Cobra Forged Tec vs. Forged Tec One Length

The year 2019 may be remembered by many in the golf industry as the year of the players distance iron. Seemingly every manufacturer has released a hollow-body iron with the goal of providing golfers with more distance, more forgiveness, and the ability to hit more greens in regulation.

Cobra recently joined the players distance iron category with the release of the Cobra KING Forged Tec irons and the Cobra KING Forged Tec One Length irons, both of which feature a classic, forged design with added mass toward the lower and outside portions of the club to deliver added launch and forgiveness.

The goal with any players distance iron is not only to provide the look of a players iron but also the feel. Cobra engineers softened the feel in the Forged Tec irons by inserting foam microspheres into the hollow body design behind the clubface. Meanwhile, a PWRSHELL forged face insert increases the sweet spot area without sacrificing feel.

The clubheads of both the Forged Tec and the Forged Tec One Length irons are identical. They both produce fast ball speeds, superb forgiveness, and excellent feel through the aforementioned technologies.

They differ in pretty much every other spec. The Forged Tec irons are built traditionally with progressive iron lengths so that the 4-iron is a few inches longer than the 9-iron. Meanwhile, the Forged Tec One Length irons follow their namesake and are all built to the same length as a traditional 7-iron.

This concept is still fresh in the golf landscape, but it’s gaining traction quickly. Five-time PGA Tour winner Bryson DeChambeau, a member of Cobra’s professional staff, has been using single-length irons since he was a teenager.

The idea behind One Length irons is to allow golfers to use the same swing plane for every iron in their bag. This promotes consistency throughout the bag and results in more similar tendencies from all irons in the set, whereas golfers using progressive-length sets might see different tendencies with their 4-iron and their 8-iron.

The single-length concept has garnered my attention for some time now, and I recently had the chance to test out both Cobra KING Forged Tec models at a local driving range. I was particularly interested in comparing the launch, trajectory, and feel differences between the two models.

Cobra has always matched both the length and weight of the clubheads in One Length sets to the 7-iron in an effort to create smooth transitions. However, one of the criticisms has been that the shorter lengths of the lower-lofted irons have created suboptimal launch and spin. Meanwhile, the higher-lofted irons have generated above-average launch and spin thanks to longer-than-normal length.

To improve the transitions throughout the set, Cobra has also adjusted the lie angles so that the lower-lofted irons are more upright, while the higher-lofted irons are flatter. Additionally, Cobra adjusted the shaft weights so that the longer irons are lighter and the shorter irons are heavier.

When testing both models, I immediately noticed the extra pop of distance from both models compared to my current irons. It’s easy to hit rockets with the Forged Tec irons.

The forgiveness was also very noticeable. In particular, I missed low on the face a number of times and the launch and distance were surprisingly serviceable.

In terms of the differences between standard length irons and One Length, there were a few. After getting comfortable with the One Length irons, I found that I was finding the center of the clubface much more consistently, especially with the longer irons. I felt the single-length concept working in that the swing became easily repeatable.

Generally, I’m a pretty solid ball-striker, but I was experiencing more mis-hits with the standard length Forged Tec irons than the One Length irons.

I still noticed differences in launch and trajectory with the lowest-lofted and highest-lofted irons. The One Length 4-iron was launching slightly lower than the standard length 4-iron. Meanwhile, the One Length 9-iron seemed to launch a little higher off the clubface than the standard length 9-iron. It felt as if the length of the club is still winning over the adjusted lie and shaft weights.

One additional difference I noticed was the workability varied between the two models. It was awkward for me to try to hit a specific shot trajectory with the One Length irons. For example, if I’m hitting into the wind or dealing with a crosswind of any kind, I prefer to take an extra club and choke down for a more controlled shot.

However, the One Length irons had me guessing on how far to choke down and where to alter my swing to perform the shot.

Overall, golfers looking to find the center of the clubface more often should take a further look into the series of One Length iron options available from Cobra, including the new Forged Tec One Length irons. The single-length concept will help those golfers swing more consistently with their irons and improve iron play after a few rounds to get used to the length throughout the bag.

Golfers who either already find the center of the face consistently or golfers who are particular about their trajectories and controlling their ball flights may prefer the standard length Cobra KING Forged Tec irons.