by Joe Dier, Club Fitter
Cobra has two new iron sets in their line-up this year; RAD Speed and KING Tour, and both irons feature innovative new technology. These additions will address a wide array of player needs from high handicappers looking for a game improvement iron to low handicappers who want the ability to move the ball and shape shots.
RAD Speed
RAD Speed is the replacement for last year’s highly successful Speed Zone iron. While testing the performance of this club, we found that the extremely hot face adds distance, while being very stable and forgiving. Even with today’s stronger lofts, the RAD Speed is extremely easy to launch in the air. Cobra was able to do this by adding a ton of new technology; extreme heel and toe weighting, tuned RAD weighting, the forged “PWRSHELL” face and the first ever 3D printed component in a golf club.
Extreme Heel and Toe Weighting
10g and 3g of mass positioned on the toe and heel that generates higher speed, less spin and more forgiveness in the head.
Tuned RAD Weighting
A 10g weight put low and near the toe that centers the CG and adds forgiveness on off-center hits.
Forged PWRSHELL Face
A forged face insert, made of this 17-4 stainless steel, that is designed to provide a more flexible face around the sweet spot for higher ball speed and launch angle.
3D Printed Medallion
3D printing offers unlimited complexity in design, producing an intricate lattice medallion structure that saves weight and fine-tunes feel.
The RAD Speed is also going to be available in a one length option, with a 37.5” shaft, lending itself to a more consistent swing and set up to the golf ball.
The stock shafts for the RAD Speed will be KBS Tour 90 in steel and the Recoil 460 ESX in graphite. The grip will be the Lamkin Crossline equipped with “Cobra Connect”, which allows you to track distances, track shots during your round and keep stats while you play.
Here is some of the data that we collected on the Cobra RAD Speed irons.
Club | Ball Speed (MPH) | Club Head Speed (MPH) | Launch Angle (Degrees) | Spin Rate (RPMs) | Carry Distance (Yards) |
Rad Speed | 117.5 | 84.7 | 18.7 | 6075 | 165.9 |
KING Tour:
With the exception of the Forged Tec irons, Cobra hasn’t released a “players iron” since MB and MC, which Rickie Fowler played for years. I have to say the KING Tour with MIM technology was worth the wait. These clubs are the perfect balance between look, feel and forgiveness. The King Tour offers the look and feel of a MB iron with a slimmer topline and softer feel off the face. The craziest thing about this club is that for how soft it feels, it is not a forged iron. The technology in this club is what makes it so unique.
MIM Construction:
MIM stands for Metal Injection Molding which delivers precise shapes and an extremely soft feel. The MIM tech provides an incredibly soft feel in an iron that is not forged.
Tungsten Weighting:
With the position of the tungsten weight in the toe, the CG is centered behind the hitting zone to give you the purest, most precise shots with added stability to keep the ball on target.
TPU Insert:
TPU stands for thermoplastic polyurethane and is also positioned behind the hitting zone to dampen the vibrations for a softer feel at impact.
The stock shafts for the RAD Speed will be KBS $-Taper 120. The grip will be the Lamkin Crossline equipped with “Cobra Connect”, which allows you to track distances, track shots during your round and keep stats while you play.
Here is some of the data that we collected on the KING Tour irons.
Club | Ball Speed (MPH) | Club Head Speed (MPH) | Launch Angle (Degrees) | Spin Rate (RPMs) | Carry Distance (YDS) |
King Tour | 108.4 | 83.1 | 19.9 | 7071 | 146.5 |