Rickie Fowler doesn’t like to change clubs. Last year the only alteration he made was to add a 2-iron in the bag for the U.S. and British Opens, and shorten his driver to 43.5 inches.
But Fowler was thrilled with the testing for Cobra’s new King F8, so much so that he put it in his bag right away at the Hero World Challenge in December. The result? He shot a 61 in the final round to win the tournament.
We caught up with Fowler when Cobra first unveiled the new F8. When he began working with the driver in November in Florida, he noted how easy it was to make the change.
“I don’t want to make any big change, but I do want to put it in play right away,” Fowler said. “I like a driver that has a solid hit to it. I want the people next to me on the range to hear that crack, almost like a wooden baseball bat.”
In this instance, Fowler simply took the shaft (which he shortened in February) from his previous driver and swapped it into the F8. He was pleased with the resulting ball flight. What else does Fowler like in a driver?
“If I don’t like the look of it, it isn’t going in the bag,” he said.
Fowler also swapped out his 3 and 5-wood for the Hero, a big change considering by his own estimation he rarely changes fairway metals.
“I’ve had the same 3-wood for four years,” he explained. “It is the hardest to change in and out of because you’re not necessarily looking for distance. It is wanting it to do something specific off the tee or into par fives.”
The King F8 is most noted for is CNC Precision Milled forged face, which Cobra says will add consistency across its manufacturing process, creating a better driver in the process. It allows Cobra to create precise face thickness, resulting in maximum ball speeds across the face. The driver also comes equipped with Cobra Connect, a technology powered by Arccos that allows you to track your drives on your smart phone.
What’s next for Fowler? He heads into 2018 with an interesting title—that of the best player never to have won a major. That’s something he hopes to change.
“It is a backhanded compliment if you look at it the right way,” he says. “Majors don’t fall into people’s hands. You have to earn them. I’ve had a number of good showings in the majors and the way I felt during the year—and finishing Top 5 in all four in 2016—I’m starting to feel a lot more comfortable.”
I am looking to regrip my clubs and even maybe change my driver. I also want to adjust the length of some of my clubs.
Hi Don, We can definitely help you out with all of this! Our Regrip Event is on now through February 28, giving you the chance to save 40% on grips. We can shorten clubs in our Pro Shop as well.