Rickie Fowler’s new Cobra irons are giving Rory McIlroy ‘the shakes’

Arguably the hottest golfer on the planet at the moment (non-Brendon Todd Division), it sometimes feels as if Rory McIlroy could get by with a rock fashioned to a stick. But even one of the purest swings in golf has his limits, particularly when it comes to the tools he’s using to execute shots.

On Wednesday, Rickie Fowler leaked photos of his new Cobra “RF” prototype irons and a few spec details, including the addition of an ultra-thin topline and zero offset. The average mid-handicapper wouldn’t even consider playing something close to this design.

For starters, Fowler’s muscleback profile lacks the forgiveness of a cavity-back iron, which means anything short of finding the center of the clubface will magnify mishits. Not only that, when you remove any semblance of offset — where the leading edge is in relation to the front line of the hosel — it makes squaring up the face even more difficult. Not to mention it brings in the possibility of the dreaded “S-word.”

While most professionals play an iron with minimal offset, McIlroy joked on social media that Fowler’s 4-iron “gives me the shakes. #butterknife” When a four-time major winner, who currently plays TaylorMade’s P730,  admits a 4-iron is too extreme for his taste, you know it’s a serious long iron.

As for McIlroy’s 4-iron, he plays something more golfers should consider at the top of the set: a cavity-back TaylorMade P750 4-iron that’s loaded with forgiveness and ball speed. In other words, something you’ll be able to handle and enjoy on the course.

To hear more gear insights from Jonathan Wall and True Spec’s Tim Briand, subscribe and listen each week to GOLF’s Fully Equipped podcast: iTunes | SoundCloud | Spotify | Stitcher