COBRA S2 Iron Set 4-GW with Steel Shafts

I tried the Cobra S2 Irons at a recent demo day and was impressed by their feel (the less we say about my ball striking that day, the better).

The key feature is the polymer topline, which as you might suspect, reduces the weight there, and repositions it where it’ll do some good—at the bottom. That multi-material topline, combined with a lower urethane sole is apparently what accounts for the nice feel I experienced when chunking shots off a frozen astroturf mat.

The also look very nice from address, with a hidden back flange, shorter blade length and a topline that doesn’t look like a game-improvement iron.

Cobra says that other features include a mid-width sole with a trailing edge groove that’s supposed to offer the reduce fat shots, while still keeping the leading edge low. Distance is maximized throughout the set through the combined tricks of stronger lofts and slightly longer shafts. But that’s been a trend with manufacturers for years. Hmm. If this keeps up, we’ll eventually have seven irons the length of drivers.

ADAMS A7 OS Max 3-PW Iron Set with Steel Shafts

Over the years, Adams Golf has cut a niche for itself has the supplier of easy-to-hit clubs for the weekend warrior. Starting with the Tight Lies fairway metals, and extending through the current line of hybrids and hybrid irons.

You’re not going to see the Adams A7 OS Max in a pro’s bag, but I’m sure they’ll be in the bags of a couple of guys in local leagures. Every club in this set is a hybrid, with thin crowns and faces, and high moment-of-inertia. The three through six irons are regular hybrids, while the seven through pitching wedges are hybrids with a more iron-like look.

The full hybrid set isn’t a new idea. Some years ago we all laughed at a guy in our group who played with a set of “Iron Woods.” His entire set was composed of woods, each set to replace a specific iron. We laughed, that is, until we saw how consistent—and consistently straight—he hit them.

I own a set of Adams hybrid irons. They’re my “Up North” set that I leave at the lake cottage. I like them.

NIKE Slingshot Hybrid Iron Set 3H, 4-PW with Steel Shafts

As far as I can tell, Nike now is on the fourth generation of its Slingshot style irons. The name derives from the curved bar that’s slung across the back and is designed to move the center of gravity as far back as possible. It looks funny to my eye, and the first generation was not particularly well received, but more recent editions have dramatically improved.

This new generation apparently improves incrementally on the last one by moving the weight even further down and back from the face.

Mizuno MX-1000 Iron Set, (Steel) 4-GW

The Mizuno MX-1000 irons feature a hollow body construction consisting of a plasma welded thin, hot, ES230 maraging steel face and a high tech stainless steel body. That build allows Mizuno to create a club with a maximum Coefficient of Restitution—the amount of rebound that the clubface produces—thus maximizing distance. The hollow construction allows for optimal internal weighting and a lower and deeper center of gravity with maximum Coefficient of Restitution.

This is the second set of new clubs with a hollow construction I’ve seen in as many days. The other was TaylorMade’s R9, which is essentially a hollow body club with a silicone injection.

TAYLORMADE R9 Iron Set 4-PW, GW with Steel Shafts

The TaylorMade R9 irons are truly wicked looking, and TaylorMade says they have the most technology the company has ever stuffed into a set of sticks.

The Velocity Control Chamber in the 3-6 irons are designed to increase consistency, ball speed and power, while a shock absorbing system offers more satisfying sound and feel.  The clubs also feature a deep undercut cavity and heel-toe weighting in the short irons for increased forgiveness. A precisely beveled sole is supposed to reduce turf resistance and promote crisp contact with every club.

The face uses an ultra-thin wraparound design, and they of course feature TaylorMade’s inverted core technology.

It’s that shock-absorbing system that interests me the most. What TaylorMade has apparently done is to inject a virtually weightless silicone foam into the interior of the clubhead. The foam is tuned for sound and feel, while at the same time it allows them to create an ultra thin clubface with a rebound similar to that of an iron.

I REALLY want a set to try.