#COBRACONNECT Challenge 4

[Nunfa0]

31 minutes ago, Lacassem said:

The bottom is different compared to my 790s I should say* 

Very true but the area that, for lack of a better term, sticks out of the bottom would be a similar size to your irons. Oh and this is only the SpeedZones I'm talking about...

[jddaigneault]

10 hours ago, B.Boston said:

Was able to get out for 18 this morning at my wife family cottage in Dexter, ME. I felt like @edingc breezing around the course in 2:24 and will be using this round for the FIR/GIR Burger challenge. It’s an improvement on my first 18 this week for sure. 

I’m including a pic of my scorecard because some of the Arccos holes are incorrect and I sent them an email to update. 

+4 74 on a short course, but more Importantly 11 FIR and 10 GIR with 7 Burgers for a score of 35. 

Sorry in advance for cryptic messages this week. I’ll be running to Dunkin’ up here to use their WiFi as cell service lakeside is pretty poor. The view however is quite nice!

There are short courses, and there are mini golf courses...this is the shortest course I’ve ever seen! 

Congrats on the good round. 

[MDGolfHacker]

5 hours ago, Nunfa0 said:

For the CCC challenges so far David is definitely an outlier. The 2018 and 19 one length players struggled to come to terms with them during the competition period.

Yep, I know I did...

 

MDGolfHacker

[edingc]

#MGSCobra2020 #CobraConnect SpeedZone Iron Review - edingc, a.k.a. #TeamCalvesLikePhil

An all-new carbon fiber topline on the long and mid-irons is the big story headlining Cobra’s 2020 SpeedZone irons. The weight savings from use of carbon fiber allowed Cobra’s engineers to push the head’s center of gravity lower than in previous models.

Cobra hooked me up with the conventional length SpeedZone irons (1/2 inch short, 2 degrees flat), 4 iron to gap wedge, with KBS C-Taper Lite x-stiff shafts and Lamkin Sonar grips. Previously, I played Maltby PTM Forged irons, which although are “game improvement” irons, are a forged head and offer a more traditional appearance than the SpeedZones.

Looks - 3.5/5 Stars

I’ve read several comments on the Internet that say the worst thing about the SpeedZone design is the carbon fiber topline. I wholeheartedly disagree! Sure, at first glance it sticks out because it’s different from any other iron. After hitting a few shots, however, it blends in and isn’t distracting at all. From the 8 iron down to the gap wedge, Cobra removed the carbon fiber, leaving a pleasing and not-too-thick topline for the precision scoring clubs. Offset is minimal throughout the set and not off putting in the least bit.

My biggest complaint concerning the looks of the SpeedZone irons stems from how much the backside is visible at address, especially in the 6 and 7 irons (the 7 iron is pictured above). Ideally, I would prefer those mid-irons to look less like a driving iron and blend more toward the scoring clubs. 

These are big clubheads; nobody is mistaking these for a player’s iron. The perimeter weighting, sole design, cavity badging and topline are uniquely game improvement. That doesn’t mean they are bad looking clubs, and I applaud Cobra for pushing the envelope. But, you’ll need to look elsewhere if you’re wanting a traditional look in your irons.

Sound & Feel - 3.5/5 Stars

Well-struck balls offer a very solid sound, both with the carbon fiber long irons and the more traditional short irons. It’s a satisfying thwack, I have no issues with it at all.

Coming from a fully forged head, the feel of the SpeedZones is obviously a bit lacking in comparison, but likely similar to other irons in its category. It’s fairly easy to determine where the ball is struck horizontally, but I’ve struggled to know where the strike is vertically on the face. With exception to extremely thin shots, a few grooves high or low all seem to feel the same to me.

I was originally fit into stiff flex KBS C-Taper Lites and not x-stiff. Stiff flex was unavailable due to COVID-19 supply chain issues, so we bumped up to x-stiff. They are definitely different animals than the stiff flex, and right now I’m still struggling a bit to adjust to the feel of them. The x-stiffs don’t have the same swift kick at impact I experience with the stiff flex CTLs, and I think that is partially influencing my feel of the head.

Basic Characteristics - 4/5 Stars

Unlike my woods, I do get creative with iron shots. My desired stock iron shot is a push draw, with my miss being a straight draw or overcooked pull draw/hook. The video above is a slight pull draw. However, I often need to hit a low stinger under tree branches, and I also like to club up some and play softer finesse shots into greens. It’s not often that I’m taking a full cut with an iron.

I am impressed at my ability to do all of those things with the SpeedZone irons. By default they want to launch high and stay straight, but by manipulating ball position and/or gripping down, I’ve been able to hit low or more feathery shots when required.

(As a quick aside, the reduced taper shape on the Lamkin Sonars has been very helpful with gripping down on the club.)

The sole design is unique with the smaller “effective” sole. We have had hot and dry conditions since I received the clubs, but with the way the sole glides through heavy rough I doubt I’d have much trouble in wet conditions. Turf interaction is great, nice small divots without digging much.

Obviously, the SpeedZones are loft-jacked (see: my six iron ball speeds above - with a range ball!). They generate a lot of distance as a result, but they provide adequate height and spin to stop the ball, especially in the shorter irons. I would definitely recommend pairing a more “spinny” ball with them to optimize spin as much as possible (I’ve alternated between Snell MTB-X and Srixon Z-Star XV during the challenge).

On Course Performance - 4/5 Stars

The SpeedZone irons are outstanding at what they are designed to do - get the ball airborne with serious distance, while being extremely forgiving of mishits.

On more than one occasion, I’ve hit a completely disgusting shot only to watch the ball end up near my target line and distance. I’ve also had the pleasure or puring a few irons and watching how the ball rockets off of the face.

Don’t expect to suck a ball back on the green with these clubs. But, if I strike the ball well (not a groove low), I can expect the ball to fly high enough to land softly and stop within a few feet.

I haven’t experienced any major distance inconsistencies, but I have hit a few low-spin fliers from the rough that kept on going and going and going and wouldn’t stop. I don’t think that’s exclusive to these irons, but perhaps is made worse by the naturally lower spin rates of the design.

I often hit mid and long irons from the tee at my home course and the forgiveness has helped me be in better positions than with my Maltby PTMs. The amount of distance I retain on mishits is impressive. Extra distance off the tee combined with longer carry distances from my scoring clubs means I hit shorter clubs into greens, which puts less pressure on my swing to be perfect.

My scoring hasn’t changed dramatically for better or for worse since putting the SpeedZones into play. However, I am finding my iron striking to be more inconsistent with the SpeedZones in the bag. My hook miss has gotten worse, and I’m struggling with a tendency to pull across the ball from the top a lot more often. This is resulting in a lot of strikes toward the toe of the club. I’m not a fantastic golfer, but as my Arccos baseline showed, iron striking was one of the better parts of my game. I’m not sure if these exaggerations of my existing misses are to be blamed on the irons or something in my swing, but I can say sometimes I feel like I’m working too hard trying to get the x-stiff C-Taper Lites to do what I want. If I take a nice relaxed cut at the ball, I feel like I’m getting desirable results more often.

All in all, the SpeedZone irons are producing predictable ball flight and predictable distances when I’m swinging well, and that’s all I can ask of them to do.

Miscellaneous - 4/5 Stars

These irons are not ones I’d want to buy stock off the rack. I understand distance is king of sales, but the stock specifications for these irons are very upright and very long.

I doubt a low-spin, two-piece surlyn/ionomer ball would stop well with these either, and I’m certain that is the type of ball most played by recreational golfers.

Play It or Trade It - 3/5 Stars

I’m conflicted. On one hand, I love the forgiveness of the SpeedZones, specifically in the long irons. The clubs are rockets! On the other hand, I’ve tested forgiveness so much because I’ve struggled to find the center of the club face. That wasn’t the case during my baseline with my Maltby PTMs.

I’ve thought of multiple scenarios for how these irons might stay in the bag:

• Do I try soft-stepping the shafts once or twice to see if that returns some of the feel I enjoy with the stiff C-Taper Lites? I’ve considered making the 19 degree 4 iron a true driving iron by putting a graphite shaft into it, so this could be done with just a little basement club work.
• Do I reshaft a test club with a stiff C-Taper Lite, and, if I like the results, bite the bullet and do the rest of the set?
• Should I play a split set with my Maltby PTMs? The lofts and lengths are setup in a way I could split my set at the 7 iron, and play SpeedZone long irons (5, 6, 7) and Maltby PTM mid-to-short irons (7, 8, 9, PW, GW) without messing up gapping to the wedges.
• Do I just practice more and try to sort out my issues with the x-stiff C-Taper Lites? When struck well they do feel effortless, but I think the difference in flex or weight may be partially responsible for the issues I’m having with my iron swing.

#CobraConnect will take me to the end of my primary golf season, but over the fall and winter I will have some testing to do to answer these questions.

Overall Score - 3.5/5 Stars

Going strictly by handicap, I’m probably on the lower end of the target range for the SpeedZone irons, but I wouldn’t say only high handicappers should play these irons.

The long irons are excellent - easy to launch, forgiving and crazy fast in regards to ball speeds. Short irons have a good look and generally stop the ball when needed. For the price ($799 USD off the rack), I’m not sure there is a better value out there among the major OEMs in the game improvement/super game improvement category.

I’m just struggling a bit adjusting to them.

Since we still have a lot of time remaining in the challenge, I’m hoping with more practice I can get a good understanding of what I need to do to play my best golf with these irons.

[russtopherb]

Great writeup @edingc! The comments from folks about club appearance at address, especially when it's something like these irons (or recent W/S irons as well) always kinds of confuses me. Maybe because I solely focus on the ball at address and don't even register the clubhead. 

I love the videos with sounds, you're doing a killer job with those. Keep it up!

I think your concerns over the shafts are completely valid. I do wonder how much more of a comfort level you'd have, and short adjustment period, if you had the shafts you were fit into.

[edingc]

9 minutes ago, russtopherb said:

Great writeup @edingc! The comments from folks about club appearance at address, especially when it's something like these irons (or recent W/S irons as well) always kinds of confuses me. Maybe because I solely focus on the ball at address and don't even register the clubhead. 

 

Maybe I'm an outlier, too, since I played the Wilson C300s and am definitely used to something on topline. I think the carbon fiber is actually less of a visual issue than the power holes, and even those didn't bother me.

[Nunfa0]

35 minutes ago, edingc said:

#MGSCobra2020 #CobraConnect SpeedZone Iron Review - edingc, a.k.a. #TeamCalvesLikePhil

An all-new carbon fiber topline on the long and mid-irons is the big story headlining Cobra’s 2020 SpeedZone irons. The weight savings from use of carbon fiber allowed Cobra’s engineers to push the head’s center of gravity lower than in previous models.

Coba hooked me up with the conventional length SpeedZone irons (1/2 inch short, 2 degrees flat), 4 iron to gap wedge, with KBS C-Taper Lite x-stiff shafts and Lamkin Sonar grips. Previously, I played Maltby PTM Forged irons, which although are “game improvement” irons, are a forged head and offer a more traditional appearance than the SpeedZones.

Looks - 3.5/5 Stars

I’ve read several comments on the Internet that say the worst thing about the SpeedZone design is the carbon fiber topline. I wholeheartedly disagree! Sure, at first glance it sticks out because it’s different from any other iron. After hitting a few shots, however, it blends in and isn’t distracting at all. From the 8 iron down to the gap wedge, Cobra removed the carbon fiber, leaving a pleasing and not-too-thick topline for the precision scoring clubs. Offset is minimal throughout the set and not off putting in the least bit.

My biggest complaint concerning the looks of the SpeedZone irons stems from how much the backside is visible at address, especially in the 6 and 7 irons (the 7 iron is pictured above). Ideally, I would prefer those mid-irons to look less like a driving iron and blend more toward the scoring clubs. 

These are big clubheads; nobody is mistaking these for a player’s iron. The perimeter weighting, sole design, cavity badging and topline are uniquely game improvement. That doesn’t mean they are bad looking clubs, and I applaud Cobra for pushing the envelope. But, you’ll need to look elsewhere if you’re wanting a traditional look in your irons.

Sound & Feel - 3.5/5 Stars

Well-struck balls offer a very solid sound, both with the carbon fiber long irons and the more traditional short irons. It’s a satisfying thwack, I have no issues with it at all.

Coming from a fully forged head, the feel of the SpeedZones is obviously a bit lacking in comparison, but likely similar to other irons in its category. It’s fairly easy to determine where the ball is struck horizontally, but I’ve struggled to know where the strike is vertically on the face. With exception to extremely thin shots, a few grooves high or low all seem to feel the same to me.

I was originally fit into stiff flex KBS C-Taper Lites and not x-stiff. Stiff flex was unavailable due to COVID-19 supply chain issues, so we bumped up to x-stiff. They are definitely different animals than the stiff flex, and right now I’m still struggling a bit to adjust to the feel of them. The x-stiffs don’t have the same swift kick at impact I experience with the stiff flex CTLs, and I think that is partially influencing my feel of the head.

Basic Characteristics - 4/5 Stars

Unlike my woods, I do get creative with iron shots. My desired stock iron shot is a push draw, with my miss being a straight draw or overcooked pull draw/hook. The video above is a slight pull draw. However, I often need to hit a low stinger under tree branches, and I also like to club up some and play softer finesse shots into greens. It’s not often that I’m taking a full cut with an iron.

I am impressed at my ability to do all of those things with the SpeedZone irons. By default they want to launch high and stay straight, but by manipulating ball position and/or gripping down, I’ve been able to hit low or more feathery shots when required.

(As a quick aside, the reduced taper shape on the Lamkin Sonars has been very helpful with gripping down on the club.)

The sole design is unique with the smaller “effective” sole. We have had hot and dry conditions since I received the clubs, but with the way the sole glides through heavy rough I doubt I’d have much trouble in wet conditions. Turf interaction is great, nice small divots without digging much.

Obviously, the SpeedZones are loft-jacked (see: my six iron ball speeds above - with a range ball!). They generate a lot of distance as a result, but they provide adequate height and spin to stop the ball, especially in the shorter irons. I would definitely recommend pairing a more “spinny” ball with them to optimize spin as much as possible (I’ve alternated between Snell MTB-X and Srixon Z-Star XV during the challenge).

On Course Performance - 4/5 Stars

The SpeedZone irons are outstanding at what they are designed to do - get the ball airborne with serious distance, while being extremely forgiving of mishits.

On more than one occasion, I’ve hit a completely disgusting shot only to watch the ball end up near my target line and distance. I’ve also had the pleasure or puring a few irons and watching how the ball rockets off of the face.

Don’t expect to suck a ball back on the green with these clubs. But, if I strike the ball well (not a groove low), I can expect the ball to fly high enough to land softly and stop within a few feet.

I haven’t experienced any major distance inconsistencies, but I have hit a few low-spin fliers from the rough that kept on going and going and going and wouldn’t stop. I don’t think that’s exclusive to these irons, but perhaps is made worse by the naturally lower spin rates of the design.

I often hit mid and long irons from the tee at my home course and the forgiveness has helped me be in better positions than with my Maltby PTMs. The amount of distance I retain on mishits is impressive. Extra distance off the tee combined with longer carry distances from my scoring clubs means I hit shorter clubs into greens, which puts less pressure on my swing to be perfect.

My scoring hasn’t changed dramatically for better or for worse since putting the SpeedZones into play. However, I am finding my iron striking to be more inconsistent with the SpeedZones in the bag. My hook miss has gotten worse, and I’m struggling with a tendency to pull across the ball from the top a lot more often. This is resulting in a lot of strikes toward the toe of the club. I’m not a fantastic golfer, but as my Arccos baseline showed, iron striking was one of the better parts of my game. I’m not sure if these exaggerations of my existing misses are to be blamed on the irons or something in my swing, but I can say sometimes I feel like I’m working too hard trying to get the x-stiff C-Taper Lites to do what I want. If I take a nice relaxed cut at the ball, I feel like I’m getting desirable results more often.

All in all, the SpeedZone irons are producing predictable ball flight and predictable distances when I’m swinging well, and that’s all I can ask of them to do.

Miscellaneous - 4/5 Stars

These irons are not ones I’d want to buy stock off the rack. I understand distance is king of sales, but the stock specifications for these irons are very upright and very long.

I doubt a low-spin, two-piece surlyn/ionomer ball would stop well with these either, and I’m certain that is the type of ball most played by recreational golfers.

Play It or Trade It - 3/5 Stars

I’m conflicted. On one hand, I love the forgiveness of the SpeedZones, specifically in the long irons. The clubs are rockets! On the other hand, I’ve tested forgiveness so much because I’ve struggled to find the center of the club face. That wasn’t the case during my baseline with my Maltby PTMs.

I’ve thought of multiple scenarios for how these irons might stay in the bag:

• Do I try soft-stepping the shafts once or twice to see if that returns some of the feel I enjoy with the stiff C-Taper Lites? I’ve considered making the 19 degree 4 iron a true driving iron by putting a graphite shaft into it, so this could be done with just a little basement club work.
• Do I reshaft a test club with a stiff C-Taper Lite, and, if I like the results, bite the bullet and do the rest of the set?
• Should I play a split set with my Maltby PTMs? The lofts and lengths are setup in a way I could split my set at the 7 iron, and play SpeedZone long irons (5, 6, 7) and Maltby PTM mid-to-short irons (7, 8, 9, PW, GW) without messing up gapping to the wedges.
• Do I just practice more and try to sort out my issues with the x-stiff C-Taper Lites? When struck well they do feel effortless, but I think the difference in flex or weight may be partially responsible for the issues I’m having with my iron swing.

#CobraConnect will take me to the end of my primary golf season, but over the fall and winter I will have some testing to do to answer these questions.

Overall Score - 3.5/5 Stars

Going strictly by handicap, I’m probably on the lower end of the target range for the SpeedZone irons, but I wouldn’t say only high handicappers should play these irons.

The long irons are excellent - easy to launch, forgiving and crazy fast in regards to ball speeds. Short irons have a good look and generally stop the ball when needed. For the price ($799 USD off the rack), I’m not sure there is a better value out there among the major OEMs in the game improvement/super game improvement category.

I’m just struggling a bit adjusting to them.

Since we still have a lot of time remaining in the challenge, I’m hoping with more practice I can get a good understanding of what I need to do to play my best golf with these irons.

Excellent write up @edingc, it will be interesting to see if you can get these sorted out. I had the advantage of coming from GI clubs before getting the F9s so the transition was seamless for me. I do wonder if you had the Stiff rather than X shafts if that would make a difference...

[GolfSpy BOS]

39 minutes ago, edingc said:

#MGSCobra2020 #CobraConnect SpeedZone Iron Review - edingc, a.k.a. #TeamCalvesLikePhil

An all-new carbon fiber topline on the long and mid-irons is the big story headlining Cobra’s 2020 SpeedZone irons. The weight savings from use of carbon fiber allowed Cobra’s engineers to push the head’s center of gravity lower than in previous models.

Coba hooked me up with the conventional length SpeedZone irons (1/2 inch short, 2 degrees flat), 4 iron to gap wedge, with KBS C-Taper Lite x-stiff shafts and Lamkin Sonar grips. Previously, I played Maltby PTM Forged irons, which although are “game improvement” irons, are a forged head and offer a more traditional appearance than the SpeedZones.

Looks - 3.5/5 Stars

I’ve read several comments on the Internet that say the worst thing about the SpeedZone design is the carbon fiber topline. I wholeheartedly disagree! Sure, at first glance it sticks out because it’s different from any other iron. After hitting a few shots, however, it blends in and isn’t distracting at all. From the 8 iron down to the gap wedge, Cobra removed the carbon fiber, leaving a pleasing and not-too-thick topline for the precision scoring clubs. Offset is minimal throughout the set and not off putting in the least bit.

My biggest complaint concerning the looks of the SpeedZone irons stems from how much the backside is visible at address, especially in the 6 and 7 irons (the 7 iron is pictured above). Ideally, I would prefer those mid-irons to look less like a driving iron and blend more toward the scoring clubs. 

These are big clubheads; nobody is mistaking these for a player’s iron. The perimeter weighting, sole design, cavity badging and topline are uniquely game improvement. That doesn’t mean they are bad looking clubs, and I applaud Cobra for pushing the envelope. But, you’ll need to look elsewhere if you’re wanting a traditional look in your irons.

Sound & Feel - 3.5/5 Stars

Well-struck balls offer a very solid sound, both with the carbon fiber long irons and the more traditional short irons. It’s a satisfying thwack, I have no issues with it at all.

Coming from a fully forged head, the feel of the SpeedZones is obviously a bit lacking in comparison, but likely similar to other irons in its category. It’s fairly easy to determine where the ball is struck horizontally, but I’ve struggled to know where the strike is vertically on the face. With exception to extremely thin shots, a few grooves high or low all seem to feel the same to me.

I was originally fit into stiff flex KBS C-Taper Lites and not x-stiff. Stiff flex was unavailable due to COVID-19 supply chain issues, so we bumped up to x-stiff. They are definitely different animals than the stiff flex, and right now I’m still struggling a bit to adjust to the feel of them. The x-stiffs don’t have the same swift kick at impact I experience with the stiff flex CTLs, and I think that is partially influencing my feel of the head.

Basic Characteristics - 4/5 Stars

Unlike my woods, I do get creative with iron shots. My desired stock iron shot is a push draw, with my miss being a straight draw or overcooked pull draw/hook. The video above is a slight pull draw. However, I often need to hit a low stinger under tree branches, and I also like to club up some and play softer finesse shots into greens. It’s not often that I’m taking a full cut with an iron.

I am impressed at my ability to do all of those things with the SpeedZone irons. By default they want to launch high and stay straight, but by manipulating ball position and/or gripping down, I’ve been able to hit low or more feathery shots when required.

(As a quick aside, the reduced taper shape on the Lamkin Sonars has been very helpful with gripping down on the club.)

The sole design is unique with the smaller “effective” sole. We have had hot and dry conditions since I received the clubs, but with the way the sole glides through heavy rough I doubt I’d have much trouble in wet conditions. Turf interaction is great, nice small divots without digging much.

Obviously, the SpeedZones are loft-jacked (see: my six iron ball speeds above - with a range ball!). They generate a lot of distance as a result, but they provide adequate height and spin to stop the ball, especially in the shorter irons. I would definitely recommend pairing a more “spinny” ball with them to optimize spin as much as possible (I’ve alternated between Snell MTB-X and Srixon Z-Star XV during the challenge).

On Course Performance - 4/5 Stars

The SpeedZone irons are outstanding at what they are designed to do - get the ball airborne with serious distance, while being extremely forgiving of mishits.

On more than one occasion, I’ve hit a completely disgusting shot only to watch the ball end up near my target line and distance. I’ve also had the pleasure or puring a few irons and watching how the ball rockets off of the face.

Don’t expect to suck a ball back on the green with these clubs. But, if I strike the ball well (not a groove low), I can expect the ball to fly high enough to land softly and stop within a few feet.

I haven’t experienced any major distance inconsistencies, but I have hit a few low-spin fliers from the rough that kept on going and going and going and wouldn’t stop. I don’t think that’s exclusive to these irons, but perhaps is made worse by the naturally lower spin rates of the design.

I often hit mid and long irons from the tee at my home course and the forgiveness has helped me be in better positions than with my Maltby PTMs. The amount of distance I retain on mishits is impressive. Extra distance off the tee combined with longer carry distances from my scoring clubs means I hit shorter clubs into greens, which puts less pressure on my swing to be perfect.

My scoring hasn’t changed dramatically for better or for worse since putting the SpeedZones into play. However, I am finding my iron striking to be more inconsistent with the SpeedZones in the bag. My hook miss has gotten worse, and I’m struggling with a tendency to pull across the ball from the top a lot more often. This is resulting in a lot of strikes toward the toe of the club. I’m not a fantastic golfer, but as my Arccos baseline showed, iron striking was one of the better parts of my game. I’m not sure if these exaggerations of my existing misses are to be blamed on the irons or something in my swing, but I can say sometimes I feel like I’m working too hard trying to get the x-stiff C-Taper Lites to do what I want. If I take a nice relaxed cut at the ball, I feel like I’m getting desirable results more often.

All in all, the SpeedZone irons are producing predictable ball flight and predictable distances when I’m swinging well, and that’s all I can ask of them to do.

Miscellaneous - 4/5 Stars

These irons are not ones I’d want to buy stock off the rack. I understand distance is king of sales, but the stock specifications for these irons are very upright and very long.

I doubt a low-spin, two-piece surlyn/ionomer ball would stop well with these either, and I’m certain that is the type of ball most played by recreational golfers.

Play It or Trade It - 3/5 Stars

I’m conflicted. On one hand, I love the forgiveness of the SpeedZones, specifically in the long irons. The clubs are rockets! On the other hand, I’ve tested forgiveness so much because I’ve struggled to find the center of the club face. That wasn’t the case during my baseline with my Maltby PTMs.

I’ve thought of multiple scenarios for how these irons might stay in the bag:

• Do I try soft-stepping the shafts once or twice to see if that returns some of the feel I enjoy with the stiff C-Taper Lites? I’ve considered making the 19 degree 4 iron a true driving iron by putting a graphite shaft into it, so this could be done with just a little basement club work.
• Do I reshaft a test club with a stiff C-Taper Lite, and, if I like the results, bite the bullet and do the rest of the set?
• Should I play a split set with my Maltby PTMs? The lofts and lengths are setup in a way I could split my set at the 7 iron, and play SpeedZone long irons (5, 6, 7) and Maltby PTM mid-to-short irons (7, 8, 9, PW, GW) without messing up gapping to the wedges.
• Do I just practice more and try to sort out my issues with the x-stiff C-Taper Lites? When struck well they do feel effortless, but I think the difference in flex or weight may be partially responsible for the issues I’m having with my iron swing.

#CobraConnect will take me to the end of my primary golf season, but over the fall and winter I will have some testing to do to answer these questions.

Overall Score - 3.5/5 Stars

Going strictly by handicap, I’m probably on the lower end of the target range for the SpeedZone irons, but I wouldn’t say only high handicappers should play these irons.

The long irons are excellent - easy to launch, forgiving and crazy fast in regards to ball speeds. Short irons have a good look and generally stop the ball when needed. For the price ($799 USD off the rack), I’m not sure there is a better value out there among the major OEMs in the game improvement/super game improvement category.

I’m just struggling a bit adjusting to them.

Since we still have a lot of time remaining in the challenge, I’m hoping with more practice I can get a good understanding of what I need to do to play my best golf with these irons.

Nicely done Cody. I’m also curious if CTLs or the Modus 120 would make me more comfortable. But it’s hard to argue with the results I’m seeing. 
 

more to come in my review later this week!

#teaser

#cuetheduckboats

[russtopherb]

6 minutes ago, edingc said:

Maybe I'm an outlier, too, since I played the Wilson C300s and am definitely used to something on topline. I think the carbon fiber is actually less of a visual issue than the power holes, and even those didn't bother me.

Same - I played both C300s and D300s and I never noticed the topline after my first 2-3 shots after getting the clubs. 

[GolfSpy_SHARK]

47 minutes ago, edingc said:

#MGSCobra2020 #CobraConnect SpeedZone Iron Review - edingc, a.k.a. #TeamCalvesLikePhil

An all-new carbon fiber topline on the long and mid-irons is the big story headlining Cobra’s 2020 SpeedZone irons. The weight savings from use of carbon fiber allowed Cobra’s engineers to push the head’s center of gravity lower than in previous models.

Cobra hooked me up with the conventional length SpeedZone irons (1/2 inch short, 2 degrees flat), 4 iron to gap wedge, with KBS C-Taper Lite x-stiff shafts and Lamkin Sonar grips. Previously, I played Maltby PTM Forged irons, which although are “game improvement” irons, are a forged head and offer a more traditional appearance than the SpeedZones.

Looks - 3.5/5 Stars

I’ve read several comments on the Internet that say the worst thing about the SpeedZone design is the carbon fiber topline. I wholeheartedly disagree! Sure, at first glance it sticks out because it’s different from any other iron. After hitting a few shots, however, it blends in and isn’t distracting at all. From the 8 iron down to the gap wedge, Cobra removed the carbon fiber, leaving a pleasing and not-too-thick topline for the precision scoring clubs. Offset is minimal throughout the set and not off putting in the least bit.

My biggest complaint concerning the looks of the SpeedZone irons stems from how much the backside is visible at address, especially in the 6 and 7 irons (the 7 iron is pictured above). Ideally, I would prefer those mid-irons to look less like a driving iron and blend more toward the scoring clubs. 

These are big clubheads; nobody is mistaking these for a player’s iron. The perimeter weighting, sole design, cavity badging and topline are uniquely game improvement. That doesn’t mean they are bad looking clubs, and I applaud Cobra for pushing the envelope. But, you’ll need to look elsewhere if you’re wanting a traditional look in your irons.

Sound & Feel - 3.5/5 Stars

Well-struck balls offer a very solid sound, both with the carbon fiber long irons and the more traditional short irons. It’s a satisfying thwack, I have no issues with it at all.

Coming from a fully forged head, the feel of the SpeedZones is obviously a bit lacking in comparison, but likely similar to other irons in its category. It’s fairly easy to determine where the ball is struck horizontally, but I’ve struggled to know where the strike is vertically on the face. With exception to extremely thin shots, a few grooves high or low all seem to feel the same to me.

I was originally fit into stiff flex KBS C-Taper Lites and not x-stiff. Stiff flex was unavailable due to COVID-19 supply chain issues, so we bumped up to x-stiff. They are definitely different animals than the stiff flex, and right now I’m still struggling a bit to adjust to the feel of them. The x-stiffs don’t have the same swift kick at impact I experience with the stiff flex CTLs, and I think that is partially influencing my feel of the head.

Basic Characteristics - 4/5 Stars

Unlike my woods, I do get creative with iron shots. My desired stock iron shot is a push draw, with my miss being a straight draw or overcooked pull draw/hook. The video above is a slight pull draw. However, I often need to hit a low stinger under tree branches, and I also like to club up some and play softer finesse shots into greens. It’s not often that I’m taking a full cut with an iron.

I am impressed at my ability to do all of those things with the SpeedZone irons. By default they want to launch high and stay straight, but by manipulating ball position and/or gripping down, I’ve been able to hit low or more feathery shots when required.

(As a quick aside, the reduced taper shape on the Lamkin Sonars has been very helpful with gripping down on the club.)

The sole design is unique with the smaller “effective” sole. We have had hot and dry conditions since I received the clubs, but with the way the sole glides through heavy rough I doubt I’d have much trouble in wet conditions. Turf interaction is great, nice small divots without digging much.

Obviously, the SpeedZones are loft-jacked (see: my six iron ball speeds above - with a range ball!). They generate a lot of distance as a result, but they provide adequate height and spin to stop the ball, especially in the shorter irons. I would definitely recommend pairing a more “spinny” ball with them to optimize spin as much as possible (I’ve alternated between Snell MTB-X and Srixon Z-Star XV during the challenge).

On Course Performance - 4/5 Stars

The SpeedZone irons are outstanding at what they are designed to do - get the ball airborne with serious distance, while being extremely forgiving of mishits.

On more than one occasion, I’ve hit a completely disgusting shot only to watch the ball end up near my target line and distance. I’ve also had the pleasure or puring a few irons and watching how the ball rockets off of the face.

Don’t expect to suck a ball back on the green with these clubs. But, if I strike the ball well (not a groove low), I can expect the ball to fly high enough to land softly and stop within a few feet.

I haven’t experienced any major distance inconsistencies, but I have hit a few low-spin fliers from the rough that kept on going and going and going and wouldn’t stop. I don’t think that’s exclusive to these irons, but perhaps is made worse by the naturally lower spin rates of the design.

I often hit mid and long irons from the tee at my home course and the forgiveness has helped me be in better positions than with my Maltby PTMs. The amount of distance I retain on mishits is impressive. Extra distance off the tee combined with longer carry distances from my scoring clubs means I hit shorter clubs into greens, which puts less pressure on my swing to be perfect.

My scoring hasn’t changed dramatically for better or for worse since putting the SpeedZones into play. However, I am finding my iron striking to be more inconsistent with the SpeedZones in the bag. My hook miss has gotten worse, and I’m struggling with a tendency to pull across the ball from the top a lot more often. This is resulting in a lot of strikes toward the toe of the club. I’m not a fantastic golfer, but as my Arccos baseline showed, iron striking was one of the better parts of my game. I’m not sure if these exaggerations of my existing misses are to be blamed on the irons or something in my swing, but I can say sometimes I feel like I’m working too hard trying to get the x-stiff C-Taper Lites to do what I want. If I take a nice relaxed cut at the ball, I feel like I’m getting desirable results more often.

All in all, the SpeedZone irons are producing predictable ball flight and predictable distances when I’m swinging well, and that’s all I can ask of them to do.

Miscellaneous - 4/5 Stars

These irons are not ones I’d want to buy stock off the rack. I understand distance is king of sales, but the stock specifications for these irons are very upright and very long.

I doubt a low-spin, two-piece surlyn/ionomer ball would stop well with these either, and I’m certain that is the type of ball most played by recreational golfers.

Play It or Trade It - 3/5 Stars

I’m conflicted. On one hand, I love the forgiveness of the SpeedZones, specifically in the long irons. The clubs are rockets! On the other hand, I’ve tested forgiveness so much because I’ve struggled to find the center of the club face. That wasn’t the case during my baseline with my Maltby PTMs.

I’ve thought of multiple scenarios for how these irons might stay in the bag:

• Do I try soft-stepping the shafts once or twice to see if that returns some of the feel I enjoy with the stiff C-Taper Lites? I’ve considered making the 19 degree 4 iron a true driving iron by putting a graphite shaft into it, so this could be done with just a little basement club work.
• Do I reshaft a test club with a stiff C-Taper Lite, and, if I like the results, bite the bullet and do the rest of the set?
• Should I play a split set with my Maltby PTMs? The lofts and lengths are setup in a way I could split my set at the 7 iron, and play SpeedZone long irons (5, 6, 7) and Maltby PTM mid-to-short irons (7, 8, 9, PW, GW) without messing up gapping to the wedges.
• Do I just practice more and try to sort out my issues with the x-stiff C-Taper Lites? When struck well they do feel effortless, but I think the difference in flex or weight may be partially responsible for the issues I’m having with my iron swing.

#CobraConnect will take me to the end of my primary golf season, but over the fall and winter I will have some testing to do to answer these questions.

Overall Score - 3.5/5 Stars

Going strictly by handicap, I’m probably on the lower end of the target range for the SpeedZone irons, but I wouldn’t say only high handicappers should play these irons.

The long irons are excellent - easy to launch, forgiving and crazy fast in regards to ball speeds. Short irons have a good look and generally stop the ball when needed. For the price ($799 USD off the rack), I’m not sure there is a better value out there among the major OEMs in the game improvement/super game improvement category.

I’m just struggling a bit adjusting to them.

Since we still have a lot of time remaining in the challenge, I’m hoping with more practice I can get a good understanding of what I need to do to play my best golf with these irons.

Again another awsome too to bottom write up Cody. Lots of Questions to be answered there. I am glad you brought up price point though because that is a huge factor “not sure there is better value” is a great line.

Having second guesses on not getting fitted for the shaft is big especially in golf. You’re playing well thiufg and that’s good, I hope you can answer all these questions you have for yourself.

[mikeanthony]

1 hour ago, edingc said:

#MGSCobra2020 #CobraConnect SpeedZone Iron Review - edingc, a.k.a. #TeamCalvesLikePhil

An all-new carbon fiber topline on the long and mid-irons is the big story headlining Cobra’s 2020 SpeedZone irons. The weight savings from use of carbon fiber allowed Cobra’s engineers to push the head’s center of gravity lower than in previous models.

Cobra hooked me up with the conventional length SpeedZone irons (1/2 inch short, 2 degrees flat), 4 iron to gap wedge, with KBS C-Taper Lite x-stiff shafts and Lamkin Sonar grips. Previously, I played Maltby PTM Forged irons, which although are “game improvement” irons, are a forged head and offer a more traditional appearance than the SpeedZones.

Looks - 3.5/5 Stars

I’ve read several comments on the Internet that say the worst thing about the SpeedZone design is the carbon fiber topline. I wholeheartedly disagree! Sure, at first glance it sticks out because it’s different from any other iron. After hitting a few shots, however, it blends in and isn’t distracting at all. From the 8 iron down to the gap wedge, Cobra removed the carbon fiber, leaving a pleasing and not-too-thick topline for the precision scoring clubs. Offset is minimal throughout the set and not off putting in the least bit.

My biggest complaint concerning the looks of the SpeedZone irons stems from how much the backside is visible at address, especially in the 6 and 7 irons (the 7 iron is pictured above). Ideally, I would prefer those mid-irons to look less like a driving iron and blend more toward the scoring clubs. 

These are big clubheads; nobody is mistaking these for a player’s iron. The perimeter weighting, sole design, cavity badging and topline are uniquely game improvement. That doesn’t mean they are bad looking clubs, and I applaud Cobra for pushing the envelope. But, you’ll need to look elsewhere if you’re wanting a traditional look in your irons.

Sound & Feel - 3.5/5 Stars

Well-struck balls offer a very solid sound, both with the carbon fiber long irons and the more traditional short irons. It’s a satisfying thwack, I have no issues with it at all.

Coming from a fully forged head, the feel of the SpeedZones is obviously a bit lacking in comparison, but likely similar to other irons in its category. It’s fairly easy to determine where the ball is struck horizontally, but I’ve struggled to know where the strike is vertically on the face. With exception to extremely thin shots, a few grooves high or low all seem to feel the same to me.

I was originally fit into stiff flex KBS C-Taper Lites and not x-stiff. Stiff flex was unavailable due to COVID-19 supply chain issues, so we bumped up to x-stiff. They are definitely different animals than the stiff flex, and right now I’m still struggling a bit to adjust to the feel of them. The x-stiffs don’t have the same swift kick at impact I experience with the stiff flex CTLs, and I think that is partially influencing my feel of the head.

Basic Characteristics - 4/5 Stars

Unlike my woods, I do get creative with iron shots. My desired stock iron shot is a push draw, with my miss being a straight draw or overcooked pull draw/hook. The video above is a slight pull draw. However, I often need to hit a low stinger under tree branches, and I also like to club up some and play softer finesse shots into greens. It’s not often that I’m taking a full cut with an iron.

I am impressed at my ability to do all of those things with the SpeedZone irons. By default they want to launch high and stay straight, but by manipulating ball position and/or gripping down, I’ve been able to hit low or more feathery shots when required.

(As a quick aside, the reduced taper shape on the Lamkin Sonars has been very helpful with gripping down on the club.)

The sole design is unique with the smaller “effective” sole. We have had hot and dry conditions since I received the clubs, but with the way the sole glides through heavy rough I doubt I’d have much trouble in wet conditions. Turf interaction is great, nice small divots without digging much.

Obviously, the SpeedZones are loft-jacked (see: my six iron ball speeds above - with a range ball!). They generate a lot of distance as a result, but they provide adequate height and spin to stop the ball, especially in the shorter irons. I would definitely recommend pairing a more “spinny” ball with them to optimize spin as much as possible (I’ve alternated between Snell MTB-X and Srixon Z-Star XV during the challenge).

On Course Performance - 4/5 Stars

The SpeedZone irons are outstanding at what they are designed to do - get the ball airborne with serious distance, while being extremely forgiving of mishits.

On more than one occasion, I’ve hit a completely disgusting shot only to watch the ball end up near my target line and distance. I’ve also had the pleasure or puring a few irons and watching how the ball rockets off of the face.

Don’t expect to suck a ball back on the green with these clubs. But, if I strike the ball well (not a groove low), I can expect the ball to fly high enough to land softly and stop within a few feet.

I haven’t experienced any major distance inconsistencies, but I have hit a few low-spin fliers from the rough that kept on going and going and going and wouldn’t stop. I don’t think that’s exclusive to these irons, but perhaps is made worse by the naturally lower spin rates of the design.

I often hit mid and long irons from the tee at my home course and the forgiveness has helped me be in better positions than with my Maltby PTMs. The amount of distance I retain on mishits is impressive. Extra distance off the tee combined with longer carry distances from my scoring clubs means I hit shorter clubs into greens, which puts less pressure on my swing to be perfect.

My scoring hasn’t changed dramatically for better or for worse since putting the SpeedZones into play. However, I am finding my iron striking to be more inconsistent with the SpeedZones in the bag. My hook miss has gotten worse, and I’m struggling with a tendency to pull across the ball from the top a lot more often. This is resulting in a lot of strikes toward the toe of the club. I’m not a fantastic golfer, but as my Arccos baseline showed, iron striking was one of the better parts of my game. I’m not sure if these exaggerations of my existing misses are to be blamed on the irons or something in my swing, but I can say sometimes I feel like I’m working too hard trying to get the x-stiff C-Taper Lites to do what I want. If I take a nice relaxed cut at the ball, I feel like I’m getting desirable results more often.

All in all, the SpeedZone irons are producing predictable ball flight and predictable distances when I’m swinging well, and that’s all I can ask of them to do.

Miscellaneous - 4/5 Stars

These irons are not ones I’d want to buy stock off the rack. I understand distance is king of sales, but the stock specifications for these irons are very upright and very long.

I doubt a low-spin, two-piece surlyn/ionomer ball would stop well with these either, and I’m certain that is the type of ball most played by recreational golfers.

Play It or Trade It - 3/5 Stars

I’m conflicted. On one hand, I love the forgiveness of the SpeedZones, specifically in the long irons. The clubs are rockets! On the other hand, I’ve tested forgiveness so much because I’ve struggled to find the center of the club face. That wasn’t the case during my baseline with my Maltby PTMs.

I’ve thought of multiple scenarios for how these irons might stay in the bag:

• Do I try soft-stepping the shafts once or twice to see if that returns some of the feel I enjoy with the stiff C-Taper Lites? I’ve considered making the 19 degree 4 iron a true driving iron by putting a graphite shaft into it, so this could be done with just a little basement club work.
• Do I reshaft a test club with a stiff C-Taper Lite, and, if I like the results, bite the bullet and do the rest of the set?
• Should I play a split set with my Maltby PTMs? The lofts and lengths are setup in a way I could split my set at the 7 iron, and play SpeedZone long irons (5, 6, 7) and Maltby PTM mid-to-short irons (7, 8, 9, PW, GW) without messing up gapping to the wedges.
• Do I just practice more and try to sort out my issues with the x-stiff C-Taper Lites? When struck well they do feel effortless, but I think the difference in flex or weight may be partially responsible for the issues I’m having with my iron swing.

#CobraConnect will take me to the end of my primary golf season, but over the fall and winter I will have some testing to do to answer these questions.

Overall Score - 3.5/5 Stars

Going strictly by handicap, I’m probably on the lower end of the target range for the SpeedZone irons, but I wouldn’t say only high handicappers should play these irons.

The long irons are excellent - easy to launch, forgiving and crazy fast in regards to ball speeds. Short irons have a good look and generally stop the ball when needed. For the price ($799 USD off the rack), I’m not sure there is a better value out there among the major OEMs in the game improvement/super game improvement category.

I’m just struggling a bit adjusting to them.

Since we still have a lot of time remaining in the challenge, I’m hoping with more practice I can get a good understanding of what I need to do to play my best golf with these irons.

Cody, love the fair and honest write up. Seriously, man ... well done.

I’m hoping you’re able to determine the issue for your struggles, and I agree, it sounds like it may be the shafts ... possibly? And agree on the price point for these clubs, and it’s the reason why I pulled the trigger on last year’s F9 irons at $599. And that’s with the Nippon Modus shafts, which are usually at a premium with a few other OEMs and the DTCs. 

[edingc]

38 minutes ago, mikeanthony said:

Cody, love the fair and honest write up. Seriously, man ... well done.

I’m hoping you’re able to determine the issue for your struggles, and I agree, it sounds like it may be the shafts ... possibly? And agree on the price point for these clubs, and it’s the reason why I pulled the trigger on last year’s F9 irons at $599. And that’s with the Nippon Modus shafts, which are usually at a premium with a few other OEMs and the DTCs. 

Thank you.

That's one thing I want to be clear about too - I think they are great clubs and I probably will continue to play the long irons. Is it solely the shafts? Maybe? I'm inconsistent, which I'm sure is the hallmark of someone around my handicap range. I can have really great days/weeks and really bad days/weeks. Am I just in a funk? Might be! 

I did take these irons to my last lesson two weeks ago and I was swinging very well that day, and very smooth. I liked the results, but I find I swing better and more freely on the range when my coach can immediately correct anything going wrong. But keeping that smoothness in my swing on the course has been difficult - as I alluded to - sometimes it just feels like I'm working too much.

[GolfSpy AFG]

21 minutes ago, edingc said:

Thank you.

That's one thing I want to be clear about too - I think they are great clubs and I probably will continue to play the long irons. Is it solely the shafts? Maybe? I'm inconsistent, which I'm sure is the hallmark of someone around my handicap range. I can have really great days/weeks and really bad days/weeks. Am I just in a funk? Might be! 

I did take these irons to my last lesson two weeks ago and I was swinging very well that day, and very smooth. I liked the results, but I find I swing better and more freely on the range when my coach can immediately correct anything going wrong. But keeping that smoothness in my swing on the course has been difficult - as I alluded to - sometimes it just feels like I'm working too much.

First, as many have said, great write-up.  I'm not too familiar with these clubs but I have to say, that they are that chunky even in the 7-iron would be a bit off-putting to me for sure.

On the swing issue, I go through the same thing and I suspect many of us do, especially in our handicap range.  In my mind it's the challenge of taking lesson inputs and incorporating them into your game without getting overly technical and playing "golfswing" instead of golf.  I've found the axiom to be true:  if you think, you stink.  Get athletic, keep it to one fundamental swing thought at most, and golf. 

Just my two cents, as I've said, I certainly struggle with this too.

[daviddvm]

2 hours ago, edingc said:

#MGSCobra2020 #CobraConnect SpeedZone Iron Review - edingc, a.k.a. #TeamCalvesLikePhil

An all-new carbon fiber topline on the long and mid-irons is the big story headlining Cobra’s 2020 SpeedZone irons. The weight savings from use of carbon fiber allowed Cobra’s engineers to push the head’s center of gravity lower than in previous models.

Cobra hooked me up with the conventional length SpeedZone irons (1/2 inch short, 2 degrees flat), 4 iron to gap wedge, with KBS C-Taper Lite x-stiff shafts and Lamkin Sonar grips. Previously, I played Maltby PTM Forged irons, which although are “game improvement” irons, are a forged head and offer a more traditional appearance than the SpeedZones.

Looks - 3.5/5 Stars

I’ve read several comments on the Internet that say the worst thing about the SpeedZone design is the carbon fiber topline. I wholeheartedly disagree! Sure, at first glance it sticks out because it’s different from any other iron. After hitting a few shots, however, it blends in and isn’t distracting at all. From the 8 iron down to the gap wedge, Cobra removed the carbon fiber, leaving a pleasing and not-too-thick topline for the precision scoring clubs. Offset is minimal throughout the set and not off putting in the least bit.

My biggest complaint concerning the looks of the SpeedZone irons stems from how much the backside is visible at address, especially in the 6 and 7 irons (the 7 iron is pictured above). Ideally, I would prefer those mid-irons to look less like a driving iron and blend more toward the scoring clubs. 

These are big clubheads; nobody is mistaking these for a player’s iron. The perimeter weighting, sole design, cavity badging and topline are uniquely game improvement. That doesn’t mean they are bad looking clubs, and I applaud Cobra for pushing the envelope. But, you’ll need to look elsewhere if you’re wanting a traditional look in your irons.

Sound & Feel - 3.5/5 Stars

Well-struck balls offer a very solid sound, both with the carbon fiber long irons and the more traditional short irons. It’s a satisfying thwack, I have no issues with it at all.

Coming from a fully forged head, the feel of the SpeedZones is obviously a bit lacking in comparison, but likely similar to other irons in its category. It’s fairly easy to determine where the ball is struck horizontally, but I’ve struggled to know where the strike is vertically on the face. With exception to extremely thin shots, a few grooves high or low all seem to feel the same to me.

I was originally fit into stiff flex KBS C-Taper Lites and not x-stiff. Stiff flex was unavailable due to COVID-19 supply chain issues, so we bumped up to x-stiff. They are definitely different animals than the stiff flex, and right now I’m still struggling a bit to adjust to the feel of them. The x-stiffs don’t have the same swift kick at impact I experience with the stiff flex CTLs, and I think that is partially influencing my feel of the head.

Basic Characteristics - 4/5 Stars

Unlike my woods, I do get creative with iron shots. My desired stock iron shot is a push draw, with my miss being a straight draw or overcooked pull draw/hook. The video above is a slight pull draw. However, I often need to hit a low stinger under tree branches, and I also like to club up some and play softer finesse shots into greens. It’s not often that I’m taking a full cut with an iron.

I am impressed at my ability to do all of those things with the SpeedZone irons. By default they want to launch high and stay straight, but by manipulating ball position and/or gripping down, I’ve been able to hit low or more feathery shots when required.

(As a quick aside, the reduced taper shape on the Lamkin Sonars has been very helpful with gripping down on the club.)

The sole design is unique with the smaller “effective” sole. We have had hot and dry conditions since I received the clubs, but with the way the sole glides through heavy rough I doubt I’d have much trouble in wet conditions. Turf interaction is great, nice small divots without digging much.

Obviously, the SpeedZones are loft-jacked (see: my six iron ball speeds above - with a range ball!). They generate a lot of distance as a result, but they provide adequate height and spin to stop the ball, especially in the shorter irons. I would definitely recommend pairing a more “spinny” ball with them to optimize spin as much as possible (I’ve alternated between Snell MTB-X and Srixon Z-Star XV during the challenge).

On Course Performance - 4/5 Stars

The SpeedZone irons are outstanding at what they are designed to do - get the ball airborne with serious distance, while being extremely forgiving of mishits.

On more than one occasion, I’ve hit a completely disgusting shot only to watch the ball end up near my target line and distance. I’ve also had the pleasure or puring a few irons and watching how the ball rockets off of the face.

Don’t expect to suck a ball back on the green with these clubs. But, if I strike the ball well (not a groove low), I can expect the ball to fly high enough to land softly and stop within a few feet.

I haven’t experienced any major distance inconsistencies, but I have hit a few low-spin fliers from the rough that kept on going and going and going and wouldn’t stop. I don’t think that’s exclusive to these irons, but perhaps is made worse by the naturally lower spin rates of the design.

I often hit mid and long irons from the tee at my home course and the forgiveness has helped me be in better positions than with my Maltby PTMs. The amount of distance I retain on mishits is impressive. Extra distance off the tee combined with longer carry distances from my scoring clubs means I hit shorter clubs into greens, which puts less pressure on my swing to be perfect.

My scoring hasn’t changed dramatically for better or for worse since putting the SpeedZones into play. However, I am finding my iron striking to be more inconsistent with the SpeedZones in the bag. My hook miss has gotten worse, and I’m struggling with a tendency to pull across the ball from the top a lot more often. This is resulting in a lot of strikes toward the toe of the club. I’m not a fantastic golfer, but as my Arccos baseline showed, iron striking was one of the better parts of my game. I’m not sure if these exaggerations of my existing misses are to be blamed on the irons or something in my swing, but I can say sometimes I feel like I’m working too hard trying to get the x-stiff C-Taper Lites to do what I want. If I take a nice relaxed cut at the ball, I feel like I’m getting desirable results more often.

All in all, the SpeedZone irons are producing predictable ball flight and predictable distances when I’m swinging well, and that’s all I can ask of them to do.

Miscellaneous - 4/5 Stars

These irons are not ones I’d want to buy stock off the rack. I understand distance is king of sales, but the stock specifications for these irons are very upright and very long.

I doubt a low-spin, two-piece surlyn/ionomer ball would stop well with these either, and I’m certain that is the type of ball most played by recreational golfers.

Play It or Trade It - 3/5 Stars

I’m conflicted. On one hand, I love the forgiveness of the SpeedZones, specifically in the long irons. The clubs are rockets! On the other hand, I’ve tested forgiveness so much because I’ve struggled to find the center of the club face. That wasn’t the case during my baseline with my Maltby PTMs.

I’ve thought of multiple scenarios for how these irons might stay in the bag:

• Do I try soft-stepping the shafts once or twice to see if that returns some of the feel I enjoy with the stiff C-Taper Lites? I’ve considered making the 19 degree 4 iron a true driving iron by putting a graphite shaft into it, so this could be done with just a little basement club work.
• Do I reshaft a test club with a stiff C-Taper Lite, and, if I like the results, bite the bullet and do the rest of the set?
• Should I play a split set with my Maltby PTMs? The lofts and lengths are setup in a way I could split my set at the 7 iron, and play SpeedZone long irons (5, 6, 7) and Maltby PTM mid-to-short irons (7, 8, 9, PW, GW) without messing up gapping to the wedges.
• Do I just practice more and try to sort out my issues with the x-stiff C-Taper Lites? When struck well they do feel effortless, but I think the difference in flex or weight may be partially responsible for the issues I’m having with my iron swing.

#CobraConnect will take me to the end of my primary golf season, but over the fall and winter I will have some testing to do to answer these questions.

Overall Score - 3.5/5 Stars

Going strictly by handicap, I’m probably on the lower end of the target range for the SpeedZone irons, but I wouldn’t say only high handicappers should play these irons.

The long irons are excellent - easy to launch, forgiving and crazy fast in regards to ball speeds. Short irons have a good look and generally stop the ball when needed. For the price ($799 USD off the rack), I’m not sure there is a better value out there among the major OEMs in the game improvement/super game improvement category.

I’m just struggling a bit adjusting to them.

Since we still have a lot of time remaining in the challenge, I’m hoping with more practice I can get a good understanding of what I need to do to play my best golf with these irons.

Very well done as always Cody!!!!!!

[palvord]

2 hours ago, edingc said:

#MGSCobra2020 #CobraConnect SpeedZone Iron Review - edingc, a.k.a. #TeamCalvesLikePhil

An all-new carbon fiber topline on the long and mid-irons is the big story headlining Cobra’s 2020 SpeedZone irons. The weight savings from use of carbon fiber allowed Cobra’s engineers to push the head’s center of gravity lower than in previous models.

Cobra hooked me up with the conventional length SpeedZone irons (1/2 inch short, 2 degrees flat), 4 iron to gap wedge, with KBS C-Taper Lite x-stiff shafts and Lamkin Sonar grips. Previously, I played Maltby PTM Forged irons, which although are “game improvement” irons, are a forged head and offer a more traditional appearance than the SpeedZones.

Looks - 3.5/5 Stars

I’ve read several comments on the Internet that say the worst thing about the SpeedZone design is the carbon fiber topline. I wholeheartedly disagree! Sure, at first glance it sticks out because it’s different from any other iron. After hitting a few shots, however, it blends in and isn’t distracting at all. From the 8 iron down to the gap wedge, Cobra removed the carbon fiber, leaving a pleasing and not-too-thick topline for the precision scoring clubs. Offset is minimal throughout the set and not off putting in the least bit.

My biggest complaint concerning the looks of the SpeedZone irons stems from how much the backside is visible at address, especially in the 6 and 7 irons (the 7 iron is pictured above). Ideally, I would prefer those mid-irons to look less like a driving iron and blend more toward the scoring clubs. 

These are big clubheads; nobody is mistaking these for a player’s iron. The perimeter weighting, sole design, cavity badging and topline are uniquely game improvement. That doesn’t mean they are bad looking clubs, and I applaud Cobra for pushing the envelope. But, you’ll need to look elsewhere if you’re wanting a traditional look in your irons.

Sound & Feel - 3.5/5 Stars

Well-struck balls offer a very solid sound, both with the carbon fiber long irons and the more traditional short irons. It’s a satisfying thwack, I have no issues with it at all.

Coming from a fully forged head, the feel of the SpeedZones is obviously a bit lacking in comparison, but likely similar to other irons in its category. It’s fairly easy to determine where the ball is struck horizontally, but I’ve struggled to know where the strike is vertically on the face. With exception to extremely thin shots, a few grooves high or low all seem to feel the same to me.

I was originally fit into stiff flex KBS C-Taper Lites and not x-stiff. Stiff flex was unavailable due to COVID-19 supply chain issues, so we bumped up to x-stiff. They are definitely different animals than the stiff flex, and right now I’m still struggling a bit to adjust to the feel of them. The x-stiffs don’t have the same swift kick at impact I experience with the stiff flex CTLs, and I think that is partially influencing my feel of the head.

Basic Characteristics - 4/5 Stars

Unlike my woods, I do get creative with iron shots. My desired stock iron shot is a push draw, with my miss being a straight draw or overcooked pull draw/hook. The video above is a slight pull draw. However, I often need to hit a low stinger under tree branches, and I also like to club up some and play softer finesse shots into greens. It’s not often that I’m taking a full cut with an iron.

I am impressed at my ability to do all of those things with the SpeedZone irons. By default they want to launch high and stay straight, but by manipulating ball position and/or gripping down, I’ve been able to hit low or more feathery shots when required.

(As a quick aside, the reduced taper shape on the Lamkin Sonars has been very helpful with gripping down on the club.)

The sole design is unique with the smaller “effective” sole. We have had hot and dry conditions since I received the clubs, but with the way the sole glides through heavy rough I doubt I’d have much trouble in wet conditions. Turf interaction is great, nice small divots without digging much.

Obviously, the SpeedZones are loft-jacked (see: my six iron ball speeds above - with a range ball!). They generate a lot of distance as a result, but they provide adequate height and spin to stop the ball, especially in the shorter irons. I would definitely recommend pairing a more “spinny” ball with them to optimize spin as much as possible (I’ve alternated between Snell MTB-X and Srixon Z-Star XV during the challenge).

On Course Performance - 4/5 Stars

The SpeedZone irons are outstanding at what they are designed to do - get the ball airborne with serious distance, while being extremely forgiving of mishits.

On more than one occasion, I’ve hit a completely disgusting shot only to watch the ball end up near my target line and distance. I’ve also had the pleasure or puring a few irons and watching how the ball rockets off of the face.

Don’t expect to suck a ball back on the green with these clubs. But, if I strike the ball well (not a groove low), I can expect the ball to fly high enough to land softly and stop within a few feet.

I haven’t experienced any major distance inconsistencies, but I have hit a few low-spin fliers from the rough that kept on going and going and going and wouldn’t stop. I don’t think that’s exclusive to these irons, but perhaps is made worse by the naturally lower spin rates of the design.

I often hit mid and long irons from the tee at my home course and the forgiveness has helped me be in better positions than with my Maltby PTMs. The amount of distance I retain on mishits is impressive. Extra distance off the tee combined with longer carry distances from my scoring clubs means I hit shorter clubs into greens, which puts less pressure on my swing to be perfect.

My scoring hasn’t changed dramatically for better or for worse since putting the SpeedZones into play. However, I am finding my iron striking to be more inconsistent with the SpeedZones in the bag. My hook miss has gotten worse, and I’m struggling with a tendency to pull across the ball from the top a lot more often. This is resulting in a lot of strikes toward the toe of the club. I’m not a fantastic golfer, but as my Arccos baseline showed, iron striking was one of the better parts of my game. I’m not sure if these exaggerations of my existing misses are to be blamed on the irons or something in my swing, but I can say sometimes I feel like I’m working too hard trying to get the x-stiff C-Taper Lites to do what I want. If I take a nice relaxed cut at the ball, I feel like I’m getting desirable results more often.

All in all, the SpeedZone irons are producing predictable ball flight and predictable distances when I’m swinging well, and that’s all I can ask of them to do.

Miscellaneous - 4/5 Stars

These irons are not ones I’d want to buy stock off the rack. I understand distance is king of sales, but the stock specifications for these irons are very upright and very long.

I doubt a low-spin, two-piece surlyn/ionomer ball would stop well with these either, and I’m certain that is the type of ball most played by recreational golfers.

Play It or Trade It - 3/5 Stars

I’m conflicted. On one hand, I love the forgiveness of the SpeedZones, specifically in the long irons. The clubs are rockets! On the other hand, I’ve tested forgiveness so much because I’ve struggled to find the center of the club face. That wasn’t the case during my baseline with my Maltby PTMs.

I’ve thought of multiple scenarios for how these irons might stay in the bag:

• Do I try soft-stepping the shafts once or twice to see if that returns some of the feel I enjoy with the stiff C-Taper Lites? I’ve considered making the 19 degree 4 iron a true driving iron by putting a graphite shaft into it, so this could be done with just a little basement club work.
• Do I reshaft a test club with a stiff C-Taper Lite, and, if I like the results, bite the bullet and do the rest of the set?
• Should I play a split set with my Maltby PTMs? The lofts and lengths are setup in a way I could split my set at the 7 iron, and play SpeedZone long irons (5, 6, 7) and Maltby PTM mid-to-short irons (7, 8, 9, PW, GW) without messing up gapping to the wedges.
• Do I just practice more and try to sort out my issues with the x-stiff C-Taper Lites? When struck well they do feel effortless, but I think the difference in flex or weight may be partially responsible for the issues I’m having with my iron swing.

#CobraConnect will take me to the end of my primary golf season, but over the fall and winter I will have some testing to do to answer these questions.

Overall Score - 3.5/5 Stars

Going strictly by handicap, I’m probably on the lower end of the target range for the SpeedZone irons, but I wouldn’t say only high handicappers should play these irons.

The long irons are excellent - easy to launch, forgiving and crazy fast in regards to ball speeds. Short irons have a good look and generally stop the ball when needed. For the price ($799 USD off the rack), I’m not sure there is a better value out there among the major OEMs in the game improvement/super game improvement category.

I’m just struggling a bit adjusting to them.

Since we still have a lot of time remaining in the challenge, I’m hoping with more practice I can get a good understanding of what I need to do to play my best golf with these irons.

To prompt some brainstorming on your part, I offer my advice from the peanut gallery:

Find a way to test a club with the KBS C-Taper Lite Stiff flex. I have thoroughly enjoyed the way they feel in the F9's. I don't feel that I have to try anything special to create a good strike, and also can quickly tell where on the face I struck the ball. 

I think it would be completely worth it for you to test a club with the shaft you were originally fit for. Better to use the arrow prescribed for you, than the arrow you had to settle for.

[edingc]

1 minute ago, palvord said:

To prompt some brainstorming on your part, I offer my advice from the peanut gallery:

Find a way to test a club with the KBS C-Taper Lite Stiff flex. I have thoroughly enjoyed the way they feel in the F9's. I don't feel that I have to try anything special to create a good strike, and also can quickly tell where on the face I struck the ball. 

I think it would be completely worth it for you to test a club with the shaft you were originally fit for. Better to use the arrow prescribed for you, than the arrow you had to settle for.

Thanks!

My Maltby PTMs are stiff C-Taper Lites, and during my SpeedZone fitting I by far had the best results with the stiff C-Taper Lites. I had similar results last fall when I fit into Mizuno 919 Forged with stiff C-Taper Lites - the CTLs gave me way better results than any other shaft I tried. So something about that particular shaft just jives with my swing.

@Getoffmylawn isn't wrong though - sometimes I'm very guilty of playing golf swing instead of golf. Definitely want to give myself a lot more time to try to work out the bugs.

[fozcycle]

Hey Cody, I really liked your upfront honesty in your reviews. Sometimes, as an equipment reviewer, you have to take what was provided and make the best of it. My first iron review was using 105 stiffs in the Cobra Biocells. They were originally for someone else but Cobra bent them 2* flat rather than 2* up, so I sorta got them by default. After the review I replaced the shafts with Project X graphite’s. I could go on, but this is about your review, not mine. That said, keep up the excellent write ups and you will succeed.


Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

[GolfSpy MPR]

@GolfSpy STUDque is away for a week, so @GolfSpy Stroker and I are stepping in for a few days to manage the Cobra contest. And we're (over)due for a forum member contest!

Everyone's got their intros posted: it's time to test how well you were paying attention. The first forum member to post the correct answer here will receive some great PUMA swag!

What I'm looking for is the sum of the following numbers:

• B. Boston's Arccos driving handicap
• The number of rounds daviddvm has played in the past sixteen months
• The course rating of edingc's home course
• CB13's 3-putt percentage
• And the number of years that HeadHammer has been playing Cobra gear

Scour those posts and post your answers ASAP!

[goaliewales14]

9.3+70+69.4+5.1+24=177.8

[GolfSpy_SHARK]

5 minutes ago, GolfSpy MPR said:

@GolfSpy STUDque is away for a week, so @GolfSpy Stroker and I are stepping in for a few days to manage the Cobra contest. And we're (over)due for a forum member contest!

Everyone's got their intros posted: it's time to test how well you were paying attention. The first forum member to post the correct answer here will receive some great PUMA swag!

What I'm looking for is the sum of the following numbers:

• B. Boston's Arccos driving handicap
• The number of rounds daviddvm has played in the past sixteen months
• The course rating of edingc's home course
• CB13's 3-putt percentage
• And the number of years that HeadHammer has been playing Cobra gear

Scour those posts and post your answers ASAP!

B.boston handicap is 9.3 for driving (fake news should be like 20)

Daviddvm has played 70 rounds over the past 16 months (I still dont know how you did this)

Rating of edingc's home course is 69.4/114 (and to note 600ish yards longer than Bryans putt putt course he played this week)

GB13's 3 putt percentage cannot be calculated but his 3+ percentage is 5.1 

HeadHammer has been playing cobra gear for 24 years... longer than me playing golf.

 

[GolfSpy MPR]

Just now, Lacassem said:

B.boston handicap is 9.3 for driving (fake news should be like 20)

Daviddvm has played 70 rounds over the past 16 months (I still dont know how you did this)

Rating of edingc's home course is 69.4/114 (and to note 600ish yards longer than Bryans putt putt course he played this week)

GB13's 3 putt percentage cannot be calculated but his 3+ percentage is 5.1 

HeadHammer has been playing cobra gear for 24 years... longer than me playing golf.

 

So the sum is?

[mikeanthony]

6 minutes ago, GolfSpy MPR said:

• B. Boston's Arccos driving handicap
• The number of rounds daviddvm has played in the past sixteen months
• The course rating of edingc's home course
• CB13's 3-putt percentage
• And the number of years that HeadHammer has been playing Cobra gear

@B.Boston is 9.3

@daviddvm is 70 

@edingc 69.4/114

@GB13 is 5.1%
 

@Headhammer 24 years! 

 

[GolfSpy_SHARK]

Just now, GolfSpy MPR said:

So the sum is?

222.4

[mikeanthony]

1 minute ago, GolfSpy MPR said:

So the sum is?

177.9!

[GolfSpy MPR]

Just now, Lacassem said:

222.4

You've got an extra number in there. I'll add clues as needed....

[GolfSpy MPR]

1 minute ago, mikeanthony said:

177.9!

Finger must have slipped.

[mikeanthony]

1 minute ago, GolfSpy MPR said:

Finger must have slipped.

177.8!  

[goaliewales14]

1 minute ago, GolfSpy MPR said:

Finger must have slipped.

Was the 177.8 not right?

[GolfSpy_SHARK]

1 minute ago, GolfSpy MPR said:

You've got an extra number in there. I'll add clues as needed....

9.3+70+114+5.1+24=222.4 

I never was good at following directions in school so I am probably way off lol

 

[GolfSpy MPR]

Slope isn't rating....