Did you know… single length irons are actually as old as the hills?
Okay, not quite that old. But certainly older than many players on the PGA Tour.
In fact, the first single length irons in the modern era were sold as far back as 1986.
Nevertheless, it is former US Amateur champion and John Deere Classic winner Bryson DeChambeau who is credited with sensationalising the one length iron. And rightly so. Among his many quirks is a now six-year affiliation with this type of club, and, off the back of the results he’s achieved, the craze is beginning to perpetuate.
At the forefront of this are the Cobra King Forged One Length Irons – the set DeChambeau himself uses. Our job was to determine whether what’s good for the goose is in fact good for the gander. Our results were very interesting indeed…
We reviewed the Cobra King Forged One Length Irons as part of our Best Golf Irons, find out more.
If you already own the Cobra King Forged One Length Irons please leave your review in the customer review box at the end of this article.
Cobra King Forged One Length Irons
Our Assessment
The core benefit of single length irons is simplicity; insomuch as you only need one stance to suit the full complement of irons in the set. This does bring about teething problems, and we struggled to get to grips with the shorter length of the 4-iron. But as we worked our way down the set, we began to really enjoy these irons, and were amazed at the consistency of distance control.
Especially between clubs – there was a steady gap. The clubs are forgiving, but there is plenty in terms of playability and feel too. All in all, we wouldn’t go as far as to say that these irons are a nailed-on game changer, but we were pleasantly surprised as to just how easy it was to adapt.
It’s probably the most enjoyable review we’ve conducted in a while, and, at a handy price, we think you should definitely consider trying the Cobra King Forged One Length Irons out.
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Pros
Cons
Key Facts
Features | Details |
|---|---|
Launch RRP | $999.00 |
Gender | Mens |
Handicap Range | Low to Mid |
Hand Availability | Right & Left Hand |
Lie Angle | 62.5° |
Set | 4-PW |
Length | 37.25″ |
Type | |
Shaft Type and Name | KBS Tour FLT |
Manufacturer's Website |
Official Video
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Cobra King Forged One Length Irons Detailed Review
Build Quality
The science behind single-length irons isn’t to simply whack shafts of the same length into existing heads of standard length irons.
Usually there is a progressive weighting system in the heads (heavier in shorter irons), but in the case of the Cobra King Forged One Length Irons, the heads in the short irons are actually lighter.
For example, the 9-iron head is 14g lighter than the Variable Length Cobra King Forged irons. In turn, the 5-iron is 14g heavier.
One advantage of this weighting system is that CG is lowered and MOI boosted in the longer irons, while the reverse is true of shorter irons. For most players, it makes for a logical structure.
The specifications are much the same as the Variable Length set, albeit that the shaft lengths obviously differ (37.25”). The standard lie angle is 62.5°, which equates to that of the 7-iron.
The stock shaft is the steel KBS Tour FLT, which is offered in regular and stiff flex. The swing weight from 4 to wedge is D0, while all irons sport a cavity back design.
Control & Performance
Now for the fun part… how on earth did we get on? The answer is; very well – surprisingly so!
Perhaps we set our expectation levels too low, but we couldn’t help but be wowed by how easy it was to adjust, and to churn out some solid balls.
In particular, we felt that the short irons would be an issue, with the concept of control and elongated shafts seemingly an unnatural fit.
But, on the contrary, it was with the shorter clubs that we flourished, and actually found that the longer shafts created extra leverage to manipulate both the shape and flight of the ball.
Even with three-quarter wedge shots, the distance control was consistent, and the gapping between clubs in general is spot on.
On the flip side, I had some difficulties with the 4-iron, as I struggled to create the requisite swing speed without the necessary leverage. It’s a gap that can easily be plugged by hybrids, and I had considerably fewer troubles with the 5-iron.
It probably just didn’t help that I’m 6ft 5in, so it may not be such an issue for you!
Again, as someone slightly bigger than average, I also took a liking to the thicker grips, which contain 4 layers of tape underneath. It may not be your cup of tea, but for me it makes an appreciable difference to the feel.
Just quickly moving away from oddities to the more standard stuff: cavity backs definitely make for more forgiving clubs, and with the lower CG and increased MOI in the mid-long irons, there is still plenty of fire when you don’t catch it 100 per cent cleanly.
But what better players will appreciate is the playability – not just in the sense that these irons generate loads of spin to hold the green, but also in terms of shaping the ball.
Design & Appearance
Obviously what stands out most about these clubs when lined up together, or even in the bag, is that they’re all the same length.
From a visual perspective – especially if you’ve got decades of standard length irons ingrained in the psyche – it does take some getting used to.
But, moving beyond that, you’ll also notice the darker sole weight occupying much of the bottom area of the club. All irons are cavity back in design, but, at address, tend towards the look of a better player iron.
The top line is a fraction thinner than average, while there is only a limited amount of offset.
There isn’t much else in it between these irons and the Forged Tours (barring the actual naming on the badging), and that’s a good thing, as these are sleek in their appearance, and enticing to hit when behind your ball.
Value for Money
One of the refreshing things to note is that Cobra haven’t slapped a premium on the King One Length irons when compared with their variable-length counterparts.
Often any new gimmicks, or technological breakthroughs represent an excuse to overcharge prospective customers, but Cobra steered away from such a course, and when you consider their irons are already priced competitively, it makes for a compelling reason to have a go at these clubs.
And when you factor in the additional benefits we’ve highlighted above, we think that, for willing early adopters, the Cobra King Forged One Length Irons represent excellent value.