50 Words or Less
The Cobra KING irons are designed to help average golfers improve distance and consistency. Packed with technology, they make a compelling case to a wide section of the market.
Introduction
Would you rather have your irons be long or accurate? If you answered “yes” to this question, you are the target audience for the latest iteration of Cobra’s KING iron series. These irons aim to pack a ton of tech into a forgiving but traditional-looking shape in an effort to help golfers get the most out of their swings and ultimately get their irons to land closer to their target more often. Players who may feel like they are aging out of their old set of traditional blade or cavity back irons would be especially wise to take note. Read on to find out about my experience testing the latest iteration of the Cobra KING irons.
Looks
The Cobra KING irons do a nice job of combining modern and classic visual elements. In the bag, you’ll notice a 3D-printed honeycomb-like medallion at the back of the club, as well as the Cobra, KING, and 3DP word marks. The finish is a matte chrome that does a great job of killing glare while retaining some semblance of classic looks. The KING irons have a visual identity that could only be Cobra, and as a consumer, I think there’s some value in that, even if the look itself is a bit busier than my preferences tend to lean.
While the shaping is relatively traditional, there are plenty of hallmarks of modern game improvement irons, including a thick topline, a moderate amount of offset which increases incrementally as the loft of the irons decrease, and indications of the technology within (ie “360 Speedshell” printed on the sole). While the clubheads are on the larger side, in terms of heft and blade length, they don’t look massive, especially compared to other irons in the same category. [See Price / Buy]
Sound & Feel
I grew up playing tennis, so sometimes I think about feel with irons in terms of string tension. The tighter the tension, the firmer the feel of impact. The looser the strings, the softer the feel and more feedback you get. There’s a point at which feel can be either too soft or too firm to really feel good, but there’s a pretty wide spectrum of what can be considered “good” feel, and it’s personal and subjective.
As a forged iron devotee, I tend to favor softer feeling irons. Cobra’s marketing copy for the KING irons touts “softer feel” but doesn’t indicate what aspect of the design would be contributing to that. Since I didn’t test the previous iteration of these clubs, I can’t offer I useful comparison. Based on my experience testing these, I would describe the Cobra KING irons as on the firmer side but still very pleasant.
The ball jumps off the face with a low-mid pitched thump-crack. It’s a powerful sensation for sure. I didn’t get a lot of feedback through the hands in terms of misses or strike location, but I don’t think that will be a top priority for most players considering buying the Cobra KING irons.
Performance
The Cobra KING irons advertise their intentions clearly: to consistently produce high, long iron shots that provide golfers with a high level of forgiveness, and to do it in a package that is relatively traditional in appearance, relative to the tech inside. That’s exactly what I saw from them during my testing. Shots launched sky high and produced some prodigious carry.
The danger of chasing distance with irons often lies in the reduction of spin. If taken too far, spin reduction can be detrimental to keeping the ball in the air and getting it to stop on greens; both things that the average player needs help with. Obviously, spin is created not just by the club but by a player swinging the club and striking the ball. So, what kind of spin numbers a player creates with a given club is highly dependent on the characteristics of that player’s swing. With that said, I don’t think the Cobra KING irons run the risk of being too low spin.
It’s important to point out the fact that, as with most clubs in this category today, the lofts on the Cobra KING irons are strong. That means the pitching wedge is 42.5 degrees where the old standard was 46. The 4 iron at 19 degrees has the loft of a traditional 3 iron. It’s a good reminder that the number on the sole of the club doesn’t necessarily mean anything specific, and the loft of the club provides more of an accurate picture of what to expect from the club, in terms of distance and trajectory.
Occasionally, I’ll test a “game improvement” iron that feels strictly programmed to go straight and minimize any right or left curvature. That can obviously be good if a player is fighting a bad miss and just wants to keep the ball on the planet. I didn’t find that to be the case with the Cobra KING irons. For me, it was refreshing to see gentle fades and draws coexisting with the numerous dead straight balls during my testing.
Regardless of trajectory, my testing featured one flushed iron shot after another. I’ve been hitting it great this summer, so it wasn’t necessarily a surprise, but I give some credit to the irons as well. One aspect of the club’s design meant to help golfers get through the turf easier is the sole, which has been redesigned to provide a bit more relief in the leading edge. It also features an evocatively-named 80 gram “catapult” weight that helps maximize ball speed. It definitely felt like these design features are doing their job.
The 3D printed aspect of this club is intriguing and a bit puzzling for me. 3D printing is a production process that has become more common in recent years but not necessarily in the manufacture of golf clubs. In the case of the Cobra KING irons, it isn’t particularly clear what purpose the 3D printed element plays in the club’s performance, other than aiding in weight distribution. Is there something about 3D printing that improves the function of this element beyond what other production methods would be capable of? It isn’t clear, so, for me, drawing attention to the 3D printing aspect of the club is more confusing than anything else. [See Price / Buy]
Conclusion
The Cobra KING irons impressed me with their distance and explosive sound and feel. I was pleasantly surprised by their willingness to work the ball both ways, in addition to producing straight shots with ease. Golfers in the market for new irons in this category should consider putting these up against any of the other big name OEMs in their testing. As usual, I think Cobra is probably under-appreciated for the quality of the clubs they’re putting out. [See Price / Buy]
Who’s It For: Golfers who demand precision and versatility in their short game, with optimized spin, controlled flight, and grind options to fit any swing or course condition.
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Join the Conversation | 3 Comments
Hi Dylan,
Thanks for the review. These seem like a competitive price point for what they are offering.
I know that lofts are a hotly debated matter of preference. Is there an advantage to having the lower lofted wedges in a set like this? Having the PW at 42.5 as opposed to 46 degrees seems like a disadvantage to a player who needs to get their wedge in the air. Or is this prioritizing distance over forgiveness?
Hi Fake,
The lower lofted wedge here is a function of appropriate gapping. If the PW was 46 degrees there would be too large of a gap between those two clubs. In my view, it does prioritize distance but doesn’t necessarily sacrifice forgiveness to do so. There is plenty of technology built into clubheads like these to help players get the ball airborne. Thanks for the comment.
Best,
Dylan
Great iron review. I have a question about a 27 degree 7 iron.
Does that make it hard for a senior with a 92 mph driver speed to get the ball off the deck to get a higher ball flight?
Thanks,
Robin.