Cobra King F6 driver review

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Cobra might not yet dominate the driver market, but its new F6 could very well prove the King of the category in 2016.

While we had been mightily impressed with the new space-inspired King LTD driver a couple of months back, we must admit we wondered how Cobra could possibly excel itself for the new season. But it has. 

Before ripping the headcover off, Cobra informed us the standard F6 is the brand's "longest and most forgiving adjustable driver ever."

When placing the headcover back on, we can inform you the standard F6 is Cobra's longest and most forgiving adjustable driver ever. 

Looks

Testing out the King F6 in glass black with vibrant orange - also available in blue and white options - we instantly prefer the face/crown combination against the King Ltd driver which we feel is much harder to distinguish.

It's just a much cooler looking club, which let's be honest, is what the Cobra Puma brand is all about. You could say this crown is a much better fit for a King. 

Confidence is inspired further at address with an identical 460cc head shape to the driver it is replacing in last year's Fly-Z (a club that received an easy gold award in our 2015 drivers test).

One of the biggest differences this time around, however, is on the face. Cobra has re-engineered its E9 Face to be lighter, thinner and hotter for more distance. It's also much more shallower and wider in order to lower the centre of gravity.

First Look: Cobra King F6 family

The other obvious difference is the sole weight design. Unlike on the Fly-Z where the weight was not moveable, the F6 encompasses a 10g polycarbon weight that can be swapped with a plastic cover to move the CG back or forward.

Placing weight at the front will reduce the spin and lower the launch - which we favoured - while placing the weight at the back will present a higher launch and be a little more forgiving. 

While its adjustability proved as effective as anything else out there today, it's fair to say there are others that are a little easier to operate. 

Feel

There was a hearty 'thwack' on centre hits, and pleasingly the noise was not quite as overpowering as before. We also noted good feedback on squiffy strikes. 

The stock Matrix Red Tie S shaft felt light in the hands but much easier to control than last year's version. 

Overall, the sound and feel proved as strong as we've encountered for a stock offering on a 2016 driver. 

Performance

While looks and feel are important, if the ball isn't flying down the middle of the fairway and picking up an increase in yardage on a regular basis, is there really any point handing over £249?

Well fear not, because this chap is not called a King for nothing. 

Accuracy was at a premium on our 20 drives, with only three veering more than 12 yards offline, and average carry distance (249 yards) and total distance (282 yards) were up a good five yards on our current setup. 

All round, very impressive. 

Verdict

The Cobra King F6 is one of the longest and most accurate drivers primed for 2016.

Throw in its effective adjustable gizmo, Cobra's traditional MyFly 8 Technology with Smartpad that allows up to eight adjustable loft settings and generous price tag (some £100 cheaper than the King Ltd), and we feel the King F6 is well worthy of winning our drivers test for 2016. 

Placing the sole weight at the front resulted in our biggest gains, with 200 RPM less spin at 2000 RPM, but there was certainly a little more forgiveness when the weight sat at the back.