Cobra irons 2024: Which are right for your game?
Cobra Golf can rightfully claim to be one of the most innovative iron makers in golf, having released game-improvement clubs that have carbon fiber added to the topline and this spring, debuting some of the first 3D-printed irons brought to retail. The 500 sets of those 3D-printed Limit3d irons sold out so quickly, even with a $2,999 price tag, that Cobra created a second run of them in August 2024 and sold them as non-numbered, non-limited-edition irons.
But while Cobra designers have made golf equipment that proves they are on the cutting edge of innovation, the Carlsbad, California, brand also has classic better-players muscleback blades, cavity-backs and better-player distance irons in its stable too.
The best way to find a set of irons that matches your game and your swing is to work with a custom fitter and hit shots using a launch monitor so you can compare the numbers along with what you see and what you feel. The Cobra irons below are likely to be in pro shops and golf specialty stores now, and the brief reviews and descriptions can act as a starting point in your quest to find your ideal irons.
Cobra Darkspeed, Darkspeed One-Length irons
Price: $999 (4-PW or 5-GW) with KBS Tour Lite steel shafts and Lamkin Crossline grips.Specs: Hollow-bodied long and mid-irons with 17-4 stainless steel faces, 431 stainless steel chassis, CNC-milled grooves and internal weights.Who They’re For: Mid- and higher-handicap golfers who struggle with inconsistent contact, need more distance and want more height on their shots.
What to Know: The hollow-body design, low center of gravity and vibration-dampening foam combine to give the Darkspeed irons more ball speed, greater height and a softer feel at impact.
Excerpt: "Cobra gave the 4-iron through 7-iron a PWRShell face, which is 21 percent thinner than the face of last season’s AeroJet iron and wraps under the leading edge of the club and into the sole to broaden the sweet spot. These irons also were designed with a single post in the head that supports a weight that designers call a PWR-Bridge. It extends from the heel to the toe, lowers the center of gravity and helps golfers hit higher-flying, faster-stopping shots." Read the full review.
Cobra Limit3d irons
Price: $2,999.99 (4-PW) with KBS Tour $-Taper shaftsSpecs: 3D printed 316L stainless steel body and face with internal tungsten weights.
Who It’s For: Golfers with deep pockets who want an iron that looks like a muscleback blade but plays like a game-improvement iron.
What to Know: By 3D printing the Limit3d irons, Cobra removed a massive amount of weight from the middle of each clubhead, then added tungsten weights to boost perimeter weighting and stability without increasing head size.
Excerpt: "To make each Limited iron, a computer controls a direct metal laser sintering (DMLS) process that applies tiny layers of 316L stainless steel powder. With each pass of the machine, another layer of powdered metal is added on top of the previous layer and bonds to it. In all, there are more than 2,600 layers of stainless steel powder applied to make each head and it takes about 24 hours for the process to be completed. The computer applies the powdered metal in exact locations, adding more layers to some places, less to others, and none where Cobra designers don’t want it." Read the full review.
Cobra King Tour irons
Price: $1,299 with KBS $-Taper 120 steel shafts and Lamkin Crossline gripsSpecs: Forged 1025 carbon steel with TPU insert and co-molded aluminum medallion
Who It’s For: Low-scoring golfers who want a soft-feeling iron that delivers shot-shaping control with a touch of forgiveness.
What to Know: A better-player’s cavity-back, the updated King Tour irons have a vibration-dampening insert to soften the feel along with the compact size and classic look that accomplished golfers demand.
Excerpt: "The cavity-back shaping is created by computer-controlled milling. This allowed engineers to make subtle changes to the undercuts around the head, taking extra material out of the top of the long irons to lower the center of gravity. That should make it slightly easier to get long-iron shots up. The center of gravity gradually elevates in the heads through the mid-irons and into the scoring clubs for enhanced control." Read the full review.
Cobra King CB/MB Combo irons
Price: $1,199 with KBS $-Taper 120 steel shafts and Lamkin Crossline gripsSpecs: Forged 1025 carbon steel
Who It’s For: Elite ballstrikers who demand the ultimate in feel and control.
What to Know: Combining forged cavity-back long irons with muscleback blade scoring clubs, the Cobra King Tour CB/MB Combo set aims to maximize a better player’s ability to shape shots.
Excerpt: "Forged in a five-step process using 1020 carbon steel, the Cobra King CB/MB Combo set blends cavity-back 4-, 5- and 6-irons with muscleback blades in the 7-iron through pitching wedge. All seven clubs in the set have a thin topline, virtually no offset and a narrow sole. The clubs have the shortest blade length in the Cobra stable, so if you are looking for forgiveness or an iron that will give you some extra pop from the fairway, you can look elsewhere." Read the full review.
Cobra King Forged TEC
Price: $999 (DOWN FROM 1,199) - Steel, $1,099 (DOWN FROM 1,299) - Graphite Specs: Forged 1025 carbon steel body and MS-300 stainless steel face with tungsten insert.
Who it’s for: The King Forged TEC is for accomplished golfers who want more distance.
What to Know: The fourth generation of Forged TEC irons has a shorter blade length, thinner topline and narrower sole to make it appeal to better players.
Excerpt: "While it may look like a muscleback blade in the address position, it is hollow and fits squarely in the better-player’s distance category. The 1020 carbon steel body is forged five times to create its final shape, and it has an inner chamber filled with soft, vibration-absorbing foam. While the material enhances sound and feel, it does not inhibit the variable-thickness face from flexing, so golfers with a repeatable swing can expect more ball speed and distance." Read the full review.
Cobra King Forged TEC X irons
Price: $999 (DOWN FROM 1,199) - Steel, $1,099, DOWN FROM 1,299) - GraphiteSpecs: Cast 431 stainless steel body with forged ST-118 stainless steel face and tungsten insert
Who it’s for: Mid-handicap golfers who want more distance and forgiveness in a compact iron.
What to Know: The first Forged TEC X is a game-improvement club that looks similar to the standard Forged TEC, but is larger, more forgiving and delivers more ball speed for mid-handicap players.
Excerpt: "Inside the head, Cobra added a soft foam material that enhances sound and feel but does not impede the face from flexing at impact, so it can deliver higher ball speeds and more distance. The internal tungsten bar in the Forged TEC X 4-iron through 7-iron is larger than the one in the Forged TEC, averaging 65 grams, so the Forged TEC X has a lower center of gravity that should make it easier to hit higher-flying shots." Read the full review.
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Cobra irons 2024: Which are right for your game?
