WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: An updated Cobra Tec and Tec One Length iron are joined the game-improvement Tec X. All are hollow-body designs that use tungsten weighting to enhance launch and stability.
PRICE & AVAILABILITY: Grouped in sets of seven irons (4-PW in the Tec and 5-GW in the Tec-X and Tec-X One Length), their Australian pricing is still TBA. The irons will be available at Cobra Golf’s website or at retail from November 8.
3 Cool Things
1. Five times the pressure. Cobra’s King Tec irons possess a solid history, which is why the company is introducing its fifth iteration of this hollow-body model. Yet while the name is the same, there are significant enhancements in this latest offering. Notably, a five-step forging process and softer foam create a lower sound that appeals to better players. And since the foam is lighter, more weight can be moved down low to foster a better launch angle.
“We really spent a lot of time on developing the great looks as well as improving the feel of both irons,” said Tom Olsavksy, vice-president of R&D for Cobra. “We got some feedback on our prior versions that they could feel a little better and we addressed that.”
The visual on the Tec irons got some attention as well. A softened topline, shorter blade length and “tucked toe” provide a look that says this is a player’s distance iron that looks very player-ish. The pitching wedge received a makeover as well, with a flattened topline and straighter leading edge.
By utilising multiple materials, Cobra brings speed in an iron with a traditional shape while continuing to enhance feel and distance. The muscle-back shape cleverly hides the fact the head is hollow and utilises a thin variable thickness face for enhanced ball speed and higher launch. A 20-gram tungsten toe weight in the 4 to 7-irons is positioned in a manner that allows the centre of gravity to be more in line with the face centre. That not only helps provide a satisfying feel on centre hits but assists stability on off-centre strikes as well. The 8-iron through gap wedge are tungsten-free for a slightly more penetrating trajectory and enhanced accuracy in the scoring zone.
2. X for extra forgiveness. Featuring a larger profile with a sleeker, rounder topline and reduced offset from the previous iteration, the Tec-X has been reimagined while maintaining much of the technological horsepower of its predecessor.
Though the 4 to 7-irons are hollow-body and have a lighter, softer foam inside like the Forged Tec, the Tec-X features a lower CG to help get the ball in the air. That’s due to the use of a 70-gram tungsten weight, which is 50 grams more than the Tec iron. The added weight delivers the kind of help golfers need to get the ball airborne while the wider sole assists golfers who with a tendency to hit fat shots.
3. One not done. Although poster boy Bryson DeChambeau is no longer sponsored by Cobra, the company has continued down the path of One Length irons with the King Tec-X One Length.
“Our data shows it’s more of a game-improvement type player that is drawn to One Length,” Olsavsky said. “Players between a 10 and 20 handicap have been a little bit more willing to look at it, and I think they’ll like this club.”
For those not familiar with One Length, each iron has been designed to match the length (37.5 inches) and weight of a 7-iron. Weight is added to the long irons to achieve this and removed from the short irons. Lie angles also have been adjusted with more upright lie angles (and weaker lofts) in the long irons and slightly flatter in the short irons and wedges. The shafts also are lighter in the long irons (and the soles wider) to help assist launch while heavier wedge shafts promote control.
