Cobra F9 Forgiveness?

[1221]

Have the Cobra F9 and looking to upgrade this year. Just find it really tough to handle. Very spinny on low hits. Anybody still gaming it How has it treated you and will you change it going forward?

[MtlJeff]

I didn't like the F9 driver. Have the regular and tour 3 wood and like them. 

 

I also didn't find it super easy to hit for a 460CC driver. I actually liked the F8+ a lot better.

 

I used the G400 Max instead that year. And now have a Mav Max and a Radspeed XB

[cwilk]

I’m still enjoying mine and have no plans to change. I think it’s a good middle of the road driver. It’s not among the longest/lowest spinning drivers I’ve hit, but it seems more forgiving than some of the lowest spinning options. It also isn’t so high spinning that it’s excessively short either. 

[nostatic]

1 hour ago, MtlJeff said:

I didn't like the F9 driver. Have the regular and tour 3 wood and like them. 

 

I also didn't find it super easy to hit for a 460CC driver. I actually liked the F8+ a lot better.

 

I used the G400 Max instead that year. And now have a Mav Max and a Radspeed XB

similar. Friend had the F9 driver and I hit it on the course - didn’t float my boat. Prefer and still have my G400Max. I do like my F9 3W and 3H though so go figure.

[Shushwap]

Love my f9 5 wood.. not the biggest fan of my f9 driver.. planning to change it this year 

[kintap]

I played the F9 for 1.5 years and really enjoyed it.  It was long and somewhat forgiving.  That said, I was never very straight with it and I could hit some nasty toe hooks that have completely gone away after switching to a higher spinning / more forgiving driver.

[sshadow2]

Wasn't a fan of the F9 Driver.

 

Liked the F9 3W, but found the Speedzone 3W to be a step up.

 

Love the F9 hybrids. Cobra hasn't surpassed them yet.

[dmeeksDC]

5 hours ago, nostatic said:

similar. Friend had the F9 driver and I hit it on the course - didn’t float my boat. Prefer and still have my G400Max. I do like my F9 3W and 3H though so go figure.

Make that three. 
 

I think their fairways are as good as any out there. Great, great clubs. Played the F9 3 wood and F8 7 wood and I might be going Cobra again with the Rad Speed replacing both. (Down to Cobra vs Epic Speed.) I don’t play their drivers, but it’s because I’ve been happy with Callaway, Ping and Titleist as favorite driver designs. I just find the Cobra fairway woods so easy off any lie with the rails — you can hit down on them without any fear — and I like that I can set the 3 wood at 16 degrees (so, 4 wood) and the 7 wood at 21 and I’m good. They also sound excellent. 

[nostatic]

4 minutes ago, dmeeksDC said:

Make that three. 
 

I think their fairways are as good as any out there. Great, great clubs. Played the F9 3 wood and F8 7 wood and I might be going Cobra again with the Rad Speed replacing both. (Down to Cobra vs Epic Speed.) I don’t play their drivers, but it’s because I’ve been happy with Callaway, Ping and Titleist as favorite driver designs. I just find the Cobra fairway woods so easy off any lie with the rails — you can hit down on them without any fear — and I like that I can set the 3 wood at 16 degrees (so, 4 wood) and the 7 wood at 21 and I’m good. They also sound excellent. 

I have a RadSpeed 7W ordered. My 3W is set at 15.5. The rails seem to do what they advertise for me, I’m a fan.

[1221]

7 hours ago, kintap said:

I played the F9 for 1.5 years and really enjoyed it.  It was long and somewhat forgiving.  That said, I was never very straight with it and I could hit some nasty toe hooks that have completely gone away after switching to a higher spinning / more forgiving driver.

Ya I find the same Not very forgiving on the toe side 

Edited April 10, 2021 by 1221

[magnus7319]

I found the best performance in this head to be atypical from other drivers. The best ball speeds I got were with centered contact, almost low on the face since we're used to hitting the driver high on the face to get the high launch/low spin drive. Other drivers really shine is when you hit it above the equator, with a the f9 that shot just doesn't go.... weird. So, lower on the face gave me higher ball speed, but I couldn't get the launch up even going to a higher lofted head. Bought and sold the f9 a number of times since it f9 may be one of the best feeling and sounding drivers out there though. I just couldn't get it to outperform some others.

 

 

 

[blakesmittkamp]

I had the f9 9* with VTS silver 6x as a backup to my g410 lst for 1 year.  Went and got fit this week and hit everything new and my g410 and nothing really stood out.  Until I hit my f9.  Nothing was close in terms of dispersion and ball speed.   Carry was a couple behind my lst but the fitter said I was crazy not to bag the f9 and walk away from the fitting ! 

Edited April 10, 2021 by blakesmittkamp

[ddherman]

1 hour ago, blakesmittkamp said:

I had the f9 9* with VTS silver 6x as a backup to my g410 lst for 1 year.  Went and got fir this week and hit everything new and my g410 and nothing really stood out.  Until I hit my f9.  Nothing was close in terms of dispersion and ball speed.   Carry was a couple behind my lst but the fitter said I was crazy not to bag the f9 ans walk away from the fitting ! 

Exact same thing for me.  Until I hit the 8* SIM2.  Night and day difference from the 9* head.  Almost unicorn like.  No wonder they are so hard to get ahold of in 8*.

[Justsomeguy]

Have gamed the F9 since it came out. Demo'd it in 9* yellow at golf shop, loved it. When they came out with the camo head I couldn't pass it up. Only available in 10.5*, but wasn't a big deal, lofted down and still launches high enough for me.

I don't expect to change anytime soon.

[1221]

Thanks guys going for a fitting soon enough so I guess I will see how forgiving it is Will probably end up staying with it Haha but who knows

[blakesmittkamp]

I was shocked.   I really wanted the max ls to rule but it was the worst of the 21 stuff for me.  Tsi2 was best, followed by rad speed, then tsi3 , g425lst, and max ls last.   I should have tried the rad speed in my VTS silver bc the more I think about it , that shaft has always just worked so well for me.  

[cw1209]

9 hours ago, magnus7319 said:

I found the best performance in this head to be atypical from other drivers. The best ball speeds I got were with centered contact, almost low on the face since we're used to hitting the driver high on the face to get the high launch/low spin drive. Other drivers really shine is when you hit it above the equator, with a the f9 that shot just doesn't go.... weird. So, lower on the face gave me higher ball speed, but I couldn't get the launch up even going to a higher lofted head. Bought and sold the f9 a number of times since it f9 may be one of the best feeling and sounding drivers out there though. I just couldn't get it to outperform some others.

 

 

 

 

I agree with this. Cobra drivers are low CG by design and typically respond well to shots low on the face. F9 is still one of the best for sound and feel in recent history. It's weakness was not being super low spin (for me), which meant playing the weight forward to reduce spin. The weight forward setup was not very forgiving. Bought some extra weights to play with the CG and SW which helped a little. Cobra RAD drivers are lower spin across the board. Found the XB to be lower spin than F9 and more forgiving. 

[lefty1978]

Purchased the F9 in 10.5° last year, it never made my bag. Never was able to get along with it, wasn't a good match for me. Found it to be not that forgiving. Anything away from dead center suffered.

[Rickey24]

I've played the F9 since release, cut down to 44.5" with some extra weight in the head (in the forward position).  I find it to be an all around very solid performer and have no plans to change.  I remember when it was released it was praised as ranking high in all categories although not necessarily tops in any given one.  I hit about 66% of fairways with it, with an average carry of 240 and average total of 255.  (Currently a 5 cap)  When it gets spinny, it's because my swing was steeper than normal.  When I'm swinging my best it really launches, and I find that the hottest spot on the face is a touch higher on the face, like many other drivers. Matrix red tie 50g shaft.  My SS lives between 101-103.  

[copegolfer]

I’ve had the F9 for about 2 years now and have never gotten along with it.  Just didn’t suit my swing I guess. 
I went back to an LTD head and it’s just so much better for me. Think the main reason was I put a low/low shaft in the F9, but have a mid/mid shaft in the LTD. 
I’ve got a SIM2 on order, so we’ll see how that goes...

CP. 

[BTP]

My strikes tend to be more heel bias if anything so I can't comment on forgiveness on toe strikes however I have also noticed a lack of distance on high on the face hits. I've definitely found this head gets most out of distance on just below the center strikes. In my experience (only x10 rounds or so) the f9 has been very forgiving. I've even had low on the heel strikes and have managed low fades still getting out there. I have no reason to switch drivers. I just wish that this driver felt as good as the fairway options. Driver has more of a hollow feel to it whereas the woods feel heavier and more solid at impact.