Has Cobra Golf gotten your attention yet? Cobra RADSPEED Irons should.
You would be hard pressed to find a company that is pushing boundaries as hard as Cobra is, and not only that, but literally creating new ones with never before seen processes and design applications in golf.
Well, fresh off the heels of releasing a fully 3D printed putter, THP rundown can be read here, they are bringing that application and much more to their game improvement iron release this year. If you have been paying attention, then you know that the feedback from THP’ers as well as golfers everywhere on the last two entries from Cobra in the F9 and SpeedZone irons has been nothing short of superlative. So how to you follow that up? You get RAD.
Cobra RADSPEED Irons
Yes, RAD. No, they didn’t take radical and create some lame attempt at being fun or some such shenanigans. In 2021, the RAD in RADSPEED stands for Radial, as in radial weighting and Cobra’s deeper knowledge of weight placement and what it can do in terms of performance and forgiveness in the segment which golfers put it to the test the absolute most.
The SpeedZone irons were one of the fastest and most playable iron sets on the market last season, but Cobra believed they could do better, not just in performance via the weight placement, but also how the placement could allow them to improve the shape and profile. The shape has changed from the SZ’s, most notably Cobra is touting a rounded trailing edge with a better radius and blending which makes for a cleaner, faster, and more slim appearance which should make the RADSPEED more interesting to a wider range of golfers. The soles definitely look thinner based on what we have seen, but there are four other aspects which must be delved into as well.
First, the Carbon Fiber topline introduced in the SZ irons is returning. Yes, it was a departure compared to, well, every other iron on the market. With that, some struggled to acclimate to it visually, but the performance benefits were real with the weight savings it offered without sacrificing stability. This year, they have moved to a black carbon fiber which Cobra believes give the irons topline a thinner look overall. Thinner soles and thinner looking topline should definitely gain the irons more eye appeal.
The initial performance aspect with the RADSPEED irons is PWRSHELL. I have been on record for years stating that Cobra does not get the credit that they should for PWRSHELL. This is in my opinion the engine of Cobra irons, and it is a powerful one. The design consists of their E9 variable face thickness and L-cup forged face which now feature a deeper flange on their internal speed channel for more flex, which means more speed.
Radial Weighting is the biggest part of the story here, as it should be since it is the root of the RADSPEED name. As mentioned, Cobra did a ton of research into how and where the weight placement in the iron can make them more playable. What they found is by placing the weight in the extreme heel and toe, the furthest points from the center of gravity (CG), they could then optimize speed, forgiveness, and directional control. Thus, Cobra has added 3g of weight to the heel and 10g to the toe of each iron in the set. The heel weight is set internally, but in the toe, Cobra is using a screw. These two weights combined help put the CG precisely behind the hitting zone and add stability and forgiveness on misses. A very cool aspect to the toe weight is that it is adjustable from 4g to 16g for more precise fitting adjustments.
Finally, 3D Printing has come to a major golf manufacturers main club releases. While we learned all about the Cobra partnership with HP in the Supersport 35 putter release, this is taking it to a wider level. No, the whole club isn’t 3D printed, but the medallion in the cavity is. This is one of the first applications of a 3D printed polymer in golf, and through a complex lattice structure Cobra claims to have saved 3-6 grams which was redistributed while maintaining all of the fine tuning and stability of the old methods. While at a glance some my roll their eyes at 3-6 grams but rest assured, that is a ton when it comes to golf design and has a true impact on what Cobra was able to do with CG placement in the RADSPEED irons.
The RADSPEED irons come standard in an all chrome finish similar to that of the SpeedZone and F9 irons before them, but in a move that will perk up some ears a black PVD version which features a chrome sole to decrease wear will also be offered via custom orders for a $100.00 upcharge. The stock pairings will be KBS Tour 90 in steel and the UST Mamiya Recoil 460ESX in graphite, paired with the Lamkin Crossline Connect which of course is powered by Cobra Connect and Arccos.
Specs on the Cobra RADSPEED irons are below:
But wait! There’s more! YES, there is a One Length RADSPEED option coming as well, which you would absolutely expect and demand from the leader in One Length golf irons. The OL version features slightly wider soles and a lower CG in the long irons than the standard RADSPEED irons in order to optimize the launch/flight differentiation through the set. Additionally, lofts are a bit weaker in the 4, 5, and 6 irons. The stock shaft pairings here are KBS Tour 80/90/120 in steel and UST Mamiya Recoil 460/480 ESX in graphite, also with Lamkin Crossline Connect grips.
Specs for the Cobra RADSPEED One irons are below:
What are your thoughts on what Cobra is bringing to the table with its new RADPSEED irons? Do you plan on hitting them? Jump into the conversation below and let us know!
The Details
Release Date: January 29, 2021
Price: 5-GW (RH/LH; Steel – $899) or 4-PW (RH; $899), 5H, 6-GW (RH; $999)
Options: RADSPEED and RADSPEED One
Yeah I saw that. But it still keeps the extra $100 on there even when I go to check out. No big deal, I will just wait until that is fixed. I was looking for the black finish and I’m going to be paying extra for that anyway so no rush for me
First off, loved the styling of the club. Coming from the T-rails the RAD’s are a little smaller profile. It would be at the end of my comfort zone there.
I put up next to the G425 just for a comparison. Both are very close in size to one another.
What surprised me the most about the RAD is the sound/feel. Maybe it was partly the head and partly the shaft (tried the Catalyst graphite shaft) but it had a really soft feel to it for a cast club. One of the nicest feeling that I have tried. I thought the graphite inlay in the topline made it look fairly thin.
Given the 7i is 27.5* and 37.50" It specs out similarly to my T-Rail 6i which is 27* and 37.75".
The RAD was really low spinning. I had a chance to hit my T-rail with Modus 105R shaft earlier this week on a GC2 and had no problems getting to 4500-5500 spin with plenty of launch. The RAD with KBS Tour 90 was around 4200 spin and the Catalyst for some reason was ultra low spinning for me around 3500-3700. The fitter their saw me hitting it and said that no way would he ever let me leave the store with 3500 spin. He said he would definitely need to work with me on shaft selection to try and get the spin up.
As for distance, decent strikes were around 145 carry and pured shots about 150 carry.
Normally I hit my T-rail 6i 150 yds off the turf and 155 off a short tee, so they were pretty comparable.c Definitely on my continue to demo list. Next time I want to try the Elevate 95 shaft (this store didn’t have it to try).
Some pics I snapped.
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I would probably get over it within a few swings. Same way I did with D300 irons
I didn’t find it to be distracting at all
at least on the speedzone, you kinda notice it initially, but get used to it real quick.
True temper elevate 95
Kbs tour
Kbs tour+
Kbs tour 90
Wow not a lot of no upcharge options this year. For me I think it would be the elevates
@jdtox there are more options than those. I saw several on the Golf Galaxy’s custom shop.
Kbs over true temper? To be honest I don’t know the difference….not a tech guy
The KBS are at 110g. I need a little extra weight. At 95g I start to turn over too fast and pull a lot of balls.
Just from a shaft weight consideration, when I demo the OLs, I’m really going to give the Recoil 95 Protos a long look. I still swing the 110s decently but I’ve heard too many good things about the 95s not to look at them. I should’ve looked at them during the MC selection process but was scared off because of the lefts I experienced with the 780s.
I’m looking hard at the OLs and think i’m going to go with the stock KBS tour shafts that are weighted different through the set.
I loved the $-tapers in my current set and might have done those if they were in stock in stiff.
Scared off from the $-taper lites which had some breakage issues on the MC team.
What happened here?
someone broke a couple shafts at the hosel. ????
Hmmm, I don’t know if I put a move on the ball good enough to do that ?
They are probably fine for most people, but I’ve been known to swing aggressive. And Texas ground can be unforgiving.
FWIW they weren’t with the Speedzone Irons they were the Forged Tec.
One beastly swinger and a normal swinger as well.
According to KBS it was a bad batch of shafts and it has been rectified. No idea if true, but I don’t think another shaft had any issues.
Of those I’m going Elevate if I do get some RAD’s. Not a big fan of Tour 90.
Waiting on this as well
Actually @MarMill had some breakage issues with some Nippon Modus 3’s as well. Though I don’t recall if we ever found out an answer as to why
Someone switched something on the machine that preps the tips of the shafts. They were getting prepped too thin and heads were flying everywhere. After they fixed that situation Jose said they didn’t have any more problems.
:twist:
wat. damn, here I am over here trying to debate shaft setups and people are getting them shipped
Haha sucks to be a lefty I get my Standard finish clubs tomorrow… let you know how they hit Friday…
Damn, I might wait.
Ya, I cant go PVD, my rounds all sand and stuff…
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look forward to the feedback.
Those look fantastic. Can’t wait to hear your feedback.
gb
Love the look of that combo. Wow.
looking forward to this report because those look ???
Just finished a round at Great Eagle CC, weather on the front nine was perfect, 50-60 degrees and a light breeze. Course was empty until the back 9, got stuck behind a slow foursome so I hung back and ended up playing with a twosome so we wouldn’t all be stuck waiting all morning. Wind picked way up on the back 9, was blowing a solid 20+ directly at us for the last 4 holes. Finished before the rain hit.
Anyhow, on to the Radspeeds. These clubs are incredible. I didn’t mess with the Arccos yet, I just wanted to get a feel for the clubs.
Excellent feel, my Rogues didn’t give much feedback, they either had no feel on a sweet spot hit, or harshness if you didn’t. These have a larger sweet spot with excellent feel and feedback, even on mis-hits.
The short irons (7-GW) play about a loft stronger in distance than my rogues. I believe the lofts are similar, so it’s the clubs. I didn’t notice any gapping issues with the short irons. I absolutely love OL in the short irons, and my swing was very consistent. The 5/6 will take a little getting used to for me, being OL. I was trying to swing them too hard, when I backed off and let the club do the work they did well.
I was a little concerned that I would find the clubs to be a little “chunky” looking, photos make the sole look a little fat, but at address it is not noticeable. I did not find the carbon fiber top to be distracting, in fact I really like it.
I played a course that was sandy in spots, especially the range. The faces seem to hold up well. I didn’t hit from any rocks, if I’m playing for fun I move the ball. If I have one gripe, and it’s a minor one, the back of the club can get sand and dirt stuck inside. Time will tell if this is an issue.
I like my shaft selection, they are regular flex but play stiffer than the Aldila Synergy 60s I had in my Rogues, in regular flex.
Overall I’m impressed. Feel was outstanding, and never harsh, even on some really poorly hit balls, I never got any jarring vibrations, like I would with the Rogues.
I don’t want this to sound like I’m bashing the Rogues- I’m not- they were good clubs and I would be happy to keep playing them had I not gone OL. But the Rads are truely that much better.
Sweet, sounds like a fairly seamless transition outside the long irons?
Absolutely. I still have a Rogue 52* wedge and a MD4 56* for around the green. I didn’t get to hit the GW much, the 8-PW were awesome, and I was able to hit greens pretty regularly. I didn’t get many swings on the 5/6, I work the next 4 days so next week once I’m off again I’ll either get a couple of range sessions in or another round or two. I hit a small bucket for warmups before my round and that was it.
How did the irons hold the green ? How would you describe the ball flight you were getting ?
Thanks gb
I’m not a lights out golfer like some here, so I’m probably not the best to answer that, lol. That being said, I was playing some solid bogey golf today, ball flight was higher than the Rogues they replaced, and was excellent in 7-GW, I didn’t really get many swings on the 5/6 so the verdict is still out. Seemed to hold greens well, the ones I hit anyway, lol. The greens were fairly soft compared to how they usually are, we got quite a bit of rain the last week. I’ll update again next week after I get another round or two under my belt.
OL?
Edit: oop just saw your other post. ?
I’m thinking so. They looked good. The PW was fine and not obnoxiously long. I think I’m going to give it a go. I’m also going to go 100% graphite shafts I think.
Wait I thought you were thinking Rickies blades?
I would be so far in over my head ?