FlexMan Reviews

Published July 17, 2008 on July 24, 2018

Cobra King F8 Driver is a Fine Looking Driver that’s Long

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First Impression: Very futuristic two-tone design. This King F8 comes in two colours. Cobra has reduced the many colour options they had produced in previous years. There is an option for black or grey, and the colour jives well with the carbon fibre on the crown. At address, it has a very square clubface set up, which suits my eye. I was provided with an Aldila NV Blue shaft in 60 stiff as I was told that this shaft suits golfers with fast swing speed or for golfers who generate too much spin from steep angle of attack. There are also two different milling patterns with circular milling on the sweet spot and start burst milling from the sweet spot to the perimeter of the clubface, which Cobra claims it’s their first CNC milled face. Overall, it is a fine looking driver.

Technology:

• Golf’s first CNC precision milled forged titanium driver face with E9 Technology™ is thinner, hotter, and more precise. (As claimed by Cobra)
• CNC milling yields more precise face thickness controls compared to hand-polishing, allowing COBRA engineers to design a thinner and faster-conforming face.
• Tighter face thickness tolerances allow the face to be milled as thin as possible to deliver increased deflection for faster ball speeds. This yields a face that is 10% lighter.
• A multi-directional CNC pattern delivers a thinner face, while the circular milling pattern in the centre provides an aesthetically pleasing visual of the Sweet Zone™.
• A lightweight 8-1-1 Titanium body and forged face saves discretionary weight to move the CG lower for improved launch and speed. CNC milling delivers a thinner and more precise E9™ variable thickness face structure for increased distance on off-centre hits.
• COBRA’s patented Dual Roll™ design features more curvature on the top half of the face and a flatter bottom half to optimise launch and spin for shots hit both high and low on the face.
• Using CNC milling, COBRA® engineers were able to design a more precise horizontal face curvature (bulge radius) to compensate for gear effect and deliver more accuracy on shots hit on the heel and toe.
• Polymer crown trips are 90% lighter than Titanium, to help improve aerodynamic performance without raising the CG. Titanium trips are utilised on the sole for increased durability while lowering the CG for enhanced speed.
• Represented in the CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) models below, the streamlined shape of the KING® F8 driver optimises the flow separation on the crown and sole to significantly reduce drag. Lower drag will give you more clubhead speed and ultimately more distance off the tee.
• The KING® F8 driver features back and heel CG settings, allowing you to tune your trajectory and spin to maximise distance.
• 8 easily adjustable loft settings help you manage trajectory and fine-tune launch and spin to maximise distance. Increasing or decreasing the loft will adjust the launch by +/- .5 degrees and the spin by +/- 400 rpms, respectively.
• Source : https://www.cobragolf.com/king-f8-driver

 

Verdict: Just one word. LONG! If you have seen the previous numbers of the drivers I have hit, this driver goes a long way. The technology claimed by Cobra seems to be genuine considering my club speed is consistent compared to my other reviews. At impact, there is a different feel compared to other drivers I have hit. It has that dual contact sound and light feeling when struck. I can’t seem to describe it any better, but it will be a driver that you would want to try to explain the feeling in your own words. The driver with the Aldila shaft provided might be a little too heavy for some golfers, but there is an option for a lighter Fujikura mid 40 grams shaft in different flexes.

*Test conducted indoors using Trackman.

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