Cobra King F8+ Driver Review
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What we say...
Cobra’s King F8+ Driver is a tour preferred shape which has the World’s first CNC Milled driver face paired with 360° Aero™ Technology to bring you Cobra’s smartest and most precise driver yet.
Cobra’s F8+ Driver is the first of it’s kind to have a CNC Milled face, just like a premium putter, which is a new concept to driver technology (also present in Cobra F8 driver). Virtually all premium modern drivers make claims about aerodynamic performance, ball speed retention, forgiveness, spin optimisation and adjustability. But none have previously suggested that a CNC milled face could be the key to hitting shots further and straighter.
That is until the launch of Cobra’s King F8 Driver. Cobra say the faces of virtually all premium titanium drivers are hand- ground, which makes it difficult to control the thickness between each head (tolerance).
Related: Golf drivers
Cobra King F8+ Driver: You need to know
A smaller tour profile head than the standard F8 with front and back sole weights to deliver lower spin rates for high swing speed players. Cobra say spin can be cut by 500rpm and ball speed increased by 1mph by positioning the 12g weight in the forward port. Apart from these features essentially F8+ utilises all the same CNC Milled face, aerodynamic performance and carbon crown tech as the standard F8.
Everything you need to know about driver shaft weight. And why it’s now more important than flex.
Cobra King F8+ Driver: We say
We’re not usually in the business of recommending tour profile drivers, to TG readers because generally they suit a very small audience of players. But after an impressive performance in our test pros hands, F8+ is well worth considering if you find yourself gravitating towards a lower spinning tour style driver.
Switching from the standard F8 our test pro added 1mph of ball speed, cut spin by 500rpm and gained a straight 10 yards of carry distance, which to us proves how much difference sole and internal weight set-ups can impact a drivers performance. That’s not to say it’s for everyone, but for hard hitting golfers who really need help controlling spin it’s an extremely powerful option.
Cobra King F8+ Driver: Verdict
It’s the driver Rickie Fowler’s gaming for 2018, which speaks volumes about who the F8+ is aimed at. If you’ve been told controlling spin’s an issue for your game before, it’s well worth a second look as our data shows it can definitely help. It sounds absurd but with an Arccos shot tracker in the grip and a CNC Milled as well as a choice of premium shafts, £329 looks like reasonable value for the F8+.
See our Best 2018 Driver Test here
Battle of the 2018 driver faces
Cobra King F8+ Driver: Features
➤Difference from standard King F8 Driver: The head’s a little more compact and there’s front and back sole weights (12g and 2g) to lower/raise launch and/or spin. Switching the weights will see a 500rpm reduction in spin.
➤100% CNC Milled Face: Cobra say it’s the first time a CNC milled face has been used in a driver, and thanks to the tech the F8+’s face it is the thinnest, hottest and most precise they’ve ever created. The tech is so complex there’s three different angles of curve from toe to heel, as well as more/less curve higher/ lower on the face.
➤ 360° Aero Tips: Cobra have optimised aerodynamic performance from all angles. It means there’s aerodynamic trips on the crown and sole, and Cobra have specifically shaped the toe area to reduce drag. Better aerodynamics mean you get extra speed for free, with absolutely no trade-offs.
➤ Ultra Light Carbon Carbon-Fibre Crown: Carbon Fire is the material of the moment when it comes to drivers and fairways. Cobra say the F8’s crown is ultra- lightweight, and it is only five layers thick. It frees up inefficient weight which can be put to better use, improving forgiveness and stability in the driver.
➤ Shot Tracking Tech (Arccos): Cobra are sure shot-tracking tech represents the game’s future, so they’re including Arccos sensors with every F8 club from driver to irons in 2018. A sensor in the grip talks to your phone app and records where you hit every drive. Cobra and Arccos say golfers who use it improve by three to five shots (on average) – this might just be the tipping point to convince players to give it a go.
