Cobra has released details of the new KING TOUR, and KING CB and MB irons as well as the KING TEC Utility and Hybrid.
Rounding out the KING suite of irons, which also includes the KING Forged Tec and Forged Tec-X models, the new releases elevate the family of players’ irons to a new level.
Aimed at advanced players, a traditional forged muscleback (KING MB), compact muscle cavity back (KING CB), and a technical cavity back model (KING TOUR) cover the full spectrum of golfers who value feel, feedback and shot shaping.
All three models are crafted from 1025 carbon steel using Cobra’s five-step forging process. After forging, each clubhead and precision CNC milled.
“The five-step forging process is critical to both the feel produced at impact by each of our new KING irons as well the consistency of performance,” said Tom Olsavsky, vice president of R&D at Cobra. “Players who desire the feel of forged want a soft sensation at impact rather than one that’s overly crisp, and our process delivers the desired sensation. But forgings can also be lacking in consistency due to the challenges involved in the forging process, all of which we’ve improved on by creating forged irons with superior precision from clubhead to clubhead. Players who favour forged irons now have the option to enjoy all the benefits of a forging with the consistency normally associated with cast products.”
The KING TOUR irons (RRP £1099 (seven-piece set)) blend soft feel and playability with enhanced distance and forgiveness using a multi-material construction. Unlike the CB & MB irons, which are one-piece forgings, the TOUR irons feature an aluminium medallion and a TPU insert in the back cavity. Key to the enhanced forgiveness and overall performance are CNC undercuts in the back cavity of each iron, which allow weight to be repositioned lower and towards the heel and toe areas of the clubhead, creating improved launch conditions and more forgiveness. These cavities progress from deeper in the long irons for enhanced stability, to shallower in the short irons for enhanced control. To improve feel, each CNC undercut is filled with a soft TPU material and topped with an aluminium co-moulded medallion, which both damp vibration for improved sound and feel. The shaping of the TOUR irons is progressively more compact, featuring a thinner topline and reduced offset with a slightly shortened blade length. The TOUR model also features two-degree stronger lofts than the CB & MB irons to produce more explosive distance off the face.
The KING CB and MB irons (RRP £999 (seven-piece set)) feature the most compact shapes in the KING line-up, and are built with attributes that better players typically desire – including thinner toplines, minimal offset, thinner soles and shorter blade lengths. Thanks to the precision of the five-step forging process, the CB and MB irons feature perfectly centred centre of gravity locations without the need for added tungsten. The CB irons have a more forgiving cavity back shape with slightly more offset, while the traditional MB muscle back offer players a variety of customisable set configurations to fit their needs.
Meanwhile, the KING TEC Utility (RRP £189 steel, £199 graphite) is designed to provide added ball speed and distance from a wide variety of turf conditions for players who prefer an iron-like profile over a hybrid or fairway wood.
It features a muscle-back style iron shape that sits comfortably at address, with a relatively wide sole for improved turf interaction. A metalwood-like construction yields powerful speed and distance through a hollow body design and a forged ST-118 PWRSHELL face insert with a longer return, internal speed channel and new H.O.T. Face technology.
Developed using artificial intelligence, H.O.T. Face (Highly Optimised Topology) features multiple zones with optimised thicknesses which increase ball speed and produce more efficient spin across a larger area of the clubface, resulting in more consistent and reliable distances.
For improved acoustics and feel at impact, the hollow clubhead is injected with an even lighter and softer Expancel Microsphere Foam to absorb vibrations and tune sound and feel. High density MIM tungsten weights lower the centre of gravity for improved launch and spin rates, both off the tee and from the fairway or rough.
Finally, the KING TEC Hybrid (RRP £249) is designed for 0-15 handicappers looking for a reliable option off the tee and on longer approach shots.
The adjustable hybrid – with three sole weights (two 12g weights and a 2g weight) – is designed to complement Cobra’s KING family of better player irons. New innovations include H.O.T Face Technology and a ST-118 face material. The design also features a 4g carbon fibre crown which allows more weight to be repositioned low and back within the clubhead for a lower centre of gravity and improved launch and forgiveness. Together, the three technologies promote high launch, reduced spin, longer carry distance, and softer landing into greens.
