Martin Hopley
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Since adjustability came to golf clubs in 2008 we have seen it in drivers, fairways, hybrids and putters, but not in mainstream irons - until now.

Cobra King Utility Iron

The Cobra King Utility is a long iron with an adjustable hosel that can turn it from an 18° 2-iron into a 21° 3-iron or any three points in between.

Cobra King Utility Iron

The head is hollow like a lot of oversized long irons are and many better players will like this type of head construction as you get the benefit of essentially a wood head design, but it still looks and plays like an iron. A true version of an iron/wood hybrid, which is really where they all started from.

Cobra King Utility Iron

The 17-4 steel body sits behind an L shaped 455 stainless steel cup face that wraps around the front of the club to increase ball speeds because it can flex more than a face welded on to the front.

Cobra King Utility Iron

Inside the head is a 67g tungsten sole weight that draws the centre of gravity low and to the back of the club to increase forgiveness and give it a higher launch than a traditional iron of the same loft.

Cobra King Utility Iron

As with all irons of this style the generous width sole has a decent amount of camber on it to enable the club to go through the turf without digging or skidding.

Cobra King Utility Iron

The sole number also brings in the option of the old match play trick of switching headcovers on your woods, by setting the King Utility up as a 2-iron that has a number 3 on the sole.

Whilst the forgiveness was good for a long iron, the head construction did give a slightly hollow sound, but nothing that would put you off it.

The version I tried came with an Aldila Rogue Black 85 graphite shaft that performed well, even if it made the whole club feel quite light.

Cobra King Utility Iron

This is not a bad thing as lightness should mean more speed, so even the KBS Tour steel shaft option should help in this respect too.

The feel from the face was pretty good and the flight was pretty much where you would expect it to be. That of course will depend on the loft you set it to, as like the Cobra woods, the MyFly8 adjustable hosel goes through five settings from 18° to 21°, plus three draw settings at 18.5°, 19.5° and 20.5°.

Cobra King Utility Iron

Unlike most woods, the hosel adjustment did not really change the face angle as much, possibly because the sole is narrower and it can balance itself to square more easily without the usual Cobra Smart Pad.

When I tested the King Utility on SkyTrak, you can see that as an 18° degree 2-iron it gained 5 yards carry on the 21° 3-iron setting, which is what you would expect.

Cobra King Utility Iron

Normally there would be around a ten yard gap, but you would usually have a shorter shaft in the 3-iron which would make up most of the other 5 yards difference.

It will also depend on your club head speed as at the lower lofts you would need more to get the ball to its peak height for maximum distance as it will tend to roll more thanks to the shallower landing angle.

Therefore playing around with the lofts would enable you to optimise the performance and the gapping more precisely than usual for a long iron, so you can gap it between your 4 iron and your first wood.

Cobra King Utility Iron

This will be perfect for those who don't get on with hybrids and that would be a lot of better players and high swing speed players. If that is you, you will also appreciate the look at address which is classic iron, albeit with a much thicker top line.

The trailing edge is just visible, but I think it just passes muster and the adjustable hosel manages to blend in well so you hardly notice it.

Overall I do like the flexibility that the King Utility offers and Cobra has done well in bringing adjustability to irons in a package that still looks and plays like one.

Golfalot Rating: 4 stars
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Cobra King Utility Irons - Product Details

UK Launch01 May 2016
UK Launch RRP£149
USA Launch01 May 2016
Handicap Range
Low
High
GolferMens
Hand AvailabilityRight
Right Handed Lofts18°, 18.5°, 19.5°, 21.5°, 22°
MaterialSteel
Lie61.75°
Swing WeightD2
AdjustabilityLoft, Face Angle
Shaft NameKBS C-Taper Lite (Steel), Aldila Rogue Black 85 (Graphite)
Shaft TypesSteel, Graphite
Shaft FlexRegular, Stiff, X Stiff
DesignHybrid
Manufacturer's WebsiteCobra Website

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