To achieve this, the seam where the topline meets the crown has been rounded, as has the leading edge where the hitting area meets the sole. Aerodynamic trips have been added to the crown, and Cobra also gave the King F9 a squared area in the back it calls Speedback. It holds one of two moveable weights that help to pull the center of gravity down and away from the face. Using a larger carbon-fiber crown also shifts more weight to the lower half of the club to drive down the center of gravity.

That combination of features helps make the King F9 17 percent more aerodynamic than the King F7 that was released just two years ago and about 12 percent more aerodynamic than the King F8.


The face of each King F9 driver is CNC-milled. (Cobra Golf)

To transfer the increased clubhead speed into ball speed and increased distance, Cobra mills each titanium face that goes into the King F9. The company said that by using a computer to shave tiny ribbons of material off the face instead of depending on a worker to grind off metal, it can control the exact thickness of the hitting area more effectively. This helped Cobra engineers spread the sweetspot and should help to protect ball speed on off-center hits.

Another benefit of the milled face is Cobra’s ability to control the curvature from heel to toe (bulge) and from sole to crown (roll). It won’t be noticed in the address position, but the top half of the face curves more than the lower half, which reduces spin on shots hit high on the face while increasing the launch angle on balls hit low on the face. The 9-degree version of the King F9, which will likely be played by better players, has less of this effect because those players generate more ball speed and do not have trouble getting carry distance, but the 12-degree head, which will likely appeal to higher-handicap players, has more.

To precisely dial in ball flight, each King F9 driver comes with a 14-gram and a 2-gram weight. Putting the heavier weight in the sole’s forward port lowers spin and the initial launch angle while putting it in the back boosts spin and shot height.

The eight-setting MyFly8 adjustable hosel mechanism allows golfers and fitters to increase or decrease the King F9’s stated loft by up to 2 degrees. Regardless of the setting, the Smart Pad designed into the sole ensures the face appears square to the target line.


Each King F9 driver comes with an embedded Cobra Connect sensor in the grip. (Cobra Golf)

To help golfers learn more about their driving habits and performance, each King F9 comes standard with Cobra Connect, an Arccos-powered shot-tracking system embedded in the grip. It connects to a smartphone via Bluetooth, and with the use of a free app let’s players track their drives and store data for analysis.