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
I know it shouldn’t and the data seems to indicate it shouldn’t, but the extra length has to be more club speed at impact which would equal yardage on a well struck ball.
So by that same thought, the shorter length clubs couldn’t go as far, leaving no gapping between any of them, right?
I would tell you that length is just one aspect of the distance part and while I do agree speed plays a role, we have not seen the gapping issues at all over repeated trial with multiple golfers.
Haha. No shame meant, was just curious what the new shaft was/is going to be. Judging solely on name, do you expect more peak height out of the elevate? Is that the reason for the switch? Or is it something else?
The top line looked fine. The sole looked thick.
Really. The Tour90 creates some issues for me in my swing and delivery, I know that I’m trying to save it or manipulate it the whole swing and it’s costing me face and dynamic loft issues at impact. The Elevate Tour I like because they’re literally made for lower spinning heads like this, plus, it’s a weight in X100 and profile my body knows well.
But, if I play them this year in OL, I’m going graphite. No doubt.
Great information. Shaft/head pairings and the why behind them is an area I lack knowledge, so getting nuggets like this always helps!
It’s fun.
I know I’ll likely lose some top end speed when I remove the Tour90, but I suspect my efficiency will go up to counter it
Why the push for OL ?
You seem to have a solid game already.
Perhaps for the same reason I’m considering a new putter, despite the fact I seem to be doing well, at least in practice, with my current putter: For the fun/experimentation of it?
I do.
Why not though?
I was just curious your motivation for it. Is a a ball striking issue with traditional length clubs, current gapping issues or sheer curiosity, etc.
Guess if my scratch golfer buddy all of a sudden told me he was trying OL I’d slap him upside the head as his issue is short game (pitching and chipping).
And that’s fine. I was just curious. Heck I just bought a Mav to try and unseat my best gamer driver of all time (Flash). Have no need to switch. But always fun to test
It’s a story to tell and I’m passionate about telling stories. I also believe I can strike the ball well with whatever I use, that sounds a little cocky, but it’s really not.
I can answer this from someone already doing it.
Golf is about an elimination of variables. If I can do that and make the game easier and I am not stuck in my ways, I see no reason not to try. I don’t have a hang up on iron style, sole widths or top lines, play to a single digit handicap with irons always being my strongest part of the game.
Yet this switch has brought on even more consistency.
This is why I’m interested in OL.
In fact: I’d say this is my main interest in these irons. TBH: I’m hitting well enough, at my stage of development, with my Lord-knows-how-old TaylorMade CB knock-offs that there’d have to be an awfully persuasive argument to get me to consider going out and spending $800-$1600 on a new set of irons. I find the concept of OL to be quite persuasive.
LONG.
I don’t know whether these are similar at all to the TM M6 (other than SGIs with strong lofts) but I liked the M6 for what it was. The only ting I disliked about them was a lack of feedback on impact compared to say the G410.
One aspect of OL that is very under discussed is how it can benefit really good players (since they’re not usually the target audience). If your buddy could cut down his practice time with irons and allot the extra time to his short game, his overall game could improve.
Something to aspire for?
Haha it should he probably
I’m staying really far away from black finishes for a while. While cool…..not very practical if you play the hell out of them
Especially PVD haha
I kind of like the work look
Especially,,,,,PVD. Been there. Done that. Weird feel. Good performance. Not very durable. IMHO
PVD feels weird?
Not sure how the PVD will compare on the Rad but this is my T-Rail after one season.
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It felt weird in the wedges fo sho……very clicky
I spread the contact out a lot more, you know, to protect the finish
I also think it sounded totally different. Keep in mind I have the black Pro irons. Different sounding and feeling in my experience. Felt waaaaaay harder of a surface.
Which wedges?
Damn it…….yes. Sorry folks. Lol
What are you accustomed to seeing from a 7 iron?
I had a feeling and I literally did the same thing today.
That makes me feel a little better. ?
Depends on the profile.
Players Iron – 165-170
Hollow Tweener like TEC – 175
Wow…so quite an increase with the Radspeed.
They’ll be pretty much the same that are already on the Cobra site right now when you do a custom build I do believe.
I endorse the buy. That way when we get together this summer I can try them out ?
So we should split the cost 50/50?? ?
You get them during the week, and I have custody over the weekend.
Thanks for the offer but OL are not for me ?
Have you tried yet??
Not the RAD’s but two other cobra sets. Never owned. Just hit my 2 of my buddy’s on occasion. I don’t have the speed and launch to make anything happen with the 5 and 6. And the wedges just seemed odd at a 7i length. Especially when I usually play my clubs a little shorter than normal depending on the model. I was very wild with the wedges at full length. Distance was there but accuracy suffered.
just not a concept that worked for me.
The closest was a set of Pinhawk one length hybrids my buddy bought. Those were fun but once again the wedges were inaccurate for me.