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GolfWRX Spotted: Cobra RF Prototype irons

Published

3 weeks ago

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Cobra Golf tour staff members have always had some of the coolest irons in the game. From Bryson’s first single length sets to Rickie’s first black forged CBs—being part of a smaller staff means attention to detail for each player, and in the case of Cobra and Rickie Fowler, that means truly one-off prototypes!

Yesterday, we got a sneak peak when someone at the Floridian Club posted a distance shot of Rickie’s clubs on the back of a cart. Although it was from a distance, an astute eyes quickly noticed that these were not a current model iron and speculation started to swirl.

Starting early this morning photos starting making the rounds on social media after they were initially posted in the GolfWRX Forums by Member J13, featuring what looks to be close up in-hand images of Rickie Fowler Cobra Prototype blades. The telltale signs include Rickie’s signature Tungsten toe weight to help increase head weight in each head, and the obvious RF initials milled into the toe, under a King Cobra Crown.

Although the pictures are now out, we have few details to go on from Cobra. What I do know is at the Cobra SpeedZone event hosted a few weeks ago to showcase the new line, there was lots of hush-hush discussion that we might see something new coming in the better players category soon, but no pictures or other details were released. These pictures certainly indicate that the Cobra iron team has been working on something with Rickie, and gotten them to the point of having them out in the world for testing.

This is merely speculation, but what’s interesting to point out is that nowhere in the iron does it say forged! Could this be because it’s still a prototype and they didn’t want to go the extra step to stamp that on the head or could it mean something else?

The picture above shows the head on a fixed block—something observed during the CNC milling process, but going deeper Cobra has been pushing the limit of iron construction for a long time, and last year did they introduce a (MIM) Metal Injection Molded wedge to the consumer. Could this non-forged blade be the result of using MIM technology to form a mostly finished iron head to then have the face milled?

Like I said, we don’t have any confirmation yet from Cobra and their R&D team, but this could be a very interesting development for full release iron construction come 2020.

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Ryan Barath is a writer & the Digital Content Creation Lead for GolfWRX. He also hosts the "On Spec" Podcast on GolfWRX Radio discussing everything golf, including gear, technology, fitting, and course architecture. He is a club fitter & master club builder who has more than 16 years experience working with golfers of all skill levels, including PGA Tour professionals. He studied business and marketing at the Mohawk College in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, and is the former Build Shop Manager & Social Media Coordinator for Modern Golf. He now works independently from his home shop and is a member of advisory panels to a select number of golf equipment manufacturers, including True Temper. You can find Ryan on Twitter and Instagram where he's always willing to chat golf, from course architecture to physics, and share his passion for club building, and wedge grinding.

19 Comments

19 Comments

  1. Hamish

    Nov 28, 2019 at 8:20 pm

    Look like Yonex Ezone MB’s

    Reply Report comment

  2. uglande

    Nov 28, 2019 at 8:57 am

    These look fantastic. A lot like the new Titleist 620 MB. It seems like the blade length is a little longer than some blades, which I like, but it also looks like they have a pretty sharp leading edge and no camber, which would worry me. But granted, it’s hard to get a definitive look from these pics alone.

    Reply Report comment

  3. Danny Gray

    Nov 27, 2019 at 1:40 pm

    Reminds me of when Nelly Korda turned pro, I just can’t turn my eyes away ????

    Reply Report comment

  4. Soren Bollerup Hansen

    Nov 27, 2019 at 1:47 am

    They look like Mizuno MP18!!

    Reply Report comment

  5. Seth Riser

    Nov 26, 2019 at 9:35 pm

    Are you on the Cobra payroll? How many articles can you write about Cobra? Enough already.

    Reply Report comment

    • Chris

      Nov 27, 2019 at 11:01 am

      When new product gets released, it’s standard procedure to write about it. Don’t you think? Don’t be so triggered, guy!

      Reply Report comment

      • Hoganben

        Dec 4, 2019 at 11:28 pm

        Trendy new term I am seeing everywhere…’triggered’. People who use the term are so ‘with it’. I am guessing that they are the same guys who used to say ‘zombie thread’ or ‘use the search feature’.

        Reply Report comment

  6. Andy H

    Nov 26, 2019 at 5:36 pm

    Does this squash the water cooler talk of RF going to TM….????

    Reply Report comment

  7. Mower

    Nov 26, 2019 at 5:18 pm

    I’ll get ’em if the price is right. (say… $750)

    Reply Report comment

  8. Bird Is Da Word

    Nov 26, 2019 at 4:45 pm

    I knew there was a reason why ive been sandbagging on replacing my 2017 Cobra MBs. I have a set of the OG TW Nike blades and a set of Mizunos that pretty much just sit around bc the Cobras are that much better.

    Reply Report comment

  9. Philly Mick

    Nov 26, 2019 at 2:46 pm

    Gorgeous looking blades, such a good looking port for the tungsten weight to create COG, hope that they come in Lefty!

    Reply Report comment

  10. Chuckie Baby

    Nov 26, 2019 at 1:50 pm

    With these blades, all I need is a basket of bread and sliced butter! Let’s eat, and add 15 strokes to my scorecard!

    Reply Report comment

    • jgpl001

      Nov 26, 2019 at 3:05 pm

      It’s hard not to disagree with these comments
      They are beautiful, but they are mean, very mean, they make the MP20’s look like GI’s…

      Reply Report comment

    • Brandon

      Nov 26, 2019 at 6:36 pm

      Like most amateurs, I’d imagine your poor rounds are caused by hitting drives ob, chunking chips, and 3 putts. I’ve played everything from blades to SGI’s and my scores never change based on the irons I’m carrying.

      Reply Report comment

      • Jack

        Nov 26, 2019 at 9:01 pm

        Ain’t that the truth. Just play what you like. Nobody has actually quantified how many strokes you lose playing SGI vs blades. Of course, if you have a really slow swing speed and have trouble getting the ball in the air, you should be the SGI since even a good strike will not yield a good shot. But for average speed guys it should be OK.

        Reply Report comment

      • jgpl001

        Nov 27, 2019 at 4:14 am

        I can’t disagree with you, if I keep it in play I score well, very well
        Currently swapping in/out P750’s and MP18’s, and the best irons I ever had were 710MB’s
        Not afraid of blades and never played any type of GI club, but these new Cobra’s remind me of my first set of irons that belonged to my father, a set of Wilson Staff blades….now those gave many a stingy finger

        Reply Report comment

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Whats in the Bag

Presidents Cup WITBs: International Team

Published

1 day ago

on

Dec 13, 2019

By

  • see the U.S. squad’s WITBs here 

Hideki Matsuyama

Driver: TaylorMade M5 (9 degrees)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD-DI 8 X

3-wood: TaylorMade M4 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD-DI 9 TX

Hybrid: Ping G410 (18 degrees)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD-DI 115 X

Irons: Srixon Z 965 (4-PW)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400

Wedges: Cleveland RTX4 Forged (52, 56, 60)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400

Putter: Scotty Cameron Prototype

Golf Ball: Srixon Z-Star XV

Grips: Iomic X-Evolution

Joaquin Niemann

Driver: Ping G400 LST (10 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Chemical Tensei White 70 TX

3-wood: Ping G410
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 8X

Hybrid: Ping G400
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD DI Hybrid 95 X

Irons: Ping iBlade (4-9)
Shaft: Project X 6.0

Wedges: Ping Glide 2.0 (46 degrees), Ping Glide Forged (52, 56, 60)
Shafts: Project X 6.5

Putter: Ping Vault 2.0 Anser
Putter Grip: P58 Midsized

Golf Ball: Titleist Pro V1

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Ribbed

Louis Oostuizen

Driver: Ping G400 LST (10 degrees)
Shaft: Project X HZRDUS T1100 65

5-wood: Ping G400 (17 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Tour Spec 7.2 X

Driving iron: Ping Blueprint (3-iron)
Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Red Hybrid

Irons: Ping Blueprint (4-PW)
Shaft: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100

Wedges: Ping Glide Forged (52, 56, 60)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100

Putter: Ping Vault 2.0 Voss
Putter grip: PP58 Midsized Cord

Golf Ball: Titleist Pro V1

Grips: Custom Switch Grip

Adam Scott

Driver: Titleist TS4
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 8 X

3-wood: Titleist TS2 (16.5 degrees, A1 setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Rombax P95

Irons: Titleist 680 (4-9)
Shafts: KBS Tour 130X

Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM8 (48, 52, 56, 60 degrees)
Shafts: Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100

Putter: Scotty Cameron Prototype SC-X

Ball: Titleist Pro V1

Abraham Ancer

Driver: Callaway Epic Flash Sub Zero

3-wood: TaylorMade M4
Shaft: LA Golf Shafts 70x White Tie

5-wood: TaylorMade M2
Shaft: Matrix VLCT X

Hybrid: TaylorMade UDI (23 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi OT110 X

Irons: Miura MB-5005
Shaft: Mitsubishi OT110 X

Wedges: Artisan MT Grind (51.5, 56, 60 degrees)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400

Ball: Titleist Pro V1

Cameron Smith

Driver: Titleist TS2 (9.5 degrees)
Shaft: Graphite Design Dj6X

3-wood: Titleist TS2 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana BF 70 TX

5-wood: Titleist TS2 (18 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei BF 70 TX

Irons: Titleist T100 (4-9)
Shaft: KBS Tour X

Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM7 Raw (46-10, 52-10, 56-08, 60 degrees)
Shaft: KBS Tour 130X

Putter: Scotty Cameron

Ball: Titleist Pro V1X

Haotong Li

Driver: TaylorMade M6 (9 degrees)
Shaft: Aldila Rogue Silver 130 70TX

3-wood: TaylorMade M6 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Aldila Rogue Silver 130 80TX

5-wood: TaylorMade M5 (19 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 80X

Irons: TaylorMade M3 (3), TaylorMade P750 (4-9)
Shafts: Nippon Pro Modus3 120X

Wedges: TaylorMade MG (48) High Toe (52) Vokey SM7 (60T)
Shafts: Nippon Pro Modus3 120X

Putter: Bettinardi Custom

Ball: Titleist Pro V1

C.T. Pan

Driver: Titleist TS2 (9.5 degrees, A1 setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Atmos Blue 6X

3-wood: Titleist TS3 (16.5 degrees, A1 setting)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei Red 70 TX

Irons: Titleist U510 (3), Titleist U500 (4), Titleist T100 (5-9)
Shaft: Project X HZDRS Red 85 (3), Project X 6.0 (4-9)

Wedges: Vokey Design “Raw Heated” SM7 (46-10F, 52-08F, 58-10K, 62-08M)
Shafts: Dynamic Gold Tour Issue Purple S400

Putter: Scotty Cameron 009M
Ball: Titleist Pro V1X

Sung Jae Im

Driver: Titleist TS3 (9.5 degrees, D1 setting, draw CG)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 7X

3-wood: Titleist TS3 (15 degrees) D1
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD IZ 8TX

Hybrid: Titleist 818 H2 (19 degrees, A1 setting)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 105 X

Irons: Titleist T100 (4-PW)
Shafts: Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100

Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM8 Raw (52-08F, 56-08 M, 60-04L)
Shafts: Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X-100

Putter: Scotty Cameron Phantom T6 STR
Ball:  Titleist Pro V1X

Byeong Hun An

Driver: Titleist TS3 (8.5 Degrees) B2 Setting, Draw CG
Shafts: Accra TZ5 65 M5

3-wood: Titleist TS2 (13.5 Degrees) D4 Setting
Shaft: Project X HZDRS Smoke Black 80X

Irons: Titleist 716 TMB (3, 4, 5), Titleist 620 MB (6-9)
Shaft: Nippon Pro Modus Hybrid TX (3), Project X 6.5 (4-9)

Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design Raw SM8 (48-10, 52-08, 56-08, 60T)
Shafts: Project X 6.5 (46, 48, 52), Project X 6.0 (56), True Temper Dynamic Gold S400 (60)

Putter: Scotty Cameron Proto

Ball: Pro V1X

Marc Leishman

Driver: Callaway Epic Flash Sub Zero (9 Degrees)

Shaft: Fujikura Speeder 757 Evolution II X

3 wood: Callaway Epic Flash (15 Degrees)

Shaft: Fujikura Motore Speeder VC Tour Spec 9.2X

5 wood: Callaway Epic Flash (18 Degrees)

Shaft: Fujikura Motore Speeder VC Tour Spec 9.2X

Utility: Callaway Apex UT (21 Degrees)

Shaft: Nippon N.S. Pro Modus3 Tour 130X

Irons: (3-9): Callaway Apex MB
Shafts: Nippon N.S. Pro Modus3 Tour 130X

Wedges: Callaway Jaws MD5 (48, 52,56)

Shafts: Nippon N.S. Pro Modus3 Tour 130X

Lob wedge: Titleist Vokey SM7(60-08M),

Shaft: Nippon N.S. Pro Modus3 Tour 130X

Putter: Odyssey Versa 6 Black

Ball: Callaway Chrome Soft X

Adam Hadwin

Driver: Callaway Epic Flash (10.5 Degrees) 

Shaft: Mitsubishi Rayon Diamana D+ 70x

3 wood: Callaway Rogue (14.5 Degrees) 

Shaft: Mitsubishi Rayon Diamana D+ 72x

Utility: Callaway X Forged (3-4) 

Shafts: True Temper Project X 7.0

Irons: (5-PW): Callaway Apex MB, 

Shafts: True Temper Project X 7.0

Wedges: Callaway Jaws Mack Daddy MD5 

Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400

Putter: Odyssey Stroke Lab Double Wide

Ball: Callaway Chrome Soft

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Equipment

Forum Thread of the Day: “Is one brand OCD a thing?”

Published

2 days ago

on

Dec 13, 2019

By

Today’s Forum Thread of the Day comes from IamMarkMac who asks WRXers whether they feel one brand OCD is a thing. Our members share their thoughts on the subject and discuss the pros and cons of having a one brand bag.

Here are a few posts from the thread, but make sure to check out the entire discussion and have your say at the link below.

  • Tim Sherwood: “I don’t mind having a bag where there’s a mix of manufactures (although my bag is now all Srixon except wedges and putter, as their gear just works for me); however, I cannot stand having a bag that is branded and having none of that OEM’s clubs in it. I recently had to buy an off-brand bag as I couldn’t bring myself to put zero Taylormade clubs in a Taylormade bag. Finding a clean, almost unbranded bag wasn’t easy though.”
  • MattyO1984: “It’s something that I have thought about, and I definitely believe that I have OCD when it comes to my bag. I am all Titleist everything. My being a Titleist guy goes back to when I was barely even a teenager. Tiger had a Scotty putter and a 975D driver. I wanted them, and from there, over time, everything became all Titleist everything and everything in the bag has to match. There are plenty of other headcovers that I could have bought for my clubs, but because they aren’t black, white and red, I simply wouldn’t go near them. I even mark my ball with one black dot above the number and red dot below the number. I know it’s weird, but I am OK with it. If anything, I feel more confident using Titleist, and at the end of the day, confidence is a huge factor in golf so I can’t see my changing any time soon…well apart from my AP2’s which will shortly be switched for T100’s.”
  • pheenomz4774: “Brand OCD is a thing for me. I sometimes don’t, but when I found a manufacturer, I liked I tend to go all-in. For me it’s not about being looking like anything to anybody else, it’s a trust in a company that’s engineered their own products to match feel, gapping, etc. throughout their own bag. Most manufacturers have several options in every spot in the bag, so while it may have been true in the past, it’s very hard not to find a type of club you want within a single OEM. If I were truly “min/maxing” to squeeze every possible yard and spin rate, I’d probably have several different brands in the bag. For how much I play, that chore seems way too exhausting to sift through, and so I found a manufacturer that got me “close enough” knowing my actual golf scores won’t differ so much.”
  • ChipNRun: “Is it OCD, or does focusing on one brand save one time and money? Since about 2012, most of my club choices have been Callaway and Tour Edge. They just seem to fit my eye better. That said, Cobra hybrids have a solid place in the bag. I also like the Cobra FWs, but I can only have so many golf bag sets. As for Callaway, the top two pros at my club are Callaway guys. Golfers at the club get to hit a lot of prototype models the pros get for us prior to general release. They work closely with the Callaway rep, who shows up for general demo days and special Callaway-only visits. You can make a club selection decision over several months rather than after one day on Trackman. Tour Edge is good also. I got to know the regional TE reps very well the past ten years, and the lesson pro I work with is a knowledgeable TE fitter.”

Entire Thread: “Is one brand OCD a thing?”

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Equipment

Forum Thread of the Day: “Best driver for low face contact?”

Published

3 days ago

on

Dec 12, 2019

By

Today’s Forum Thread of the Day comes from barony19 who is on the lookout for a driver that “combines forgiveness and great spin control on contact that’s below the center of the face.” A single-digit handicapper, barony19 is currently playing a Rogue SZ, and our members discuss drivers in the market which could be good alternatives.

Here are a few posts from the thread, but make sure to check out the entire discussion and have your say at the link below.

  • getitdaily: “M5…not just because I play it, but because I’ve missed low on the course in just the 2.5 weeks I’ve had the driver and the ball still goes.”
  • Noke: “Cobra LTD and Wishon 919 come to mind. They use similar, flatter roll up/down the face that will help with low contact. LTD has a lower CG, but Wishon 919 is higher MOI.”
  • reider69: “ST190. I have been shocked at how much distance I get on low/thinned shots.”
  • DixieD: “My brother has a F8 plus that he purposefully tees low and hits cut bullets. The thing flies.”
  • GSDriver: “Epic, works well anywhere on the face. Maybe tee it lower if can’t get impact point up to where it should be?”

Entire Thread: “Best driver for low face contact?”

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