As utility irons continue to rise in popularity in the professional and recreational ranks, some manufacturers have come up with ways to streamline the look to allow the club to seamlessly blend with an iron set.
Cobra’s new King Utility iron ($219) is a true utility iron, but its overall look is based on an iron that’s been popular for the equipment manufacturer: the 2020 Forged Tec. Designed around the same classic, muscle-back profile, the utility features a wider sole and hollow cavity — which differs from the foam microspheres that fill out the cavity of the Forged Tec iron — with a low center of gravity position (internal tungsten weighting) that’s geared for a higher trajectory.
A forged PWRShell completes the head design. The ultra-thin face wraps under the leading edge and works in conjunction with the internal cavity design to expand the sweet spot while increasing launch and ball speed at the same time.
Another new wrinkle is the addition of Cobra’s MyFly8 loft sleeve (four-degree range), a technology normally reserved for the company’s metalwoods. The sleeve has a series of eight adjustable loft settings (four-degree range) that give golfers the ability to alter launch and trajectory for distance gapping purposes.
Cobra Connect, an Arccos-powered shot-tracking system, is once again found in the butt end of the grip. The GPS sensor tracks every shot on the course, providing an accurate distance picture for each club in the bag. In addition to a standard-length model, the club will be offered in a single-length version ($219) designed at 7-iron length (37.50 inches).
The King Utility iron is available June 12 in a 2-utility (adjustable from 16-19 degrees), 3-utility (18-21 degrees) and 4-utility (21-24 degrees) with KBS’s $-Taper Lite steel (S or R flex) or Project X’s Catalyst graphite shaft (X, S or R flex).
A new addition to Cobra’s King MIM wedge line, the MIM Black ($149) undergoes the same design process as the original version. Each wedge is made from 304 stainless steel with MIM (metal injection molding) creating the entire head from a CAD file. Once the wedge head is removed from the oven, the sole and topline, specifically, undergo a robotic polishing procedure that’s hydraulically computer-controlled. The fully automated process removes variance in head weight and thickness and creates more precise grind shapes and more repeatable bounces in each wedge.
Where the black version deviates from the chrome version is through the use of a dark QPQ finish that was added to the head to reduce glare. The Tour-requested finish is designed to last without wearing out over time.
“When we introduced MIM Wedges last year, it marked a steep change in the way wedges were manufactured,” said Tom Olsavsky, Vice President of R&D for COBRA. “Since then, we have received requests from better players asking for the type of black finish that is preferred on Tour. The new QPQ finishing process allows us to deliver this option while maintaining soft, consistent performance for a wide variety of shots, now with a wider variety of grind options.”
A circular micro-groove pattern can also be found on the face that looks nearly identical to the design currently found on the face insert of the King F9 Speedback driver, and assists with maximizing spin on deft shots where the ball doesn’t go as deep into the grooves.
The wedge is offered in three grinds (Versatile, WideLow and Classic) with a KBS Hi-Rev 2.0 (125g) black shaft. A one-length version is also available for the first time in a MIM product (56 and 60 degrees; Versatile grind).