Cobra King Utility Iron 2016

Golf Monthly's Cobra King Utility iron review, the world's first adjustable iron designed to offer competent golfers distance and versatility

The Cobra King Utility iron is the world’s first adjustable iron and Cobra has executed it very well indeed.

Down by the ball, it looks superb. The thick topline and wide sole will boost your confidence and yet it doesn’t look significantly oversized thanks to the length of the blade from heel to toe being more in line with a long iron in a mid-to-low handicap iron set.

This club has the ability to be a 2 or 3-iron depending on your preference. Opt for the lower-lofted 2-iron and you’ll experience a low, penetrating flight ideal if you want to keep the ball under the wind and get the ball running off the tee.

In the mid loft of 19.5°, I averaged around the 210 yard carry distance with another 20 yards of run, making it ideal on tight holes where I need to find the fairway without losing out on distance.

It feels great out of the middle, combining the hot, hollow feeling of a hybrid with a hint of softness similar to that of an iron. It also felt like there was a decent amount of help at hand thanks to the Tungsten weight in the back of the club improving both the feel and off-centre hit performance.

Off the fairway, the ball flew even lower, so if you plan on using it mostly into long par fours and par fives rather than off the tee, adjusting to a higher loft will provide additional stopping power, while also giving you a few more yards than a standard 3-iron.

Pros An innovative, versatile product whereby the adjustability allows you to select the desired ball flight and carry distance to fit the gap between your long iron and fairway wood.

Cons

As with most utility irons, it’s a daunting prospect striking it solidly off the deck consistently.

GM Verdict Game improvers may struggle to strike the ball consistently enough to get on with the Cobra Utility iron, but anyone with a handicap in single figures could certainly benefit from the versatility and flight control this club has to offer.