Cobra King Forged CB / MB Irons

Rickie Fowler has been the most popular player on the Cobra roster for years now and there are no signs of that popularity slowing down anytime soon.  Just go to any golf tournament and you’ll see fans ranging from ages 5 to 45 wearing his Sunday Orange pants and hats.  It should be no surprise that players also want to play the same clubs as Rick. Historically, the retail versions of Rickie’s irons have been close to the same, but not exact.  Well, 2019’s Cobra King Forged CB / MB irons are finally exactly the same as what Rickie’s playing, and they also feature Golf Pride Tour Velvet COBRA CONNECT grips powered by Arccos.

By taking Rickie’s customization of a tungsten weight in the sole, Cobra made the King Forged irons more forgiving for the golfer that wants the same benefits as Fowler.  Player beware: the Cobra King Forged is every bit of a player’s iron and you better have the game for them, even with the added forgiveness. If that sounds like you, the King Forged is a must hit.

The Looks

Cobra utilized the familiar compact head shape for the King Forged irons and the black finish only makes the King Forged irons look even smaller.  The Cobra King Forged irons also have minimal offset which blends in even more due to the black finish. From address, that compact profile and the thin toplines make the transition between cavity back (CB) and muscleback (MB) almost indiscernible.  Pictured above are the 6 and 7 irons from the set which is the last CB and the first MB head in the flow set. Both irons look very similar at address but are different head styles. This is obviously a nice benefit for players that like that MB look but want the forgiveness of a CB in their longer irons.

In my opinion, I think this generation of the Cobra King Forged irons is easily the best looking blade from a major OEM this season.  I would also go so far as to say they are the best looking irons Cobra has ever made.  Yes, the general look of the club is familiar, but the addition of the black KBS $-Taper and the updated paint scheme just make for a beautiful iron.  If these irons are in your bag and don’t turn heads, then I don’t know what will!

How Does it Feel?

First and foremost, the Cobra King Forged CB / MB irons feel every bit of “forged.”  Cobra used a five-step forging process with the intent of creating a tighter grain structure in each head.  This is done to reduce voids and create a more responsive and solid feel in the club. The overall feel is very responsive and and very tight.  A well-struck shot has a really nice snap to it on the face. The use of the two tungsten weights puts the Center of Gravity (CG) behind the “hitting zone” to make a good shot feel even more pure.

Through the turf, the King Forged irons feel tight and aggressive.  Both the CB and MB have thinner soles and compact heads that rip through the turf real nicely.  They’re well balanced and feel extra easy to manipulate through the turf. Just be careful, it’s real easy to get too aggressive and these player’s irons aren’t going to bail you out of a steep swing.

How Does it Sound?

Like the feel of the Cobra King Forged irons, the sound has a similar tight “snap” to it.  The tight forging gives the King Forged a slightly firmer sound, but more precise feedback.  A lighter and softer swing, especially with the MB portion of the set, can have a much softer click if you find the sweet spot.  Let me emphasize the importance of finding the sweet spot.  Should you miss, the feel and the sound are really going to let you know.  The sound from the turf interaction is a clean “swoosh.” Should you take a bigger divot, the sound will have more of a “rip” to it with a nice magic carpet sailing away from you.

On-Course Performance

Generally speaking, the Cobra King Forged CB / MB irons are a standard player’s iron with a focus put on shot control and precision ball striking.  Where the King Forged iron differentiates itself is it’s lowered CG and higher MOI.  Typically these are terms thrown around when discussing forgiveness, and I suppose to some extent, you could consider these irons more forgiving.  But in this case, forgiveness is a relative term.  Yes, the King Forged is more forgiving than a lot of its blade counterparts, but I wouldn’t call them forgiving.  The placement of the CG and MOI make it easier to launch the ball higher and the spin is reduced.  This means it’s easier to control the ball, therefore making it easier to hit better shots.

Though the King Forged’s spin is somewhat reduced throughout the set, the wedges can still zip the ball around.  Cobra used CNC milling for the King Forged iron’s grooves and faces. The use of CNC allowed Cobra to essentially create precise groove variation from club to club for optimal performance.  While the rest of the irons are designed for reducing spin, the wedges have sharper and tighter grooves for more bite.  Again, the precision-milled faces make the King Forged easier to control and better for manipulating shots from top to bottom with accuracy.

COBRA CONNECT – Powered by Arccos

Cobra continues to implement its COBRA CONNECT technology in stock grips across its club lineup.  This technology gives you seamless integration with Arccos platforms throughout the entire bag to automatically track your stats on a mobile device during a round of golf.  With this data, you’ll be able to better understand the strengths and weaknesses of your game making your practice sessions more efficient.  Not only that, the same data will help you make better decisions when it comes to equipment selection or setup.  I’ve found COBRA CONNECT to be very useful and a nice added bonus to Cobra equipment since they’ve rolled it out across the board.

For the first time ever, you can now get the Golf Pride Tour Velvet grip with full COBRA CONNECT integration.  This grip comes stock on the King Forged CB / MB and is the same grip historically used by Rickie Fowler.  You can also get the Tour Velvet with COBRA CONNECT as a custom option for any club in the Cobra catalog.  Additionally, with a purchase of COBRA CONNECT integrated irons, you’ll receive additional sensors so you can enable the rest of your clubs as well.

If you want to learn more details about COBRA CONNECT, you can check it out here on Cobra’s website.

Final Thoughts

Rickie Fowler’s Cobra King Forged CB / MB irons are a great player’s iron that will hold their own against anyone in the game.  Players that put a premium on shot shaping and control are going to love these.  While still having to be a good stick to consistently find the sweet spot, that player will really enjoy the easier launch and solid feel of the King Forged irons.  On top of all that, the Cobra King Forged is quite possibly the best looking blade on the market and easy to fall in love with before you even hit a ball.  Add in the bonus of COBRA CONNECT technology, and you easily have one of the best deals in high-end golf equipment.

Stock Cobra King Forged CB / MB Irons Specs