50 Words or Less
The 2023 Cobra KING Tour irons feature five step forging that delivers a wonderfully soft feel. Sleek cavity back technology enhances performance while offering forgiveness. Don’t let the Tour designation dissuade you, these irons are playable by a wide spectrum of better players.
Introduction
“KING Tour” isn’t a new brand for Cobra, but the 2023 version of the irons is clearly a full remake. Besides the aesthetics, the big storyline is the forged construction. Forging is nothing new for irons, but Cobra added a fifth forging to the normal four step process to “deliver unmatched soft feel and precision shaping.” Curious as to what that final step entailed, I discovered that “each iron head is subjected to 2000 tons of pressure at 700-degrees Celsius, forming an extremely uniform and isotropic internal grain structure.” I don’t know about you, but to me that sounds pretty impressive.
Looks
For in the bag appeal, the 2023 KING Tour irons certainly display upgraded looks compared to the prior release [full review HERE]. The toned down text size and streamlined cavity medallion offer a look more in harmony with the “players iron” moniker.
At address the narrow topline and slight offset will appeal to the better player. Cobra states that the 2023 version is slightly shorter in length than its predecessor, but I still wouldn’t categorize the head as compact. For me, that’s what makes the 2023 KING Tour irons so intriguing – they check a lot of “players” boxes without being intimidating.
Sound & Feel
I’ll jump straight to feel as it’s so soft and satisfying that it will surely be the first thing you’ll notice. The five step forging certainly is a major factor in the soft feel, but Cobra added two other influencers: a TPU insert and an aluminum medallion. Both do a wonderful job at dampening vibration. If you prefer some punishment to your hands with a slight mishit, the KING Tour irons might not be for you. For me, having subtle feedback on strike location without ever feeling harsh is a plus.
In a similar fashion, sound was also fairly consistent across the face. I wrote “solid ‘thwack’” in my first test session field notes. As I worked through the irons, I began to appreciate how well the sound and feel aligned.
Performance
First, I want to circle back to that TPU insert. You can see in the above photo the black TPU (Thermoplastic Polyurethane) in the cavity of this 2023 KING Tour iron. By milling the back of the clubhead for the insert, Cobra was able to reposition weight towards the heel, sole, and toe. Think perimeter weighting for stability and forgiveness. I enjoyed the fact that I didn’t have to be dead center on my strikes to get consistent distances.
At the same time, the depth of the milling varied allowing designers to position the CoG for playability. Deeper cavities for lower CoG in the long irons assist with launch. Shallower cavities in the shorter irons add to control and precision. I appreciate that Cobra understands that many of us mortal golfers need help as we move up the bag.
Trajectories were optimal and very consistent with the 2023 KING Tour irons. The 5 and 6 irons had playable rollout while the 7 and 8 maintained ample stopping power. I loved the towering flight of the 9 and PW. I play on a course with a few large oak trees that often impede my direct route to the green. Trusting my ability to clear the tree, flight a ball low under the canopy, or work the ball around the branches is crucial, and the KING Tour irons really delivered.
The 2023 KING Tour irons come stock with KBS $-Taper shafts, which are just too heavy for me. Fortunately Cobra offers a great array of shaft options including my preferred Mitsubishi MMT graphite shafts [full review HERE]. With the simplified online customization, I also opted for my gamer Golf Pride MCC+4 grips [review HERE]. I didn’t need to adjust length, loft, or lie but it’s worth noting that those options are also readily available – the tour van experience without leaving your house. As always, if you haven’t been fit properly, take that first step to enjoyment.
Conclusion
Cobra lists the Tour irons for the handicap range of “TOUR – 7.” As a current 12, I contend the irons are more approachable. I understand the “Tour Cavity Back” descriptor Cobra assigned for differentiation, but I would designate the irons more in the Players Distance sector. The bottom line is to not get hung-up on lanes – find clubs that perform well for you and are appealing to your eye. For me, the 2023 KING Tour irons are those clubs, with the added bonus of wonderfully soft feel.
Visit Cobra HERE
2023 Cobra KING Tour Irons Price & Specs
Matt Meeker
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do you have the offset specs per iron? and would you say in terms of shape / blade length & tech, are they more like titleist t100s or t200? o
Offsets are listed on the Cobra website – there’s a link at the bottom of my review. I’m not familiar enough with the Titleist irons to offer any comparison.
– Meeks
Thanks Meeks.
Cobra’s “Tour – 7” kind of scares off the “average” golfer. Thanks for helping debunk that. Will add these to the trial queue.
Nice review. Those are beautiful looking irons. I had the original version, the Amp Forged irons, and as much as I like those clubs, the orange badging was definitely a bit much.
I need my iron set to include 3, and 4 iron. Why discontinue those iron
You jumped to a wrong conclusion Errol. Feel free to visit the spec chart at the end of the review.
– Meeks
Matt… OT buddy Sprague here. I’m shopping for new irons. Which clubs are guaranteed to go straight at OT? :)
For you Mr. Sprague, only a putter is guaranteed to go straight. In the hole is another issue. I strongly recommend you visit Jay at Club Champion around the corner and get fit for irons. He can’t work miracles, but I’m willing to bet all of Jackson’s money that he can have you hitting greens.
– Meeker
I’m going to test these, cannot find a single negative review and they look stunning. Interested in combo of 6-7 Tour and perhaps 8-PW CB. Would be curious to know what type of bomber Cobra could offer me in the 5 iron. Looking for high ball speed forgiving, easy to launch off deck. Great review here.
I just got fit for them, they blew away ZX7, 225, P770 and the usual players. The review is spot on about the feel, I’ve never felt “addicted” to the feel of a club till these. Now I am playing the waiting game!
Curious to see how they compare to PXG Gen 5 in terms of distance and feel. they look beautiful as do the CB/MB. What I’m really trying to determine and this might be a really stupid question but I’ll ask anyway, does getting more distance out of an iron actually equate to lower scores.
My simple answer would be no. Spin and landing angle would be much more important for most golfers. That said, if those parameters are equal, more distance is beneficial.
– Meeks
My theory, from decades of personal experience, is that being able to keep your tee shot in play and having a decent short game is what enables amateur golfers to score reasonably well. I’ve shot in the 70s and the 90s with blades. I’ve shot in the 70s and 90s with super game improvement irons. When I shoot in the 90s it’s because my driver isn’t cooperating and I can’t get up and down. When I shoot in the 70s I mostly hit my driver well and get up and down at a decent rate. The irons I’m playing have basically zero impact on my score. What are your thoughts?
I’d contend that it’s actually a three part equivalency. Driver, irons, and short game (including putting). When all three are “on” you and others can shoot in the 70s. Two of three gets the 80s. And when only one aspect is going you can still play in the 90s. But everyone is a little different. Thanks for sharing your observations regardless.
– Meeks
What MMT shaft do you play? I also play MMT, but the parallell shaft 80S in my PXG blades. I know that the taper tip plays a lot different compared to the parallel.
I had been gaming the 80 in regular flex. Just switched brands. You can always find the details of my setup in my WITB page – LINK.
Thanks for reading.
– Meeks