FIRST LOOK: Cobra’s King Forged Tec irons are packed with technology

Since Cobra’s King Forged Tec was first introduced in 2015, the iron has attempted to fit a wider range of handicaps by packing game-improvement technology inside a player model profile. The 2020 version continues down the same path, but instead of utilizing solid construction, Cobra engineers chose to add a hollow internal cavity to the updated muscleback design.

The cavity is filled with foam microspheres that expand to dampen vibrations, tune acoustics and soften the overall feel at impact. A metal-injection-molded tungsten toe weight is also packed inside the cavity to position the center of gravity directly behind the middle of the face — as opposed to the heel section where it’s historically been found in muscleback irons.

“A hollow design gives us more ball speed and the ability to put our PWRShell face in there,” said Tom Olsavsky, Cobra Golf’s vice president of research and design. “But it’s extremely important that we also make sure we have the sound and feel tuned.”

Cobra’s PWRShell is the final piece of the technology equation. While the forged face design has been used in the past with the company’s game-improvement irons and hybrids, this is the first time it has been included in a version for the better player. The ultra-thin face wraps under the leading edge and works in conjunction with the internal cavity design to increase launch and ball speed.

“We feel like we’ve led this category for a number of years,” Olsavsky said. “If you go all the way back to the F6 irons, we were putting PWRShell type faces in those designs. The only thing we kind of missed was we never made a better player iron with the face design.”

With a thin topline and sole, moderate offset and compact head shape, the King Forged Tec iron has a look that should appeal to the better player. That being said, the mid-handicapper will have no problem handling this set with the distance and forgiveness packed inside.

Along with offering a traditional-length version, Cobra will also have a One Length model. Each King Forged Tec One Length iron is built at standard 7-iron length (37.5 inches).

Cobra’s 2020 King Forged Tec and King Forged Tec One Length will be available Nov. 1. The irons retail for $1,100 with KBS $-Taper Lite steel shafts and $1,200 with Project X Catalyst 80 graphite.

Both sets come standard with Lamkin Crossline grips that have Cobra Connect, an Arccos-powered shot-tracking system. Housed inside the butt end of the grip, the GPS sensor allows golfers to track every shot on the course and get an accurate picture of the distance they hit each club in the bag.

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