Cobra Amp Cell Irons Forum Member Reviews!

[GolfSpy WD]

Barbajo	Unboxing	Review
hckymeyer	Unboxing	Review
Paul S	Unboxing	Review
Mrs. Manbearpig	Unboxing	Review
Highlander	Unboxing	Review
SMRT	Unboxing	Review

[GolfSpy Barbajo]

The Barbajo UnBoxing, Or....

...Now I know how little Ronny Howard felt…

It was more Fedex van than Wells Fargo wagon (raise your hand if you're old enough to get the reference!), but after 3+ long weeks staring out the window, something special came from Cobra, just for me….



The Fedex man left wondering what he had done to deserve a bear-hug, while my long-suffering wife rolled her eyes at my glee, wondering what she had done to marry a man who goes all shrieking-9-year-old-girl-at-a-Justin-Beiber-concert at the arrival of long, skinny packages. She locked herself in her office, leaving me alone in the family room. She did not want to watch what was about to unfold…



I opened the box and BAM, was hit with a double-shot of orange that could wipe the pie off Anita Bryant's Florida sunshine tree (raise a glass if you're old enough to get that reference!). My first thought was “wow, sexy…” (The clubs, not Anita Bryant – that would be weird).

The packaging was minimal – with club heads wrapped in bubblewrap and bundled in packing paper.



My Mizuno's came with the heads packed in foam – but since these arrived intact, I guess it's a non-issue.

Each club was wrapped head to toe, which made the unwrapping all the more fun…



All unwrapped and ready for action – gotta say, these are purdy, purdy clubs. The color accents are bold, but tasteful – they kinda wink at you from across the room and say “is that a divot tool in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?”



So now they're unwrapped and bagged – and ready for whacking! Since hckymeyer and PaulS are also Minnesotans, we're going to try to get together for a group session. My teaching pro and fitter, Brad Pluth, is letting us use his Flightscope Launch Monitor and JC Video Cart for testing, so we can get some real numbers comparing the Cobras to our gamers.

Have several sets of irons to compare the Cobras with, including a great set of Hogan Apex Plus irons, a homemade set of Weszty Zt-C's and the current gamers – Mizuno MP-59's. All three of those are more player's cavity back irons, but as a solid 11 handicap from the blues, the GI characteristics of the Cobra Amp Cells will make for an interesting comparison, especially with the longer irons. Also have an assortment of demo blades lying around, just to add to the fun.

Hope to get a couple of rounds and range sessions in before then. As we say in Minnesota, this is gonna be hoot!

[GolfSpy Barbajo]

Cobra Amp Cell Irons –Official MGS Forum Review by barbajo

 

 

 

 

"Without forgiveness, life is an endless cycle of resentment and retaliation."

- Roberto Assagiolo, Italian psychologist (1888-1974) and reformed club-thrower

 

"Okay, so you think maybe NOW you have enough golf clubs?"

- The lovely and long-suffering Mrs. barbajo

 

 

The answer, of course, is “yes,dear.” The irony, of course, is after complaining my clubs take up too much room in the house, Mrs. barbajo had to admit she didn't know where I kept them all. In the barbajo household, two and two doesn't always equal four.

 

Math, however, is Cobra's specialty. These Amp Cell irons come in 4 colors, and when combined with Blair O'Neil's measurements, I'm sure there's a perfect 10 in there somewhere.

 

I have played many irons in my journey from hacker to full fledged club “ho.” Since 2007, I've gamed an Adams A2 OS hybrid/iron set, some TMag R7's and Ping G-15's. A Hogan Apex Plus set and my current Mizuno MP-59's (custom-fit last year) are my favorites.

 

A little background – I'm 52 and a solid 11 from the blues, hit my driver around 230 to 250 consistently and struggle from 120 yards in. My ball striking is much better today than a year ago due to a major swing change and when all is working, I can break 80. When it isn't, I'm an 88 waiting to happen.

 

Before testing I did a spec check comparing the Amp Cell's lengths, lofts and shafts to those of the Mizzy's and Hogan's. The Cobra's have longer shafts and more upright lies, but since my Mizuno's were fit to be ½” long and 1 degree upright, the two sets match up almost perfectly. The lofts on the Cobra's, however, are a full club stronger all the way across the board.

 

I'm shocked. Shocked I tell you!

 

The Cobras stock shaft is the True Temper Dynalite (90 grams, steel, stiff). I was fit for a PX 5.5 115 gram shaft in the Mizuno's. The Hogan's have the Apex 4 shaft.

 

With that, I had some pre-conceived notions when starting this process that I figured were pretty reasonable:

 

1. The long irons would be stupid-easy to hit and stupid-long

 

2. The mid-irons would be at least a full club longer than my current Mizuno MP-59 gamers

 

3. The short irons would be longer, but not as accurate as my gamers.

 

Pre-conceived notions are usually easy and safe. They're also usually wrong!

 

 

 

Performance

 

“Without forgiveness, there is no future.”

 

-Desmond Tutu, Nobel Peace Price recipient with a Mickelsonian short game

 

Short Iron Performance (9-GW)

 

I'm generally confident with short irons, despite an occasional case of the “steeps" that lead to “what the hell was that??” types of shots. I played a set of Rocketbladez Tours in Vegas in April and found the short irons nearly impossible to hit that day. Since I could practice with the Cobras, I figured I'd get some extra length on well-struck shots, but I was not expecting much in the way of accuracy.

 

WRONG!!!!

 

For accuracy, these things had a point-and-click thing going on. No matter where I aimed, that's where the ball went (unless I tried to get cute and finesse the ball, which I can't do, anyway).

 

Distance, however, was disappointing. I was expecting more out of the Cobras due to the one-club-up lofts, but it didn't really happen. A Flightscope test at the Brad Pluth Golf Academy in Chanhassen, MN showed virtually no difference in PW distance when compared to both the Hogan's and the Mizzy's. The results were pretty much the same for the 7-iron and the 5-iron.

 

“That,” said Brad, “is the difference between custom-fit and off the rack.”

 

Brad did my fitting, and he knows what he's doing.

 

Ball flight is fairly high with the Cobra's – resulting from the 90-gram shaft and fairly heavy heads (the clubs feel heavier than the Mizzy's and Hogan's). I don't have problems getting the ball in the air, and this shaft/head combo make it even easier with a hit-and-stop result on the greens. No roll out, but no back spin, either.

 

As for forgiveness, Cobra's E9 Face Technology touts a large, oval sweet spot on the Amp Cells. There's very little distance loss on less-than perfect swings (major difference from Mizuno/Hogan), with the ball usually findable and playable. On those “what the hell?” swings (there have been a few), well, no club is that forgiving!

 

The heavy head/light shaft combo promotes a nice, high draw with the short irons. I don't try to make the ball do much of anything else, figuring I'd only hurt myself and other golfers.

 

 

 

Short Iron Score: 93 of 100 – no increase in distance, but acc-u-rate!

 

Mid Iron Performance (6-8)

 

“Forgiveness is the fragrance the violet sheds on the heal that crushed it.”

 

-Mark Twain, who called golf a good walk spoiled.

He never played Amp Cells

 

Expectations and reality clashed here, as well. But that's not a bad thing. I was figuring to get some crazy distance gains with the 6 through 8 irons – but it just didn't happen.

 

There were some pleasant surprises, though.

 

As with the 9-GW, the mid-irons are point-and-click accurate– like a laser-guided smart-bomb. Anything from a good-to-great swing produces very nice results. The 14^th hole on my home course is a narrow, longish Par 4 surrounded by water. The smart play is 3-wood off the tee and a 6- or 7-iron to an uphill green. On consecutive rounds I nailed a mid-iron dead online with the flag, leaving makeable putts.

 

Distance wise, however, the shaft holds the Cobra back. The Flightscope showed remarkably similar results with the 7-irons from all three sets, with carries in the 150+ yard range. Trajectory is high, as you'd expect, with relatively little roll on the green.

 

When I first started whacking the Cobra's, the short irons were far and away my favorites. But within a couple of weeks I really grew to love hitting the mid irons. Short of topping the ball (hey, it happens), most mishits give acceptable results – and smell like violets!

 

There is something to that E9 Face Technology thing.

 

Mid Iron Score: 92 of 100 – see above

 

 

 

Long Iron Performance (4-5)

 

“I'm not perfect. Remember that, and try to forgive me when I fail you…”

 

-Elizabeth Lowell, romance novelist and 23 handicapper

 

Back in college there was this girl named Sally. She looked great from a distance and even better up close. We went out a couple of times and –nothing. Two deadly dull dates. All logic said we should waltz into the sunset together, but we were stuck in neutral. So we gave up on the idea of dating.

 

Then a crazy thing happened – without the pressure of dating, we became friends. But by the time we realized something may be going on, we were both seeing other people, graduation was approaching, who would make the first move, blah blah blah…

 

Every time I hold the Amp Cell 4- or 5-iron, I think of Sally and what might have been.

 

You can tell when I waggle.

 

I hoped it would be love at first swing with the long irons, but - as with Sally - nothing! For two-plus weeks we had nothing to talk about. No consistency, no crispness, nothing! I was planning their obituary when a crazy thing happened.

 

It was on the Par 3 11^th on my home course– 187 yards to an elevated, two tiered green. I pulled the 4 iron out of the bag, held it in my hands and thought of Sally –

 

Blonde-haired, blue-eyed Sally…

 

Long Tall Sally…

 

Sneakin' Through The Alley With Sally….

 

After a few too many waggles, I whacked that Cobra and hit a beautiful, boring mini-draw to within 4 feet of the pin.

 

Oh, Sally!

 

I normally play a Cleveland Mashie or a homemade Westzy #4 hybrid and the MP-59 5 iron. It's a love-hate relationship with the hybrids, and a stalemate relationship with the MP-59 5-iron. I don't ask too much of it, and it delivers.

 

With the Cobras, I'm now eager to pull out the 4- or 5-iron, and am confident I can hit my target. I've hit that green at #11 pretty much every time since the Sally episode (the guys I played with that day won't come near me, but that's adifferent story).

 

Distance-wise, there's still not a ton of difference between the Cobra's, Hogan's and Mizzy's (yep, shafts do matter), but they have the forgiveness of a puppy. Mishits are workable, and even crappy hits have some redeeming value.

 

Modest to heavy rough is a bit troublesome, however. I have better luck with the MP-59 5 iron or a hybrid. “Normal” rough is no problem with the Amp Cells, however. Overall, the entire set is rough friendly.

 

I find the longs irons are a tad more workable. A low draw is normal for me, although I can hit a higher fade with it. Doing it on command, however, is a different story.

 

Ultimately, I was expecting the long irons to be stupid-long and stupid-easy to hit. Well, I was wrong on both accounts. The stupid-long thing can be corrected with the right shaft. Stupid-easy? I was very disappointed at first, but a little practice and memories of Sally have made all the difference. I still wouldn't call them automatic (Rocketbladez 4-iron is the gold standard for me), but the Cobra's are in the discussion.

 

Long Iron Score: 94 of 100 – she's got everything that Uncle John needs, except extra distance

 

 

 

Performance Notes

 

I've played the Amp Cells pretty much exclusively for the past month, and have been pretty pleased with the results. The expected crazy-distance gains didn't happen, but the forgiveness was a nice surprise. Did have my best round in 3 years,though – 75 at Stonebrooke a couple of weeks ago – when everything was working.

 

Total Performance Score: 93

 

 

Subjective

 

“To be social is to be forgiving.”

 

-Robert Frost, poet & recreational golfer, known for taking cart paths less travelled.

 

Looks

 

Make no mistake - these things are dead sexy. Cobra absolutely nailed it with the cavity colors and grips. Hckymeyer makes a good point about the ferrules – could be color coordinated, but it doesn't detract from the appearance. It's a great looking club!

 

If there's much offset, Cobra did a nice job of hiding it, and at address you can't see the cavity at all. The topline is a little thick, but to my eye, they look just fine. All in all, the set has a consistent, confidence-building appearance at address.

 

Played the clubs for about two weeks before noticing this sweet little graphic. It's a nice little treat and shows Cobra's attention to detail.

 

 

Compared to, say, the Rocketbladez – the Amp Cells are Sandra Bullock to TMag's Sandra Bernhard. It's no contest. The color makes them pop, putting them ahead of Mizuno's JPX series. The only GI iron I've seen this year that comes close in overall appearance is probably the Cleveland MT/TT series. But even then, we're talking Sandra Bullock, here…

 

 

Looks Score: 98 out of 100! Ferrules and being forced to look up Sandra Bernhard keeps it from being 100

 

Sound and Feel

 

One odd thing about these irons is that for me, the sound and the feel don't have much to do with one another. A solid strike has a crisp clacking sound to it. A slight mishit is a tad louder, and a gross mishit is a harsh crack. The solid-strike sound isn't unpleasant, but it's very different from a solidly hit MP-59, which has a nice, muted click.

 

Crisp clack vs. muted click. Got it?

 

There's a definite difference in feel between a solid strike and a mishit, which provides noticeable feedback. With a solid strike I swear you can feel the ball bounce off the face with a sort of trampoline affect. Less than solid strikes feel harsh. When you catch it good, you know it right away.

 

It's not the same feel as with a forged club – but it's a very good feel.

 

Sound and Feel Score: 90 out of 100

 

Likelihood of Purchase (LOP)

 

Until trying the Amp Cells,I was very pleased with my Mizuno's. The more I played the Amp Cells, however, the more I came to trust and enjoy them. As a solid 11 from the blues, I'm right on the GI/Cavity back player's iron cusp, and see the benefits of both.

 

If I were looking for new GI irons, Rocketbladez would definitely be in the discussion (despite my dislike of the short irons – archer, not arrow), as would the Cleveland TT/MT combo and the Callaway X-Hots (like the looks of both). It's hard to appreciate how sexy the Cobra's are from magazine ads, but in person they're let-me-sit-on-your-lap seductive. And after playing with them for a month with the wrong shafts, they do flat-out perform. With the right shafts, who knows?

 

I do love my Mizzy's so they'll probably remain the home course irons, but the Cobra's are definitely the travelling clubs.

 

LOP Score 90 of 100

 

 

Subjective Notes

 

Feel was better than I expected, and feedback is just right for a GI iron. Sound is different, but nothing objectionable, and you know when you catch it.

 

Looks? Oh my Lord…

 

Total Subjective Score: 93

 

 

Conclusion

 

“A happy marriage is the union of two good forgivers”

 

-Unknown, but obviously an Amp Cell player

 

The most important thing I've learned during this test is that as your ball striking improves, you benefit more from forgiveness. Not sure if this jibes with conventional wisdom, but I find it's true with my swing. My ball striking today compared to 2 months ago is decidedly better – playing and practicing with a nice GI iron has certainly helped.

 

I played a round last Wednesday with the MP-59's – the first time they've been out since the Amp Cells arrived. Ball striking throughout the set was better than before the test, which kinda makes you rethink the definition of “game-improvement iron,” doesn't it?

 

Total Score: 93 out of 100

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=612806fJb_Q

 

The Five

 

1. Will this iron go in your bag? Why or why not? –

Not sure if they'll completely kick the MP-59's out of the bag, but they have certainly carved a niche in my rotation. I travel a lot and these will be perfect for playing unfamiliar courses.

2. To whom, if anyone, would you recommend this iron? Why?

The Amp Cells are an excellent choice for anyone from an 8 to a 20 handicap. The performance is spot-on and you'll love the way they look at address and in your bag. The stock shafts are probably better suited for a higher handicap player who needs help getting the ball in the air. For lower handicappers, a custom fitting would be highly recommended.

3. How, if at all, did this iron change your overall impression of Cobra?

Cobra had never been on my radar before. Prior to last year's Amps and this year's Amp Cells I hadn't liked the looks of their clubs very much. But the new style and obvious performance places Cobra among the “big boys” in my book.

4. What feature would you change or eliminate from the next generation of this model?

Perhaps a model between the Amp Cell and the Amp Cell Pro – perhaps a forged player's cavity back in the MP-53/59 style. And make Hckymeyer happy –offer colored ferrules.

5. What feature do you really like, and would most like to see continued or evolved in future models?

The color and style options are awesome –who says irons have to be chrome, black or boring? The style is great, and the club does look solid at address, which inspires confidence. Another stock shaft option would be huge.

[hckymeyer]

hckymeyer's unboxing...

 

 

I think we should replace the phrase “it's like watching paint dry” with “It's like waiting for a package to arrive in the mail”. After 3 weeks of running downstairs to look out the front door every time the dog barks, only to be disappointed by several gifts for a baby shower arriving (well played honey), the new sticks have arrived. Let me just start by saying it was worth the wait!!

 

Having the patience of a 2yr old I immediately brought the box into my office and this was the aftermath of tearing it open. The club heads were all wrapped in bubble wrap and secured in the box with individual cardboard dividers.

 

 

My first though was WOW, these are the Blair O'Neal of GI clubs. The blue just pops and while it's very hard to capture in a picture, there is almost a three dimensional quality to the graphics on the back of the clubs.

 

 

I haven't gotten a chance to hit these yet, but just walking around the house holding them, which I've been doing for 3 days, they inspire confidence. Sure they have a little thicker topline, a wider sole and a bit more offset than my gamers, but all of those things are making me very excited that they will perform well. It's almost like they're whispering “don't worry about that miss towards the toe, I've got your back

 

 

 

My only complaint from my initial impressions are the ferrules. Cobra went to a lot of lengths to make these clubs visually appealing and they have a lot of pop. The cavity color and graphics are amazing, the grips tie in perfectly to the color scheme. Then they install some rather boring looking black with silver ring ferrules. These are just screaming for some white ferrules with blue rings. It's such a small detail, but one that could have really tied the whole club together for me.

 

And much like most guys fascinations with girls in yoga pants, I can't get enough of looking at the back side of these clubs. So here they are one more time for your viewing pleasure, then I'm off to finally get these things dirty and hit some balls!!

 

 

 

[hckymeyer]

Cobra Amp Cell Irons - Official MGS Forum Review by hckymeyer

 

 

Intro

Back when I started playing golf Cobra had some great clubs. I vividly remember drooling over the King Cobra irons and woods that my buddy had and seeing Greg Norman play them didn't hurt either. Then they seemed to disappear for a long time. I didn't really read or hear much about them until Puma came along and snapped them up. Since then we've been blasted by orange and Ricky Fowler (meh) with a little Blair O'Neal throw in as well (hubba hubba). So has the new Cobra insighted my youthful lust for the brand or is it all flash and no substance? Well read on and I'll tell you a tale of two irons.

 

The first set of irons is off the rack without much thought to fitting. The second set is handmade (well put together by me) and loving crafted to exact tolerances and with an eye towards aesthetics. As you can probably guess I didn't get along too well with the stock offerings. So rather than blast what the irons are off the rack, I decided to rebuild them to my specs and review what they could be. Keep in mind that all the scores and comments are based on the rebuilt to my specs irons.

 

The rebuilt specs are standards length, lie 1°up, PURE grips, KBS C-Tapers S+ soft stepped once and D5 swing weight.

 

 

Performance

 

Short Iron Performance: 9i-GW

Accuracy – These things are dead on straight. My usual miss is a ballooning fade and not once did that happen with the short irons. They go exactly where you aim, which isn't always where I think I'm aiming, but that's no fault of the irons.

 

Distance – I'm about a club and a half longer with these irons than my previous set of Adams CMB's. A lot of that has to do with much stronger lofts, but even with the same loft I picked up about a half a club. For comparison my old 9i was about 140 and I'm hitting the PW of the Amp's about 145.

 

Trajectory Characteristics – High. These irons hit moon balls, which isn't really a bad thing. They just go up and keep going with a nice soft landing. They do roll out more than my previous irons though. In the 10-15 rounds I've played with them I can only remember spinning a ball back once. I'm a high spin player so I found myself past the hole quite often, but I've learned to play it now.

 

Forgiveness – This is where these irons really shine. My typical miss is fat, and even with a fat shot these irons still go. A few different times I clunked one and just turned around to walk back to the cart, then I got up to the green and found my ball only about 5yds short of where I wanted to hit it.

 

Control – For the most part these just want to go straight. I'm OK with that as I'm a straight ball player. I honestly don't have a draw (on purpose) in my bag no matter what I do. I can hit a little cut shot, but these irons don't move as much as other sets I've played and for me that is a very good thing

 

Short Iron Score: (95 out of 100)

 

 

Mid Iron Performance 6i-8i

Accuracy – Once again these are very straight and consistent. They go were you aim them and that's about all you ask for in an iron

 

Distance – Once again these are about a club and a half longer than my old irons. Theres just something about hitting a 7i into a 175yd par 3 that inspires confidence.

 

Trajectory Characteristics – It's probably no surprise that these also go much higher than my old irons. Also a similar story in that they don't seem to have as much spin on them. They will roll out about 2-3 times as far as my old irons. There's nothing wrong with that, but it's an adjustment you have to get used to

 

Forgiveness – Once again the mid irons really shine here. Don't get me wrong, if you put a terrible swing on the ball it's going to result in a poor shot. However if you are little off the heel or toe, or a little fat or thin there isn't a whole lot of difference between that and a flush shot. You'll still most likely be on the green or just off for a quick up and down

 

Control – Once again I hit these things straight. It almost feels like cheating some times as they go right where you're pointed. Every once a while I would get a baby cut, but I had to be way over the top to do that. I did let my buddy hit the 7i on a par 3. He's a HUGE hooker of the ball and even he was only able to get a nice baby draw.

Mid Iron Score: (95 out of 100)

 

 

Long Iron Performance

Accuracy – Here is where I saw the first chink in the armor for accuracy. I had to really concentrate to put a good swing on the ball or I was going to lose it right. That comment probably holds true for any iron, but where I didn't even have to think about it in the mid and short irons, I had to concentrate a little harder to get the ball where I wanted it to go

 

Distance – A pretty similar story here for distance, but maybe not quite as big of a gain. I'm probably a club longer with the 4 and 5 irons compared to my previous set, which also happens to be how much stronger the lofts are

 

Trajectory Characteristics – The ball flight is still higher here than my CMB's, but not as high as I was expecting based on the mid and short irons. All around though with these irons there are no issues with getting the ball in the air

 

Forgiveness – Similar to the accuracy of the long irons I also noticed they don't seem to be quite as forgiving as the mid and short irons. Don't get me wrong, they are more forgiving than any player's iron I have or have hit in the past. However if I don't concentrate on the swing they were much easier to lose to the right than the mid or short irons.

 

Control – Generally the long irons still do what I wanted them to do. I could hit it straight and also work the ball from left to right. Like I said earlier I don't have a draw in my arsenal, but if that's what you play I wouldn't expect you to have problems. Flighting it up or down is also doable, but it's much easier to hit the higher shot than the lower

 

Long Iron Score: (85-100)

 

 

 

Performance Notes

 

Overall I'm very happy with the way these irons perform…since the shaft change. With the stock Dynalite 90 shafts I was losing everything to the right. I really felt like I couldn't go after the ball and had to swing at about 75% to hit it well. I played two rounds with the stock shafts before swapping them out and after a while I started to figure them out and hit some decent shots. But I'm a firm believer in fitting your equipment to your swing, not the other way around.

 

With the correct shafts these irons really came alive. I could really go after the ball and I stopped losing everything to the right. If you like a lighter shaft and can get along with a R or S flex then stock might work for you. For me I need a heavier shaft and somewhere between S and XS or every ball I hit looks like a 747 going up and dipping a wing to the right.

 

With the Amp Cell miss-hits aren't punished nearly as much compared to my other irons and I really appreciated the distance gains. I am very happy with the performance of the set as a whole. My only advice would be to make sure you get fit before purchasing.

 

 

 

Total Performance Score: (92 out of 100)

 

 

Subjective

 

Looks

I've said it before and I'll say it again. These are the Blair O'Neal of GI irons. The overall look of the clubs is fantastic. The splash of color in the cavity along with the graphics really set it apart from any other iron in this category. The heads are a little bigger, the topline is a little thicker and they have a bit of visible offset, but none of that really matters. They just plain look great! My only two digs in the looks department are the ferrules and the shiny toe area. I'm used to playing irons with a satin finish, so having a high gloss area on the toe of the clubs made me a bit nervous. It only happened to me once, but if the sun catches the iron just right it can be blinding. Cobra also went to a lot of work making these irons look great and tying the color scheme all the way through the iron shaft band and into the grips. Then they put on these tiny black ferrules with silver rings that really don't go with anything. As you can see from my rebuilt set I'm a fan of the colored ferrules and I think they look much better now J

 

Looks Score: (98 out of 100) I had to take off one point for the ferrules and one point for them almost blinding me

 

 

Sound and Feel

 

I though the feel was very consistent through all the irons. Flush shots felt just as good as a nice forged iron. While this isn't really a bad thing, I did notice that less than flush shots still felt pretty good. The feedback on poor shots is still there, but it's much more subtle. Granted every round I've played with these has been in 80+ degree weather, but I don't think these irons would ever give you a “stinger” to the hands on a miss-hit. The best thing I can say about the sound is that I never really noticed it. Typically a “normal” sounding golf shot is just lost in the background and you don't even think about it. For me to notice the sound it needs to be a tin can sound like the older Nike drivers. None of that here, just a normal sounding golf shot.

 

Sound and Feel Score: (95 out of 100) It's not a purely struck forged blade so I can't give it a perfect score

 

 

Likelihood of Purchase

 

This is a tough one. Before testing these irons they wouldn't have even been on my radar. I would have walked down the aisle at Golf Galaxy and thought they looked cool, but I wouldn't have even hit them. Now after testing them out I'm realizing how much of a disservice I would have been doing myself. With a custom fitting I would absolutely buy these irons and I would highly recommend anyone in the market for GI irons, and even those in the market for a player's cavity back, to give these a fair shake.

 

 

 

LOP Score: (90 out of 100) I had to take off points for the lack of stock shaft options, but with a good fitting these are fantastic

 

Subjective Notes

 

 

 

There really isn't much not to like about these irons. They look great, they sound like a normal iron, and they have a good feel. I'm sure there are some traditionalists who will be turned off by the colors, but that's why they also offer them in silver. In my opinion I don't think you could find a better looking set of GI irons on the market today.

 

Total Subjective Score: (95 out of 100)

 

 

For me this really is a tale of two irons. Before I rebuilt the irons they had absolutely zero chance of staying in the bag. The stock offerings just weren't a good fit for my game and I was prepared to play a few rounds, write my review, and then shelf them or give them to my dad. Let's just say that I'm very happy I took the time to rebuild them to my specs. Sure there are a few little nit-picky things that I would change, and one big miss from Cobra's part. I'd add in ferrules that matched the color scheme of the irons and I'd give them a satin finish. The real big miss though is the lack of options in the stock shafts. I guess Cobra doesn't feel GI players will ever need an X flex shaft. Like I said at the beginning though, I chose to review the set based on rebuilding it to my specs, and with that in mind I really couldn't be happier. It's just plain fun to hit the ball farther and straighter, and that's what these irons have done for me.

 

 

 

Total Score: (94 out of 100)

 

The Five:

 

1. Will this iron go in your bag? Yes they will. I'm really going to miss the Adams CMB irons. They are one of the best feeling and looking irons on the market. But if someone hands you an extra (and straighter) 15 yards you take it and don't look back.

 

 

2. To whom would I recommend this iron? Honestly I'd recommend it to anyone who doesn't flush every shot. I'm currently a 7 handicap and never really thought I would play GI irons. However now that I have I think I'd have a really hard time going back.

 

 

3. How, if at all, did this iron change youroverall impression of the Cobra? I've been hearing and reading on forums over the past few years that Cobra has been putting out great clubs, but I still never really had the urge to try them out. After testing out these irons I must say I've started thinking of Cobra as a real contender in the equipment market and I'm very excited to see what happens with their clubs in the next few years

 

 

4. What features would I change in the nextgeneration of Amp Cells? I would get color matching ferrules and offer a line of heavier shafts and stronger flexes. If Cobra really wants people to play these they need a stronger stock offering

 

 

5. What did I really like and what do I want to seecontinued or evolved in the future? I really love the different color options and the aesthetics of these irons. Overall I really think Cobra nailed it with these.

 

 

 

[Paul S]

Paul has unboxed his AMP Cells!

 

Well folks, I tried to game the system while I was out of town, so to speak, and got burned! So, after a slightly longer wait, my Cobras arrived yesterday! I chose to order them in red to match basically every other piece of equipment that I own, and they look great!

 

As barbajo mentioned, there was no foam slots in the packaging; though, while I wouldn't ship something particularly fragile in the packaging from Cobra, it was definitely sufficient for a set of irons. Each club was wrapped at the top and the bottom, as well as wrapped top TO bottom, which spun the cat into a total state of excitement during which he thought he'd jump right in and help.

 

 

Upon getting everything unwrapped, and with some good-hearted (I think) teasing from my girlfriend about my golf "problem," I was immediately interested in comparing the Cobras to my current Wilson Staff FG Tour V2s. As expected, the Cobras are larger, with a thicker top line and sole, and a heck of a lot more offset. I wouldn't say that the Cobras are the largest or chunkiest game-improvement irons on the market. They are very attractive clubs and the color in the cavity looks better than I was expecting. I almost chose to get the silver ones, but I'm glad that I didn't.

 

 

I took the clubs out to the course today, and played 9... It started out rough (literally), and then I played the last four holes at even. I don't feel more confident over the Cobras, but that's a personal thing that I understand puts me among a minority. I can definitely understand how some people would feel more confident with them though.

 

 

Last year, at my first fitting ever, the fitter told me that after seeing the new 2013 gear from all of the manufacturers, he seemed certain that Cobra would be making some serious waves in the industry with their clubs. Naturally, I was interested to give some new Cobras a try for myself. I still need more time, of course, though the AMP Cells feel very good on purely struck shots, and are minimally punishing on off-center contact (as could be expected).

 

 

More to come!

[Paul S]

Cobra AMP Cell irons

 

 

As someone with a serious club-buying problem, I can assure you that the waiting process involved in getting new clubs is brutal. As I mentioned in my unboxing, I tried (and failed miserably) to have the clubs waiting for me when I returned from a trip and ended up almost going crazy waiting... And then the Cobra AMP Cells arrived, and all was right with the world. They were beautiful. Exceptionally beautiful, actually, given their purpose as a game improvement iron. These irons scream, “look at me... PLEASE, look at me!” Then, when they have your attention, they suck you in with a whole lot of promise.

 

 

Performance

Short Iron Performance

It's not the arrow; it's the Indian... It's not the arrow; it's the Indian... It's not the arrow; it's the Indian...

 

Ok, with that said, the short irons are excellent. After meeting up with barbajo, I didn't quite share the same feeling that the short irons were pinpoint, but they were precise and consistent. That would prove to be a common thread with the AMP Cells. You may get sick of reading this, but I was surprised to not pick up much distance with the short irons. There is maybe 5 yards separating the AMP Cells and my Wilson Staff FG Tour V2s, however it seemed to be even larger of a gap between the AMP Cell gap wedge and my Wilson Staff 50 degree gap wedge. This has been my biggest gripe, and in reality I could just buy a new wedge set to fit better with the AMP Cells.

 

You may also get sick of reading most of us reviewers whine about the stock shaft choice, but I really don't think that the Dynalite shaft fits most of us. I too, found shots launching into the stratosphere, even though I've never really had difficulty in getting the ball in the air. On the upside though, the short irons are forgiving. Very forgiving. In fact, the best thing about the forgiveness is that it doesn't seem to still come with a punishing, harsh reminder from the club that you're not as good as you want to be. You can smack it all around the face and it's still pretty nice to you. You definitely will feel some difference, but it won't scare you away.

 

Short Iron Score: 91 out of 100

 

To illustrate how high these bad boys launch, this is what happens when hckymeyer hits the ball and it finally comes back down.

 

Mid Iron Performance

As we get to the mid irons, things start to get more interesting. The ball still seems to only go straight when struck well, which is really great. I've enjoyed learning to work the ball lately, but the AMP Cells are resistant. Well, hey, if that's the way they want it, no problem. Unsurprisingly, the mid irons continue to launch the ball like a rocket, just farther than the more lofted clubs. They feel very controlled and strong, but just like the short irons, and thanks to the shafts, they're still a bit light, which can sometimes allow the swing to fall out of place.

There is still about a 5-10 yard distance gap between the AMP Cells and my gamers, but somehow a small part of me was expecting a little more because of the difference in loft and length. In any case, they still retain the feel and consistency of the smaller irons, and those attributes are actually exaggerated even more with the longer irons. The AMP Cells are an excellent mid iron!

 

Mid Iron Score: 93 out of 100

 

 

Long Iron Performance

At about the time that my Cobras arrived, I was hating my 4 iron (or it was hating me... same difference). I couldn't hit it, and I didn't know what to do. Enter the AMP Cells, and to be honest, the long irons were my absolute favorites of the bunch. Unlike the shorter clubs, I've found that I like a lighter swingweight in the longer irons. After having my other clubs MOI matched, rather than swingweight matched is when I started to figure out the long irons. The AMP Cell long irons also launch the ball pretty high (surprise surprise), and their accuracy and precision are hard to beat. All of a sudden the longest par 3s seemed sane. Nothing with the AMP Cells seemed easier than smoking a nice 200+ yard 4 iron with ease. It's not the Indian; it's the arrow... It's not the Indian; it's the arrow... It's not the Indian; it's the arrow...

 

Long Iron Score: 96 out of 100

 

 

Performance Notes

Let me just say that there is absolutely nothing wrong with the performance of the AMP Cells. They're long, straight and high. ‘Nuff said. They're perfect for the intended customer, and they can make anyone look good. I imagine that it's something like being blind and being guided by someone around the course. They don't open the door for a lot of creativity, but a vast majority of us are just looking to fix something anyway. So, go ahead, get yourself some AMP Cells. They're priced to sell and dressed to impress.

 

Total Performance Score: 93

 

http://i1168.photobucket.com/albums/r498/Paul_Schmitt/IMG_1125_zps5e295cda.jpg/img]

 

Subjective

 

Looks

Flashy. That is all.

 

Ok, seriously, the AMP Cells are some of the sleekest looking game improvement irons on the shelf. They took something that would sound a little cheesy in the coloring and they really made it into a top of the line club. They're eye-catching to all but the aforementioned blind person, and the shiny chrome looks like metal wrapped in water. They're stunning and clean. Somehow they seem to have masked the fact that they are game improvement irons with bigger soles, some offset, and perimeter weighting by distracting you with their subtlety. Even though I know that they are bigger than my other clubs, they don't SEEM like they're bigger. The topline isn't distracting, and the cavity, while flashy, is a non-factor when standing over the ball. I would absolutely say that the AMP Cells are the best looking game improvement irons out right now.

 

Looks Score: 97 out of 100

 

http://i1168.photobucket.com/albums/r498/Paul_Schmitt/IMG_1134_zpsdd6179db.jpg/img]

 

Sound and Feel

I may not have the world's most consistent swing, but I DO still have all my teeth. Thankfully, mishits feel only like the club is gently reminding you to go get some lessons. Purely struck shots feel great to boot. Not the best feeling club I've ever hit, but I could still get hooked on the purely struck feeling of the AMP Cells. They don't disappoint. The sound is somewhere in the middle of thunk and click, and despite how I've heard it described, I don't think it's “loud.” The insert in the cavity, while getting you to look twice, also doubles as a vibration dampener. The feel is excellent, though not quite as addictive as the pillowy feel of the Wilson Staff FG Tour V2s. Even still, for the category of club, I'd put the AMP Cells at or near the top of the list in feel.

 

Sound and Feel Score: 97 of 100

 

 

Likelihood of Purchase (LOP)

A year ago this number would be higher, but I was lucky when I bought my current irons and I got them for a steal. The biggest deterrents for me with the AMP Cells are the offset and the fact that I lean a little toward purist clubs. I may not be good enough to hit blades all day, but I enjoy the challenge and the pursuit of improvement. Maybe it's an ego issue. I thoroughly enjoy the AMP Cells, however, there still is a nagging feeling in the back of my mind that's telling me that someone with my ability 20 years ago didn't get to hit clubs with so much help. The biggest issue with the Cobras is the stock shaft. Get past that, and it should be smooth sailing.

 

LOP Score: 85 out of 100

 

The bag and my car (the Subaru in the background, of course)

 

 

Subjective Notes

Overall, the AMP Cells are a great set of irons. They feel the part, sound the part, and most DEFINITELY look the part. As a game improvement iron, it's hard to look so fresh while remaining subtle, but the AMPs do an excellent job of masking their user-friendliness in a beautiful package. I would actually have to nitpick to knock the AMP Cells.

 

Total Subjective Score: 93

 

 

To be completely honest, I really liked the Cobras, but I didn't seem to find myself as excited to hit them as I was for my other irons. They do what they're supposed to do, and extremely well at that, but I didn't feel as strong of a connection to the AMP Cells. I have neither the time nor the resources to swap shafts right now like some of the other guys have, but I suspect that doing so and having them MOI matched like my other irons may have helped. In the end, I would hate for my purist leanings in equipment to influence someone looking for one of the best game improvement irons out there, because the Cobra AMP Cells have the whole package. I still think they're beautiful, and I still think they've got every bit of the performance that they should. They just never felt like “mine.” I'm not sure how better to describe what I mean. Either way, I would whole-heartedly suggest giving any of the new Cobras a shot. I'm grateful beyond words for the opportunity to review the AMP Cells for MyGolfSpy and in particular for the opportunity to do so with some other great members (especially in MN).

 

Total Score: 93

 

Half the set has the circular face, and half does not... What's up with that?

 

The Five

1. Will this iron go in your bag? Why or why not?

Well... No, I don't think so. As I mentioned, I don't have the time or resources to have another set of irons built to spec right now, and the Dynalite shaft isn't doing the trick for me. It would take a direct hit from a bolt of lightning to abandon my current FG Tours and their sneaky forgiveness.

 

2. To whom, if anyone, would you recommend this iron? Why?

I would recommend the AMP Cells particularly to the golfers transitioning from high handicaps to the teens and lower. They aren't the shovels that some beginners need, but they can be highly rewarding and extremely helpful.

 

3. How, if at all, did this iron change your overall impression of Cobra?

I've had a pretty positive view of Cobra actually. They had previously been a bit nondescript, but thanks the shot of excitement from players like Fowler, they've turned into a bona fide manufacturer. They've started to really pump out some good gear.

 

4. What feature would you change or eliminate from the next generation of this model?

The shaft... Well, don't eliminate it, but PLEASE change it. PLEASE!!!

 

5. What feature do you really like, and would most like to see continued or evolved in future models?

The coloring in the cavity was surprisingly more cool in person than in pictures. It really looks nice. I wouldn't mind seeing a cast tour model akin to the RBladez Tour. Possibly if they would dump the AMP Forged line and replaced it with a AMP Cell Tour line below the AMP Cell Pros.

[Mrs.Manbearpig]

THEY'RE HEEEERE! UNBOXING

 

Almost two months of patiently waiting, of watching enviously reading each person's unveiling of their new shiny toys, of constantly bugging my shipping guy at work to see if they're here (like EV-ER-Y DAY!), after tweeting Cobra Golf and getting a response that they are “looking into my order”. Thursday last week was CHRISTMAS IN AUGUST!!!

 

I had gone to my shipping guy Andy looking for some supplies and he said “Yeah it's right next to those two boxes to your right”. Of course I'm looking for the supplies and didn't notice until he mentioned the boxes another couple times. Noticing the Cobra logo, I let out a squeal of delight followed by a little celebration dance.

 

 

Professionally packaged, as I would expect, from a reputable company like Cobra. Each individual iron wrapped to protect my new beauties. I'll save the rest for the review, until then enjoy the pictures!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

But wait! What's with the second box? Like Alice in Wonderland I grew curiouser and curiouser… (stay tuned for that in another thread!).

[Mrs.Manbearpig]

Product Name – Official MGS Forum Review by Mrs. Manbearpig

 

 

INTRO

 

When I first started to get into the game of golf, there was the appeal of shiny new toys and pretty scenery….like Camillo Villegas. I don't think he's sponsored by Cobra anymore but my path with this sport had a little motivation from a fit Brazilian with the move named after one of my phobias.

 

After two years of marriage, I still hadn't hit a driver, and we were finally heading on our honeymoon to Maui. We stayed at a Kapalua villa and had a tee time to play the Plantation course the very next day. The rental clubs I used were a set of Cobra irons and a Cobra driver… my very first driver struck ever. Cobra has held my best golf memory of all time. Stepping up on the tee box, with the Pacific Ocean and Molokai in the background, the humidity keeping my muscles relaxed as I gripped the King Cobra S2 driver in my hands and set up to the ball. What happened next is engrained in my memory so vividly. That take-away, swing, follow through, and watching that ball go screaming down the centre of the fairway, landing just past Dan's drive, and the sense of excitement to play the rest of the round. I broke 100 on that course that day, for the first time as well.

 

Call me a “girlie girl” if you want but I like pink and although the blue didn't go with my pink color scheme, upon our return to Vancouver, I purchased that driver that I had used in Hawaii.

 

 

Performance

 

Short Iron Performance

 

I didn't think switching irons would impact my game so much. I lost my swing completely and it wasn't the clubs fault, but more so what was going on in my head. A couple lessons with my CPGA Sean and I was back on track.

 

My short iron performance definitely needs a little more help. However, I did feel a sense of confidence that allowed me to reach a level of accuracy unlike before; super accurate. When struck well, these clubs climb higher and add maybe just a tad more distance.

 

One of the things I noticed in comparison to my old clubs is that the club head is noticeably a little heavier. I think this really helps with hitting down on the ball with the short irons making it easier to get the ball up in the air (especially in grabby rough).

 

You're only as good as your swing. I try not to get too fancy and in terms of control these irons allow me to feel more comfortable and get the ball to go where I want to.

 

Short Iron Score: (95 out of 100)

 

 

Mid Iron Performance

 

The heavier club head allows me to hit the mid-irons with more accuracy, giving me the confidence I need when I'm hitting it well.

I definitely get more distance with these clubs when struck well, which shaves off the extra yardage that I would need to tackle with my old clubs. I actually find myself on the green more often than using my short irons.

 

Expect a high to mid ball flight with these clubs; it's pretty easy to get the ball in the air with little force. Still reliable in the rough, if you miss the fairway.

 

If you're looking for forgiveness, these irons will help a little bit. I find if on miss-hits the ball comes of really hot and but with a lower ball flight. They usually go a little shorter than what I want as I've been miss–hitting right lately. I am really battling my timing issue, so I don't blame the clubs for this.

 

More or less I can usually get the ball to where I need it to with ease. I am generally more right than left lately. Control is still good here.

 

Mid Iron Score: (95 out of 100)

 

 

Long Iron Performance

 

I had the hardest time with these irons as once again the heavier club head weight is really noticeable. I never really felt comfortable with the 6i and 5i in this set. I didn't really feel in control and tended to hit the ball heavy off the fairway. One can easily argue this to be swing related, but it still had me shying away from the five & six and opting for an easy hybrid more often than not. Hopefully more time with these will build more confidence.

 

Expect a higher trajectory than normal, especially if you're hitting out of the rough which is always a bonus. I will point out miss-hits still come off the face pretty hot, although lower but with minimal loss of distance. Speaking of distance if you are looking for an advantage, these really do give you extra yardage when struck well.

 

 

Long Iron Score: (92 out of 100)

 

 

Performance Notes

 

If you're looking for a great GI set for ladies, overall, these are a set to help promote confidence. Pair these with good basic swing mechanics and you too will share my love for higher ball flight, extra distance and more consistent accuracy that will be hard to kick out of the bag.

 

Total Performance Score: 94

 

 

Subjective

 

Looks

 

These irons are gorgeous! And the fact that they come in the right color pink (none of that “frou frou” baby pink crap), a cabaret pink, deep and more adult like is just what tickles my fancy. As much as I am a “girlie girl” I think certain things should still have a “grown up” look to them. Not everything needs to be pink, it's about balance. Cobra nailed it!

 

Whoever says esthetics do not matter is WRONG. I like to make sure the clubs I'm hitting are easy on the eyes. These clubs have a professional look to them, like a player's topline. At the start though, I will say that the logo in the cavity stuck out to me and was initially a distraction. I soon grew used to the logo being there, now I don't even notice it.

 

The offset is really well hidden; I really didn't notice it much. My old irons had a slight offset so perhaps this is why it doesn't really bother me.

 

Overall great color options offered by Cobra for the heads and grips. I think the only thing I would like to see is more ladies shaft options or color. The 90's splattered color shafts aren't exactly my first preference but in the long run something I can live with. All together the club looks hot! I love em!

 

Looks Score: (99 out of 100)

 

 

Sound and Feel

 

They definitely sound different. I am not super keen on the sound coming off the face, a little more of a click than my more muted old clubs. You can really tell when you're not hitting it on the sweet spot as well, which can be a good thing if you're working on swing corrections. Miss-hits sound different for sure but the feel on good shots is consistent throughout the set.

 

I have one big problem with these irons, and guys I know a lot of you will disagree with me (as Dan does). I hate the grips! They look great but my dainty, soft hands must be wearing gloves or I face what I can only describe as the equivalent to a grip-shaped lemon zester. OUCH! Do these work out to be softer because I am seriously considering changing these to the ladies DriTac that I have on my old clubs (they don't look as good as the ones on the Amp Cells but they feel better!). I really feel this messed up the whole feel to my game. This is huge! It took me a long time to get comfortable with these, and I'm still not 100%. Please Cobra; get a softer, but just as sexy pink grip on these clubs!

 

Sound & Feels Score: (85 out of 100)

 

 

Likelihood of Purchase (LOP)

 

My likelihood of purchasing these irons would be high. There are very few iron sets out there that tick as many boxes for me than these Cobra Amp Cells. 1) Aesthetics 2) Fits my eye at set up 3) Doesn't feel like a beginner set 4) Distance!

 

LOP Score: (100 out of 100)

 

 

Subjective Notes

 

Let's face it I tried a few swings at the last golf show and I was in love (I also fell in love with the driver). These irons are great for the intermediate golfer who is looking to chop a few strokes off their game. If you like the opportunity to personalize your bag, the Cobra Amp Cells are a great choice.

 

Total Subjective Score: 95 (average of Looks, Sound & Feel, and LOP Scores)

 

 

I feel like I'm writing a thesis, so I'm going to make this short but sweet. If you're looking for a sexy set of irons, in which you have customizable options, get distance and more accuracy, these are great irons. It was hard for me to give up my CG Pinks, but I would buy them.

 

Total Score: 94.5 (average Performance and Subjective Scores)

 

 

The Five

 

1. Will this iron go in your bag? Why or why not?

It will go in my bag, but I may swap out the long irons for my old ones,

because something is messing with me and I am not as comfortable with them

yet.

 

2. To whom, if anyone, would you recommend this iron? Why?

Intermediate players who need to jump to the next step and need more

distance.

 

3. How, if at all, did this iron change your overall impression of Cobra?

Cobra is still a stand up company that makes quality items

 

4. What feature would you change or eliminate from the next generation of this model?

The GRIPS for the ladies!! They need to be softer please.

 

5. What feature do you really like, and would most like to see continued or evolved in future models?

The cavity design

[Highlander]

The unveiling by the Highlander of the new Cobra AMP Cells;

 

Upon opening the box, the packing seems pretty standard with just enough to keep the clubs from getting damaged from any rough housing on the trip. Even before the clubs were unwrapped, the blue jumped out at me like a blue marlin on a deep sea fishing trip. While the club heads were wrapped acceptably, the shafts were so lightly covered they'd make Victoria's Secret blush. Once I got the clubs unwrapped, the blue was screaming to be the center of attention on the tee box. The bright vivid blue called to my heart and soul as much as the Scottish Highlands and thus, I was forced to go and purchase a pair of matching golf shoes and a wee bottle of Scotch.

The club heads have a beautiful mirror finish with striking blue inserts which will grab the attention of the gallery. The shafts exude excitement in their own right. Looking down the grooves, it's like teeth on a hungry wolf waiting to pounce on the ball. The offset appears to be a wee bit more than what I am used to, but I will have to delay judgment until I put these handsome lads in play. The ferrules, however, leave a little bit to be desired. The wider soles do give them a nice end weight when you swing. While the standard set only comes with one wedge, I was quite excited to see that I could customize the set by sacrificing the 3 and 4 irons for 3 wedges. Since I'm in the trees more than a lumberjack, I prefer to carry 5 wedges and a tree wood so I can go over or through anything.

Overall, my initial impression is they are a great looking set of clubs for those that like a wee bit of flair. They have a nice balanced feel and weight. Can't wait to tee up on the local links and see if, like me, there's more to them than just their dapper good looks. I should be able to get in 18 today, hit the range twice and play two more time this week. So, from me, the new clubs, and a dram of the good stuff, to honest men and bonnie lasses: Sláinte!

[Highlander]

Cobra Amp Cell Irons – Official MGS Forum Review by Highlander

Side view of the green.

I started playing golf in 1980 when hair bands were big and club heads were small. After the initial triple hand me downs with wooden shafts and woods (made of wood), I advance to a refurbished set of Golfsmith's. Next I finally got some new clubs the oversized King Cobra's with graphite shafts. Those clubs were my club of choice up until two months ago, when I bought a set of Wilson D-100's. I received my new clubs just two weeks before the arrival of the Cobra AMP Cells. So just about a quarter of a century with the same clubs and then BOOM I have two new sets.

 

To select my new clubs I tested clubs at Golfsmith for over six months, went to a couple of demo days at the local courses and spent more hours online researching than I care to count (I am pretty sure I saw the edge of the internet a couple of times). Throughout this process I never looked at Cobra as their name had disappeared over the years. The name did not come up in my research as a top GI club, it did not pop up in my searches, and no one I know has them. Lastly, I tested clubs by renting, borrowing, using, or whatever I could to try them out. I finally made up my mind and bought the Wilson D-100's. Yes, I had already entered to become a tester but the deal on the clubs was really good and let's faces it what were my chances of being selected? As it turns out pretty good.

 

I started my quest to become a real golfer last September. Since then I have dropped my handicap by 15 points. Worked the kinks out of my driver and won 17 long drive contests this year. I started working on the irons and voila the old technology wasn't up to the task. If you've ever played a bunker in Scotland then, you know, you need a high hitting club to get out of there or a folding chair and a bottle of single cask.

 

How did I test these clubs? I went to Golfsmith to see how they hit on the monitor. I went to the range, comparing them to several other sets. I played 18 rounds of golf with them. So let's see how they fared in the testing.

 

Irons Tested with:

 

 

MRC COBRA AMP CELL Graphite Shaft

 

Stiff flex, Mid kick, Mid Torque, 58g

 

Grips = COBRA Lamkin REL 3GEN 360 Blue

 

Performance

 

“Many a good tale is spoiled in the telling.”

-Old Drunken Scotsman

 

Short Iron Performance (PW, GW, SW)

 

I played with these right out of the box. This let me know how easy these clubs are to use. Straight away the accuracy was noticeable. I am usually pretty decent with the short irons. With these weapons in my arsenal I am deadly. If I aim strait at the target and just hit it, the ball will go to the target (you know, plus or minus three yards).

 

The distance factor was something to get used to. The PW and GW went further than I am used to but they were very consistent so it only took a couple of shots to determine the distance. For me the distance is much better with the new Cobra AMP Cell, the graphite shaft and the metalwood face seem to match up perfectly with my swing. It appears if you swing to fast or to slow you lose distance (yes, I have done both… on the course… with some degree of frequency. As compared to the new Wilson D-100's the distance is the same but these hit higher.

 

Distance AMP King Cobras Distance

145 yards PW (44°) PW (43°) 125 yards

120 yards GW (49°) GW (50°) 112 yards

90 yards SW (54°) SW (56°) 100 yards

 

The trajectory characteristics are different; I normally hit the ball pretty high, higher than most of my golfing mates. With the AMP's I hit it even higher without losing distance. This is awesome; For example when you hit a drive into the other fairway, that second shot over the really tall oak trees is a breeze with the AMP's. The ball cleared the oak trees with lots of room to spare. The higher launch means it stops faster on the green. Additionally if I don't over swing I get backspin.

 

These are extremely forgiving clubs. Since I am not quite at the Rory/Tiger level this is important as there are still about 5-10 of those (dang, seriously, WTH) shots in my game each time I go out. I noticed the first time out that there is very little loss in distance on a hit that didn't quite meet expectations. I seem to only lose about 5 – 10 yards with a miss-hit, barring any ditch digging shots where I tried to find water below the ball by gouging out the dirt with my swing.

 

Normally I cannot shape the ball at all. With the AMP Cells if I try to shape the shot (impossible with my other clubs) I can get about 10 yards right or left, fade or draw with the AMP's. I can make the ball go high (that is the easy part; I can keep it medium but can't make it go low. Not that I can do that with any club, I can't.

 

The sand wedge worked great. I made some really awesome shots out of the sand. I did not like the fact that the mirrored finish was scratched the first time I hit from the sand but the great results I got made me happy. I use the sand wedge for my chips and they are deadly. With this wedge 90% of my chips are within 6 feet or better of the pin.

 

Short Iron Score: (96 out of 100)

 

 

Mid Iron Performance (9i – 7i)

 

This is where the accuracy is really defined. The spread on the hitting zone for my old 7i was 44 yards. With the AMP Cells the ball will land in a 17 yard circle That is smaller than most greens so if I don't try and kill the ball, keep my head down, don't drop my shoulder I should be on in two. These clubs also hit further comparing the same degree of loft. The accuracy with these is very good. It may be better with a better player but they are in the very good range for me. If I miss-hit the ball I know I will be where I can hit and usually only lose 5-10 yards.

 

Distance AMP King Cobras Distance

185 yards 7i (31°) 7i (32°) 175 yards

175 yards 8i (35°) 8i (35°) 160 yards

160 yards 9i (39°) 9i (39°) 145 yards

 

The ball goes much higher with these clubs. When hitting one of these mid-irons people always ask ‘did you hit a wedge?' No, these clubs just go that high. The ball is so easy to get up the air you don't even have to try.

 

I found that I could control the ball more with these than the lower irons. Going high is automatic, shooting mid-range is not hard, going low is doable I'm just not that good at it. I can purposely fade or draw about 20-25 yards if I open or close the face about 5° and swing normally. There is about a 5-10 yard loss in distance on the fade and the same gain on a draw.

 

Mid Iron Score: (97 out of 100)

 

 

Long Iron Performance (5i, 6i)

 

Being as I am still a high handicapper this range is where it gets finicky. With my old clubs I rarely take these irons out. The problem with the old club was a good shot only happened about 10% of the time. The rest of the time I am getting out another ball, hunting in the rough or walking up about 70 yards to try again. I just love the look on my mates face when they have a wood in their hand and I hit a 5 or 6 right to the green. I am able to hit these about 85% of the time. Sure all the practice and playing have made some difference so I went to the range and compared these to my old clubs. Yes I am somewhat better with the old clubs but not enough to use them in front of people. These clubs are very accurate, line up, swing and it will be right where you aimed.

 

Distance AMP King Cobras Distance

225 yards 5i (24°) 5i (26°) 200 yards

205 yards 6i (27°) 6i (29°) 185 yards

 

If you like hitting the ball higher these do the job. I just line up and swing and the ball will go high. I have been able to keep it low or hit it mid-level with these also. No I don't do it all the time but then I am not known by one name – yet (Cory, Tiger, Shark…).

 

These seem to be the Mother Theresa of clubs (they are totally forgiving). In other words, if I hit a little fat or thin the ball will still go pretty much where I wanted it to. Yes it is about 10 yards shy of a good hit but I am still in play. If I over or under swing it will move right or left about 10 yards. No worries, I will still be in play.

 

With these I can shape the ball by either opening or closing the face or by changing my grip. If I just get up there and swing they go right down the middle. If I exaggerate that and swing a little harder I can force a hook or a slice (not a bad one but enough for the hard left dog legs we have in Texas). Being GI clubs they won't let you shape it as much as those playing with blades but then if you're using GI clubs you can't do that anyway, right? I expect these clubs will help me drop a few points off the handicap fairly quickly.

 

Long Iron Score: (100 out of 100)

 

 

Performance Notes

 

These are very forgiving clubs and really easy to hit. I have played with them for six weeks and have shot some of my best games with them. The sweet spot is very large and the ability for some shot shaping make them a perfect choice for a mid to high handicapper. If you haven't given these a shot head down to the local golf store and try them yourself.

 

Total Performance Score: (98 out of 100)

 

 

Subjective[/b]

 

Looks

 

The top line is a little fat but if they were a fat Scotsman they would say ‘I'm dead sexy! Look at my sexy body… would you like some chicken'. You don't look at the topline when you play so move on. Everyone who sees these on the course says they are really good looking clubs. The cavity back, grips, mirror finish, dampeners, and the graphite shafts really work well together.

 

The heads are a little smaller or (appear that way) than most of the other GI irons I have tried and yet the sweet spot is very large. I like the fact that all of the clubs in the set are pretty much the same. There are semi-circle wave lines (faint ridges you can feel) on the 5i - 7i, the 8i – GW are 1/8” taller than the longer irons, and the SW is another 1/8” taller than those. Consistency means I can count of the same performance for each club, obviously with differing distance.

 

Initially I thought the offset would bother me. However, once I started playing I never looked at it again. The graphics are nice especially in blue. Couple that with the mirror finish and you have an awesome looking club. Visually these are some of the best looking clubs I have ever seen. I love the way they look on the course. Even though they do detract from the kilt I like them a lot. I just need sport kilts that match or complement the clubs.

 

These clubs are not a grey suit with a plain tie; they are a fashion statement with a colored shirt and a bolo tie.

 

Looks Score: (100 out of 100)

 

 

Sound and Feel

 

These shafts and colors scream for a big sound when you hit the ball. Instead you get a faint but clean sound that whispers ‘that was a nice clean hit'. A miss hit is a little more of a thunk. At least if you get the thunk you don't get the vibration I think the dampener and graphite shafts take care of that. After 324 holes I have yet to feel a vibration up the club. As with the club heads the feel is consistent across all clubs.

 

Sound and Feel Score: (92 out of 100)

 

 

Likelihood of Purchase (LOP)

 

Until trying these clubs I honestly would not have looked at them. Now I believe they are the only club for me. I think anyone looking for a GI club should at least try these. A key point is trying them with the shaft that is meant for you. I tried some of the other shafts at the store and they weren't as good for me as these. In the fitting session (before we ordered) we determined which shaft was best for my swing, lie, length, and grips. I believe that made all the difference in the world. I was very lucky that the best shafts for me were offered for the testing.

 

LOP Score: (98 out of 100)

 

 

Subjective Notes

 

We have an old saying ‘Twelve highlanders and a bagpipe make a rebellion' well eight cobra AMP Cells in a bag make a revolution! I love the color options and the way they hit. Since they use metalwood technology could we get a metalwood sound out of them? As stated by hckymeyer they need to add colored ferrules to finish off these clubs.

 

These clubs have a certain magic about them. It's as though they are staring at you and saying ‘you want to play with me, don't you'. I think its witchcraft. When they arouse a need in me, my heart says ‘let's go, time to hit the links!'

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZeEe-OVSpp4

 

Total Subjective Score: (97 out of 100)

 

“There is no love without forgiveness, and there is no forgiveness without love.” ~ Bryant H. McGill

These clubs have so much forgiveness they make you love them!

 

Imagine yourself tending the livestock in the glen. Would you rather use a pine stick or one from Rowan (mountain ash)? Why Rowan of course. Tis a far better tool for the job a hand, only not as common as pine or oak. The same can be said of the GI club. You can use what the others are using and still play a good game or you can get something that is not only stylish enough for Maxim or GQ but allows you to hit the ball higher and farther than everyone else.

 

The Cobra AMP Cell is the top of the line for GI clubs and yet you can still shape the ball. If you're not stuck in the old days of plain clubs you can pick a more noticeable color otherwise there is always silver. When first seen on the course the color and style will grab your attention (ferrules notwithstanding). The loft on these clubs is a bit different from what you might be used to but most of the newer GI clubs have done this. However, they still hit further than any old club with the same loft and go higher to boot.

 

Cobra really needs get the word out about how great of GI iron they have created. They need to be at the golf days demo and the golf expo's (I would gladly represent them). They were at neither event when I was ready for my last purchase. I thought I was dead set on one of the big names you always here in GI clubs but Wilson was there, I tried them, and boom there she was. Now I believe if Cobra had been there I would have bought these clubs. By getting a review from MGS they are on the right swing path to stardom.

 

Total Score: (97.5 of 100)

 

 

The Five (AKA; review for those with ADD) Yes four lassies plus a club makes five.

 

1. Will this iron go in your bag? Yes, that is where they are now. Why or why not? I have played some of the best golf of my life since I started using these clubs. I can hit longer, higher and more accurately (it's like being the six-million dollar man).

 

2. To whom, if anyone, would you recommend this iron? Pretty much anyone who doesn't play scratch golf. Why? Everyone who has tried these loves them. Several of my golfing mates are going to buy them now.

 

3. How, if at all, did this iron change your overall impression of Cobra/PUMA Golf? In the heyday of the King Cobra they were one of the top sought after clubs. In the past 15 years or so several others have taken over and Cobra was forgotten. These clubs tell me that Cobra is back in it to win it!

 

4. What feature would you change or eliminate from the next generation of this model? I can't think of eliminating anything. I would add matching colored ferrules, offer more color choices, and increase the shaft options.

 

5. What feature do you really like, and would most like to see continued or evolved in future models? I really like the results that come from the metalwood iron face. If they can get more of a metalwood sound that would be awesome. Evolving the colors I think would enhance individuality which fits in with the modern day golfer.

[SMRT]

PHASE 1: Unboxing/Initial Impressions for SMRT!

I could hardly believe I had been chosen for this testing opportunity but it all became real when I saw this box sitting on my door step. I have considered trying out some new irons this year so having this opportunity to test these new Cobra Amp Cell Irons will be a great way to start my 3rd season of golf.

 

 

 

Upon opening, my eye immediately jumped to the bright blue grips. I knew the back of the heads were going to be colored but I was unaware that the grips would also be blue. I was pleasantly surprised by this addition. They really make the clubs pop!

 

 

 

Once I got the plastic off of the heads you could really appreciate the finish and the colors of each head. It is hard to get a picture that does them justice, but it is also hard to take a picture that does not show my ugly mug in the mirror finished areas.

 

 

 

After further inspection I noticed this sticker on the 6 iron. Explosive Distance! Sounds good to me, let's give it a try.

 

 

 

The only real concern that I have is that we were only given stock shaft options, which are limited. The steel option they have chosen to offer is the True Temper Dynalite 90's. I went with the stiff option, since it was the stiffest available. Since I am used to playing a much heavier and stiffer option, I am interested to see how that affects my shot performance. I am expecting a higher than normal trajectory based on the shaft information from TT.

 

 

 

Overall first impression is that these irons look great. The grips have a nice soft feel but appear to be very durable as well. After taking a few dry swings in my garage I am anxious to get out and hit some balls. If they perform even close to how good they look, this is going to be a fun test!

[SMRT]

Cobra Amp Cell Irons – Official MGS Forum Review by SMRT

 

 

I started playing golf in the spring of 2011 with a set of Ping ISI-K irons with stiff JZ shafts that my brother-in-law gave me and a Ping G10 driver with a stiff PL Red shaft I picked up used on ebay. During my first season I lost something like 200 golf balls, mostly off the tee box. I was frustrated with that so I started doing some research on how to improve.

Since I lost most of my strokes with the driver that first year I started there first. I went and got fitted at my local Golf Galaxy for a new Ping G20 driver. Their machine measured my Swing Speed at 118 so they set me up with an X-flex shaft. After caving in the face on two, G-20 drivers I started swinging Geek drivers with long drive shafts from House of Forged and Enzo that are 4x stiff flex (Typically my SS is 125-130 with my fastest so far at 136). I actually competed in my first local Long Drive Regional competition last month. My shaft broke in my first round and nerves got me in the second so I was not able to advance any further this year.

Now that I have my driver dialed in I started noticing how bad my iron play actually was. After shanking my second shot on every hole one round I was convinced that my next move was to get fitted for a new set of irons and shafts. I had not gotten fitted before I was given the opportunity to try these Cobra Amp Cell Irons. It could not have come at a better time. I knew that the Dynalite 90 stiff flex shafts were not going to be a good fit for me but X-flex shafts were not an option.

 

Irons Tested with:

 

 

True Temper Dynalite 90, Stiff flex, High launch, 90g

 

Grips – COBRA Lamkin REL 3GEN (Built up to Oversized)

 

Performance

 

 

Short Iron Performance

 

• Accuracy – I feel for my skill level the short irons in this set are very accurate if I slow my swing down or take half swings. My friends and I play H-O-R-S-E on the driving range and I had never been able to hold my own until I got these Cobra Amp Cell Irons. I actually tied my buddy for the first time ever because of the short irons in this set.

• Distance – When comparing distance to my existing irons it was surprising. Even though the Amp Cells are lofted 1 club stronger than my ISI-K's, with the higher launching shafts, the Amp Cell Irons are actually shorter than my ISI-K's. My ISI-K PW (47*) would be around 120 to 125 yards and the Amp Cell PW (44*) is 105 to 110. Also my previous 9i (42.5*) was around 150 and now the Amp Cell 9i (39*) is closer to 130. I am ok losing the distance, especially since I have gained the accuracy.

• Trajectory Characteristics – I launch the ball about the same as I do with most irons. I typically fly the ball very high with any irons and it is not any different with this set.

• Forgiveness – Since I am still very new to the game of golf I do tend to have mis-hits every time I go out. I feel that with these Cobra Amp Cell Irons that even if I miss a little the clubs forgiveness will help me out. Now instead of being a lost ball it is just another missed green and a chance for a short chip.

• Control – As I mentioned above, being new to the game I do not call my shot too often. I aim at a target and hope it ends up close to said target. If the ball wants to go straight or take a scenic route, I am happy as long as it is close in the end. One thing I have noticed with these shafts is that if I take a full, hard swing the ball will end up right of the target. If I slow my swing down I can hit the ball straight, but no matter what I try, I have not been able to force a draw at all with these short irons.

 

Short Iron Score: (85 out of 100)

 

 

Mid Iron Performance

 

• Accuracy – I do feel that the mid-irons in this set are very similar to the short irons when it comes to accuracy. If I modify my swing I can hit the targets I am aiming at pretty well. If I try to go after one it will be a power fade every time. It is an accurate fade as long as I aim far enough left.

• Distance – I definitely lost distance with the mid-irons in this set. Again, I am blaming the shafts more than the clubs. My ISI-K 7i (34.5*) was going about 175 to 180 yards and now the Amp Cell 7i (31*) is 160 yards. Even though it may hurt my ego a little on the course, the accuracy gained with these clubs makes up for the distance loss.

• Trajectory Characteristics – I launch the ball about the same as I do with most irons. I typically fly the ball very high with any irons and it is not any different with this set. The height and spin definitely helps get the ball stopped on the green with these mid-irons.

• Forgiveness – The Cobra Amp Cell mid-irons are very similar in forgiveness as the short irons in the set. It is nice that even when I miss, I am not grabbing another ball from my bag, I am just left with a short chip.

• Control – Due to the fact that the shafts are not even close to what I need or what I am used to I have zero control if I swing how I like to swing. If I slow down or take partial swings I can get the ball straight, but I have yet to fade a ball with the mid-irons in this set.

 

Mid Iron Score: (70 out of 100)

 

 

Long Iron Performance

 

• Accuracy – With the skill level I have, I rarely hit a long iron. I have never carried a 4 or 5 iron. Trying these out, I hit about 1 out of 10 shots in the direction I wanted only they were a lot shorter than I wanted. Most of my misses were low slices or high and very short. They would work great if I needed a low stinger. I could half swing and hit it straight and low so it would roll, but how often do you need that shot unless you are scrambling out from under a tree branch?

• Distance – This was the most disappointing part of this iron set. They were way shorter than my ISI-K's. I lost about 30 yards per club and that was with a full swing so it was not even close to straight. I do think it is mostly because the shaft is just not right for me.

• Trajectory Characteristics – The long irons do not change my launch much. Especially this set. I launch the ball higher than most amateurs, but these clubs do make it easy to get the ball up in the air and stop the ball on a dime.

• Forgiveness – This is a hard portion to review since I could not consistently hit the long irons in this set.

• Control – I could not control the long irons in this set at all. I know I am probably sounding like a broken record at this point but these shafts are not for me so it is very hard to give these long irons a solid test.

 

 

Long Iron Score: (50 out of 100)

 

 

Performance Notes

 

The day after I received the Cobra Amp Cell Irons I took them to a local simulator for a little testing session. Above are my first swings with the 8 iron. The 4 on the right is the Cobra Amp Cell and the 3 on the left are from my Ping ISI-K's. That day on the simulator I was very impressed. I shot a 6 over 78 for a round of 18. As I said above, my average score is 102 so a 78, even on a simulator, is mind blowing! I was so excited to get these clubs to the range and the course. Later that week I went to the range and quickly learned that my “real” scores were not going to be the same as I had on the simulator. It was very evident that the stiff flex Dynalite 90 shafts were not a good fit for my swing. I had to slow down so much to hit a ball straight that I lost so much distance it was embarrassing. I could adjust on the range but it was a different story on the course. I always seem to revert to my hard, aggressive swing while making shots on the course so I was losing a lot of shots right, some of them really far right. I am excited to re-load these clubs with a shaft better fitted to my swing and give it another try.

Total Performance Score: 68.333

 

Comparison pics of the Cobra Amp Cell's vs. PING ISI-K's. (W, 7, & 4)

 

Subjective

Looks

 

• General shape – The Cobra Amp Cell Irons do appear to be about average in size and are consistent throughout the set. They are smaller than my previous set so when they showed up I was concerned but they look great while standing over them so I barely noticed the difference.

• Topline – The topline is a little wider than I was used to and it appears to have a slight taper in width. I am not one to focus on the topline while setting up over the club so as long as it is not distracting or overly clunky it usually works. The topline of these clubs just blends in well for me so there were no issues on approach.

• Offset – I have never even noticed the differences in offsets until I started filling out this review. I guess I have to say that the offset on the Cobra Amp Cell Irons is not distracting nor does it cause any issues at address. Maybe when I get better I will start noticing these things without being asked? Doubt it!

• Graphics – The graphics on the backside of these clubs is very cool. The colors are very bright and the web design just makes the clubs look great.

• Other unique details of the iron – I like the mirror finish on the non-contact surface of the face of these clubs. This was another area of concern for me when the clubs arrived but it is not distracting at all and it makes the clubs look great from above.

• How does it come together visually – Visually these clubs come together perfectly for me. I like the non-distracting extra touches on the front and then flip it over to show the wild bright colors on the back. These are some of the best looking irons on the market.

• How does it compare to other clubs in its category – I went and looked at many of the “Game Improvement” irons this past winter and so many of them had me saying no before I even swung the club. They were so chunky or dark or both that there was no way I wanted to look down on them on the golf course. Being very new to golf I do not have the skill to swing the very nice looking blades or other forged options out there that have the look I like. I was very pleased when the Cobra Amp Cell Irons arrived. I think these are by far the best looking “GI” irons on the market.

 

Looks Score: (100 of 100)

 

 

Sound and Feel

 

• With a sticker like this on the face of the club you may expect these things to sound like the Hammer X Driver infomercial where the guy yells “BOOM!” at impact. If that is what you are looking for you will be disappointed.

The audio feedback from the Cobra Amp Cell irons when you make good contact is clean and smooth. They are not loud or dull or clicky. On mis-hits, they are a little clickier but that is always welcome feedback to remind you on what not to do on the next shot.

• The feel of these irons are very similar to the sound. On good contact they feel great. There is not vibration or twisting of the grip. I had shafts with the sensicore inserts before and these feel better than they ever did. When I do not make good centered contact there is some twisting and vibration feedback to my hands, but again, I do not mind some negative feedback on a bad shot because it is motivation to make a clean shot the next time.

• For me the feel is consistent all the way through the set. As I explained above, I am not good with the longer irons so I had a lot more mis-hits with them than the others but when I did make clean contact they felt great.

 

S & F Score: (95 out of 100)

 

 

Likelihood of Purchase

 

• The likelihood of me purchasing these irons is a loaded question. In the current set-up with the TT Dynalite 90 Stiff shafts, I would say no. I would not purchase these irons because it is not the right combination for me. I will update this answer after re-loading the irons with shafts that are fitted to my swing and I have a feeling my answer is going to change.

LOP Score: (60 out of 100)

 

 

Subjective Notes

 

From a total subjective point of view, I like the clubs except I have one major area of disappointment. The shafts! I actually feel bad about the above performance scores because I really feel that it is caused by the fact that these shafts were just not for me. I think Cobra would have gotten a much more comprehensive review if they would have let us pick the shafts we need, not just their stock options.

Total Subjective Score: 85

 

Conclusion

 

This was my impression of Cobra Golf before this opportunity came my way.

 

Before I had this opportunity, I was so distracted by all of the bright colored clothing that I doubt that I would have even looked at the Cobra Amp Cell irons on the rack at my local golf store. I am not sure if it is because I do not wear the bright colors on the course so maybe I was afraid of clashing? Maybe I have been brain-washed like many other golfers that I have to use equipment from the big 3 (or 4) companies? I now know that Cobra is offering nice equipment for multiple levels of players. The Amp Cell irons look amazing and feel great and for the retail price of $599.00 I would tell everyone looking for new irons to give them a try. Who knows, I may even start wearing bright blue pants to match these irons? Doubt it!

 

After this experience my impression of Cobra Golf has changed. (Huge improvement, don't you think?)

 

Total Score: 76.665

 

The Five (If you skipped the rest of the review and came straight here, I understand but I am very disappointed in you)

 

1. Will this iron go in your bag? Yes, as soon as I get the new shafts installed they will be in my bag for the rest of this season. Why or why not? Even though I do not have the new shafts installed yet, I am confident that they are going to perform very well when the new shafts arrive.

 

2. To whom, if anyone, would you recommend this iron? I have already been telling everyone about these irons. Anyone that mentions they are looking for new irons I tell them to at least look at the Cobra Amp Cell Irons. Why? These irons look amazing and will perform well against any and all other Game Improvement Irons.

 

3. How, if at all, did this iron change your overall impression of Cobra Golf? This was an eye opening experience for me when it comes to what I thought of Cobra. I guess I had never really taken them seriously because of all the loud and crazy outfits they sell. Then you start putting those colors on the top of your drivers? Really? They look like toys you would buy for your children. Now that I have had the chance to use their equipment, I can see they are providing solid equipment for the game. The next time I am in the market for equipment I will give their other offerings a try.

 

4. What feature would you change or eliminate from the next generation of this model? If you have read the whole review you are already going to know the answer here. The SHAFT! At least offer one stock option for the hard swinging amateurs out there. If they had an option for a heavy, stiffer shaft and could keep the price in the same range they could attract a lot of newbies that just like to swing hard without spending $1,400 for a set of irons.

 

5. What feature do you really like, and would most like to see continued or evolved in future models? I think the overall look should stay the same. For “GI” clubs they do not look clunky or stupid at address. The tapered topline gives them a very clean look and maybe makes it look thinner, especially when compared to other “GI” irons.

[GolfSpy WD]

Special thanks to Golfspy MBP for the title pic yet again!

 

Unboxing reviews will be popping up soon and then trickling in as the rest of the reviewers get their clubs

[GolfSpy Barbajo]

Barbajo's Unboxing post is up and ready!

 

Click here

[GolfSpy WD]

Great writeup Barbajo! I'm sad to say I didn't get any of the references, but it was a fun read

[Blade]

Great start barbajo! I didn't get the second reference. Guess I'm not old enough after all!

 

P.S. Dan, where the heck is that "View New Content" button I asked for at the bottom of the page?

[GolfSpy Barbajo]

Great writeup Barbajo! I'm sad to say I didn't get any of the references, but it was a fun read

 

First reference is a gimme! Second one is more of a tough up and down from a buried lie in a nasty Merion bunker. Ask Keegan....

[GolfSpy WD]

First reference is a gimme! Second one is more of a tough up and down from a buried lie in a nasty Merion bunker. Ask Keegan....

 

Wells Fargo wagons were long out of use by the time I was born. I assumed you wanted people to raise their hand who remember them

[Jgolf]

Great start Barbajo! The photos are great and inspire jealousy... A perfect mix that has me excited for the reviews

[SMRT]

Here is the link to my PHASE 1: Unboxing/Initial Impressions post.

 

http://forum.mygolfspy.com/topic/9172-in-for-review-cobra-amp-cell-irons/page__view__findpost__p__107173

 

Enjoy!

 

Thank you wdgolf for all your help.

[GolfSpy WD]

Here is the link to my PHASE 1: Unboxing/Initial Impressions post.

 

http://forum.mygolfspy.com/topic/9172-in-for-review-cobra-amp-cell-irons/page__view__findpost__p__107173

 

Enjoy!

 

Thank you wdgolf for all your help.

 

Nice writeup!

 

As much as I hate to admit it, I think I may like the blue look better. I was always partial to the orange before...did anyone get the red version?

[SMRT]

Nice writeup!

 

As much as I hate to admit it, I think I may like the blue look better. I was always partial to the orange before...did anyone get the red version?

 

Thanks.

 

I actually almost went with the silver just to keep it simple but I am glad I went with the blue. They will catch some attention for sure.

[Mr_Theoo]

Great start guys. Both sets look awesome. Can't wait to see the rest and hear how they preform

[GolfSpy Barbajo]

Don't want to spoil the review, but will say these clubs are surprising me in a couple of interesting ways....

 

[Blade]

Don't want to spoil the review, but will say these clubs are surprising me in a couple of interesting ways....

 

The orange gives you more club head speed maybe?

[The Dansome]

The orange gives you more club head speed maybe?

 

It did when I put my new grips on 2 weeks ago

[hckymeyer]

My unboxing and initial impressions are now up for your reading/viewing pleasure

 

hckymeyer's unboxing

[GolfSpy Barbajo]

Well played, Mauer...well played. Gotta say, the blue pops a lot more than I thought it would. Really nice looking!

[SMRT]

Great start Bro, and yea I get the references, lol

 

And SMRT, excellent start, your sticks look sharp as hell, and it's great to have you involved.

 

Welcome to the show Bro!

 

 

Fairways and Greens 4ever

 

Thanks. I am looking forward to this opportunity. It is going to be fun!