Cobra King Tour MIM Irons

[chisag]

Cobra has become one of the most sought after OEM’s when it comes to drivers and game improvement irons. They have won several “Best Of “categories for their Drivers and Game Improvement irons but inexplicably their Players Irons still seem to fly under the radar. I have always thought the original Amp Forged, Fly Z+ and Forged Tour irons were the best irons in their class and I switched to the Amp Forged when they were released because I liked them better than what I was playing in every way from looks to performance to feel. And speaking of performance and feel, that brings us to the Cobra King Tour MIM players irons.
 

 

All the top OEMs make good irons so it often comes down to personal preferences and/or how the sole/spin/distance/head size and look fits your swing. The Players Iron category has been expanded to include both MB and GI like irons along with the new Players Distance category that some feel are in the Players Iron category while others feel they are in their own category. The point being, you have a lot of choices when it comes to better players irons. Depending on the type of player you are, there are clubs that are closer to MB’s with just a little added forgiveness while maintaining a thinner sole, smaller head and just a hint of perimeter weighting. At the other end you have those that are improving and want something with more playability than a Game Improvement iron but with perhaps a slightly wider sole, longer blade length and as much perimeter weighting as possible. For my money, the sweet spot of the Players Iron category are those irons that fit right in the middle of these two extremes and Cobra has done exactly that with their King Tour MIM irons. The top line is on the thin side with little offset that appeals to the better and aspiring to be better player. The sole is right in the middle and has excellent turf interaction. The size of the head is also just Goldilocks perfect to my eye, not too big or not too small and provides the best combination of playability and forgiveness I have played to date. Players coming from either a MB like iron or a GI like iron should find plenty to like with the Cobra King Tour MIM irons because they produce consist distance and trajectory but are also quite forgiving. My very second shot with them came on a par 5 in the Phoenix deserts with hard and fast fairways where you can land shots just short and run them on the green, even with a nice high ball flight. With 205 yards to the pin I landed my MIM 4 iron just short and it hopped on and rolled about 10 feet past the cup for an Eagle putt. A perfect trajectory with enough spin to hold the green and the feel was extremely satisfying. That brings us to feel.

 

 

 

Cobra promotes the King Tour MIM irons as having “a softer feel than traditional carbon steel forgings” because with so many iron choices, Cobra needs to get your attention and that statement is certainly an attention getter. But before I get into the feel of these irons, I am reminded of playing Hogan Apex 99’s and being disappointed in the feel that was too crisp for my tastes. After a few rounds I traded them in for some Mizuno MP33’s and loved their much softer feel. I took them to the range and ironically a young player next to me was hitting brand new Apex 99’s. I commented that I really liked their performance but did not like their feel. He laughed and said that he just traded in some MP33’s for the Apex 99’s because the MP33’s “felt like mush” and he thought they did not provide good feedback. He loved the crisper more responsive feel of the Apex 99’s. It was then I realized just how subjective “feel” is when it comes to golf equipment. Having played many forged carbon steel MB and CB irons through the years, most produce a kind of soft feel that is very recognizable. So hitting the MIM irons for the first time I was really looking forward to playing irons that are marketed as softer than traditional carbon steel forgings. And this is why I related the above story because my initial impression was they did not have that melt into the face kind of feel I have experienced through the years with traditional forgings. I have edited this section several times writing this review because the more I have played these irons, the more my opinion has changed. After 20+ rounds with them I have come to the conclusion that they are indeed soft feeling irons and arguably yes, they are softer than a traditional forging, but they are a completely new category of metal and their feel is just so unique. I asked VP Tom Olsavsky the head of Cobra’s R&D if this is a subjective claim and he told me “This is based on hardness measurements of the irons so there is actual science and data to support this claim. We also get players comments that they feel softer, so it’s always good when the comments match the science!” I find them to be very dense and solid producing a wonderful “heavy” feel at impact and I have grown to absolutely love the MIM feel.

 

Without getting too technical let’s take a quick look at MIM (Metal Injection Molding) and the advantages this process provides. The MIM process starts with 304 Stainless Steel, one of the softest stainless steels. Cobra begins with metal consisting of very small microns of 304 powder and is then mixed with a polymer binder to form a paste and it is injected into a mold that creates the first rough head shape. Then it is heated again to 2,444 degrees, which is higher than traditional forgings and this high heat melts out the polymer leaving the metal at a 98 material density. This creates an iron head with virtually non existent voids in the metal. This process is repeated for every iron head and the consistency exceeds the forging process creating a completely new class of irons. Olsavsky tells me “The consistency comes from the process of making the iron shape which is more consistent vs forging. Since MIM process is more consistent, it requires less hand grinding, so the variability is less as well. Therefore the shapes are more consistent for every head.”

 

 Combined with the consistency of Metal Injection Molding the King Tour irons have several other features that enhance their playability. The heel and toe weighting that improves forgiveness when hit off center is enhanced by a Thermoplastic Polyurethane Insert (TPI) that produces a more solid feel right behind the hitting zone. The high density tungsten weight in the toe of the 7- 4 iron provides even more perimeter weighting with a precise CG right in the middle of the face as well as increased forgiveness when hit toward the heel or toe. One legitimate complaint concerning cast and GI irons is they mask mishits so solid strikes and slight misses feel the same. The MIM irons provide the kind of feedback better players prefer, although not at the sake of forgiveness. Hit the ball in the center and get that dense and solid feel we all love, but hit it toward the toe or a bit low on the face and the feel lets you know you made poor contact, yet the shot itself does not suffer as much as you would think. This is the best of both worlds because as much as I like seeing my mishits still land on the green perhaps a little short or left/right, I like to know I missed the center and the King Tour irons provide that important feedback.

 

Feel and a new metal process are important but playability is where the King Tour MIM irons really shine. They are very consistent with yardage and spin, so no head scratching fliers from a good lie. Not only is the trajectory also very consistent, they can be easily flighted low or high. I do not as a rule work the ball from side to side unless I am escaping trouble and so far they are very predictable when I need to play a fade or draw. Cobra promotes these irons as “precision irons” with zero claims of more distance and how refreshing is that? Precision trumps distance every time with a true Players Iron but if I were pressed to comment on distance, they are perhaps just a hair longer per loft than comparable irons I have played. The King Tours are also some of the best long irons I have ever played so no need to transition into anything else for more forgiveness as they are both forgiving and accurate. 


A pet peeve of mine is a sloppy hosel transition. The hosel should blend into the face of the iron seamlessly and when designed correctly you should not even be aware of it. Far too many irons and wedges have an obvious hump or notch that can be distracting at address. The Amp Forged, Fly Z+, Forged Tours and now the MIM irons have an absolutely beautiful hosel transition and combined with the thinner top line, look just about perfect at address. Offset is also ideal with just enough to make the long irons look playable and virtually non existent in the short irons. Nit picking, I wish the heel was just a bit higher and then they would be absolutely perfect but that is of course just my personal preference and I imagine after playing them awhile I probably won’t even notice it. I could also do without the square tungsten weight black outline on the toe of the 7-4 irons but since I don’t see it at address and it enhances performance it is admittedly a pretty weak nit pick. As you can see, I am struggling for negatives.

Lofts are about average for a Players Iron with a 45* pw decreasing by 4* through the 6 iron and 3* from the 6 to the 4 iron. Several other Players/Distance Irons have a 5* gap that can cause more in-between yardages requiring partial swings. I find the King Tour lofts just about ideal although I will probably weaken them by 1* from the pw through 6. The irons come stock with KBS $-Taper steel shafts but as usual with Cobra, you can custom order the MIM irons with virtually any KBS, True Temper or Nippon steel shafts as a no charge custom order. I have the Nippon 950GH in mine and the combination is outstanding. Recoil and Steelfiber graphite shafts are available for a $35/$20 upcharge and considering their aftermarket costs are almost double that price and that doesn’t even include the charge for re-shafting, so it is quite a deal.
 

If you are a low index player looking for a Players Iron that provides a little more forgiveness while also giving you consistency from iron to iron and the ability to shape shots anyway you have the skill to produce OR you are a higher index player looking to move into a more playable iron that allows you to begin improving your shot making with enough forgiveness to not punish your slight mishits, I think the Cobra King Tour MIM irons are an absolute must demo. Rarely do reviewed clubs go straight into my bag but the King Tour MIM irons are solidly in my bag for 2021. More info and pictures on the Cobra website:

https://www.cobragolf.com/king-tour-irons

[cksurfdude]

Another great reviews with great info!

Cobra is definitely an under-appreciated brand for irons ... several years back I'd walked into a PGATSS to demo a few different GI irons and remember asking about one of the Cobra models .. the store rep basically just said, "nah". After that day I later ended up with a set of King OS irons - which I really liked and still wish I had hung on to....

[chisag]

2 minutes ago, cksurfdude said:

Another great reviews with great info!

Cobra is definitely an under-appreciated brand for irons ... several years back I'd walked into a PGATSS to demo a few different GI irons and remember asking about one of the Cobra models .. the store rep basically just said, "nah". After that day I later ended up with a set of King OS irons - which I really liked and still wish I had hung on to....

 

... Thanks. When the Amp Forged irons were first released many thought the bright orange badging was just too loud for a players iron, myself included. Then I hit them on Demo Day and decided performance trumps cavity aesthetics that you can't see and they looked awesome at address. I replaced my original AP2's and never looked back. A little too loud and clashed with my bag colors but as always, after a few months I didn't even notice. 

[ejgaudette]

Thanks for a great review, though I already looked them so this is not helping my temptation to buy them. I enjoy my i500s but have been thinking of moving into a bit more players offering but still some forgiveness which these sound to hit that sweet spot. Glad you enjoy them.

[Golfspy_Lukes]

Great stuff. How do they compare to your t100s?

[chisag]

3 hours ago, jlukes said:

Great stuff. How do they compare to your t100s?

 

... Give me 10 golfers in the players iron market and I have a feeling 5 would choose the T100s and 5 would chose the MIM's. The T100s have a smaller looking head profile, a thinner top line and get through the turf better than any irons I have played. The MIM's have a slightly larger head profile, get through the ground very nicely, have not quite as thin a top line but are a littler more forgiving and a hair longer, although the 950GH might be responsible for the distance as I not comparing apples to apples with the shafts. And the MIM's feels awesome once you get used to them. I really love them both. 

[casey_0507]

6 hours ago, chisag said:

 

... Thanks. When the Amp Forged irons were first released many thought the bright orange badging was just too loud for a players iron, myself included. Then I hit them on Demo Day and decided performance trumps cavity aesthetics that you can't see and they looked awesome at address. I replaced my original AP2's and never looked back. A little too loud and clashed with my bag colors but as always, after a few months I didn't even notice. 

How do the King Tour compare to the Amp Forged size wise?

[Rtracymog]

This is a great, thorough review. Great job@chisag!


Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

[chisag]

55 minutes ago, casey_0507 said:

How do the King Tour compare to the Amp Forged size wise?

 

... I don't have a set to compare, but my educated guess is virtually identical. 

[casey_0507]

9 hours ago, chisag said:

 

... I don't have a set to compare, but my educated guess is virtually identical. 

That is my hope. Really is the perfect shape /size

[hartrick11]

Great review @chisag! I had been curious to see if these overtook the T100s for you. I definitely plan to give them another look as I continue my 2021 quest to find my perfect next set of irons.

If you could combine the look & performance of the MIMs with the feel of Forged Tour, would you? Or has the MIM grown on you enough that you prefer its feel over the Forged Tour?

[chisag]

1 hour ago, hartrick11 said:

Great review @chisag! I had been curious to see if these overtook the T100s for you. I definitely plan to give them another look as I continue my 2021 quest to find my perfect next set of irons.

If you could combine the look & performance of the MIMs with the feel of Forged Tour, would you? Or has the MIM grown on you enough that you prefer its feel over the Forged Tour?

 

... For me it is kinda like having 2 deserts at a fine restaurant. I taste the Cheesecake with Blackberries and think it is just insanely good. Then I taste my wife's Flourless Chocolate Cake with whip cream made from scratch and think it is also insanely good. They are both lightly sweet deserts that are the same but different. That is how I feel about the forged vs MIM comparison. There is a synergy of course when a combination of looks, performance and forgiveness enhance the sound/feel and the MIM's do just that. As I said in the review I was not a big fan my first round but as I got used to the different feel and enjoyed the performance I grew to love MIM. When you hit the MIM dead center they have a very dense almost persimmon like feel where forged have that melt into the metal face feel. So all things considered and forced to compare, I do prefer the feel of MIM over Forged but by the very slimmest of subjective margins. 

[casey_0507]

8 hours ago, chisag said:

 

... For me it is kinda like having 2 deserts at a fine restaurant. I taste the Cheesecake with Blackberries and think it is just insanely good. Then I taste my wife's Flourless Chocolate Cake with whip cream made from scratch and think it is also insanely good. They are both lightly sweet deserts that are the same but different. That is how I feel about the forged vs MIM comparison. There is a synergy of course when a combination of looks, performance and forgiveness enhance the sound/feel and the MIM's do just that. As I said in the review I was not a big fan my first round but as I got used to the different feel and enjoyed the performance I grew to love MIM. When you hit the MIM dead center they have a very dense almost persimmon like feel where forged have that melt into the metal face feel. So all things considered and forced to compare, I do prefer the feel of MIM over Forged but by the very slimmest of subjective margins. 

I want cake now 

[AmishJason]

Hey @chisag, were you able to customize the set outside of shafts?  I've looked longingly at these irons both on Cobra's website and Global Golf and both would leave me with a club in my bag that I don't want.  I would be either stuck with a 4 iron I can't hit or a gap wedge that I don't want.  

[chisag]

6 hours ago, AmishJason said:

Hey @chisag, were you able to customize the set outside of shafts?  I've looked longingly at these irons both on Cobra's website and Global Golf and both would leave me with a club in my bag that I don't want.  I would be either stuck with a 4 iron I can't hit or a gap wedge that I don't want.  

 

... I think quite a few options were available but I wanted to review a set as close to stock as possible. But you can order them anyway you like. One iron at a time, although several irons are on back order at the moment, a good sign of their success. You can always check out custom options by going to TGW and clicking the Enter Custom Specs. TGW is very good at showing what options the OEMs offer. 

[AmishJason]

14 hours ago, chisag said:

 

... I think quite a few options were available but I wanted to review a set as close to stock as possible. But you can order them anyway you like. One iron at a time, although several irons are on back order at the moment, a good sign of their success. You can always check out custom options by going to TGW and clicking the Enter Custom Specs. TGW is very good at showing what options the OEMs offer. 

Thank you.  And thank you for another good review.  As much as I like data based reviews that contain near overloads of numbers, a well written review from someone just having the clubs in their hands and talking about the intangibles is very refreshing.

[chisag]

... After playing them almost 4 months now, I wanted to do a quick follow up on my King Tour Irons. These irons just kept getting better and better. I think we all know Players Irons are almost just a matter of preference as they are all very, very good. As much as I enjoyed the smaller headed T100-S, and I enjoyed them very much, the MIM Tours are just the perfect size for me eye. Thin top line, very little offset and a mid size head that gives me the best combination of forgiveness and playability. I posted elsewhere I shot a 67, one year under my age and the MIM's were responsible for 5 birdies tracking accessible flags all day, and to be honest 2 of them I should not have aimed for but I was feeling like I could not miss and went right at them. 

... Having played many more rounds now, the feel is just so addicting. Dense like an old school muscle back blade with a ton of weight behind the hitting area. Misses just away from the center do not feel quite so perfect and a miss 1/2 from the center on the toe really feels like you had bad contact, but the shot suffers very little. The forgiveness is fine of the things I love most about these irons and the feedback of missing them a little is a quality I very much enjoy. Irons like the P760's and P790's feel almost the same when you miss them 1/2 to the toe. I am reminded of Ben Hogan that said he hits 1 maybe 2 shots a round exactly like he wanted so getting that nirvana feeling of a perfectly struck shot should be something that only happens several times a round. I have heard some say these irons are not as soft as advertised and I believe that is because they are not hitting them dec center, because that feel is as soft and dense as it gets, but again missing them a little has a different feel. You have to get further than 1/2 away from the center for them to actually feel harsh, but the feel is not quite as soft as when missed a little. 

... The MIM Tours are a little longer than most Players Irons for me. Not P790 long but a few yards longer than most I have played. I have had some low rounds with the T100-S and on those days they were just as accurate as the MIM's but on the days when my swing is not spot on, the Cobra's are more forgiving of both distance and direction. There is a reason the T100/T100-S are played by so many on all Pro Golf Tours as I think they are really a forgiving MB style of club but for those of us not at elite ball striking level, the added forgiveness of the Cobra's can be a game changer. I would also add I think the Nippon 950GH in my MIM's is a better fit for me than the Steelfiber 95's in my T100-S so not an apples to apples comparison. I don't want to leave the impression that the MIM Tours are superior irons to say Srixon ZX7's, Taylor Made P7MC's, Titleist T00's or even Wilson Staff CB's because give me 20 low index players and every one of those irons will be chosen as best. But for me, the MIM Tour irons are the best combination of everything I want and need in an iron and if you are in the market, these Players Irons are an absolute must demo. 

... For fun, I removed the paint fill from my 4 iron and when asking for opinions the response has been about 25% like the look while 75% prefer the original paint fill. 

[Kanoito]

Every time I read one of your reviews, it makes me want to buy them as well lol 

The Fly Z+ were legit, too bad I found them when they were already phased out and not many options to choose.

Now about the looks, would you prefer a matte finish and no badge?

 

 

 

 

 

[chisag]

19 minutes ago, Kanoito said:

Every time I read one of your reviews, it makes me want to buy them as well lol 

The Fly Z+ were legit, too bad I found them when they were already phased out and not many options to choose.

Now about the looks, would you prefer a matte finish and no badge?

 

... Being old school I actually prefer the shiny chrome. And the badge serves a purpose so I rally don't care how it looks. Like many others I love a very clean look on an iron but I would compare it to my underwear. As much as I love a certain look and style I don't see them so comfort is my main concern and I would wear purple Barney panties if they were the most comfortable.  If my irons look great at address and perform for me, that is my only concern. A clean cavity is just icing on the cake but so very rare in 2021. 

[hartrick11]

I hit the MIM 7 iron again after seeing consistent positive feedback, and my opinion is changing to be more in line with @chisag. I think the issue with my initial demo may have been the Modus 120x which I have now tried a few times and just don't get along with. With the stock $ taper I was finding the true sweet spot more consistently and the feel was much more in line with what I am looking for. I also love the sole/turf interaction which is consistent with all the prior Cobra irons that seem to just get along with my swing. I would love to add the 4-6 to get more forgiveness than my CBs. The problem is I am in love with the CBs from 7-GW and they are black. How do I get my brain to be okay with a chrome (or copper) and black split set?!  Maybe I just need to pony up and buy the full MIM set as they are plenty small enough to look down at, and then just keep the CBs around for the occasional round to shake things up...

I am still planning on waiting until later this year to compare against the updated T100 & i59 (as well as zx7) before pulling the trigger on anything but I would say the MIMs are the leader in the clubhouse.