Equipment
Cobra Fly Z, Fly Z+ and Fly Z Pro Irons
What do golfers really want from a new set of irons? More distance? More forgiveness? Better looks? Awesome feel? Before Cobra went about designing its new family of irons, its leadership wanted the answers from real golfers.
The consensus? Easy-to-hit irons were important, but feel also scored high in the minds of golfers. With that in mind, Cobra built the Fly-Z family of irons with a focus on feel.
Fly-Z Pro Irons
The Rickie Fowler’s.
If the Fly-Z Pro’s look like the AMP Cell Pro’s to you with a “Fly-Z” badge on them, that observation isn’t terribly far off. According to Cobra, Fowler loves his irons, and doesn’t want to change too much.
[quote_box_center]”Other irons feel crisp, ours feel soft,” Fowler says.[/quote_box_center]
There is one major difference between the AMP Cell Pro irons and the Fly-Z Pro’s, however, which better golfers will notice and tour professionals have had in their irons for years. The Fly-Z Pro’s have a tungsten screw in the toe, a trick that Rickie Fowler uses in his irons to move the center of gravity toward the center of the face, away from the heel.
To improve feel, Cobra uses a five-press forging process, giving the 1020 Carbon Steel forged irons consistent weight, texture and smooth feel throughout the set. They also have milled faces for spin control and small blade lengths with minimal offset — exactly what you’d expect from a tour-caliber iron.
The Fly-Z Pro’s employ a progressive flow-set design — from full muscle (9-PW), to single cavity in the 7-8 irons, to dual cavity in the 3-6 irons. A full set of muscleback irons can be ordered through Cobra’s custom department.
The Fly-Z Pro’s ($899, 3-PW) will be available March 1 and come stock with True Temper Dynamic Gold S400 shafts.
Fly-Z+ Irons
If the thought of blades scares you, but you’re a better player looking for a forged feel, the Fly-Z+ irons are a good iron to test.
The majority of complaints about last year’s Bio Cell+ irons were that they were clanky, clunky and clicky. Cobra took note, and decided to make some changes that will benefit feel players and add a bit more distance and forgiveness as well.
Cobra uses the same 5-press forging process in the Fly-Z+ irons — as well as the same 1020 Carbon Steel — to give them a softer, blade-like feel. There’s also an array of engineering improvements throughout the set for more forgiveness and control where golfers need it.
The mid-to-long irons (3-8) have milled undercuts behind the face to increase perimeter weighting, which leads to more forgiveness on off-center hits. The 3-7 irons have three tungsten weights in the toe and one in the heel to further improve forgiveness on mishits. The tungsten weights also move the center of gravity closer to the center of the face, which improves feel and energy transfer. To further improve feel, each iron has a thermoplastic urethane (TPU) insert with an aluminum backplate that reduces vibrations.
Fly-Z+ irons ($899, 3-PW) will be in stores March 1 and come stock with KBS’ Tour shaft.
Fly-Z Irons
Cobra’s Fly-Z irons have deep undercuts behind their face, creating a hollow-back design that improves ball speed (for more distance) and adds forgiveness.
The irons also have Cobra’s new Speed Channels on their soles and faces — you might recall them from the company’s Fly-Z driver and woods line — which help the club faces flex more at impact for more distance.
In order to dampen the sound and feel from the hollow-body construction, Cobra used a harmonic insert in the cavity behind the face.
The Fly-Z irons have the wide soles that are typical of game-improvement irons, but use thinner top lines, medium offset and a more compact shape than previous models for a better look at address.
Cobra also used what it calls progressive spin technology in the irons. The long irons (3-6) have V-grooves for more distance, while the shorter irons (7-PW) have U-shaped grooves for more spin.
The Fly-Z irons ($699, 4-PW) are available in Black, Blue, Orange, Red and White, and will be in retail stores on March 1. Combo sets that include Cobra’s Fly-Z hybrids are also available.
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Whats in the Bag
Chesson Hadley WITB 2024 (March)
- Chesson Hadley what’s in the bag accurate as of the Texas Children’s Houston Open. More photos from the event here.
Driver: Titleist TSR3 (10 degrees, D1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ 70 TX
3-wood: Titleist TSR2+ (14.5 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ 80 TX
Irons: Titleist T200 (3), Titleist 620 CB (4, 5), Titleist 620 MB (6-PW)
Shafts: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 105 X (3), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (4-PW)
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (52-12F, 56-14F), WedgeWorks (60-K)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400
Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG 2-Ball
Grip: Odyssey
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
Check out more in-hand photos Chesson Hadley’s clubs here.
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Whats in the Bag
Gary Woodland WITB 2024 (March)
Driver: Cobra Darkspeed X (8 degrees)
Shaft: Accra TZ5 70 M5
- The white circle that appears at the top of the face a removable sticker that’s used for launch monitor tracking, and Woodland removes it for competition!
3-wood: Cobra Darkspeed X (14 degrees)
Shaft: Accra TZ5 GW100 Prototype
7-wood: Cobra LTDx LS prototype (20 degrees)
Shaft: Accra TZ5 GW100 Prototype
Irons: Wilson Staff (18 degrees), Cobra King MB (4-PW)
Shafts: KBS Tour C-Taper Limited X
Wedges: Cobra SB (48), Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (52-08F, 56-14F), Cobra King (60)
Shafts: KBS Tour C-Taper Limited X (48 degrees), KBS Tour V-Ten 125
Putter: Scotty Cameron T-5 Proto
Grip: SuperStroke Zenergy Tour 3.0P
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord
See more in-hand photos of Gary Woodland’s WITB in the forums.
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Equipment
Q&A: Martin Trainer on his Bobby Grace “Greg Chalmers” putter, 6.5-degree driver, and “butter knife” 2-iron
As unbiasedly as I can put it, Martin Trainer has one of the coolest club setups in professional golf. (At some point soon, I’ll put together a top-10 list of “coolest club setups on Tour,” but I know that Trainer will be in the top-10)
What a lineup. He plays a 6.5-degree Wilson prototype driver, a 13-degree Wilson prototype 3-wood, a true blade Wilson Staff Model 2-iron, and a Bobby Grace “Greg Chalmers Commemorative” putter!
View this post on Instagram
I mean, look at this 2-iron from address…
To quote the great author R.L. Stine: “Goosebumps.”
On Wednesday at the 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open, I caught up with Trainer to learn more about his bag setup.
Here’s what he had to say:
You have the Internet going crazy over your bag setup, and your putter. Where’d you pick the Bobby Grace-Greg Chalmers putter up? How long have you had it?
MT: This was from when Bobby Grace came to my course in California: Cal Club. And for whatever reason, they just started having them in the shop. So then I took my buddy’s, started using it, and made, like, a million putts in a row, which is how every putter story begins, I guess.
And then, I bought a couple of my own, used it for years, got to the Tour with it, won on Tour with it (the 2019 Puerto Rico Open). Then, about a year later, started using another putter, did that for a couple years, but now it’s back in the bag.
When did it come back in the bag?
MT: December of this past year. So a few months ago.
What year would you say was the first time you threw that in the bag, or, like, when you bought it?
MT: God…Probably, 2016, maybe? 2018?
Do you remember how much you paid for it?
MT: I don’t know, actually. Maybe $100-150 bucks or something. I think that’s the only golf club I’ve bought between high school and now. Well, two, since I bought two of them.
The driver is interesting, too. What went into the prototyping process?
MT: That was a version of the current driver, but it was the prototype that they first came out with for Tour guys to try. And for whatever reason, I just never switched out to the new one.
It’s just 6.5 degrees, right?
MT: Yeah. Very low loft, yeah.
What kind of ball speed do you have with that these days?
MT: Like high 170’s.
Yeah, that’ll work. And then a 2-iron blade? We’re seeing fewer and fewer of those out here.
MT: Yeah. The butter knife.
Very cool thing to have in the bag. Have you done any testing with driving irons?
MT: Yeah, I used to have a thicker one, but it was a little offset, and I never hit it that well. And then finally, I started messing around with the butter knife. And I remember the first time I looked down at it, I was terrified. And then I ended up getting used to it, putting it in play, and it’s been in place since. It’s a pretty good club for me.
How far do you carry that?
MT: Like 235.
A good little wind club, I’m sure.
MTL Yeah, exactly. I can hit it very low. It’s great.
I love it. You have people shook looking at that. Thanks for the time, man.
MT: Absolutely.
To see more photos and discussion of Trainer’s bag, click here.
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M-Herd4
Feb 19, 2016 at 3:50 pm
Just switched from Ping S55’s to the FLY-Z’s and couldn’t be happier. I needed something a little more forgiving and I got it. So impressed that I ended up replacing my entire bag of Ping’s with Cobra’s for this year. They look better, feel better, sound better, and launch better. I’m excited for the season to start!
Scott
Oct 2, 2015 at 9:45 pm
Not a huge cobra fan but the fly z pros look unreal so figured I had to try them out, currently rocking 712 CB/mb combos. Went to local golf town to try the new 716’s and these fly z pros.WOW! These clubs are pure!!! Best feeling irons I’ve ever felt, forgiving, long and the weight differential is perfect. Didn’t think it would ever happen but Can’t wait to pick up a set during Christmas! Good job cobra
tom
Jan 31, 2015 at 4:21 pm
When are the fly z+ irons going to be available?
Flow
Feb 2, 2015 at 11:47 am
@tom I believe March 1st.
Flow
Jan 30, 2015 at 10:05 am
I hit the Z+ irons at the PGA Show last week and they are real nice! I have the AMP Forged Irons and love them. The Z+ irons have a slightly thinner top line and were carrying 5-7 yards further then my AMP’s. I will be updating this spring!!!
Jonny B
Jan 29, 2015 at 2:53 pm
I sure hope these feel better than the Bio Cell+ irons I demoed last year. Almost had to have wrist surgery after a couple mishits on those suckers.
Horror
Jan 29, 2015 at 2:28 am
What is that, an inverted cone? The horror!
Bob
Jan 28, 2015 at 1:56 pm
The pro model looks really great. I play 714 AP2’s now can you compare the forgiveness to the ap2’s
ck
Jan 28, 2015 at 1:10 pm
Jason-you can typically order sets in any combination you desire through the Cobra Custom dept.
Your local golf shop that carries Cobra Puma products should be able to help you.
Jason
Jan 28, 2015 at 12:51 pm
These look like a great iron, haven’t hit Cobra irons but I love my bio cell 3 wood and hybrid. I would really love it if sets configured 5-A wedge were offered, I have no need for a 3 or 4 iron in my set of irons and I would think with the ease of hitting hybrids most people would agree. This would make the sets cheaper and I would be able to upgrade more often and for better prices.