Can the F9 hang with the LTD?

[onafriday]

Cobra has made some really good fairways the last few years.

 

Can the new kid on the block hang with the LTD? Bryson and Lexi seem to have stuck with the classic.

 

The LTD is a straight bomber, but the turf interaction isn’t terribly awesome and she’s a little thick. F9 seems a worthy challenger.

 

Anyone compare?

[Golfer from MO]

....didn't they both change and win with f9??

[grm24]

....didn't they both change and win with f9??

Yes. Fowler switched to it as well.

 

http://www.golfwrx.com/533592/bryson-dechambeaus-winning-witb-2018-shriners-hospitals-for-children-open/

 

https://www.lady-golfer.com/news/lexi-thompson-witb/

[andrieddle]

I think OP meant the fairway metals not the driver

[Payton1020]

What piece of equipment are we talking about here??

 

I have a couple friends who are testing the F9 driver now and they are highly impressed. That said, I think Cobra are the KINGS of the driver world and have been for some time. I have 4, Fly Z, Fly Z+, F7+ and the LTD Black. I haven't hit the LTD yet and I think the Fly Z+ is, so far, the best head I've ever hit....and I've hit a few or should i say, a few too many.

[onafriday]

I think OP meant the fairway metals not the driver

 

Yes thank you! Interest centered in the fairway!

[kkrenzke]

Just completed a Driver Fitting on Tuesday at Miles of GOld in Ann Arbor Michigan and paid to have the "MAXX Driver fitting" option of a full hour on trackman in their "Clubatorum" damn cool place and check it out if you can get there.... Long story short, I purchased the the F9 Driver and was fitted for the standard length, 10.5 head with weight in front with the Black Hazardous shaft.

 

I was currently playing the LTD driver ( loved it) with the Kuro Shaft and at my swing speed of 100 MPH I was picking up 10 yard of carry, reducing spin by 800-900 RPM's and only losing 7-8 yards on mis-hits... I miss on the tow and sometimes low and was AMAZED how much more forgiving this driver was. The fitting process is a must... jsut amazed about how they can dial in and max out performance

 

FYI, I am a 8 Hdcp and I only only purchased one NEW driver in my life but an fully comitted to improving this year big time

[MixedBag]

I'm also interested in the comparison. I loved the F9 driver, but haven't had a chance to demo the fairway woods. If I hit those anywhere near as good as I do the driver with the Atmos TS Blue shaft, I may be upgrading (downgrading my bank account).

[jsnoland]

I've hit the F9 Tour Fairway, and saw some great numbers and performance on the monitor. Ball speed was higher than with my CBX, and it was super-easy to elevate the F9 - likely due to the rails and the turf interaction. Not that CBX is terribly difficult to hit off the deck for me, but the F9 Tour was definitely easier.

 

As for comparisons to LTD, it's been awhile since I've hit LTD but I know I came away more impressed with F9 Tour than I remember being with LTD. Being the ho that I am, if LTD had impressed like the F9 Tour, it would probably be in my bag.

 

I'd recommend giving F9 Tour (or possibly just the regular non-Tour model) a look - I think you'll enjoy it.

[Z1ggy16]

If I can find a deal on a used head, I will pick one up and comment back.

[Jagpilotohio]

If I can find a deal on a used head, I will pick one up and comment back.

 

A used F9 tour fairway?? How long will that take? They haven’t even been officially released yet.

 

 

.....oh....that’s right. This is WRX. There will Probably be one one BST by this time next week!! LOLOLOLOL!!! ; )

[Russ757]

Thought there was one last week

[Z1ggy16]

If I can find a deal on a used head, I will pick one up and comment back.

 

A used F9 tour fairway?? How long will that take? They haven’t even been officially released yet.

 

 

.....oh....that’s right. This is WRX. There will Probably be one one BST by this time next week!! LOLOLOLOL!!! ; )

I'm guessing I'll start seeing them on BST/eBay within the next month.

 

I got used P790's last year before they were even released lol. This place...

[MixedBag]

Got inspired by thread and demoed the 3/4 at PGSS during my lunch break (Atmos TS Blue 75 S). I can’t compare to LTD, but I currently play the F7 3/4. I’m a average/short hitter at best with 3w club head speed 95-100. I normally carry my F7 215-220. My bad shot with a 3w is a steep streak (I play irons with a steep plane, so I tend to do that from time to time). F9 3/4 blew my F7 doors off. Good swings carried 230-240 @ 96 clubhead speed. Only negative was my few steep (dig) shots were really short (190-205). I’m impressed enough that I’ve decided to wait on the driver and use the funds for a new F9 3/4 and maybe 5/6. Only change will be going to the regular Blue. I should probably contribute most of this to the Atmos Blue. It’s a perfect shaft for me.

[Z1ggy16]

Got inspired by thread and demoed the 3/4 at PGSS during my lunch break (Atmos TS Blue 75 S). I can’t compare to LTD, but I currently play the F7 3/4. I’m a average/short hitter at best with 3w club head speed 95-100. I normally carry my F7 215-220. My bad shot with a 3w is a steep streak (I play irons with a steep plane, so I tend to do that from time to time). F9 3/4 blew my F7 doors off. Good swings carried 230-240 @ 96 clubhead speed. Only negative was my few steep (dig) shots were really short (190-205). I’m impressed enough that I’ve decided to wait on the driver and use the funds for a new F9 3/4 and maybe 5/6. Only change will be going to the regular Blue. I should probably contribute most of this to the Atmos Blue. It’s a perfect shaft for me.

That's really great to hear the F9 working well for you. Sounds more though like the F7 was just not the club for you vs the F9 being extraordinary. A center strike with ~96mph swing with a modern 3w should roughly carry that 230-235 mark.

 

Just keep in mind though, unless you were on Trackman or using HMT with the GC2/Q, you aren't getting an accurate club head speed measurement. A better thing to do would be hit the two back to back and compare the ball speed measured.

[MixedBag]

Got inspired by thread and demoed the 3/4 at PGSS during my lunch break (Atmos TS Blue 75 S). I can’t compare to LTD, but I currently play the F7 3/4. I’m a average/short hitter at best with 3w club head speed 95-100. I normally carry my F7 215-220. My bad shot with a 3w is a steep streak (I play irons with a steep plane, so I tend to do that from time to time). F9 3/4 blew my F7 doors off. Good swings carried 230-240 @ 96 clubhead speed. Only negative was my few steep (dig) shots were really short (190-205). I’m impressed enough that I’ve decided to wait on the driver and use the funds for a new F9 3/4 and maybe 5/6. Only change will be going to the regular Blue. I should probably contribute most of this to the Atmos Blue. It’s a perfect shaft for me.

That's really great to hear the F9 working well for you. Sounds more though like the F7 was just not the club for you vs the F9 being extraordinary. A center strike with ~96mph swing with a modern 3w should roughly carry that 230-235 mark.

 

Just keep in mind though, unless you were on Trackman or using HMT with the GC2/Q, you aren't getting an accurate club head speed measurement. A better thing to do would be hit the two back to back and compare the ball speed measured.

 

yes, I actually agree with you. The bay monitors seem to have a lot more total yards as well.

[Z1ggy16]

Yeah when I'm just demo'ing a club I only pay attention to ball speed for the most part. Total yards and club head speed etc can be messed with by the software, but generally they don't mess with ball speed. Even if they do... as long as you are hitting the clubs on the same monitor, it's all a relative comparison.

[Cruisin1966]

I have an LTD 3/4 fairway, and this just arrived to test against it.

[Z1ggy16]

Yessssssssss do it! Post results. My LTD was better than my F8 3w for sure off the tee, but fairway balls the rails were awesome. If you could put rails on the LTD you would need to pry it from my cold dead hands to get it away from me.

[Cruisin1966]

A "subtle" size difference. LOL

[onafriday]

Yessssssssss do it! Post results. My LTD was better than my F8 3w for sure off the tee, but fairway balls the rails were awesome. If you could put rails on the LTD you would need to pry it from my cold dead hands to get it away from me.

 

My absolute thoughts exactly. The LTD fairway is incredible. If the F9 can perform as well, but has the rails and profile of an F series - that’s fairway nirvana.

[calfan36]

No way it touches it if you have the speed. LTD fairway is insane

[Z1ggy16]

No way it touches it if you have the speed. LTD fairway is insane

It is but the f9 tour is what interests me more. I can get my 3w up around 110 swing when I go after it and the lower spin DNA of that head might edge out Ltd. I find sometimes LTD can get a little spinny on me. It's not always a bad thing because it helps it be a little more accurate but I tend to use my 3w more off the tee than going for two on par 5 so I don't always need higher spin.

[onafriday]

I just finished a comprehensive fitting at Kepler’s in Walnut Creek, ca.

 

The F9 Black, the littlest one, is on par with the LTd. I got a few more yards, and it was the only one that hung with the Ltd.

 

the feel is great, and it’s got the rails and the performance equivalent. Comparable launch with about 3/400 less rpm. Both were with the same Diamana blue.

 

Both were ahead of the standard yellow one by a fair amount. The yellow spins about 3/400 more than the Ltd, and about 5/600 more than the F9 black. Was ahead of the flash and the m5 as welll.

 

It’s coming home. It’s Ltd fairway performance with the rails and smaller profile.

[Z1ggy16]

I just finished a comprehensive fitting at Kepler's in Walnut Creek, ca.

 

The F9 Black, the littlest one, is on par with the LTd. I got a few more yards, and it was the only one that hung with the Ltd.

 

the feel is great, and it's got the rails and the performance equivalent. Comparable launch with about 3/400 less rpm. Both were with the same Diamana blue.

 

Both were ahead of the standard yellow one by a fair amount. The yellow spins about 3/400 more than the Ltd, and about 5/600 more than the F9 black. Was ahead of the flash and the m5 as welll.

 

It's coming home. It's Ltd fairway performance with the rails and smaller profile.

Damnit. I cant spend $270 right now LOL. How were ball speeds looking? What's crazy to me is how "low" F8 ball speeds were relative to M4 and Rogue SZ. I was easily getting 150 off miss hits with SZ but didn't touch 150 at all with F8. My high ball speed with both m4 and sz was about 155. I had one low spin bomb with the sz that carried 260 and rolled to 280. I haven't seen that kind of performance yet with LTD.

 

 

I'll likely wait til I find one up for sale on the used market. So far my LTD is maxing out around 265 total with 245 carry. My CHS is a little bit down due to winter time but the SZ was a beast for me. Just didn't love the sound or the glued head.

[onafriday]

^ I did a driver and fairway today so I’m swimming in numbers. I don’t remember specific ball speeds for fairways, BUT, I do remember the F9 black was within 1mph of the Ltd, with the slightly lower spin.

 

That’s what I mean but very comparable (and better than the rest), it’s just got the feel and the rails. That’s the upgrade from the LTD.

[Z1ggy16]

^ I did a driver and fairway today so I'm swimming in numbers. I don't remember specific ball speeds for fairways, BUT, I do remember the F9 black was within 1mph of the Ltd, with the slightly lower spin.

 

That's what I mean but very comparable (and better than the rest), it's just got the feel and the rails. That's the upgrade from the LTD.

Would love to see your numbers comparing LTD, F9 and Flash (SZ i assume?) and M5/M6. Perhaps it was just the shaft I had in the F8 wasn't letting me release the club right.

 

I got fit into the VA Composites Raijin 74X and it was a beast. I never tried it in the F8 though.. I don't think my fitter was really a Cobra fan so he kind of wrote it off right away. Weirdly though I had multiple instances on course with the F8 down wind where I poked a couple over 270... So it definitely could spin low at times. #1 reason I couldn't game the F8 or probably F9 standard though is the face was just too shut and any loft changes screwed up the way it looked.

 

Its funny .. our bags are very similar. I'm still searching for a shaft that will work with my 818 hybrid, maybe I'll check that 8.8 out. I was never a Fuji fan other than the Speeder Evo series though. Currently have a UT on the way with a AD DI 95X in it.

[onafriday]

^ I was turned on to speeder hybrid shafts in the OG stock SLDR TP hybrid setup. They’re are heavier and lower launch. Only real success I’ve had with hybrids have been with heavier speeders.

 

Good luck!

[Z1ggy16]

^ I was turned on to speeder hybrid shafts in the OG stock SLDR TP hybrid setup. They're are heavier and lower launch. Only real success I've had with hybrids have been with heavier speeders.

 

Good luck!

The only shaft I've liked so far in hybrid was Tensei Blue but it spun a little too much. My swing is still changing a little bit in terms of my path and AoA so I'll probably just play whatever for now and get re-fit this summer. Thx you too.

[calfan36]

I just finished a comprehensive fitting at Kepler's in Walnut Creek, ca.

 

The F9 Black, the littlest one, is on par with the LTd. I got a few more yards, and it was the only one that hung with the Ltd.

 

the feel is great, and it's got the rails and the performance equivalent. Comparable launch with about 3/400 less rpm. Both were with the same Diamana blue.

 

Both were ahead of the standard yellow one by a fair amount. The yellow spins about 3/400 more than the Ltd, and about 5/600 more than the F9 black. Was ahead of the flash and the m5 as welll.

 

It's coming home. It's Ltd fairway performance with the rails and smaller profile.

Damnit. I cant spend $270 right now LOL. How were ball speeds looking? What's crazy to me is how "low" F8 ball speeds were relative to M4 and Rogue SZ. I was easily getting 150 off miss hits with SZ but didn't touch 150 at all with F8. My high ball speed with both m4 and sz was about 155. I had one low spin bomb with the sz that carried 260 and rolled to 280. I haven't seen that kind of performance yet with LTD.

 

 

I'll likely wait til I find one up for sale on the used market. So far my LTD is maxing out around 265 total with 245 carry. My CHS is a little bit down due to winter time but the SZ was a beast for me. Just didn't love the sound or the glued head.

 

Probably losing out on forgiveness compared to LTD