After spending a year with Rickie Fowler to dial in the perfect proto iron for him, the Cobra Golf team is making the RF Proto irons available for the public. And they're downright sexy.
The RF Proto irons aren't exactly the same irons Fowler is using, but they're awfully close. The iron, made from twice-forged 1025 carbon steel, was designed in consultation with Cobra's Director of Tour Operation, Ben Schomin, who took Fowler's direction, feedback and preferences to bring this iron to life. On the 33rd iteration, Fowler gave his approval, and the RF Proto irons have a Rev33 stamp to signify that process.
“We have been working with Rickie on these irons for quite some time, and we feel they represent a fitting tribute to our decade long partnership,” said Schomin. “We worked closely with Rickie to determine his favorite features of several of his previous sets that we were able to combine into one very sleek package."
The key to the set is designing around the appearance of a 7-iron, which is Fowler's favorite iron. These irons do not progressively round out in shape as the set progresses, rather keeping an aggressive sharp edge on the toe and topline throughout. There's no visible offset as the hosel has no taper. A tungsten weight it positioned out on the toe to move the center of gravity closer to the middle of the face.
After each head is forged, it's then completely CNC milled and machined for 155 minutes per iron to deliver a precise shape and exactly fit Fowler's specs.
But what is going to immediately draw any golfer's attention is the copper finish that Fowler chose after looking at dozens of options. Wow.
If you're a collector, then you'll appreciate the custom box in which the irons ship, along with a card of authenticity that Fowler autographed.
The Cobra Golf RF Proto irons are available through Cobra's website and will be available at retail on Jan. 29. The standard offering uses KBS C-Taper steel shafts, though there are a variety of custom shaft options available. The 4-iron through pitching wedge set is available in right-handed only for $2,500.
