Cobra Golf makes some of the best drivers and woods in the world. They're known for innovation on that front, challenging traditional design -- both in terms of form and function.
However, as iron design has come to lean more on what's been learned in building longer drivers and fairway woods, Cobra has been yet to translate their innovative streak into a players-distance iron that has really caught on. The company is no doubt hoping their new King Forged Tec irons will do just that.
The players-distance category is geared toward better players who are looking for more forgiveness and distance in a package that somewhat resembles irons better players hit. Typically, they look like a classic muscle-back iron with some thicc features, including a bigger topline. The bigger body offers forgiveness and room for engineers to design a more forgiving overall product. It's a win-win for many players.
The King Forged Tec irons -- available in traditional length and the ONE Length (7-iron) single-length setup -- sport an aggressive muscle-back shape with the kind of detailing you've come to expect from Cobra. It's not gaudy looking at all, but it's also not meek. The irons have a hollow-body construction designed to deliver a low center of gravity for ideal launch, maximum forgiveness and reasonable playability you would be pressed to find in a game-improvement iron.
Inside the hollow cavity are foam microspheres which are used to refine acoustics and feel. The foam spheres support a Pwrshell forged face insert, which flexes at impact for higher ball speeds. The company says the new face offers an enlarged sweet spot, while a tungsten toe weight moves the CG behind the hitting zone.
King Forged Tec ONE Length irons
The King Forged Tec ONE Length sport similar technology with each iron designed to have the same weight and length of a 7-iron. The idea is swinging a single-length iron simplifies the mechanics for a golfer. Weight is added to the ONE Length long irons to compensate for shorter shafts (relative to traditional design), while weight is removed from the shorter irons and wedges to compensate for longer shaft. Lie angles have been adjusted throughout the set to optimize ball flight, with long irons setting up more upright and shorter irons flatter for more consistent trajectory.
The Forged Tec irons feature Cobra Connect in the grips, allowing golfers to seamlessly use the Arccos Caddie app and platform with embedded sensors in the butt end of the grip used to tag each shot.
Price and availability
The Cobra King Forged Tec traditional-length irons are available through stock in an 8-piece (4-GW) set in both right- and left-hand versions for $1,100 in KBS $-Taper Lite stock steel shafts in regular and stiff flexes; $1,200 in Project X Catalyst 80 graphite shafts in various flexes.
The Forged Tec ONE Length irons are available through stock in an 7-piece (4-PW) set in stiff and regular, in both right and left-handed versions with KBS $-Taper Lite (115- stiff, 110 – reg, 120 – wedge) steel shafts.
All irons are available Nov. 1.
