Review - Cobra AMP Irons

[Tony Covey MGS]

REVIEW! - Cobra AMP Irons

 

 

 

 

Before we get too deep into it, let me quickly explain the review process I'm trying out for irons tested outside of the ULTIMATE Review process. The goal here is to be less technical (since one guys data isn't all that compelling), but to still give you an idea how a given set of irons will perform.

 

Originally I was going to write this up exactly the same way as I would an ULTIMATE Review, with numbers for long, middle, and short irons. But again...irons are not so easy to quantify, especially when it's just me hitting them, and besides...quite honestly, I just wasn't having much fun doing it as a one-man operation, so I decided I'd try something a bit different. Please do let me know what you think.

 

Here are the details:

 

To test out these Cobra AMP irons, I spent a fairly extensive amount of time hitting balls on the virtual driving range. This gave me an idea of club distances and associated ball flight characteristics.

 

Then I decided to play a couple rounds of simulator golf to get a feel for how the clubs actually perform as a set. I chose two very different courses (one relatively easy, one relatively hard). I left my bag at home, and played both rounds with only the clubs in the AMP iron set. No driver, no woods or hybrids, or higher lofted wedges. And perhaps my poorest plan of all...no putter. Most of the time this means a four iron off the tee, and a gap wedge both on and around the green.

 

I normally play the yellow tees indoors, but since I didn't have anything longer than a 4-iron, I decided to play the Blue Tees. Looking at the total course length, for future reviews I'll probably go back to the yellows.

 

To mitigate the impact of not having a putter in the bag, I set gimmes to 12 feet, and had at it.

 

 

For those unfamiliar with simulators, there are a few things we need to lay out there.

• Fairway lies are always perfect, however, the simulator does account for balls above or below your feet.
• The rough is brutal, often more brutal than the real stuff. This is especially true on touch shots where it's absolutely unpredictable.
• Just like outdoors, even indoors there is trouble to be had on the course, and sometimes when you're in it, it's difficult to get out.
• Indoor sand plays a lot like the rough (and nothing like actual sand), but since we're not testing bunker performance...well...it it what it is.
• The simulator provides a wealth of data that would be difficult to obtain out on the golf course, while still requiring the use of every club in the bag, and a variety of different shots.

In Pictures...What Cobra Wants You to Know About the AMP Irons:

 

 

 

When it comes to evaluating a set of golf clubs score, in my opinion should be only one small factor. Two weeks ago I shot (estimating here) an 87. A few days ago I shot a (still estimating) 95. Same course, same conditions, same irons. Were my clubs better a week before? Doubtful. A lot more than a single number determines how I feel about a given set of clubs. It's not about the number. It's more about how and why that number is what it is.

 

Round 1:

 

 

Round 2:

See that. 2 Rounds, 19 strokes difference. Same irons. Like I said...let's not get too wrapped up in scores. Stuff happens...like balls falling off cliffs, and getting stuck under trees...all kinds of nasty things. And while I would be excited about a -1 round, friendly lies and the lack of any real sand are easily good for a handful of strokes every round. Toss in at least another few for the generous gimmes, although trying to get a wedge inside of 12 feet from 60+ isn't particularly easy either. But again...it's not about the score, it's about getting an idea of how a bunch of golf clubs perform as a set. Did I mention I shot 1-under?

 

 

Performance

 

Long Iron Performance

As you can see from my average driving distance (and the discrepancy between the best and the average), I struggled a bit with the 4-iron (and 5-iron too). What's somewhat unique about the Cobra AMP irons compared with many other GI clubs on the market is that as the clubs get longer, the soles actually narrow. Most of the time we find the most bulk with the long irons, but that's simply not the case here.

 

There's been plenty of feedback on the cavity design of the AMP irons (most of it not particularly kind), but what Cobra has done rather skillfully is hide it at address. The narrower sole allows the longer, stronger lofted clubs to look "normal" at address.

 

I'm not going to pretend that I'm a particularly strong long iron player, but even with that consideration, I found the longer irons particularly difficult to hit. What I do like is that unless there's an obvious swing fault (for me that usually means a snapper of the toe), most mishits flew relatively straight, which allowed me to play out of the short grass, though more so on my second round.

 

From a distance perspective, my best struck balls traveled a bit farther than I'd expect out of my own 4-iron (210 was my longest), but distance loss was significant on slightly fat shots.

 

The Cobra AMP irons are available with hybrid replacements for the long irons, and my recommendation should you find this set to your liking would be to replace the 4 and possibly 5 irons with equivalent hybrids.

 

Middle Iron Performance

The clubs in the middle of the AMP set, the 6,7, and 8 irons are actually my favorite in the set. They maintain the feel of the short irons (which I find missing in the long irons), are extremely easy to hit, and maintain what I'll call reasonable ball flight characteristics.

 

No surprise considering the stronger lofts, I found them to be roughly a club longer than my current gamers. We know that iron distance still matters to some people (I don't happen to be one of them), so there's a chance you might find yourself longer with the AMP irons. Of course, if you're current set also features longer shafts and strong lofts...perhaps not so much.

 

As with the long irons, Cobra has done a good job of hiding the technology at address. While they're noticeably larger than much of what we get in for review, they don't look overly bloated, or more importantly, plain ol' silly when you're standing over the ball.

 

Given that most of the par 3s any us play with regularity will fall within the range of these middle irons, you'll know doubt appreciate that they'll allow you to consistently put the ball mostly where you want it.

 

Short Iron Performance

Short iron performance is a bit of a mixed bag...at least for me. For a large game-improvement iron, the feel actually surprised me quite a bit. It's certainly quite a bit softer than I would have expected. Of course feel is only part of the equation.

 

What I found is that despite the weaker lofts, I didn't experience much of a distance gain with the short clubs. Despite being a full 4 degrees weaker, I found I couldn't hit the gap wedge any farther than my 53*. By the time I got to the pitching wedge, I actually found I was shorter than I might otherwise be with my own PW. I think the discrepancies likely boil down to a head designed to launch the ball high, and a shaft designed to help keep the ball in the air. There was definitely some ballooning going on with the shorter clubs, especially that gap wedge.

 

What I also struggled a bit with were some sizable yardage gaps between the short and long irons. While 140 yards was about as much as I could get out of the 9-iron, hitting 160 with the 8 was relatively simple. Again, this could be the result of my own swing characteristics, but it does cause me some concern.

 

I also had a fair amount of difficulty dialing in the distances for less than full swings. Normally I'm pretty solid (indoors anyway) on those tricky 45-65 yard shots. Withe Cobra AMP irons I found it extremely difficult to hit those feel shots with any control. While contact was crisp, the ball simply didn't carry like I'd expect. As with any iron, this too is probably simply an issue with familiarizing oneself with the clubs.

 

 

Escaping Trouble

I'm not going to feed you some BS about workability and being able to conjure up draws and fades at any time I so desire. I like most of you...sometimes I plan for a draw or fade and it happens. Other times I plan for a draw and hit a fade. One of the most purely struck, tightest draws I ever hit was supposed to be a fade. The plan was to start it over the water and bring it back to land. Instead, I started it over water, and buried it at sea.

 

All of that said, there are a couple of shots that I have learned to hit pretty well, and that's mostly because I find myself in the kind of trouble that requires me to hit them often. The absolute must-have shot for me is the low hook. I frequently yank my drives left, and find myself hitting through, under, or around trees. Being able to hit a hard hook under a tree branch often saves me 2 strokes per round.

 

Try as I might, the low hook is a shot I simply couldn't hit with the Cobra AMP iron. Granted, their designed to go nowhere but straight, and they basically do that. The downside is a 10 yard hook was about all I could come up with, and even that required contact a bit out towards the toe.

 

 

Subjective Notes

 

Looks: As I mentioned, some of the feedback we've heard on the Cobra AMP irons hasn't been kind. Some of you thought the orange was a bit over-done, and a few of you have suggested the irons look like shovels. Look...their game-improvement irons, they're going to have broad soles, thick toplines, and let's just call it a generous amount of offset. Yeah...Cobra may have overdone the Rickie Fowler inspired cavity design just a bit, but as I've hinted, they've done a good job of hiding it when you're actually standing over the golf ball. Is it pretty...No? But big picture...no big whoop.

 

Just a quick mention...the particular hue of orange used in the Lamkin 3Gen grips is a bit brighter than Lamkin's standard orange in their new R.E.L. 3Gen grips. I'm guessing some of you will find them not to your liking. Those of you who know me even a little won't be surprised to discover that I absolutely love them.

 

 

Feel: It was the best of feel, it was the worst of feel. For a game-improvement iron, actually for nearly any iron, the short and middle irons are surprisingly pleasant to hit. I'm actually still a bit stunned. The long irons...umm not so much. Not sure if it's the cavity design or what, but even on crisply struck balls, there offer a significantly different (and not nearly as nice) impact experience.

 

As I mentioned...the other aspect of feel...those delicate little shots. I found it difficult to dial in any precision, but again...that might simply be a matter of experience with the clubs.

 

 

Wrapping it All Up

I'm not a game-improvement guy. Generally speaking I loathe game-improvement clubs (especially those that look the part), and I was fully prepared to come of away from my time with the Cobra AMP irons with the taste of rotten orange in my mouth (see what I did there?). While I won't sit here all full of crap and tell you that the Cobra AMP irons are going into my bag immediately, I like them considerably more than I ever imagined I could.

 

Cosmetically speaking, they're probably not what most of us would consider super model material, but they're the perfect fit for what Cobra is trying to do...go big, go bold, and go young. A few fitting quirks aside, the AMP irons are a club I actually enjoyed playing with, and, if you're looking for these type of clubs (and can look past the orange), may very well surprise you as well.

[GolfSpy Dave]

Nice review T. I actually checked these out in the shop because of the orange. I think that is why I bought my G10's as well.

19° 3i scares me a lot though...

[Kanoito]

Love the color, but still too shovely for my taste. Soles reminded me of the RBZ which are also big and chunky imo

But I really dig the color!

[Phana24JG]

Curious, the group review of the S-3 iron was excellent, yet I would consider your review of AMP lukewarm at best. However, when I went back and looked at the interactive data, you were not exactly the star of the S-3 show. I think you simply have to admit you are part of the iron elitist class, and simply cannot execute a good swing with a shovel. I will be hitting these guys this weekend and let you folks know how the peasantry does with the AMPs.

[Tony Covey MGS]

Curious, the group review of the S-3 iron was excellent, yet I would consider your review of AMP lukewarm at best. However, when I went back and looked at the interactive data, you were not exactly the star of the S-3 show. I think you simply have to admit you are part of the iron elitist class, and simply cannot execute a good swing with a shovel. I will be hitting these guys this weekend and let you folks know how the peasantry does with the AMPs.

 

You're not wrong. There's something in me that struggles with GI clubs. PINGs, Adams, Cobra...doesn't matter. When the head gets too big I struggle. I'm sure it's in my head, but I've got bigger problems to work through, so I'm not going to sweat it.

 

'tis the big demo day weekend at NW8, isn't it?

[Phana24JG]

You're not wrong. There's something in me that struggles with GI clubs. PINGs, Adams, Cobra...doesn't matter. When the head gets too big I struggle. I'm sure it's in my head, but I've got bigger problems to work through, so I'm not going to sweat it.

 

'tis the big demo day weekend at NW8, isn't it?

 

Actually, you are not alone. One of the guys I occasionally play with games those tiny little Japanese irons you so love, although I hear he has some equally small Vega's on order. We always trade clubs for at least one shot on a par-3 and the hilarity that ensues from both swings is well worth the embarrassment. I feel like I am striking the ball with a staple.

 

The big demo days usually bring freezing temps and record rainfall. Hope to break the string this year. However, it really sucks hitting balls where you cannot accurately gauge 70% of the landing distance. Fortunately, the reps usually have good info on where to go for good readings in the coming weeks. It does hone in for me what toys I really want this year.

[Matt Saternus]

I haven't hit these yet, but I have pulled them off the wall to look at them more than once. The orange is definitely not my thing (get a haircut, hippie!), but this iron is WAY better looking at address than I expected.

[GolfSpy WD]

Yeah...Cobra may have overdone the Rickie Fowler inspired cavity design just a bit

 

Just a bit...

 

These remind me of the X24 Hot irons, except with a chrome finish. The look doesn't work for me and for Pete's sake, stop making 44* PWs...

[Super Tuna]

You're not wrong. There's something in me that struggles with GI clubs. PINGs, Adams, Cobra...doesn't matter. When the head gets too big I struggle. I'm sure it's in my head, but I've got bigger problems to work through, so I'm not going to sweat it.

 

If it makes you feel better T, I'm in that group as well. My mid sized iron head experiment has come to a crashing halt already and I'll be heading back to something tiny.

 

I think that's a pretty good run down of the AMP's though and seems to mirror what I hear from a lot of people. As a question though when you say long irons for the set are different you only mean the 3/4 correct? I would imagine a great many people will be swapping those for the hybrids anyways (which I quite like. Much more then the irons).

[Tony Covey MGS]

If it makes you feel better T, I'm in that group as well. My mid sized iron head experiment has come to a crashing halt already and I'll be heading back to something tiny.

 

I think that's a pretty good run down of the AMP's though and seems to mirror what I hear from a lot of people. As a question though when you say long irons for the set are different you only mean the 3/4 correct? I would imagine a great many people will be swapping those for the hybrids anyways (which I quite like. Much more then the irons).

 

Our test set doesn't have a 3, but I'd say 4 and 5 really. They just feel different from the rest of the set (might have something to do with the narrower sole, and shallower cavity...really hard to say). The 7 and 8 are great, but 9-GW balloon too much for me. That's a shaft issue more than anything else, and really, that's what clubs with this type of design are supposed to do...help get the ball in the air and keep it there. I've always been a high ball flight, higher spinning player anyway, so GI Design seldom prove to be a solid fit for me.

 

I'm solidly on-board with the Miura philosophy of playing what suites your eye (and getting fit correctly for it). Obviously blades aren't going to be for everyone, but even something with just a bit of perimeter weighting (MP-59s, CB-501s, etc.) offers much more forgiveness that a muscleback. If the larger heads of GI designs give one confidence that's great, but if they look too big..then find something smaller.

[Tony Covey MGS]

I haven't hit these yet, but I have pulled them off the wall to look at them more than once. The orange is definitely not my thing (get a haircut, hippie!), but this iron is WAY better looking at address than I expected.

 

It's kind of amazing what Cobra does. Staring at the cavity they're all bulk, but as soon as you put them on the ground they look perfectly reasonable, almost on the smaller side of GI design.

[Phana24JG]

T, nice review...I know that it's mental, though I too struggle if I look down @ anything more than a thin CB or MB..The MP-53s, by no means "shovels," had too much metal & try as I might, I could not get used to looking down @ them..I really wanted those irons to "work" because, thogh distance isn't paramount with irons, I was getting 6-8 yds more a club with the 53s vs. my 63-68s..It was not to be..afairways & Greens 4ever....

 

Stop the politically correct claptrap. All you guys who can hit blades just LOVE to rub it in at the expense of the masses who cannot master the finer points. I know you guys like the back of my hand. Apres golf, you all order St Pauli Girl, Dos Equis, or when you lower yourselves to our level and get a draft, its a Black and Tan, or some obscure microbrew that no one has ever heard of. If spirits are called for Courvoisier, pseudonymous single malt scothes, or some brand of vodka that is "the rage" at trendy NY or LA clubs is ordered.

 

However, now it really gets intolerable. At dinnertime, you always have to make the wine selection a major production. After babbling for ten or fifteen minutes over the je ne sais quoi of a German Reisling versus a Austrian Reisling, you must sniff the cork and return at least one bottle before you grudgingly accept it, but note that the wine cellar must be a few degrees off, as the bouquet is slightly substandard. Meanwhile I have to wait 45 minutes for a burger and Bud while you go through the effectations of dinner.

 

However, I could live with all of that. What REALLY sets me off, is when I ask for one, JUST ONE of the TV's at Snobby Valley Counrty Club to be turned to the NASCAR race. You would think I was announcing I was infected with an incredibly virulent strain of ebola. At this point, the club manager is summoned and in the most condescending voice at his command announces, "sir, in this establishment, the digital viewing devices have such pedestrian stations filtered out."

 

Come on, you know who you are, just admit it!!!

[Addicted2Golf]

I think Cobra is trying a bit too hard... especially with the orange paint fill in the numbers and the aiming line on the face. In my opinion, the following colors should NEVER be used on any part of a golf club that's visible at address:

 

Orange

Neon Green

Highlighter Yellow

Baby Blue

Purple

White (with the exception of the aiming line. Yes, TMAG, I'm talking to you)

[Phana24JG]

Actually, when in town(Pittsburgh), I drink Iron City bottles & when out of town, I drink Coors bottles..Draft is the same..As I've owned bars, I have absolutely zero respect for the man who drinks Dos Equis..None!!..That's wayyyy to affected for me to deal with..My spirits drink is vodka & my preference is Absolute...Has been since college..Anyone who orders the vodka-du-jour is almost as affected as the Dos Equis drinker..Neither one would be @ my table long, much less in my fouresome....Regarding wine, I did take a wine tasting class in college, though that was just to get a jump on Thursday nites "uptown"..The reason I prefer reds to whites is that I heard that the red wines have a higher alchohol content, so it's a cheaper road to inebriation..Pretty snobby, huh?..Regarding NASCAR, don't care for the races, though I've been to a few, though the parties rank @ the top of any social event I've ever attended..Incredible!...Back to the blades, you may have a point..That's what I was given when I was 7yo(that's all there was then) & that's all I've ever played, though I guess the Adams Pro Gold Forged & MP-63s would be considered muscle/cavity...This was written in jest, though I do mean every word of it..Have a good one...Fairways & Greens 4ever...

 

LOLOL...great rebuttal. Ironically, I also used blades as my first clubs because I bought them secondhand and had no clue what I was doing. It was only when I tried the first generation GI irons that I got addicted.

[Phana24JG]

You're not wrong. There's something in me that struggles with GI clubs. PINGs, Adams, Cobra...doesn't matter. When the head gets too big I struggle. I'm sure it's in my head, but I've got bigger problems to work through, so I'm not going to sweat it.

 

'tis the big demo day weekend at NW8, isn't it?

 

Damn, you might want to sit down T. You were more impressed with the Cobra AMPs than I was. What I found (and this could well be a function of my swing not the clubs) was my distance with the midirons was very inconsistent. The forgiveness factor is high, but the price I had to pay with distance consistency was simply too steep. Just to be sure I was being fair to the AMPS, I hit the R-11s Loser model and the RBZ irons, and they simply outperformed the Cobras, much to my dismay. Actually, the RBZ irons with the pseudo-Matrix Ozik graphite shaft was surprise #2 of the day.

 

Normally, I do not like graphite shafts in my irons until I tried a Aerotech Steel Fiber 70 in a R-9 6-iron and was bombing the damn thing with dispersion equivalent to the steel anvils I have the rest of my irons. A six iron is not a scoring club for me, but when you can hit the ball al least one club longer with equal accuracy, it is worth pursuing. The R-11s and RBZs both delivered somewhat repeatable distance (the range where the demo took place is not flat and anything past 150 is nothing more than an educated guess. The shaft was very repeatable, and impact powder indicated I was within a few dimples on almost every swing with a 6-iron. I hated the look of the RBZ 4-and 5-iron, but was drilling them with accuracy and repeatability that my current R-9s cannot match.

 

In fairness to Cobra, I did have a mini-lesson courtesy of Nike in between (for more info see my Review of the Nike Speed Trial) hitting the Cobra and TMaG irons, but I will give them another go tomorrow to see if I can improve. I am not a fan of TMaG but dammit, 70% of my bag is TMaG stuff.

[Phana24JG]

PhanaJG, if you stated this some where else, my apologies for the redundancy..What irons are ya playin now?...Fairways & Greens 4ever...

 

I play the R-9 shovels, but I doubt they will in the bag for long. I hit several irons over the weekend and the RBZs and Wilson C-11s made quite an impression. I am now in the process of trying to rework the family budget to accommodate both new irons and a new driver. My wife just does not understand that we have to stop this frivolous spending on 401Ks and mutual finds and wisely invest some of that money in new golf clubs.

[GolfSpy WD]

I'd like to retract my previous statements about the AMP irons. I saw them in the store today and they are very nice looking. I was amazed by how much they looked like players clubs at address. Anyone looking for GI clubs really should give these a try.

[pquinn]

hi

I was just wondering if anybody had reviewed or hit the cobra amp forged irons and was looking for some feedback on them.At the moment i am using cleveland CG1 tours ,but i am not playing as much as i used to so with longer breaks between rounds the consistency is not there at the moment and i am looking for something a little easier to hit

thanks in advance

PQ

[Phana24JG]

hi

I was just wondering if anybody had reviewed or hit the cobra amp forged irons and was looking for some feedback on them.At the moment i am using cleveland CG1 tours ,but i am not playing as much as i used to so with longer breaks between rounds the consistency is not there at the moment and i am looking for something a little easier to hit

thanks in advance

PQ

 

Just for the hell of it, the next time you are near a demo day or big box store, try a GI iron; at least give it a shot in the 4-6 version.

[fozcycle]

Last night I was hitting the Wilson CI11's with stiff graphite shaft at the local Gsmith store. Although the stiff is too much for me, I just wanted to get a feel for the clubs as I like the look of the PVD and they had a used, almost new set with the stiff graphite shafts. After hitting about 15 balls with the 6 & 4 irons, the Gsmith range attendant came over and made sure I was doing allright. I told him what I was doing and he suggested that I compare them to my irons...so I pulled my 6 & 7 Mizzy MP-53's from my car and commenced to compare. Mainly, I was looking for "feel" and direction, because you can't really get the distance from an indoor monitor.

 

After hitting about 6 balls with my Mizzy's, I could noticably tell the difference in the feel as the Mizzy's were far better. The attendant then suggested that I try another iron and he gave me a Cobra Amp with graphite shaft(regular). I hit a few and immediately noticed that they had a similar "feel" to my MP-53's......well, not so similar but they put the Wilsons back on the shelf.

 

I was pleased with the direction...absolutely straight down the white line on the monitor and okay with the distance registered. I noticed that the spin rates were way down on the Amps versus my MP-53's. Possibly the Amps may be a decent iron for me (87-90 mph SS)as I need more distance from my Mp-53's.

[GolfSpy Barbajo]

Last night I was hitting the Wilson CI11's with stiff graphite shaft at the local Gsmith store. Although the stiff is too much for me, I just wanted to get a feel for the clubs as I like the look of the PVD and they had a used, almost new set with the stiff graphite shafts. After hitting about 15 balls with the 6 & 4 irons, the Gsmith range attendant came over and made sure I was doing allright. I told him what I was doing and he suggested that I compare them to my irons...so I pulled my 6 & 7 Mizzy MP-53's from my car and commenced to compare. Mainly, I was looking for "feel" and direction, because you can't really get the distance from an indoor monitor.

 

After hitting about 6 balls with my Mizzy's, I could noticably tell the difference in the feel as the Mizzy's were far better. The attendant then suggested that I try another iron and he gave me a Cobra Amp with graphite shaft(regular). I hit a few and immediately noticed that they had a similar "feel" to my MP-53's......well, not so similar but they put the Wilsons back on the shelf.

 

I was pleased with the direction...absolutely straight down the white line on the monitor and okay with the distance registered. I noticed that the spin rates were way down on the Amps versus my MP-53's. Possibly the Amps may be a decent iron for me (87-90 mph SS)as I need more distance from my Mp-53's.

 

Similar experience at the Golfer's Warehouse in Warwick, RI last night. Was hitting some hybrids and they had a series of Callaway irons out - including all of last year's RAZR models. Hit the GI's okay, but picked up the forged players iron and it just seemed nicer -- I think I hit it better, too -- at least according to the launch monitor. I'm sure most of it is in between the ears, and I'm not sure how it would translate to the course...

[SPY ZINGER]

Awesome Job with this T. Ive hit these, and they're great irons.