Cobra’s latest irons might not go down as one of the world’s best-kept secrets, but that doesn’t make the official announcement of the new Forged Tec lineup any less exciting. Golfers were first introduced to Forged Tec back in 2015, and with each release, Cobra has taken the technology and form factor to the next level. After a lengthy wait, today we finally get our first look at the new KING Forged TEC and Forged TEC X irons from Cobra Golf.

When Cobra introduced the original Forged Tec irons, they firmly cemented themselves in the player’s distance category. Forged Tec has a history of offering fast ball speeds, strong lofts, and a footprint that looks more compact while still offering enough forgiveness to help better ball-strikers when they make sub-par contact. With the 3rd generation line, we saw a drastic change in philosophy when Cobra elected to go with a hollow body design, which is carrying over for the newest Forged Tec irons, only with some enhancements, which begins with a 5-step forging process. This precise forging process helped Cobra give these irons a more compact look, with thinner toplines and reduced offset, which is the type of iron that players seek. Inside each iron is a softer and lighter foam insert, which will play a significant role in fine-tuning the sound and translating it into better feedback. A 20-gram tungsten toe weight also helps bring that center of gravity closer to the sweet spot while assisting stability on off-center strikes. Being a player’s distance iron, these clubs need to generate speed, and thanks to a forged PWRSHELL face, that should not be an issue. Even though it has been around for quite some time, PWRSHELL continues to evolve to meet golfers’ speed and launch needs.

Cobra continues to push out their ONE Length iron series, which gained popularity and intrigue thanks to Bryson DeChambeau. For anyone unfamiliar with ONE Length irons, each iron has the length and lie of a 7 iron. Having one constant iron length to play can help players achieve a more repeatable setup, consistent posture, and help dial in that swing. Because each club is built to the same length, lie, and weight, Cobra engineers had to tweak the individual design of each head to help produce consistent ball flights, distances and reduce gapping issues. There is also a change in the shaft dynamics here as the ONE Length set uses a progressively weighted KBS $-Tapar Lite shaft.

Along with the Forged Tec and Forged Tec One Length irons, the world is also getting a first look at the new Forged Tec X irons. While there are many similarities between Forged Tec and Forged Tec X, their differences help make the latter create an entirely new iron category. Some may think that three is a crowd but don’t include Cobra in that camp. Cobra created the Forged Tec X to cultivate a new iron segment, which they refer to as player’s game improvement irons. Since players’ distance irons have been a part of the scene for some time now, we generally know what to expect in terms of looks, so how about a player’s game improvement iron? Forged Tec X irons will have a lower center of gravity design, stronger lofts, and a slightly thicker topline compared to the Forged Tec. All three irons have tungsten located within; however, the Tec X irons have more than triple the amount of tungsten. Forged Tec irons have 20 grams of tungsten, while Forged Tec X irons harness 65 grams of this magical material.

Forged Tec X irons were created for mid to high handicap golfers. These irons will help give those golfers who need more forgiveness the ability to play an iron that looks and feels like a better player’s iron.
Tech talk aside, the big question on these releases is how they will perform. Recently, THP Staff member Dan Edwards was able to take these irons for a swing in the THP Tech Studio. Below, you can find his thoughts on looks, feel, and data while providing a sneak peek at what we can expect when demoing these new irons from Cobra.
The Details
Available: April 29, 2022
Price:
Forged Tec – $1,199 Steel, $1,299 Graphite
Forged Tec ONE – $1,199 Steel, $1,299 Graphite
Forged Tec X – $1,199 Steel, $1,299 Graphite
[QUOTE=”JohnnyO3478, post: 11926698, member: 77276″]
Transition to wedges from the FTx Irons:
While we were writing up the order – fitter friend asked if I wanted the set GW or not – I was leaning towards no – but the Cobra VP of something or another that happened to be in town chimed in quickly “you are going to want the set gap wedge”. So I went along. My hesitation was that I never was all that impressed with the performance of the set gap wedge from the 0311Ps and thought I’d go with 3 specialty wedges this time around vs 2 (53 and 58).
With my current set – I have 5 degrees between each from PW – 58. Since there’s 6 degrees between the FTx PW and GW – should I expect to gap 6 and 6 for the next two? I guess I am asking – just how good/versatile is the set GW? Do you use it for only full shots – or does it dial down nicely around the greens?
I happened to lose my 58 this weekend – and it has not been turned in yet. Wedge fitting scheduled tomorrow. Probably will not pick the final specs until the FTx show up.
Thanks,
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I’ve been having a lot of success recently hitting a low little knockdown with my GW. Around the 115-120 yardage. I could try and muscle my 54* but I don’t think the results would be as good.
[QUOTE=”Raiderboost, post: 11947646, member: 55623″]
I’ve been having a lot of success recently hitting a low little knockdown with my GW. Around the 115-120 yardage. I could try and muscle my 54* but I don’t think the results would be as good.
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I messed around with that specifically last night on the launch monitor – and was able to get 105-110 with my kd GW attempts. That should gap nicely with a 54 for me.
[QUOTE=”JohnnyO3478, post: 11926716, member: 77276″]
FWIW – I asked Cobra guy if they were updating Forged Tec for 2024 and he said emphatically “no”. I prefaced my Q with – “you don’t have to answer – if you are not allowed to.”
[/QUOTE]
It is sad if true… I like the name.
I’ve only hit my new FT X on my home simulator, thus far. I see marginal gain in yardage and probably tighter dispersion – both north/south and east/west. Basically my low end of my new distance range is roughly the same as the upper end of the distance range for my old set of 0311P. Flight looks about the same – maybe a little higher peak and larger descent angle with the Cobras.
I will say this – I am continually impressed at how good they look in the bag and behind the ball. The design seems classy to me and I suspect it will stand the test of time.
Do any of you Cobra fans have the inside scoop on the KBS TGI 85 gram shafts? I am only curious – because KBS does not offer an 85 gram version on their website. Is this a shaft made specifically for Cobra? I have not seen this weight anywhere else.
[QUOTE=”JohnnyO3478, post: 11956468, member: 77276″]
Do any of you Cobra fans have the inside scoop on the KBS TGI 85 gram shafts? I am only curious – because KBS does not offer an 85 gram version on their website. Is this a shaft made specifically for Cobra? I have not seen this weight anywhere else.
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Asked my fitter friend about this last night. The answer I got: “good question”.
Anyway – I ended up topping off my bag with a couple of Mizuno S23 wedges yesterday – 54 D and 58 C. They compliment the FT x very nicely, IMO.
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I have one round completed with then new FTx irons and I will say that once I got used to them – they were making a difference. As a high H.I. player I do not usually hit a bunch of GIR – and par on any hole is a good score for me. On a good day – I will make 5 – 7 pars over the course of 18 holes. On the back nine for this outing, I was a lip out short of making 5 of them.
Problem on the front nine – these clubs were incorrectly built 2 degrees upright – which ends up being 2 degrees more up than my PXG (they were built 1 degree up – but the standard lie is diff). The Cobras were labled as such – but i didn’t know that the standard lofts differed – so I thought I was heading out with clubs that had one degree difference and I wouldn’t notice. I ended up catching a lot of heels and with my golf learning disability it took me until the back nine to just stand a little closer to the ball. Ding!
Talked it over with the fitter last night and I am going to play another couple of rounds before we change the lie – if we do at all. He also said that he has sold 4 more sets of the FTx since he fit me into them. Puts them up against P790s, and JPX 923s and T200s – and the numbers just do not lie for most of his customers.
Playing twice this weekend, weather permitting.
Not one of the lie angles on my new FT x irons ended up being delivered as ordered. I’d played a few rounds in the wild and several on the sim – and all the short irons were going left. Hooked up with the fitter this evening and we set them all to standard. Will see how that plays out …
[QUOTE=”JohnnyO3478, post: 12000806, member: 77276″]
Not one of the lie angles on my new FT x irons ended up being delivered as ordered. I’d played a few rounds in the wild and several on the sim – and all the short irons were going left. Hooked up with the fitter this evening and we set them all to standard. Will see how that plays out …
[/QUOTE]
Too upright?
How far off were they?
[QUOTE=”Wonger, post: 12000905, member: 74038″]
Too upright?
How far off were they?
[/QUOTE]
8i-Gw were all 1-3 degrees too upright. 5, 6 and 7 were 1-2 degrees flatter than ordered.
Very fun reading through this thread while waiting for my FTx’s to show up. Went and got fitted for irons thinking I was going to get Srixons, but the numbers were in heavy favor of the FTx’s. Could not believe how far they went and how easy they were to hit. Can’t wait to get them on the course once they arrive!
[QUOTE=”tmurph51, post: 12080088, member: 77889″]
Very fun reading through this thread while waiting for my FTx’s to show up. Went and got fitted for irons thinking I was going to get Srixons, but the numbers were in heavy favor of the FTx’s. Could not believe how far they went and how easy they were to hit. Can’t wait to get them on the course once they arrive!
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You chose wisely. Not only great distance but very forgiving when you don’t find the middle of the face ….
Enjoy.
[QUOTE=”Jtubb17, post: 12080264, member: 68843″]
I had another really good weekend with my Forged Tec X’s and it has me rethinking looking for new irons again. They’re just so easy and fun to hit
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Keep the Forged Tec X’s….don’t go fixing what ain’t broken….unless they come out with and update and then buy the new Forged Tec X’s.
[IMG alt=”Office Tv Youre Welcome GIF by The Office”]https://media2.giphy.com/media/kmQREsvNQrhrHdkN7G/200.gif[/IMG]
We went down to the future Grandparent-in-laws about a week and a half ago. They live on a course and told me I should go ahead and go out and play 9 holes. I had my spare bag as I was going to show the Forged Tecs to a buddy who might want them for a spare bag for friends in town. So I went out and played with the Forged Tecs and surprisingly hit them better than I ever did when gaming them. The feel is much softer and better than the FTX when you flush them. I was pleasantly surprised with how I hit them but still plan to keep gaming the FTX with a stiff shaft over the FT’s with the X-Stiff. I like forgiveness especially this time of year.
Any idea when a refresh of these irons will be released?
[QUOTE=”Thrillbilly Jim, post: 12169633, member: 50607″]
Any idea when a refresh of these irons will be released?
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I’ve been curious of that my own self.
[QUOTE=”Thrillbilly Jim, post: 12169633, member: 50607″]
Any idea when a refresh of these irons will be released?
[/QUOTE]
I was hoping this popped with some speculation. I’m sure if and when we will get all the details.
I hope the line continue, although if I’m being honest the King Tours still have my eye.
Would imagine that they come out with something later this year or maybe early next year. But I can confirm that the Forged Tec X are still great clubs, I just got them a few months ago.
I was told by the Cobra VP of something or another that they will not be refreshed in 2024.
I’m pretty excited to get mine back out on the course this season
I do feel I missed the boat on these. They check a lot of boxes. Gonna have FOMO for sure.
[QUOTE=”JohnnyO3478, post: 12169788, member: 77276″]
I was told by the Cobra VP of something or another that they will not be refreshed in 2024.
[/QUOTE]
This is exactly why we host THP Experiences.
So that people can get real information straight from the people that design and bring the clubs to market.
I’ve been thinking about taking the Forged Tecs back out for a spin. I did about 3 months ago and hit them really well and better than I did before getting the X.
Something I continue to really like for my game with the Forged Tecs is how they perform on the low strikes. When trying some of the other Cobra lines like Aerojet or King Tour, I feel like the low miss is more likely to be a bladed shot that goes long. For some reason that miss with the Forged Tecs seems to end up much more similar to a more centered strike for me.
[QUOTE=”willplaysgolf, post: 12268134, member: 61852″]
Something I continue to really like for my game with the Forged Tecs is how they perform on the low strikes. When trying some of the other Cobra lines like Aerojet or King Tour, I feel like the low miss is more likely to be a bladed shot that goes long. For some reason that miss with the Forged Tecs seems to end up much more similar to a more centered strike for me.
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PWRShell!
[QUOTE=”Scooby45, post: 12268150, member: 62865″]
PWRShell!
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I’ve benefited from various PWR structures in several clubs but there seems to be some extra secret sauce in this release of Forged Tecs
These irons make me so happy when I play. They feel and sound so good and work so well. I have bad shots with them still (as many probably saw), but that’s my really bad swings. My mediocre strikes still fly well and when struck well the ball flight is a thing of beauty….good penetration while getting nice and high up in the air. These are seriously great irons, and I’m super happy to have these in my bag.
Speaking of price drops…
These went down, and are still pretty awesome. Not many irons like this compete when it comes to feel, performance, and forgiveness.
[QUOTE=”OldandStiff, post: 12325317, member: 53737″]
Speaking of price drops…
These went down, and are still pretty awesome. Not many irons like this compete when it comes to feel, performance, and forgiveness.
[/QUOTE]
Very interesting…
I didn’t get to follow along with the Morgan Cup much this weekend due to a Member/Guest Tournament but can say that the Forged Tec and Forged Tec X both represented well this weekend. I switched back to the Forged Tec earlier this year as I started hitting my irons better and really liked the better feel with the Forged Tec. The feel on the Forged Tec X isn’t bad the Forged Tec just feel a softer. While I still have my bad swings on occasion I hit them really well this weekend overall. This included my best shot of the weekend which was a 7i to a 170 yard back pin into the wind. I hit a nice lower flight draw with some good check that rolled out a little to 2ft left of the pin. The feel of just flushing it with these is so good.
My partner is in desperate need of newer irons as he has old Rocketballz irons and had his 6i break on him. I gave him my Forged Tec X to try about a month ago. He hit some great shots with them this weekend including a few tower 6 irons which were pinseekers but just a few yards long. The highlight was probably a 7i from about 165 off a severe downslope. Somehow he hit this pretty high and landed right by the pin to leave a 12 ft downhill putt for par. The fun thing was after he hit them on the range the first evening after I gave them to him he was hitting and said “these things a freaking awesome”! Now I just gotta get him to pay me for them haha.
[QUOTE=”Raiderboost, post: 12639492, member: 55623″]
I didn’t get to follow along with the Morgan Cup much this weekend due to a Member/Guest Tournament but can say that the Forged Tec and Forged Tec X both represented well this weekend. I switched back to the Forged Tec earlier this year as I started hitting my irons better and really liked the better feel with the Forged Tec. The feel on the Forged Tec X isn’t bad the Forged Tec just feel a softer. While I still have my bad swings on occasion I hit them really well this weekend overall. This included my best shot of the weekend which was a 7i to a 170 yard back pin into the wind. I hit a nice lower flight draw with some good check that rolled out a little to 2ft left of the pin. The feel of just flushing it with these is so good.
My partner is in desperate need of newer irons as he has old Rocketballz irons and had his 6i break on him. I gave him my Forged Tec X to try about a month ago. He hit some great shots with them this weekend including a few tower 6 irons which were pinseekers but just a few yards long. The highlight was probably a 7i from about 165 off a severe downslope. Somehow he hit this pretty high and landed right by the pin to leave a 12 ft downhill putt for par. The fun thing was after he hit them on the range the first evening after I gave them to him he was hitting and said “these things a freaking awesome”! Now I just gotta get him to pay me for them haha.
[/QUOTE]
Forged Tec X will always have a special place in my heart. They changed my iron game completely and made me more confident there than I’d ever been. I don’t think I could ever let mine go.
[QUOTE=”Raiderboost, post: 12639492, member: 55623″]
I didn’t get to follow along with the Morgan Cup much this weekend due to a Member/Guest Tournament but can say that the Forged Tec and Forged Tec X both represented well this weekend. I switched back to the Forged Tec earlier this year as I started hitting my irons better and really liked the better feel with the Forged Tec. The feel on the Forged Tec X isn’t bad the Forged Tec just feel a softer. While I still have my bad swings on occasion I hit them really well this weekend overall. This included my best shot of the weekend which was a 7i to a 170 yard back pin into the wind. I hit a nice lower flight draw with some good check that rolled out a little to 2ft left of the pin. The feel of just flushing it with these is so good.
My partner is in desperate need of newer irons as he has old Rocketballz irons and had his 6i break on him. I gave him my Forged Tec X to try about a month ago. He hit some great shots with them this weekend including a few tower 6 irons which were pinseekers but just a few yards long. The highlight was probably a 7i from about 165 off a severe downslope. Somehow he hit this pretty high and landed right by the pin to leave a 12 ft downhill putt for par. The fun thing was after he hit them on the range the first evening after I gave them to him he was hitting and said “these things a freaking awesome”! Now I just gotta get him to pay me for them haha.
[/QUOTE]
Love that these are still performing and great to hear the X working for your partner too. Pretty consistent results coming out of all of Cobras irons.
[QUOTE=”CBaker, post: 12639516, member: 25261″]
Love that these are still performing and great to hear the X working for your partner too. Pretty consistent results coming out of all of Cobras irons.
[/QUOTE]
Yeah I’ve played Cobra irons for about 12 years now starting with the S3’s that I played for a decade before getting the Forged Tecs for the 2022 MC. Last summer I went ahead and got the black Forge Tec X for the added forgiveness and they were great. After getting back a little more consistency with my irons the Forged Tec have made it back in. They have all been great and I would still play any of them. But I’m really looking forward to seeing what Cobra has coming next year.
Still playing my 2020 models. Looking forward to what next iteration might be and when we get to see it. Guessing that the MC guys have some info they would love to tell. Can’t wait till they can share.