Cobra f9 driver review

[Ri_Redneck]

Demo'd the F9 heads indoor today as well as the fairways (non tour) at local GG store. Here is what I discovered:

 

There is a performance difference between the 9 and 10.5 heads. For me, the 9 head (set neutral) was very much a low spin beast and the 10.5 is closer to a normal driver in performance (set at -1.5 to 9*). Both were equally forgiving and miss hits were still fast across the face. Coming from the g400 Max I would say these heads have got to be close in MOI with the weight back. (I know, that's a big claim, but go hit it yourself and see) Sound was solid and muted for sure. Hit a TS2 to compare sound and the sound of the TS2 driver was high pitched and piercing in the sim bay compared to the F9. F9 blew away the TS2 today.

 

I tried the Hzrdus Smoke and Atmos Black TS shafts. Smoke shafts (60S and 60X) were not mid launch in either head but rather high launch and high spinning for me. These are not 60g shafts, very light and have to be closer to 50g. Atmos Black TS Shafts (6s, 6x, 7x) were as advertised, smooth and lower launching. The Atmos Black TS 6S in the 9* head was perfect low/mid launch and was hitting long low spin bombs ( < 2000) over and over again for me. I loved the sound and feel of the F8 drivers but the F9 is even better. You have to try these heads, they are as good as anything I have ever hit. They only had the yellow version which I do not care for. Waiting to see the white head before I buy.

 

Fairways were disappointing. Bigger footprint than F8 and lame lightweight stock shaft selections. I looooove my F8 fairways but these will just not be needed. Tried the stock Smoke fairway shaft in 70S and 70X as well as the stock Atmos Blue 7S in the fairways and was also disappointed. For me the stock Smoke felt cheap and just didn't perform like a high end shaft should. Same for the Smoke driver shafts. Atmos Blue in fairways was better in all categories but still left me searching for the Black TS. I wanted to demo the tour fairway with the Atmos Black TS 7S but they didn't have either to try. Driver is a buy, fairways not so much. Hopefully the tour fairways will be better and available with the Atmos Black TS.

 

I think I'm going to look around for some demos in my area. However, I am going to take my current F7 Driver and LTD FWs to compare. I'll simply swap shafts with the heads and apply lead tape for weighting. Should give a good comparison.

 

Thoughts?

 

BT

[ALaB13]

F9 has just slayed TS2 and TS3 in a UK magazine test....and the Titleist drivers were upgraded to Graphite Design shafts....meaning a £350 club out performed a £620 club in all departments. F9 now moving to top of 2019 driver demo list.

Are the results available on line?

Don't think so but I picked up the mag to see what the article says. 'Numbers' are below:

 

I'm a big fan of Cobra's woods, but I'm not totally buying the numbers shown here. Looking at the club head speeds, it seems like this was a very poorly controlled test. You could argue that the aerodynamic features that Cobra has built into the F9 improve club head speed, and maybe they do, but I have a hard time believing that there would be a 3 mph increase between the TS2 and the TS3. The differences in carry/total distance are pretty much what you'd expect considering the differences in club head speed. I'm not able to access the article, but it seems to me that the biggest factor here is probably the person swinging the club.

 

That being said, I'm looking forward to testing the F9 when it comes out. In general, it does seem that the club head speed is up slightly from other models which suggests that Cobra's aerodynamic design actually works. It will be interesting to see how it compares directly to my F8+.

 

Perhaps look closer, the 3mph difference you mention is between two heads AND two shafts. There is actually only a 1mph difference between TS2 and TS3 when both were using the same shaft (the ever ambiguous "AD __" shaft). Could the test offer more detail around the parameters - definitely. But this is still simply a magazine driver test, regardless if it is a Golf magazine or not.

[skisnutz]

 

 

I think I'm going to look around for some demos in my area. However, I am going to take my current F7 Driver and LTD FWs to compare. I'll simply swap shafts with the heads and apply lead tape for weighting. Should give a good comparison.

 

Thoughts?

 

BT

 

I think this is absolutely a great idea. Be sure to also try some of the stock shaft options as well as sometimes even a shaft that you like may not work with a different head.

[MKPAPA]

I hit the f9 in the shop recently w/ a Atmos Black TS and this is the best combo i've ever hit on a launch monitor. Straightest / best dispersion ever. Only thing i've tested recently that was close to the f9, was the newest Srixon offerings.

 

So far, Cobra is at the top of my list for 2019 in terms of a driver upgrade.

[mds5062]

As a Cobra loyalist, only brand I've ever hit for drivers, I like the improvements and the styling doesn't bother me. Currently gaming a F7 in silver and the Amp Cell prior to that. Both have performed well for me and while I haven't tried any TM or Callaway drivers for comparison, can't see myself changing due to lack of performance. This will certainly get a demo from me but not sure if it will knock the F7 out.

[SwingBlues]

Let's not forget the L4V... Now THAT is a loud driver.

 

...but one of the most LEGENDARY drivers Cobra ever made :)

[bladehunter]

Is the f9 for sale yet ?

[mtex22]

Is the f9 for sale yet ?

 

Jan 18

 

[QuigleyDU]

Is the f9 for sale yet ?

 

Jan 18

 

you can pre order now if you are so inclined. so yes it is available.

[Kmac]

For me the Ts3/2 both had lower spin and more carry. Hit both aganst the f9 in Golf Galaxy with 6.5 smoke @ 9.5 degrees. The pic above shows a huge difference in swing speed. I didn't see any difference in swing speed in my testing. I ended up buying the Ts2

 

For me anyone buying a driver now without seeing the new offers from the big 3 is getting himself into a spending loop when those come out.

100%. It appears there are 8 legit contenders this year: F9, TS2, TS3, M5, M6, Epic Flash, Epic Flash SZ, G410. Anyone buying a driver right now is doing themselves a disservice IMO.

 

Srixon Z785 might be better than all those - huge omission from your list.

[nv00021]

I got to hit the new cobra driver and I was very impressed. It had great feel, and performed well. It also had that classic cobra sound. Some will find it off putting, it is a little loud but it took me back to the golden days of cobra drivers.

 

Looks: I thought it looked good even though it does have a larger more stretched footprint. It does come in either yellow or white but that only affects the sole so it really does not matter. It is very different from the top when compared to the f8. It also has for a lack of a better term or knowledge of what cobra calls it a ping like crown with a dragonfly'ish look.

 

Feel: I do not know what the head weight is but it felt on the light side. But, it felt very solid. It does have a higher pitch and a bit more of a harsh sound than the muted sound most go for but that is classic cobra to me.

 

Performance: I was getting very good numbers. I don't know if all the aerodynamic stuff makes a difference. This has been done a few times, Adams did it, Wilson did it etc etc. I have not been able to measure improvement do to this. All I can say is that it is not sub par. I have a launch monitor pick that will be posted. I did not every get the numbers out of the f8 that I get with this driver. I do not even try adjusting the weights. So I could have even gotten better numbers. I also tried it with the hazrdus smoke 65 gram 6.5 shaft. It appears that there are going to be a lot of shafts offered with this driver.

 

Value: here is where I think cobra was very smart. Everyone else is coming out with $499 or more drivers. The cobra is $450. This is what Wilson should have done with the cortex. You don't have to be a lot lower, just a bit. While not a lot cheaper it is enough to make a difference, especially when it performs just as good as everything else. That will turn a lot of heads for those that are not brand loyalist.

 

Conclusion: an upgrade for anyone swinging the f8. You will not be disappointed. Also a great driver to look at if you are going to be in the market next year.

 

Dude.....those are serious GC Quad numbers!!! Beastly.....if I hit 155 ball speed I do cartwheels going home!!!

[QuigleyDU]

I got to hit the new cobra driver and I was very impressed. It had great feel, and performed well. It also had that classic cobra sound. Some will find it off putting, it is a little loud but it took me back to the golden days of cobra drivers.

 

Looks: I thought it looked good even though it does have a larger more stretched footprint. It does come in either yellow or white but that only affects the sole so it really does not matter. It is very different from the top when compared to the f8. It also has for a lack of a better term or knowledge of what cobra calls it a ping like crown with a dragonfly'ish look.

 

Feel: I do not know what the head weight is but it felt on the light side. But, it felt very solid. It does have a higher pitch and a bit more of a harsh sound than the muted sound most go for but that is classic cobra to me.

 

Performance: I was getting very good numbers. I don't know if all the aerodynamic stuff makes a difference. This has been done a few times, Adams did it, Wilson did it etc etc. I have not been able to measure improvement do to this. All I can say is that it is not sub par. I have a launch monitor pick that will be posted. I did not every get the numbers out of the f8 that I get with this driver. I do not even try adjusting the weights. So I could have even gotten better numbers. I also tried it with the hazrdus smoke 65 gram 6.5 shaft. It appears that there are going to be a lot of shafts offered with this driver.

 

Value: here is where I think cobra was very smart. Everyone else is coming out with $499 or more drivers. The cobra is $450. This is what Wilson should have done with the cortex. You don't have to be a lot lower, just a bit. While not a lot cheaper it is enough to make a difference, especially when it performs just as good as everything else. That will turn a lot of heads for those that are not brand loyalist.

 

Conclusion: an upgrade for anyone swinging the f8. You will not be disappointed. Also a great driver to look at if you are going to be in the market next year.

 

Dude.....those are serious GC Quad numbers!!! Beastly.....if I hit 155 ball speed I do cartwheels going home!!!

 

thank you, if I can get the spin down a few hundred rev to around 2200-2300 i would be even happier.

[BostonWRX]

I think this is the first Cobra driver I have ever actually been interested in trying out. Something about it

[3woodvt]

Looking at the photos the bottom of the club from the F8+ seems identical with the 12 and 2 gram weights. I'm led to believe this and the F8 are twins (fraternal) minus coloration and some minor body shape changes. Ill give it a whirl but my guess now is it will produce almost identical numbers w same shafts and same strikes. Did see a you tube video that pretty much proved this somewhere. I think on his final strike he got 1 mph more ball speed but avg out it was the same. Guess ill put my 449.00 towards dues or upcoming tournaments in 2019 .good luck.

[QuigleyDU]

Looking at the photos the bottom of the club from the F8+ seems identical with the 12 and 2 gram weights. I'm led to believe this and the F8 are twins (fraternal) minus coloration and some minor body shape changes. Ill give it a whirl but my guess now is it will produce almost identical numbers w same shafts and same strikes. Did see a you tube video that pretty much proved this somewhere. I think on his final strike he got 1 mph more ball speed but avg out it was the same. Guess ill put my 449.00 towards dues or upcoming tournaments in 2019 .good luck.

 

your probably right, the f9 is only 460cc though.

[nsxguy]

For me the Ts3/2 both had lower spin and more carry. Hit both aganst the f9 in Golf Galaxy with 6.5 smoke @ 9.5 degrees. The pic above shows a huge difference in swing speed. I didn't see any difference in swing speed in my testing. I ended up buying the Ts2

 

For me anyone buying a driver now without seeing the new offers from the big 3 is getting himself into a spending loop when those come out.

100%. It appears there are 8 legit contenders this year: F9, TS2, TS3, M5, M6, Epic Flash, Epic Flash SZ, G410. Anyone buying a driver right now is doing themselves a disservice IMO.

don't sleep on the new Mizunos too, this years offerings are legit. Crowded field for the top spot in the bag for sure.

I don't know how I forgot Mizuno. I'm getting a fitting with Club Champion soon after they all are released and I'm going into a fitting for the first time ever with a 100% open mind. I'm so pumped.

 

C'mon man. What do you think will be SO new with ANY of those drivers you mention that will be ANY better than what's been out for the last few years ? IMO the vast majority of ALL golfers will not get any noticeable improvement from ANY new driver unless they are so poorly fit for their current one (say in the last 3-4 years).

 

Do you think you will get another 10 yards carry over your Epic SZ ? Didn't you get fit for that driver ? Even if you fit yourself ? I mean your driver isn't exactly what someone would find "off the shelf" Driver: Callaway Epic SZ 9* Fujikura Atmos Tour Spec Black 6X

 

You're obviously a "player" so I figure it's almost impossible that you were so ill fit for your Epic that you're going to see anything significant with these new drivers. As I expect you must know, rebound off the face has been maxed out for a NUMBER of years already. How much better do you think SHAFTS are going to get ?

 

I can really understand hackers, casual players and even high single to mid-handicappers being seduced by the latest and greatest but a player like yourself ? At best a new driver will "fine tune" your results and yes, that has value but,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

 

 

P.S. - Don't get me wrong now as I love to try all the new stuff myself but,,,,,,,,, I'm not expecting any great breakthroughs from the current/about the be superceded drivers to the new ones - ain't happening.

 

But the manufacturers DO have to move product, don't they ?

[AThompson_3]

@nxsxguy Personally I’m an equipment junkie. I love trying everything out there and anytime sometime new comes out I want to see if it’s better. Sometimes the new stuff is a significant enough improvement for me that I do make a change. That’s why how the Epic made its way into my bag and is still in my bag. Last year I tried everything, there were several clubs that were almost identical to my epic. M3 for example was one of them. I kept the Epic because I enjoyed looking down at it more. Bottom line: I play what works. I don’t need to gain 10 yards but if I gain a couple mph of ball speed and dispersion tightens a little it’s 100% worth it to me. I go into every fitting with an open mind and I want to hit everything there is to available. This goes back to my original comment that you are doing a disservice to yourself by buying a driver now as opposed to in a month or so when everything is released. How do you know if there is something out there that works better if you don’t hit everything? That’s my philosophy. I’ll take my Epic to the fitting (going all at Club Champion this year) and test it to the new stuff. If something is tangibly better I’ll purchase, if not another year of Epic and another year of anticipation for the 2020 stuff. No need to be cynical.

[radiman]

 

C'mon man. What do you think will be SO new with ANY of those drivers you mention that will be ANY better than what's been out for the last few years ? IMO the vast majority of ALL golfers will not get any noticeable improvement from ANY new driver unless they are so poorly fit for their current one (say in the last 3-4 years).

 

Do you think you will get another 10 yards carry over your Epic SZ ? Didn't you get fit for that driver ? Even if you fit yourself ? I mean your driver isn't exactly what someone would find "off the shelf" Driver: Callaway Epic SZ 9* Fujikura Atmos Tour Spec Black 6X

 

You're obviously a "player" so I figure it's almost impossible that you were so ill fit for your Epic that you're going to see anything significant with these new drivers. As I expect you must know, rebound off the face has been maxed out for a NUMBER of years already. How much better do you think SHAFTS are going to get ?

 

I can really understand hackers, casual players and even high single to mid-handicappers being seduced by the latest and greatest but a player like yourself ? At best a new driver will "fine tune" your results and yes, that has value but,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

 

 

P.S. - Don't get me wrong now as I love to try all the new stuff myself but,,,,,,,,, I'm not expecting any great breakthroughs from the current/about the be superceded drivers to the new ones - ain't happening.

 

But the manufacturers DO have to move product, don't they ?

 

I am most excited about the prospect that they can tighten up the manufacturing tolerances ensuring that the drivers are as close to the cap as possible. TM and Callaway seem to be coming out with such a method. While the milled face of the Cobra driver should net the same results. In the past, we could just assume that driver we grabbed off the rack was at the limit. With manufacturing tolerances what they were, it could be vary head to head. I will admit, I don't know what kind of difference we would see with a slightly higher CT number. But, it could be the most meaningful driver tech in recent memory should it actually net some consistency. Maybe it won't make a big difference. But, there really isn't much they can do at this point while keeping their drivers conforming.

[QuigleyDU]

 

 

C'mon man. What do you think will be SO new with ANY of those drivers you mention that will be ANY better than what's been out for the last few years ? IMO the vast majority of ALL golfers will not get any noticeable improvement from ANY new driver unless they are so poorly fit for their current one (say in the last 3-4 years).

 

Do you think you will get another 10 yards carry over your Epic SZ ? Didn't you get fit for that driver ? Even if you fit yourself ? I mean your driver isn't exactly what someone would find "off the shelf" Driver: Callaway Epic SZ 9* Fujikura Atmos Tour Spec Black 6X

 

You're obviously a "player" so I figure it's almost impossible that you were so ill fit for your Epic that you're going to see anything significant with these new drivers. As I expect you must know, rebound off the face has been maxed out for a NUMBER of years already. How much better do you think SHAFTS are going to get ?

 

I can really understand hackers, casual players and even high single to mid-handicappers being seduced by the latest and greatest but a player like yourself ? At best a new driver will "fine tune" your results and yes, that has value but,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

 

 

P.S. - Don't get me wrong now as I love to try all the new stuff myself but,,,,,,,,, I'm not expecting any great breakthroughs from the current/about the be superceded drivers to the new ones - ain't happening.

 

But the manufacturers DO have to move product, don't they ?

 

the biggest thing that i see coming this year is no up charge shaft options. Its clear, at least to me that all these companies are starting to see the benefit of offering multiple high quality shafts at no up charge.

[Big Ben]

I’m just a driver Ho and I enjoy trying different setups and having different feel, flight, shafts, etc. While the overall benefits may be incremental I’ve manged to keep a very productive driver in the bag for years! BB

[pdiddy3]

I got great numbers from the f9 atmos black 70x. But I'm seriously wondering if I went with the f8+ and put an elements platinum in it, would there be any discernible difference? Clubhead speed should be the same, my biggest issue is spin. I need to drop 500 rpm + to see any distance gain. What do you think, f9 or f8+?

[provx]

I hit the driver today, loved the feel off the face, felt like a forged iron almost. Liked it better than the ts3. Sticking with g400 max for now.

 

Also hit the f9 fairway wasnt a huge fan of it.

[johnnypro]

Where on Cobra's website does it talk about stock shaft offerings???

[mws82]

Goes to show how different everyone is. I hit the fw wood today and it was producing massive distance and felt like butter.

[odshot68]

Looking forward to hitting this this afternoon. Definitely want the lower spin head to try with the ATMOS black 70 in stiff and x. I hope it’s not draw bias like many of their heads. Hopefully this shaft has no upgrade cost if I like it. I have my G400 LST with Tensei Pro White to compare it with.

[johnnypro]

Does PGASS have demos?

[StarFleetGolfer]

Does PGASS have demos?

 

 

Mine does

[pdiddy3]

It is definitely not draw biased. I almost think it is very fade biased. Make sure you fool around with the settings, and find one you can like. I'm going back tomorrow to try the atmos black in the f8+ just to compare both of these drivers out!!

[odshot68]

Looking forward to hitting this this afternoon. Definitely want the lower spin head to try with the ATMOS black 70 in stiff and x. I hope it's not draw bias like many of their heads. Hopefully this shaft has no upgrade cost if I like it. I have my G400 LST with Tensei Pro White to compare it with.

 

MY spin was too high with it, won't be taking out my G400 LST. Also, wasn't a huge fan of atmos black shaft (very board and stiff for me).

[johnnypro]

What's the standard length on the F9?

45.5"?