Cobra F Speed Driver Golf Club

If you are a confirmed Cobra fan then you probably will not like what I have to say. Fair warning. I was a Cobra iron player for about 6 years and never, ever liked their woods, not then, not now. Otherwise, it's just my opinion, take it or leave it.
Our local club had a Cobra Demo Day last weekend and I've been thinking about that F-Speed 9 degree driver on the newer Aldila NVS "PINK" shaft I hit. I was there to hit the Cobra CB carbon irons and they are, in my opinion the best on the market. I'd buy a set but I have 2 matching non- Cobra bags already. They are really great irons and I hope you have a chance to hit them.

I am a confirmed fan and owner of Nike drivers and fairway woods with a mixture of esoteric shafts and I am not about to jump ship, but I was amazed at how easily I could poke 5-6 in a row to the 250-260 yd mark AIRMAIL as compared to the wind-up and pitch necessary with my fave Ignite 410 cc 9.5 degree for the same distance. The new NVS 'PINK" has generally a lower trajectory than I like and I prefer the old green NV65 stiff shaft. Regardless, the Nike 460 pokes it the same distance with less fanfare.
I didn't like the crown profile either. Taylor's new Burner is much more eye-pleasing and no, I don't own it but I hit the new Burner yesterday just for grins and, well, I don't need another big head. I do have a reliably accurate R5 driver in a Mexican condo bag. I like the traditional pear-shaped heads but that's not a good enough reason to diss the Cobra design, given the length they fly with straight or slight draw results. It does have a somewhat closed face (factory) and that does work to straighten the average higher hcp kind of swing, I guess. I have NEUTRAL oriented woods and prefer not to have to correct for factory bias. My average shot is very straight, worked at it for years, don't need the clubhead lined up for me. You probably don't either if you practice enough.
I don't like the cheesy curb-to- hubcap sound that this head makes when hit high on the sweet spot, a complaint commonly heard pertaining to the range of Cobra drivers over the few years past. I can "Name That Tune" when I hear it on the range or the next door Tee box as could anyone with a gear tester's ear.

What can't be denied are two basic truths: (1) The larger the head (no matter the brand) the longer the distance and, (2) Cobra seems to have greatly improved their driver reputation and mfg. expertise with this model, which was overdue. Nothing like new (designer-techie) blood to revive the gene pool, so give thanks to the new investors for reviving this one from an early demise. Don't forget that Greg Norman hit these at the height of his career and that the design has changed little since then, just the material to make them.

I disliked their same series fairway woods entirely.

This boils down to a good driver head in distance performance, no longer or shorter than some other 460's I've hit. I guess I could have just written this sentence and posted that, but I felt a need to spout off, given my affection for CObra's irons.

Try a Nike 410, 460 or a Sumo, then hit the Cobra F,then the new Burner and then spear the least liked club back in the rack.....and go back to the Nikes or the Burner with squinty eyes.

I am 47 years old with a quick tempo, abbreviated backswing, and I shoot very consistenly 83 to 90 (my game inside 75 yards needs work). I have a good strong swing, am very good with all my irons, I don't do gimmes nor mulligans, and I can't hit it 300 like some of the 13 year old reviewers I've read. Every few years I step up in golf club technology, buying used at a fraction of the cost. My last driver was a Cobra SS350, offset, regular flex NV-R, which I love (still in my bag). But the offset, combined with the reg flex, requires that I fight a hook. And even tho the club was okay long (225; sometimes straight, sometimes a draw), I always felt the strength of my swing wasn't being completely transferred to the ball (that reg flex), and drives were shorter than with my previous drivers (Titleist 975D/Ping Isi; both 8.5*, both with UST stiffs). With them I felt I was getting the energy transfer, but sometimes lost the ball right (too stiff shafts). So based on the great in-the-fairway results of my more forgiving SS350, preferring a fade, needing a slightly closed face vs preffering stiffer shafts, I gambled on this F Speed. I could not have been more pleased. It is the combination I was after: The 2 or 3* closed face brought things more middle than right, the stiffer shaft kept me from heading left too much, and the lower center of gravity launched the ball at an ideal trajectory even tho it is a 9* (my launch is naturally a high one). I wanted the very large sweet zone (I only get to play about 4 - 6 times a month so inconsistency is a factor) and I happen to love the "Tank!" sound impact produces. My flight now is a mid traj power fade, which I start just left of middle fairway and it comes back into the middle; 250 yards. I believe if I tried an M Speed (5* closed face) with this same shaft I would probably get a straight flight. So now I ride with 2 Cobras; one for 225 with a left turn, one for 250 straight-to-fade. Hope this helps someone trying to decide. PS-I tried this same shaft in a 905R and loved it's feel and dispersion, but only got my typical 225.

I hit about 8 different drivers while being measured by a ball launch monitor and the 2007 Cobra LD F Speed (10.5*, Reg) took the cake, even more so than the 2008 model. My club head speed is usually around 101-103, 3000-3200 rpms and 140-146 ball speed.

I've been using a Cleveland Launcher -- Comp (10.5*, Reg) for a few years and it's been a very trustworthy club. The Cobra has a slightly higher launch and slightly less spin than the Cleveland, so I'm seeing 5-8 add'l yds. The difference is even more pronounced on mishits since the Cobra has a much larger face & larger MOI (5000+).

Here are some of the other clubs I tried:

2007 Taylormade Burner -- didn't see any gain in distance vs. the Cleveland.
2007 Cleveland HiBore XL -- shorter than my Launcher.
2008 Callaway HyperX Tour -- went lower and to the right
2007 Callaway x460 (8.5*, stiff) -- almost bought this one. Had a custom shaft that really made a difference.
2008 Cobra LD F Speed (9.5*, Reg) -- slightly shorter and more fades. It had an even high launch than the 2007 model and a slightly stiffer, heavier shaft (so I wasn't able to get around it vs. the 2007 model). So folks with a faster swing and lower trajectory may be better suited with the 2008 model.

Bottom line: getting properly fitted and seeing the results on a ball launch monitor is one of the best ways to find the right driver for you.

p.s. I also have the 2007 LD Speed 3 wood and hit it a ton (and straight). The shaft really makes a difference -- probably why the 2007 driver makes sense for me too. My handicap index is 9.2 and I play a couple times a week.

This is a very good driver. It does sound like an aluminum bat when you hit it, but the results are worth it. I have found other of the new bread of drivers sound as loud or even worse. One thing that I have had to do differently with this driver is not to let my right hand come over at contact, because is has a slightly closed face. I am a natural hooker, and it took me a little time and a lesson from the Pro to get into the groove. Now I hit it straight when I want to or I can hook or fade it also. I am 60 yrs old and have carried a handicap between 3 and 8 for the last 20 years. I have hit this club longer than any other I have played. That includes the Callaway X and the Cobra speed. I have extended the shaft to 46.5 mainly because it feels more confortable at that length. I don't know that it increases my disstance, but I do feel that I'm not swinging out of my shoes to get that distance. The Cobra is an excellent driver, the only reason for giving it a good rating is that I'm sure there will be another better, if I keep looking. Later Ray

I really like that Cobra has tuned the driver to fit weekend warriors like myself -- my swing speed falls in the "F" or middle series. The Aldila NV shaft is fantastic! I use Titleist Pro V1 or V1x, and the club controls spin which equates to more roll. The club will allow a modest amount of shot shaping, but most of the time I just want to put it in the fairway. The shaft releases just right (because of the tuning) and the ball goes straight with good roll. If I balloon a shot it is my fault. Be warned that other manufacturers use the more flexible tipped NVS -- I could not control my shots at all. The club gives excellent feedback and sounds like a gun going off when you hit it solid. This is perhaps the only thing I dislike about the club -- I'd rather have the thud of a Titleist or TaylorMade. I can only imagine how the new LD series has improved on this excellent club.