Cobra King Forged One Length irons review

Golf Monthly's Cobra King Forged One Length irons review, a full test of the Single Length irons concept said to make consistent ball striking an easier task

The single length iron concept, pioneered by Cobra Staffer Bryson DeChambeau, is interesting not only because it is unique, but because the concept has already been successful and has the potential to improve the consistency of golfers of every ability.

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Put simply, DeChambeau’s irons are all 37.5 inches in length, similar to that of most golfers’ 7-irons, and they have the same lie angle. The only thing that changes is the loft and the head weights. This concept enables the golfer to swing each iron in exactly the same way. Presently, irons within a set get become progressively longer as the loft reduces, requiring golfers to make subtle changes to their set-up in order to strike the ball consistently.

But with irons of the same length, these changes are not necessary. Golfers can stand the same distance from the ball with the same posture and swing the club on the same plane angle, whether it’s a 4-iron or a pitching wedge.

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On the face of it, this is a concept that should create a more consistent, repeatable golf swing. Because the golfer stands and swings in the same way, it should help produce a more consistent strike pattern on the clubface by eliminating many of the variables that make golf such a frustrating pastime.

But do single length irons attempt to solve a problem that doesn’t exist? After all, golfers have been playing with irons of different lengths since clubs were first mass-produced and managed just fine. The subtle changes needed in your set-up between different irons is not something that golfers consciously think about, as the length and lie and angle of a club dictates to some degree how to stand to the ball.

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Additionally, there will be changes to the swing speed of the long and short irons because of the change in length and then there’s the whole other topic of the short game, and what length the wedges should be in order to be able to pitch and chip comfortably as well as hitting full shots.

But while there are some negatives, I think they are comfortably outweighed by the positives. Manufacturers have already come up with ways to offset the changes in club speed of the long and short irons compared to standard sets by altering the lofts, head weights and CG positions accordingly to even out the distance gapping through the set. Having tested Cobra’s new Forged One irons in the video above, it left me wondering why all iron sets aren’t made like this.