Fast and Furious: Cobra KING F9 Speedback Driver Preview

Last year the Cobra Golf's KING F8 driver was all about accuracy with the first CNC milled face in a driver.  This year however, Cobra is all about distance.  And the new KING F9 Speedback drivers promise to launch high, spin low, and provide never before seen speeds from a Cobra driver. 

 

Cobra is calling the F9 the King of Speed, and the most aeroficient driver they've ever made.  Of course aeroficient isn't really a word, but they're using to to explain the blend of aerodynamics and transfer of energy in the F9 drivers.  Let's take a closer look at three of the key technologies in this driver that's scheduled for release in early January 2019. 

Speedback Aero Design 
The yellow areas you see on the driver (or white in the avalanche color version) are actually aerodynamic aspects of the driver.  Front edges were rounded and softened to reduce drag and improve speed and stability. 

 

While the skirt area in the tail end of the driver and the crown were both raised to resemble the cross section of an airplane wing which further improves the way air flows around the clubhead. 

 

Strategically placed PWR ridges were designed to enhance overall aerodynamics and add rigidity to the carbon crown structure.  This has the effect of creating more energy return and more power to the ball to maximize speed and distance. 

 

 

Speedback Weighting

Cobra was able to save 10 grams of weight by using their first ultralight carbon wrap crown design that wraps around the entire body. 

 

To lower the center of gravity Cobra also created a multi-material structure low in the back that houses a 14 gram tungsten weight.  This serves to lower spin even further. 

 

 

Lightweight polymer crown trips and titanium sole trips positioned relative to the direction of airflow around the clubhead serve to further reduce drag. 

CNC Milled Face 

CNC milling allows Cobra to achieve more precise face thickness and tighter tolerances compared to the manual hand polishing method used on traditional drivers, and the result is improved bulge-and-roll curvature that is 3-percent thinner and 10-percent lighter. 

 

Also for the first time, Cobra’s Speed Tuned Technology optimizes the bottom roll curvature on the face to fine tune launch and spin for different swing speeds and attack angles.  This creates more hot spots farther away from the center to maximize distance on mis-hits.  The result is Cobra's thinnest, hottest CNC milled face to deliver unparalleled speed and distance. 

 

The F9 Speedback driver will continue to employ COBRA CONNECT Powered by Arccos with electrically embedded sensors in the grips to automatically record the distance and accuracy of every drive. 

Available January 18, 2019, the KING F9 drivers will come in 9*, 10.5*, and 12* models (each are adjustable 1.5 degrees up or down) at a suggested price of $449.  Stock shafts will include a high launch/mid spin Helium 50, a mid launch/mid spin Fujikura Atmos Tour Spec Blue 6, a mid launch/low spin Project X HZRDUS Smoke 60 and Fujikura Atmos Tour Spec Black 7. 

 

For more information about the F9 Speedback line of drivers and woods and Cobra's entire line-up of equipment, check out cobragolf.com and follow them on twitter @cobragolf and on Instagram @cobragolf.  As always if you have any questions shoot me an email, or direct message on twitter and Instagram.