be proven via robot testing. Would be nice to have that quantified.



1st-1.jpg
Click to expand...

Personally I believe a smaller head size will always have a far greater effect than any turbutextriperators. Problem is outside of something like the XR16 Pro and Sub Zero, there doesn't seem to be any "equal" aero vs no-aero direct comparables

Also, interesting with the way the sole is shaped in the middle, seems to be a recurring theme now with some drivers (see PING and unreleased Nike)
 
Canadan said:
spin characteristics change on the lower half vs the upper half (angled line) on the face. So, where you don't want spin to be present, it's lower. Where you want it, you get higher. That, and it's different for each loft - So the lower lofted options are going to profile a bit more like a traditional "tour" or "+" or "Pro" models out there.

I don't want to give false info, and it was a while ago, so that level of vague information is going to have to be as good as it gets unless JB can expand.
Click to expand...

That is pretty much what I got out of it.
 
Canadan said:
spin characteristics change on the lower half vs the upper half (angled line) on the face. So, where you don't want spin to be present, it's lower. Where you want it, you get higher. That, and it's different for each loft - So the lower lofted options are going to profile a bit more like a traditional "tour" or "+" or "Pro" models out there.

I don't want to give false info, and it was a while ago, so that level of vague information is going to have to be as good as it gets unless JB can expand.
Click to expand...

Thanks, buddy. No fake news here. Much appreciated.
 
Man these look awesome. Some serious tech in these bad boys. I like both the yellow and the white/gray. Can't wait to give it a hit. Cobra's drivers absolutely can go toe to toe with anyones.
 
Also, I LOVE seeing the Helium as a stock option. Such a great shaft. I do wish they would have offered it in Stiff and X though. It absolutely fits players in that swing speed range too.
 
It looks good. I'm liking it!
 
The more I look at the pics the more the yellow grows on me...
 
i like the look a lot. the face-on view is really familiar. it's conjuring a taylormade vibe from the early 2000s, maybe the r7 460 or superquad?

the top is busy, but the darker crown tames it in these pics. i like this a lot better than two-tone. shaft options are solid. it still perplexes me why they have to stamp "cnc milled" on the face.

it will be fun to give this a few swings, hopefully in the near future. based on my experience with the f8, i would hope for a little more consistency and a lot less dispersion.
 
c.a.eleric said:
it will be fun to give this a few swings, hopefully in the near future. based on my experience with the f8, i would hope for a little more consistency and a lot less dispersion.
Click to expand...

How does tomorrow sound?
 
Like my f8 driver. Cobra always makes some fantastic looking clubs.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I’m looking forward to hitting these a bit tomorrow. Mostly because, shiny and new.
 
c.a.eleric said:
i like the look a lot. the face-on view is really familiar. it's conjuring a taylormade vibe from the early 2000s, maybe the r7 460 or superquad?
Click to expand...

I totally get that vibe as well and that's not a bad thing.
 
Love the look of these. Just went back and looked at the pics. It makes me think of airplanes and stealth bombers when I look at this club. I hope I get a chance to hit one. No golf store in town so I'll have to wait till a trip out of town.
 
JB said:
Im sure the THPers will enjoy the feedback from you and @Mward
Click to expand...

Gotta admit, it’s pretty cool having gotten around in with you and ca this last year plus a few drinks with mward. It was a good year


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
This looks so good.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
obedt said:
Gotta admit, it’s pretty cool having gotten around in with you and ca this last year plus a few drinks with mward. It was a good year


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

you can admit it. it was mostly me, right?
 
Great write up. I want to hit this in white.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top