Equipment

Cobra King F6+ driver: The best the industry has to offer?

Published

8 years ago

Nov 17, 2015

Is the “best” driver the one that offers the most drastic adjustability? If so, Cobra’s new King F6+ may have a case as the industry leader, according to claims from the company.

The current obsession with adjustability in driver design is a puzzle for equipment engineers. How do they lower center of gravity to make the ball launch higher with less spin and raise moment of inertia to increase forgiveness… while simultaneously adding more and more adjustable features? According to Tom Olsavsky, vice president of R&D at Cobra, the company’s new King F6+ and King F6+ Pro drivers ($399) take an industry-leading step in the right direction. The trick? Carbon fiber.

Thanks to an 18-gram sliding weight housed in a carbon-fiber track (Cobra calls it a CarbonTrac), the F6+ offers the most drastic changes in front-to-back center of gravity (CG) adjustability — 6 millimeters front to back and 600 rpm of spin — and has the lowest CG of any adjustable driver on the market, according to Cobra.

For comparison, TaylorMade claims its M1 T-track system affects spin by 300 rpm when changing CG from front-to-back.

The F6+ driver’s predecessor, the Fly-Z+, offered “FlipZone” adjustability, which let golfers move CG forward and backward. But a front setting and a back setting were the only two options. The F6+’s sliding weight track offers nine different CG options, and most importantly, Cobra was able to significantly lower CG, thus raising moment of inertia (MOI).

By building the track’s foundation out of 100 percent carbon fiber, Cobra was able reduce the weight of the structure by 8 grams compared to an all-titanium construction. The crown of the driver is also made from carbon fiber, a structure that the company says is 12 grams lighter than its titanium equivalent.

The F6+’s body is made from Ti 811, a material that’s lighter and stronger than the titanium used in the Fly-Z+, saving 6 grams in total. A new Speed Channel helps save 1.5-2 grams on the club face and is 10 to 15 percent better on off-center hits, according to Cobra.

The new Cobra F6+ drivers are available in four colors, and orange will be available for custom order, and the Turbulent/Gecko will be available on March 15.

What the F6+ driver doesn’t do, however, is allow golfers to move CG toward the heel or toe like a few other drivers in the market. Does that matter? Well, to a player who wants to tweak their draw or fade, it could be a problem.

Cobra’s solution? The company’s MyFly hosel, also specially designed to save weight, allows golfers to adjust loft and lie angle with eight different positions including three draw-biased settings, which make the driver more upright. Cobra’s new F6+ comes in an F6+ Pro head, too, which is essentially the same driver with less loft. It also has fade-biased lie angle settings instead of draw settings.

The loft and lie options between the King F6+ and F6+ Pro drivers

Something to keep in mind: When using the sliding weight track, you can also affect side-to-side trajectory. Sliding the weight forward will tend to make the driver more fade biased, while sliding it rearward will give the driver more draw bias.

The Cobra F6+ driver will be available at retail on Jan. 15, 2016.

Shaft offerings and pricing

No-upcharge shafts

Cobra also offers a slew of premium shafts available for an upcharge, including:

Aldila Rogue Silver and Black
Fujikura Pro, Speeder Pro, Speeder Pro Tour Spec, Speeder Evolution
Graphite Design Tour AD-MT, Tour AD-BB, Tour AD-DI, Tour AD-MJ, YS Reloaded
Mitsubishi Rayon Diamana S+, D+, B-Series, W-Series, Kuro Kage Black TiNi
Oban Isawa, Kiyoshi Gold

[wrx_retail_links productid=”53″]

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Andrew Tursky

He played on the Hawaii Pacific University Men's Golf team and earned a Masters degree in Communications. He also played college golf at Rutgers University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism.

24 Comments

Stevie D.

Mar 21, 2017 at 10:28 pm

As someone who has gamed TM drivers since the 80’s, I wanted to offer my recent experience. I went to a demo day in Orlando a few months ago, and tried drivers from all the top manufacturers. As a golfer who tend to come in steep on the ball, having lots adjustability in the driver was very important. The F6+ and Mizuno JPX 900 w/speeder661, were the longest, but the consistency favored the Cobra. I bought the F6+ w/matrix black tie, at half the price of the JPX900, and have been driving the ball longer, straighter and with more consistency finding the fairway. I settled on the weight all the way forward and the loft set to 10.5° draw setting. I couldn’t be happier. Next up will be replacing my TM 3 wood and rescue with the Cobra F7 rail.

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Anthony

Feb 18, 2016 at 1:49 pm

F6+ sliding weight design is horrible. The weight should be squared off so it can’t rotate while you are tightening. The screw head snapped off on mine while I was tightening it. Great head with great numbers but a horrible design on the sliding weight.

Reply Report comment
- Golf93454
  
  Sep 17, 2016 at 2:02 pm
  
  Anthony: so true. Had to ship my driver back to Cobra (thanks Roger Dunn). Third time to move the sliding wt and it stripped? Couldn’t be tightened. And yes it moves while you are trying to tighten it. Ended up sticking with my Mizuno JPX-850
  
  Reply Report comment
Osterhoff39

Nov 22, 2015 at 6:31 pm

I recently demoed this F6+ and I have hit the king Ltd also. I own the fly z and the m1 and the F6+ is an AMAZING driver!! First off I’m a 8 handicap right now with an average 100 mph swing speed. I like to hit a mid/high trajectory with a slight draw and my fly z gives me that with a 260 yard average drive. This F6 straight out of the bag I was hitting the ball 250 with a 14 mph head wind. I made a few adjustments and was getting over 20 yards further then with my fly z and the M1!! So I took out the king Ltd to compare and the F6+ won by only a few yards. Like I said I’m not a pro and don’t have the swing speed of one either, but these cobra drivers are just AWESOME!!

Reply Report comment
I'm Ron Burgundy??

Nov 21, 2015 at 11:30 pm

I play the Fly Z+ woods and they are legit! Really feels like the ball explodes off the face. I am interested in trying these. Not sure if they will offer any gains for me over the Fly Z+ but we will see!

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retiredRichard

Nov 18, 2015 at 2:15 pm

So I wait till 11/13 to see/hit the King LTD and now I have to wait till 1/15/16 for the F6? They keep this up and I may save a lot of bucks ’cause I will just keep waiting for the next great one.

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LaBraeGolfer

Nov 17, 2015 at 11:06 pm

Did I miss something usually I’m great with understanding equipment, but kinda confused on the whole F6+ vs. King LTD thing this year, I kinda feel like their is two options you could go for based on what you want in a driver since their is 4 models total. I don’t know if I’m confused the average golfer is definitely going to be.

Reply Report comment
- ltd
  
  Nov 18, 2015 at 3:09 am
  
  They’ll also have the LTD XL, the bonded, non-adjustable, lightweight shaft with off-set hosel look version for the slow swing speed people. So that’ll be 5 different heads in one sitting
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Casey
    
    Jan 10, 2016 at 10:46 am
    
    They really have 3 different heads this year. The LTD and LTD Pro are the same head, but the Pro has less loft and it’s lie angle is more flat. Same thing for the King F6+ and King F6+ Pro. Then they have the F6.
    
    Reply Report comment
Mat

Nov 17, 2015 at 9:39 pm

In just about two years, Cobra has gone from trendy buy-for-color to any serious player could bag and no one questions it. Very impressive Puma.

Reply Report comment
Desmond

Nov 17, 2015 at 9:32 pm

Gosh, the Elements Chrome and + as a no upcharge … that’s worth $$$

Reply Report comment
T2C

Nov 17, 2015 at 7:32 pm

Hey Hammer, what color does Mercer wear?

Reply Report comment
other paul

Nov 17, 2015 at 7:29 pm

Sexy looking driver.

Reply Report comment
Desmond

Nov 17, 2015 at 6:32 pm

It’s another take on adjustability. For me, I like the Callaway GBB because I can slide the perimeter weighting to fade to account for my normal miss – a toe hit. Put the weight to fade, hit it towards toe and the weight expands the sweetspot towards the toe, giving me a gentle draw or straight ball flight when coupled with a “D” hosel setting.

The point is all of this tech is great. Choose the tech that works for you.

Reply Report comment
john

Nov 17, 2015 at 5:35 pm

add another $10 to the price to get rid of that antique grip lol

Reply Report comment
Poppa

Nov 17, 2015 at 2:25 pm

240 upcharge for Aldila Rogue shaft and it’s not even 125 MSI one. SHANK

Reply Report comment
- WILSON!!
  
  Nov 17, 2015 at 8:36 pm
  
  Someone sure is picky. The rogue isn’t even a great shaft… this comment is a shank!
  
  Reply Report comment
  - David Ober
    
    Nov 17, 2015 at 10:52 pm
    
    The Rogue may not be for everyone, but combined with the GBB Alpha DBD, it’s about as point-and-shoot perfect as any shaft/driver combo I’ve hit in the last fifteen years….
    
    Reply Report comment
  - ph00ny
    
    Nov 18, 2015 at 12:19 pm
    
    I’m liking Rogue Silver 70x on my E8 Beta 3 wood and as soon as my M1 arrives, i’m sure i will enjoy it as well.
    
    Reply Report comment
- Bob
  
  Nov 20, 2015 at 7:34 pm
  
  Chrome Elements + for no upcharge, you can’t be mad about shaft choices.
  
  Reply Report comment
Fozcycle

Nov 17, 2015 at 11:56 am

I like the look of the F6……and it comes in Blue, of course! Go Kentucky!

Reply Report comment
- Hammer
  
  Nov 17, 2015 at 12:46 pm
  
  That’s definitely Duke blue!
  
  Reply Report comment
  - KUrob77
    
    Nov 17, 2015 at 7:15 pm
    
    Definitely Kansas blue. More appealing at address
    
    Reply Report comment
    - Chris Loskie
      
      Nov 18, 2015 at 11:21 pm
      
      Its duke blue until someone else is the champ!!! ????
      
      Reply Report comment

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Equipment

A shocking Backstryke putter appearance + 7 interesting gear photos from the Zurich Classic

Published

15 hours ago

Apr 25, 2024

Andrew Tursky

Welcome to New Orleans, where TPC Louisiana plays host to the 2024 Zurich Classic. In between breakfast beignets and nightly Creole feasts, PGA Tour players are also competing in the unique two-man format at the Zurich this week.

Although the vibes in Nawlins are a bit lighter-fare than the recent back-to-back competitions the Masters and the RBC Heritage signature event), the gear news was no less serious this week.

We spotted some recent changes from Rory McIlroy, a very rare Odyssey Backstryke putter, dove into the bag of legendary New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, and spotted Patrick Cantlay continuing to test new equipment.

Get your beads out and crack your crawfish, because it’s time for an equipment rundown from The Big Easy (meaning New Orleans, of course, not Ernie Els).

See all of our photos from the Zurich Classic here

Rory’s on-and-off lob wedge

Since the end of 2023, Rory McIlroy has had an on-again, off-again relationship with a Titleist Vokey K-Grind lob wedge. In his last start, it was on, and the wedge is back in the bag again this week. We got a great look at the complicated grind that McIlroy uses.

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A full look into McIlroy’s bag above also shows that he switched out of the TaylorMade BRNR Mini Copper that he used at the RBC Heritage, and he’s back into the Qi10 core 3-wood. As we discussed last week, McIlroy will likely keep the BRNR around as a course-specific club, trading it in and out for the 3-wood.

See Rory McIlroy’s full 2024 WITB from the Zurich here

Turning Back the clock

Unless Tommy Gainey is in the field, it’s unlikely you’ll ever see Odyssey’s Backstryke technology make an appearance on the PGA Tour.

But then, when you least expect it, Russ Cochran shows up.

For more than a decade – since the 2013 Sony Open in Hawai’i – Cochran has been stuck on 599 PGA Tour starts. This week will be his 600th.

Cochran is in the field at the Zurich this week playing alongside Eric Cole, whose regular caddie is Reed Cochran, Russ’s son.

The Backstryke putter was first released back in 2010, and its unique design helps shift the axis point of the putter closer to the CG of the head. And, the putter is getting a nod this week at the Zurich Classic, thanks to Cochran’s 600th career PGA Tour start.

The putter is certainly awesome, but don’t forget to check out Cochran’s full WITB from this week.

Drew Brees with a Super Bowl winning Scotty Cameron putter

Drew Brees, a legendary retired quarterback for the hometown New Orleans Saints, made an appearance at the Zurich’s Wednesday Pro-Am, playing alongside Zach Johnson, Ryan Palmer, and current Saints QB Derek Carr.

Brees’ bag included a TaylorMade Stealth2 Plus driver, a BRNR Mini 13.5-degree, a Stealth 5-wood, a mixed set of P-790 and P-760 irons, Milled Grind Hi-Toe wedges, and a custom Scotty Cameron “New Orleans Saints” putter, which Scotty made for Brees following his Super Bowl MVP-winning performance in 2010.

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It should also be noted that Brees has his Venmo QR code as a bag tag.

If you’re gambling with Brees on the course, just know that not having cash won’t work as an excuse.

Brilliant.

See Drew Brees’ full WITB from the Zurich here

Stricker’s unrecognizable putter

Steve Stricker has made numerous upgrades to his bag recently, including a new TSR3 driver and T100 irons, but his longtime Odyssey White Hot No. 2 putter is still going strong. It’s the most recognizable unrecognizable putter ever.

Here’s a better look at Stricker’s flatstick, which he started using back in 2007.

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Patrick Cantlay has opened the equipment-switching floodgates

Over on the PGA Tour’s Equipment Report this week, we covered Cantlay’s recent switch into Ping Blueprint S irons, and a Titleist TSR2 driver.

Cantlay hadn’t switched irons for about seven years, so the iron switch he made at The 2024 Masters came as a shock to the norm. He simply isn’t one to change gear very often, so anytime Cantlay makes a switch, it’s news.

It seems the floodgates of equipment testing have opened up a bit for Cantlay, who was also spotted testing a custom Scotty Cameron blade putter on Tuesday this week. By Wednesday, Cantlay was back practicing with his familiar Scotty Cameron T5 Proto mallet, but it’s certainly something to keep an eye on going forward.

Daniel Berger’s custom Jailbird site lines

Berger, who’s currently using Odyssey’s Ai-One Mini Jailbird mallet putter, has a unique 3-dot, 2-line alignment on the crown of his navy-white-navy-white mallet putter. Looking down at the putter, it’s easy to see why this alignment system would help; it just seems impossible to set up to the ball off-center, or misaligned to the target.

Also, for anyone worried, you can rest easy. Yes, he’s still playing the 2013 TaylorMade TP MC irons, which we highlighted in our recent “Modern Classics: Old vs. New” video testing series.

FitzMagic teams back up

Brothers Matthew and Alex Fitzpatrick are teaming up once again at the Zurich this year, and Bettinardi Golf hooked them up with some festive “FitzMagic” headcovers to match this week.

See what else is in Alex Fitzpatrick’s WITB here

And, with that, we say goodbye to the Zurich Classic in New Orleans. Don’t forget to check out all of our photos from this week, including 30 unique photo galleries full of equipment photos.

We’ll see you next week in Texas for the 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson!

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