Cobra KING F8 Driver Review - PGAPappas 12 Days of Christmas Golf Giveaway

I played the Cobra KING F8 driver on some pretty tough courses this year.  If you don't hit the fairways on tracks like Harbour Town and Oakland Hills your hurt will be endless.  On other courses like Firestone South and Shinnecock Hills distance off the tee is always going to be your best friend. 

 

No matter what course I stepped onto this season, the F8 gave me complete confidence that I could hit the ball as far and as accurately as I needed to.  Sure I hit some shots that were blooper reel material, but for combined distance, accuracy, and forgiveness, the F8 was still one of my top-3 drivers of the year.  And in one of those rare instances in golf, I can honestly say the F8 made me a better overall driver of the ball.

Cobra is releasing a new KING F9 driver in January.  And let's be honest, it's probably going to be better than the F8.  The questions will be how much better and in what regard.  I don't have those answers yet since I won't hit the F9 until January at the PGA Merchandise Show. 

I do know however, and can tell you with conviction that the F8 is such a great driver that it will still be a better performer than many new offerings companies put out in 2019.  And that just screams quality. 

 

A thinner CNC milled and dual roll face means you're getting faster and more consistent ball speeds across a larger section of the face.  In other words, a bigger, stronger, and more forgiving sweet spot.  And I'm telling you, the results will speak for themselves.  It's the longest and (especially) the most forgiving Cobra driver I've ever hit. 

 

On shots hit both high and low on the face I still saw some pretty impressive distances compared to more centered strikes.  And what made this even more impressive (and will probably be the aspect that draws most players to the F8) was that dispersion on mishits was tight enough to keep most of these shots in the fairway or close to it.  If you struggle with accuracy off the tee, the F8 seriously could be your savior. 

 

With eight loft and three draw settings, you can also optimize launch and spin to dial in your best ball flight.  When I put the heavier weight in back of the head I experienced the best results: higher launch without climbing too high, and maximum carry along with the most forgiveness.  It's such a great feeling to stick a tee in the ground, and without any hesitation only think about hammering your drive up the fairway. 

 

You also get a couple of great shaft options with stock Aldila NV 2KXV and Mitsubishi Tensei Blue stock shafts.  The Aldila 2KXV Blue is going to be slightly higher launching than the 2KXV Green with a bit more spin, and the Mitsubishi Tensei is a mid-launch and mid-spin shaft in a lower weight option. 

 

 

And finally, the Cobra Connect tracking system uses an Arccos sensor in the grip that lets you keep track of distances, fairways hit, and other stats on any course you're playing.  Because why wouldn't you want to keep track of your stats when your smashing drives long and straight up the fairway?  This game is supposed to be fun, and Cobra clearly get that. 

 

 

 

PROS: 

One of the longest and most forgiving drivers on the market 

Extremely easy to hit 

Top-notch stock shaft options 

CONS: 

High swing speed players might generate too much spin, and would be better off playing the lower spin, lower launch F8+ 

No other cons - I seriously love the F8