Irons

Tested: 2017 Cobra ONE Length Irons

BY Tony Covey
Feb 8th 2017
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Is ONE Length Right For You?

Cobra’s ONE Length irons are getting plenty of attention right now. Along with Callaway’s Epic Driver, single length was the talk of the PGA Show, and the thing is, it’s more than just talk. Cobra’s VP of R&D, Tom Olsavsky, recently told me that ONE Length is exceeding Cobra’s projection by 3x.

For Cobra, ONE is moving the needle, bigly.

Some of you have told us that you’re considering single length irons. We know you’re curious. Could Cobra’s ONE length irons be right for you?

Let me refer you to the pie chart performance theory.

This theory was shared with me by a friend who works in club R&D, and while it’s incredibly simple to understand, there’s a ton of wisdom contained within. It goes a little something like this:

For any individual golfer, a new golf club will either performer better, perform worse, or perform the same as what’s already in the bag. Those are the only options, the only three slices of the pie. Mind-blowing, right?

To help you get an idea of which section of the single length chart you might occupy, we put Cobra’s ONE Length irons to the test. We had 9 golfers (and counting) put ONE Length to the test against their current gamers.

Rather than present the group averages as we often do, we’re presenting the data as 9 individual case studies. The golfers in this test include scratch golfers to nearly 20 handicappers, 30-somethings to seniors, high-speed and low-speed players. It’s a diverse group.

Before we get to the data, let’s cover some important details.

How We Tested

Cobra F7 ONE and Forged ONE Irons were used for this test. Golfers hit the model and flex that most closely matched what is in their bag now.
Lofts were not adjusted, however, lie angles of the ONE set were adjusted to gamer equivalents.
9 testers hit a series of shots with 5, 7, and 9 irons from both sets. Those 3 irons were selected because they’re what you will find in Cobra’s fitting carts.
Some testers hit gamers first, while others hit ONE Length first. However, the 7-iron was always used to transition between sets.
Outliers were removed using Median Absolute Deviation. Our detection algorithms were adjusted to reduce the number of dropped shots, providing a broader sample of data.
Data was recorded using a Foresight GC2 Launch Monitor with HMT.
All testers hit Bridgestone B330-RX Golf Balls.

About our Charts

In the charts shown below, the goal was to present a significant amount of data as simply as we possibly could. I’ll leave it to you to let me know how we did.

Be sure to take note of the loft and length differences between clubs. That info is included in the launch tables for those who might want it, but we don’t obsess over it.

In the graphical portion of the chart, the tester’s gamers are always shown in black, the ONE Length is always in white. The yellow and gray bars on the larger bar charts represent the standard error. The specifics are less important, what you need to know is that the shorter the bar, the more consistent the carry distance.

Both the shot area and face impact graphics depict a 90% confidence ellipse area. Again, the important thing to remember is that smaller is more consistent.

Finally, there are a few instances where the face impact area is blank. This happens when we lost stickers (and didn’t notice) and in other situations where we failed to capture sufficient data to draw a representative ellipse.

We’ve provided observations of what stood out to us, but as always, we encourage you to dig through the data and draw your own conclusions.

Got it? Good. Let’s get to it.

Tester 1: High Swing Speed Golfer

Tester is a single-digit handicap who plays approximately 75 rounds per year. He competes in multiple club-level tournaments each season.

Age: 34
USGA Index: 4.6
Swing Speed: High
Current Iron: Mizuno JPX-850 Forged

Observations:

The Forged ONE 5-iron launched lower (~2.5°), while differences in 9-iron launch were insignificant.
Tester was appreciably longer with both the 5 and 9 irons from his set. 7 iron differences are negligible.
Carry distance was, across the board, more consistent with gamers.
Centerline accuracy favors ONE Length, while dispersion and face impact areas are of similar size.
The data suggests no clear benefit with ONE Length, and the tester doesn’t feel they’re right for him.

Tester 2: High Swing Speed Golfer

Tester is a high teen handicap golfer who plays approximately 25 rounds per year. He’s our representative for the higher swing speed, high handicap category.

Age: 34
USGA Index: 18.5
Swing Speed: High
Current Iron: TaylorMade RocketBallz
Additional Notes: 5-iron test is hybrid (gamer) vs. traditional 5-iron (ONE)

Observations:

As we would expect from a higher-handicap golfer, carry distances are inconsistent across all clubs.
Significant differences in ball speeds were observed across all 3 clubs, with ONE producing faster ball speeds except when paired against the tester’s 5-hybrid.
Launch and spin numbers suggest marginally better performance from the F7 ONE.
Dispersion areas are similar, while proximity to the target line generally favors the F7 ONE.
As is often the difficulty with higher handicap golfers, the data is not entirely conclusive. More testing is needed.

Tester 3: Mid Swing Speed Golfer

Tester is a low single-digit handicap golfer who routinely breaks par while playing game-improvement irons. He plays 50 rounds per year and competes in several club-level tournaments each season.

Age: 48
USGA Index: 2.5
Swing Speed: Moderate
Current Iron: TaylorMade RocketBladez
Additional Notes: Tester 3 is what we would classify as a low-spin golfer

Observations:

This is a textbook case of what most would expect to see with ONE Length irons; the 5-iron is appreciably shorter, while the 9-iron is appreciably longer.
ONE consistency is better with the 5 and 7 irons, however, this tester produced significantly more consistent carry with his 9-iron.
Downrange dispersion favors ONE Length, however, any face impact area differences are marginal (note: tester is an excellent ballstriker).
5-iron launch and spin numbers are a concern. While this would likely be mitigated to a degree by switching to Forged ONE, the 5-iron distance gap would likely widen as a result.
While 5-iron performance is of particular concern, there is a case to be made for ONE Length. However, the tester is comfortable with variable length and tells us single length would be a “tough sell.”

Tester 4: Low Swing Speed Golfer

Tester is a retired senior golfer whose handicap fluctuates between high single and low double-digits. He plays 100 rounds per year and plays in multiple club-level tournaments annually.

Age: 63
USGA Index: 10.7
Swing Speed: Low
Current Iron: PING G20

Observations:

The 3° difference in 5-iron loft is apparently mitigated by a .5″ difference in shaft length, resulting in a negligible difference in average carry yards.
Appreciably lower launch was demonstrated by the F7 ONE for two of three irons tested. This, along with lower spin across the board from F7 ONE, is a concern.
For this tester, consistency was generally better with his current irons.
Downrange dispersion favors the current irons, while face impact is marginally more consistent with F7 ONE.
The data suggests ONE Length may not be a good fit in this case.

Tester 5: High Swing Speed Golfer

Tester is a higher swing speed scratch golfer. He plays 55 rounds per year and competes in club-level team events, but seldom competes in individual tournaments.

Age: 39
USGA Index: +.4
Swing Speed: High
Current Iron: Nike VR Forged Pro Combo

Observations:

With the exception of the 9-iron, where Forged ONE launched 2° higher, launch and spin differences between sets were negligible.
As was often the case throughout this test, the ONE 5-iron was 4 yards shorter than the variable length equivalent.
An anomaly perhaps, the Forged ONE 7-iron produced significantly more ball speed and was significantly more consistent than the tester’s current 7-iron.
The Forged ONE 9-iron was more consistent while producing an additional 4 yards of carry. This is due primarily to a nearly 3.5 MPH increase in ball speed.
The face impact data collected suggests that Forged ONE produced more consistent strikes.
While far from absolute, the data suggests this tester might benefit from ONE Length irons, however, as with our previous low handicap golfer, he’s hesitant to put them into play.

Tester 6: Mid Swing Speed Golfer

Tester is a high single-digit golfer who we’d classify as an average ball striker. He plays 40 rounds per year and competes in several club-level tournaments annually.

Age: 39
USGA Index: 8.6
Swing Speed: Moderate
Current Iron: Mizuno JPX-850

Observations:

Tester is one of two testers where our data suggests a decisive advantage for ONE Length Irons.
F7 One was longer and more consistent at all 3 iron lengths.
Although the 5 iron produced 3.6 yards more carry, the lower launch (1.5°) may be cause for concern.
The F7 ONE 9-iron was 3.5 yards longer than the variable length equivalent while producing lower launch, more spin and a higher apex.
While downrange dispersion differences aren’t notably significant, they do suggest F7 ONE was more consistent for this tester.
Face impact dispersion also favors F7 ONE.

Tester 7: Slow Swing Speed Golfer

Tester 7 is a mid double-digit handicap, senior golfer. He’s the elder statesman in our group and has the lowest swing speed among participants in this test. He plays nearly 100 rounds per year and competes in several club-level tournaments.

Age: 65
USGA Index: 17.5
Swing Speed: Moderate
Current Iron: PING G30

Observations:

Note the razor thin gaps between Tester’s 5 and 7 irons (gamers) and 7 and 9 irons (F7 ONE). This is unfortunately far too common among low speed, senior golfers.
Despite a nearly 5 MPH deficit in average head speed, the F7 ONE produced more ball speed, presumably due to more consistently centered contact.
Consistency (standard error bars) generally favor ONE Length, however, as suggested above, gaps are inconsistent with both sets.
Downrange dispersion and face impact charts suggest only a modest advantage for F7 ONE.
While this tester may benefit from ONE Length, the greatest improvement would likely be found through wider and more consistent gapping throughout the set.

Tester 8: Mid Swing Speed Golfer

Tester 8 rides the line between a single and double digit handicap while rapidly approaching senior status. He’s a competent ball striker who maintains a nearly moderate swing speed while playing 40 rounds per year and competing in several club-level tournaments.

Age: 63
USGA Index: 10.5
Swing Speed: Moderate
Current Iron: Titleist AP2

Despite the different lengths and head weights, for this tester head speeds and ball speeds are nearly identical between sets.
5 and 7 iron launch conditions suggest the tester might benefit from the Forged ONE.
Consistency favors the Forged ONE in the 5 and 9 iron lengths, while carry distances were more consistent with the AP2 7 iron.
The 5-iron is particularly noteworthy as the shorter length club was significantly more consistent while producing greater carry.
The Forged ONE 9 iron produced lower launch, less spin, and a shallower descent angle, which makes holding greens more difficult.
While overall ONE performed well overall for this tester, the less consistent 7-iron and the less favorable 9-iron launch conditions are concerns.

Tester 9: High Swing Speed Golfer

Tester 9 is me, and it’s been a while since I served as a club tester. While my swing speed is above average, my ball striking most certainly isn’t. Much to my wife’s consternation, I play 50 rounds a year and compete (or at least try to compete) in several club-level tournaments each season.

Age: 44
USGA Index: 12
Swing Speed: High
Current Iron: PXG 0311

Observations:

What stands out in my case is the consistency in club speed, ball speed, and ultimately the carry distance produced by the two difference sets.
In each scenario, there was there no more than 1.5 yards difference between my gamers and the Forged ONE.
Consistency (standard error) was appreciably better with the Forged ONE across all 3 irons tested.
Launch angle, spin rates, and apex were also higher across the board with the Forged ONE.
Shot dispersion and face impact areas were consistently smaller with the Forged ONE.
While shots hit with the Forged ONE were on average left of the target line, I suspect this is related to lie angle, shaft deflection, or some combination thereof. Adjustment is required, but because the results are consistent throughout the set, I’m not overly concerned.
Not surprising given my average-at-best ball striking, the data suggests I may be an ideal candidate for single length irons.

Is ONE Length Right for You?

While our data suggests few absolutes there are three generalizations we feel comfortable making.

Middle Handicap Golfers (call it 8-14) with moderate to high swing speed who sometimes struggle with consistent ballstriking appear to the be sweet spot for single length irons. These are golfers generally looking for more consistency across all facets of their games, and by eliminating what can be a troublesome variable, single length irons can provide just that. It’s why I’ll be starting the 2017 season with a set in my bag.
Slower Swing Speed Golfers and Seniors in particular, may struggle with Cobra’s implementation of single length. In the long irons the head speed lost can be difficult to overcome, and distance gains in the shorter irons may be a bit too much on a comparative basis. Substituting hybrids for long irons is at least part of a potential solution, but that brings you one club further removed from the single length philosophy.
Single Digit to Scratch Golfers may benefit from ONE Length. The data suggests that already excellent ballstrikers can see their consistency improve; however, these are the golfers who, among our testing pool anyway, showed the most resistance to the single length concept. We believe it can help these types of golfers, but it requires an open mind.

As with anything else in your bag, your mileage may vary and your best results are likely only achievable with the help of a proper fitting. I can’t recommend enough that you visit your local Cobra fitter and take the time to find out how the performance from the 5, 7, and 9-irons in your set compares to ONE Length.

For more information on Cobra ONE Length irons, visit CobraGolf.com. For those interested in learning more about how ONE Length wedges compare to traditional models, we’ll be conducting some additional research this spring.

MyGolfSpy is the only major golf media outlet that declines advertising dollars from the biggest names in golf. You won’t find their banners here. We truly believe it’s the only way to remain above the influence, publish real results based on real data, and continue to provide honest opinion and commentary about what’s happening inside the golf equipment industry.

If you found these Cobra ONE Length case studies, helpful, or just interesting, please consider making a donation to help support MyGolfSpy’s independence.

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Tony Covey

Tony is the Editor of MyGolfSpy where his job is to bring fresh and innovative content to the site. In addition to his editorial responsibilities, he was instrumental in developing MyGolfSpy's data-driven testing methodologies and continues to sift through our data to find the insights that can help improve your game. Tony believes that golfers deserve to know what's real and what's not, and that means MyGolfSpy's equipment coverage must extend beyond the so-called facts as dictated by the same companies that created them. Most of all Tony believes in performance over hype and #PowerToThePlayer.

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comments

Join The Discussion

Jim A

4 years ago

Cobra OL clubs have progressive lie angles for a reason. In fact, the progression is the reverse of a standard set. That is, lower lofted clubs are more upright. So by “adjusting” the lie angles, you’ve altered a key design spec and, consequently, skewed the results of your own test. Way to go, MGS! Brilliant!

JonD

5 years ago

Look the name of the game is consistency. The shorter the the shaft the higher the probability of being consistent.

Think about it. Everyone is more consistent with a 9 iron than a 5 iron.

I would submit that a 5 iron 6 iron and 7 iron with the same length paired with traditionally lengthed (ie shorter 8 and 9 irons), would produce optimal results.

I have recently cut back my driver 2.25″ added weight to the head to maintain swing weight.

My best shot with this set up is 10 to 15 yards shorter than when I played with a longer shaft.

However my average drive has gone up 10 yards and I hit 33% more fairways.

Saving 2.5 strokes per round with a shorter shafted driver.

Its all about hitting the sweet spot.

The shorter the staft the better the chance of hitting the center of the club face. It’s physics.

Check out these pros driver lengths.

Jim Furyk 44.625

Ricky Fowler 43.5

Aaron Baddley 42.5

Jimmy Walker 42

Too bad the OEMs dont embrace this concept.

Shorter drivers and one length with shorter 8 and 9 would prove to be the optimal combinatio for a huge chunk of the golfing public.

Brian Morrissey

6 years ago

To understand why single lengths work in theory you must understand the secret go golf. The butt of the club to floor distance combined with the toe to ball distance and the length of the club creates a right triangle. From there you can calculate the lie angle which must be set up correctly at address and returned to thee same angle at impact. Yes, good golfers will have forward shaft lean but you must be consistent to square the club at impact. This is much easier to do with single length which creates one triangle for every club and in theory one swing plane for every swing. Or at least can lead to that and eliminate hand movement up or down during the swing. Result is more consistency if the total weight, balance point and tip stiffness suit the golfer.
The second benefit is understanding that the number on determinant of distance that a golf club can deliver is center face contact. Again, the triangle helps with this concept…if you set up with the center of the club face at right angles to the center of the golf ball and you return there at impact you will hit the center of the face and optimize distance for your club head speed. You must prevent your swing from moving the club towards the ball, (shanking) and prevent from moving your hands towards the body creating toes hits. It is easier to learn to do both with single length clubs.
The above comments assume that all the other 22 variables in golf clubs are fitted to your physique and swing rather than just one variable such as length.
The club is important but much more important is getting properly fitted and having the clubs properly assembled based on that fitting. The best clubs on the planet poorly fitted will not work as they force compensations that cause mishits. The best clubs properly fitted will do no good if they are not assembled consistently to your specs.
Seek out club fitters like me who will guarantee center face contact with perfect lie at impact for all your clubs. Much more important than the name on the club.
I only put clients in single length if they hate practicing and need help with their game.

JOEL K GOODMAN

6 years ago

TOMMY ARMOUR BEAT THEIR HEADS AGAINST THE WALL IN THE EARLY 90’S WITH THIS GO NOWHERE IDEA.. ONLY FOOLS AND MORONS PISS AWAY MONEY ON A DEAD ISSUE. THIS WILL BE ANOTHER SCRAP HEAP CONTRIBUTION. THEY WILL NOT SELL 50000 SETS. PROBABLY NOT 10000. MAYBE 8 OR 10 TO DESPERATE 100+ GOLFERS SEEKING MIRACLES.

Aaron B.

5 years ago

LMAO

Bagger Vince

3 years ago

Wh are you screaming?

Doug Mael

6 years ago

I am very close to your Tester #8 (very similar handicap index, 5 years older, and 2 to 4 more MPH of clubhead speed). Depending on the time of year and how much golf I have been playing, I range from a decent to very good ball-striker with my irons. I currently play a combo set of Callaway Apex CF16 and Apex Pro 16 irons with KBS Tour V 110-S steel shafts and have a backup set of 2014 Apex irons with 95 gram graphite shafts for when my joints give me problems. I am also a Professional Clubfitter (Golf Digest has recognized me as a top fitter the last two years) with almost 30 years experience, and have built several sets of single length irons for customers.

My observations fairly closely parallel your conclusions here, as I see the slower-swinging golfers benefiting least from single-length irons in most instances, while low-handicap and scratch golfers resist the concept nearly universally.

I have personally tried single-length irons a few times, and the greatest difficulty that I had was with the 9-iron and wedges. My consistency in both distance and direction suffered most with those higher-lofted club’s. For this reason, I stuck with my variable-length clubs. I do suspect that single-length irons could help my game a little, if I spent a lot of time practicing with them, but the improvement would likely be marginal, at best.

Doug Mael

Mike Reed

6 years ago

As an experiment I built a single length set out of some old cast heads (5-7-9-W) that I had in my workshop. I used Project X 5.0 graphite shafts. I tip trimmed the shafts to 7 iron specs and cut the clubs to 7 iron length. I have only tried them once on a simulator and I hit them the same distances that I hit my regular length clubs. I can’t wait to try them on the course.

I think the single length idea would work best with people learning the game who have not played variable length clubs. The wedge seemed long to me and the 5 iron seemed short but I hit them the distance I normally do for each club. It is all a matter of what you get used to.

Chadd

6 years ago

I played the forged one length last year and loved them. Much more consistent ball striking. Yes I did lose some distance with my 5 iron but that can be rectified with the one length hybrids. I would have replaced my 5 iron and old 4 hybrid with this year’s f8 one length hybrid.

My set went all the way down to the lob wedge in the one length.

John Willson

6 years ago

Great test, about ten years late. You should go to David Lake at 1 Iron Golf, where most of the questions left outstanding above have been answered, or at least considered seriously.

John

7 years ago

Let me start by saying I was intrigued by one length irons. I read quite a bit of rhetoric regarding how the manufacturer offset length by tweeking cg and moi. I was almost convinced that this may be a major breakthrough! But then again, I have been playing golf for 50 years and somehow in my mid 50’s I am able to hit the ball further consistently than when I was in my 20’s! I tried the Cobra F7 one length 5 iron on a simulator at Dick’s sporting goods. I could only hit it 175 yards. I think one went 177. I took their own variable length 5 iron and carried each 200,200 and then 202. That is my normal 5 iron distance. The clerk said these clubs were for medium to high handicappers. I m about a 6, driver swing speed106-110. Try one length before buying, your results may differ.

Tom T

7 years ago

I’ve been playing single lengths since 2005. All I can tell u is after I made the switch, my striking got more consistant, and my scores really improved. I can’t practice much anymore, but I manage to play twice a week. I break 80 pretty consistantly, which is good enough to beat the boys I play with. I went thru 2 sets of 1irons and switched to Wishon Sterling Irons last year. I found the distance and gapping of the sterling irons to be an improvement over the 1irons. I am a “feel” golfer, so I’m not big on data, but the performance of the Sterling irons is very comparable to the conventional irons that my buddy’s play. I just believe that the single most important benefit is the consistant striking that you develop, without a ton of range time.

Harold w

7 years ago

Your great young man in charge of testing (with a marketing degree) I am sure you respect very much. Does he know all the gimmicks over the years or what to look for in a one length club. How that club will change the normal swing. Where the sole meet the turf the leading edge the bounce players stance
Would Mr. B. Nelson had a problem winning 11 events in a row and 18 in a year . Are would he just walked out and kicked their ass

Niels Christian Pedersen

7 years ago

I have only skimmed the discussion. But what I miss, is the point that Wishon Sterling Single Length irons are aimed at the clubfitting made to measure and not off the rack.
Being a clubfitter located in Denmark I focus with my customer on making sure that the following specs actually fit him/her: shaft asper swingspeed rating, comfortable shaft length, proper grip size and ultimately the feel. Only by making a demo iron or two based on the mentioned, the player has now the task to test the irons to pinpoint any improvements before the actual set is produced. Not based on Swingweighting, but solely using Moment Of Intertia, obtaining tolerances of less than .5% of the measured MOI.
Single Length Irons do take time getting used to, but once you get the hang of it, it’ll be hard to go back.

Jerry

7 years ago

I’m not arguing your point or others. What I seem to be missing in all the discussion and data is the “why” single length is supposedly better? Did the single length evolve out of the theory that if all your clubs are of similar length your swing therefore is easier to groove? I think everyone is missing something here. I contend that the swing even with a consistent swingplane between irons is “not” the same as “swingpath” between irons. Now single length may take away one more thing to think about as you swing. But I do believe it consequently creates learning “other” swing changes. Or perhaps “unlearning” AOA differences between clubs? I would like to see some testing with a swing analyzer that would show the swingpaths of the gamers irons and the single length irons from several perspectives (front/side/top view). Then we could see if the single length is an easier transition. That is, does single length promote a single swingpath swing or is it just a single swingplane? Golfers swing differently from 2-iron to wedge not only a flatter swingplane with the long irons to more upright with short irons but also change their AOA, picking the long irons off the turf to hitting down on short irons. Furthermore does single length promote shot shaping or make it more difficult? Tony, did any of the testers comment on their ability to more easily create different shot shapes?

Kurt B

7 years ago

Are these clubs designed to ideally match with the proprietary shafts or would other shafts perform as well or better? I see that Cobra offers premium shafts (Nippon, KBS, Project X, etc.) but I am wondering how they will work. Are they all identical 7 iron shafts or do they have different kick points, weighting, etc.? Any idea?

Alex Holt

7 years ago

I hope this drives a manufacturer to lessen the length gap between irons. I would feel much more comfortable if they took 3/4 an inch of the 4 iron, added 1/4 inch to the shortest wedge (and still maintained consistent gapping throughout) and thus had a one inch less differences across the set. Consistency should increase without having to make the full leap to one length,Best of both worlds…

James Shepard

7 years ago

I’m a senior with back problems that make it hard to bend over comfortably. For 5 years now I have had my Burner irons all the length of my 7 iron, 7 & 6 1/2 in over. Made for some gap problems but made it possible to keep playing. They took some getting used to but soon felt very natural. So I was very interested in these new irons. I tried them last month and was disappointed. The feel of the clubs at impact was harsh, especially after hitting the new Pings and other irons. Hopefully one length will take off and others will start offering them.

Jerry

7 years ago

After some pondering I ask what the true benefit of single length really is? I’ve wondered about having to change swing dynamics, i.e. If hitting a 9-iron my swing is upright with a descending AOA and different than a 5-iron that needs less divot and very different than a 3-iron that I pick off the turf with even less divot. I’m not disputing what others have experienced but I do think a longer shafted 9-iron would set up for a hook with a flatter swing not to mention a shorter backswing to offset the swingspeed. All things that can be learned with time and practice. But I come back to ‘what are the upsides’? Is it the swingplane similarity between clubs? Just learn different AOA’s? Somebody tell me. I’m all ears.

Kristian Oakes

7 years ago

Be realistic and you really see the benefits. My misses were tighter with one length long irons with only 5ft lower flight with 5iron and 3 yard average loss of distance. Understanding my average carry with one length 5iron varied only 7 yards. Variable was 16 yards! I have stopped at a 9iron too, keeping my 4 scoring clubs the same as ever.
To combat the marginal carry loss on the 5 I added a degree stronger loft which gave me 3yds and only 1ft lower flight. The 4iron is an f7 one with a degree weak. That’s 12 yards longer than the five now.

Kristian Oakes

7 years ago

Just been fitted. Class

Arnie Kourtjian

7 years ago

Waiting for my Wishon set… through a fitting. Im a high handicapper, the proof is in the pudding on trackman, more consistent strikes/long irons.

Stacy

7 years ago

I am coming up on my second season with a single length set of irons and completely agree with these results. I am age 42 with a moderate to high swing speed (tendency to get a little steep and handshake) and between an 8 and a 10 USGA handi. My strike was always somewhat inconsistent with my irons because I took up the game later in life with no training and am more of a feel player. I have never hit a four or a five iron more solidly than I do now with plenty of height, and the few yards I lose or gain as a result of the length have easily just become my new iron yardage number. I think you hit the nail on the head when you said people looking into these will not be chasing yardage gains like golf marketing and hype is always pushing us to do. They will be people looking to hit the ball straighter and to a more consistent length while finding the center of the face more often. I hit a four iron into the final hole (par 5) of a match the other day at around 200 yards with a baby fade – exactly the way my mind saw it. With a traditional said I could have easily hit that four iron 5 yards longer and 10 yards more errant putting me in the lake to the right and dead. I’m not interested in that sort of golf where I hit one shot well every 20 rounds with a club, I want to go out and hit my irons more proficiently and consistently. I can tell you that I now own the cobra one length forged and the shafts were a poor choice by the manufacturer. I reshafted all of mine with a soft step x100 and will never look back. The concept here should be single length with the same shaft period.

Klaus

7 years ago

Very interesting about single length irons. How does it work when it comes to Driver, Fairway woods and hybrids?

Stephen Scotney

7 years ago

Hi Guys,

I like the article, it pretty much fits the logic. I noticed that tester number 5’s numbers looked wierd. With his 5 iron at 95 mph and ~4000 revs, plus a what looks like a reasonable launch angle and strike pattern his distance was only in the mid to low 180s? Where as others with only high 80s swing speed were sending it further. Is that correct? Do you have a view as to why, was he not hitting the sweet spot enough?

Thanks

Tony Covey

7 years ago

Stephen – happy to take a closer look at the data for you. Can you give me a specific example of the ‘others’ you mentioned?

Stephen Scotney

7 years ago

Hi Tony,

Look at Tester 1 for a direct comparison with Tester 5.

Taking a look at all of these swings, I am starting to believe that actually the really amazing stuff in all of this is Tester 3. If you talk about efficiency, he is unbelievable in maximising his ball’s launch capabilities. He clearly shows you the importance of hitting the sweet spot. Could you ask him what he has done to realise that level of striking? In fact, please could you do some testing to validate whether someone who focuses on centre strikes without changing their swing can actually realise more substantial performance gains: examples of some ideas:
– focuses on reducing swing speed to increase strike quality, did this make them more accurate and longer?
– practises with very high proprioceptive feedback clubs, e.g. old school blades
– practises with tape on the face focusing on hitting the sweet spot

I think that the equipment change piece has been covered by this article.

One other thing, how are you defining Hi, mid, low swing speed. Is this tempo or club head speed. Tester 3, mid, has an 89.05 mph average 5 iron speed, Tester 9, high, is 87 and tester 1, 89.87

Tony Covey

7 years ago

Tester 5 basically grew up on a golf course. He worked at the course, played the course…been a golfer his whole life. Chaulk a good bit of what he does up to experience.

He doesn’t practice a ton these days. Like most of us, he has other responsibilities. That said, he probably uses the ground more than any golfer I’ve had come in to test with us. His footwork is just different.

As for swing speed breakdown, I based it off driver speed. High would be above 100. Moderate in this group is ballpark 85-100, slow would be less than that.

Wes Skaggs

7 years ago

Before you buy a set of Cobras or Sterling, make sure you check out Edel Golf SLS-01. If you are interested in a truly great set of single length clubs, Edel’s are the best.

Sherman Welch

7 years ago

I bought a set 3 weeks ago and have improved each round. I haven’t lost yardage with the long irons nor have I gained yardage with the short irons. The one thing I have noticed is I’m a little longer with my carry & total distance with the long irons then I was before. I hit this set plenty of times before purchasing and my gapping in between clubs was between 11-12 yards. So far so good.

Tom Summerhays

7 years ago

Having played and fitted 10 guys last year into the Wishon Sterlings, some points are being missed here. First the Wishon designs are better than anything on the market
with hi cor faces in the long irons and better loft gapping throughout the set. The Sterlings have a 5 hybrid. Second, it takes some time to adjust. Mentally and physically, new concepts take time to show true results. My guys would report getting dialed in after 5-6 rounds over about a month. Third the optimal length of the singles should be based on the 8 iron length, a few handled the 7 iron length. The 6iron length is too long.

Tom Mann

7 years ago

Not so much lightweight…

Brian Cook

7 years ago

Why not have 4,5,6,7 at 7 iron length and the 8,9,pw at standard length. Why would I want an 8,9 and wedge that long?
Tommy Armour had a set like this 20 plus years ago. Didn’t work out.

baudi

7 years ago

Great test MGS! Love it.
Only one thing I would like to know: the playability on finesse shots. Curving the ball, pitches, hi/lo etc.

Ken Mackay

7 years ago

Using Pinhawk clubs 5 to LW and once could accept mentally the longer shaft on the shorter irons have no problem. Still grip down for chips and feel shots the same as I did with variable length irons. Yes the 5 iron does launch lower but I still get similar distance and spin as 5 variable length. I am recommending single length irons to a lot of my students especially beginners and ladies.

Mike

7 years ago

Should have done the Sterlings instead as they are a better designed set.

Steve S

7 years ago

Maybe, but you can’t get them “off the shelf”(they’re sold on a “per order” basis) and Wishon probably didn’t offer up free samples to MGS. Wishon’s will cost you $200-300 more than the Cobras.

Phil Morin

7 years ago

Short irons spin like crazy and are a half club shorter and the long irons fly lower with less spin…. harder to hold the greens with the long irons..

andrew fogelson

7 years ago

i am pretty certain i will buy single length something (theory being i cant do much damage to my existing golf game) and would love a wishon/cobra test. thanks.

Devon Mix

7 years ago

Jay Are, everything you’ve been preaching since you bought your set was just confirmed in testing.

Matt, Max this is a pretty good read.

Devon Mix

7 years ago

I’m half tempted to find a way to get a set from the old lady.

Jay Are Martinson

7 years ago

Why would I switch from playing blades for 22 years to this unless it worked. STERLINGS!!!

John Duval

7 years ago

I have trouble justifying the large distance gap in the short irons that single length irons created for me. Great, I can hit my PW 150 yards now. My SW goes 115. What do I do to cover that 35 yard gap? 66% of my shots are taken within 140 yards of the green. In my case it’s not smart to give up short game precision & consistency for a marginal improvement in mid-range ball striking.

Edward Colligon

7 years ago

The idea is that you would eventually replace your wedges with single length too. I see the benefit more in the long irons anyways. Sacrificing 5 yards on your best hits to be consistent seems like a great benefit for the average golfer.

Grant Williams

7 years ago

Cobra have a one length gap wedge

Andre

7 years ago

The title of your article is somehow misleading
“Is one legnth Cobra right for you ” and not “Is one length right for you” would have been better.
On the Cobra one length forged, the COR of the faces on 7/6/5/4/3 irons is the same as on higher numbers irons and far from being as high as it could be compared to the Wishon Sterling. Then the loft increase, 3d, is too low. You need 4d for proper distance increase between each iron. For those reasons the Cobra will be no good on low lofted irons if swing speed is below 85 mph.
Then, the length of the Cobra 37.25 is too long, 36.5 would give much better results.

Then, about fitting,

N

7 years ago

How would 36.5″ be better than 37.25″? I would think that would be an individual case. You can order these 1/2″ under or rover. any good club builder could build them to 36.5″

mcavoy

7 years ago

It would be interesting to see a head to head comparison between these and the Sterlings. Only 2 of the 9 testers here hit the ONE 5 iron as long or longer as their standard 5 iron. Wishon incorporated the hi-cor faces in the lower lofted Sterling’s to try and mitigate that.

Carolina Golfer 2

7 years ago

This was great. Thanks so much for the detailed testing and by breaking it down by the individual golfer, I really like seeing it broken down by the individual golfers. I understand why it’s usually done as a group, but in this case it helped me zero in on a couple like minded players.

I have already hit the irons and decided two minutes after doing so they will be bought this year, it’s just a matter of time. I should probably give the irons I bought in September some play first..ha

Bryant

7 years ago

I learned to play with a set of irons that were a hair too short for me, and have developed a slightly step swing plane as a result (only with irons).. A local pro told me that I’d be an ideal candidate for single-length irons because I’m fairly consistent in repeating my swing and maintaining my posture, but variable-length irons put me in an area of constant flux between my more upright “driver swing” and my more bent over “iron swing”.. He basically said that I’m pretty good at both extremes, but struggle with “blurring” the two.. Made enough sense to me that I’m open to the idea.. It essentially eliminates half of the different swings from my game.. Logic would suggest that mastering 7 swings is easier than 14.. So, needless to say, I’m strongly considering going that route

cksurfdude

7 years ago

MGS, Tony –
Congrats! on one of the better tests .. and testing articles! .. you’ve produced and I’ve had the pleasure of reading. Well thought out, well executed and well presented.

Not really interested in One Length for myself (unless as a result of a full bag custom fitting scheduled for tomorrow my fitter proves they’d be da bomb for me) but did find this info worthwhile!

Dave S

7 years ago

One thing this test might not totally account for is how much better you might get with single-length irons after a good amount of consistent practice and play. When you practice with variable length, each club is it’s own swing so you have to practice each to get good. With SL, you can get more out of your practice b/c you’ll be grooving the same swing with each club. It would be interesting to see people practice with them for a full year.

Al Humphrey

7 years ago

I build both Wishon and Mizuno. There is nothing said about shaft type, stiffness ,etc or fit to the individual tester, in this data. The head weights are what they are. Wishon heads can be modified heavier with Tom’s hosel weight port. Everyone concentrates on the head, when in fact, I believe that the shaft, properly fit to each participant’s swing data, and specific swing characteristics, provides a better measurement of relative club performance. My bias is Steel Fiber composite shafts….which in my testing, transfer energy at a more efficient level than most steel shafts. I build Mizunos with taper and parallel SFs. At same butt cpm, parallels generate more distance, with less impact feedback. JMO….

Terry Wittek

7 years ago

I was crushing the one length 5iron way passed my current 5iron that has a longer shaft in it.

Jd Stocker

7 years ago

I’m doing some R&D on my own clubs. Cut my long irons to 7 iron length. Now it’s time to see how the gapping is. Can’t wait for the results.

Jd Stocker

7 years ago

All good, I can lengthen them at any time. Ppl tell me it won’t work, but no one can tell me why. I don’t carry a 4, 5, or 6 iron in my bag right now because my hit percentage is so low on them. My 7 iron is about 90-95% clean. I hit it about 165-170 carry. So, now the difference in the other irons is only loft. I may have to add weight to the back of the irons to achieve more height, but improved ball contact via shorter shafts should automatically help. Like I said though. This is an R&D run. I can always put them back, or keep tinkering. By the way, I’m only 5’5″. So I’m thinking this might just work.?

Bryant

7 years ago

If I’m not mistaken, the reason it *shouldn’t* work is because the swing weights will be off.. A 5-iron with a longer shaft has a lighter clubhead to achieve the same swing weight as a 9-iron with a shorter shaft and heavier clubhead.. The 7-iron is somewhere in the middle for both measurements.. Ideal swing weight varies person-to-person, but you need enough weight to “feel” it and control it through the swing, but not so much weight that it becomes too heavy or becomes difficult to keep on plane..
In essence, your long irons are simply too light to play with shorter shafts.. So, theoretically, any advantage gained through the shorter shafts is lost due to the lighter clubhead.. From less consistency and control to a loss of distance and a lower launch angle.. You could opt for some lead tape on the clubhead and try to find a lighter grip, etc, to get it as close as possible to the swing weight of your other irons..

Ryan Mclaughlin

7 years ago

Only one way to find out!

Bill Janelle

7 years ago

I’m no engineer but won’t you effectively be making the shafts in those long irons quite a bit stiffer? They weren’t created to be that length (kick point, etc.). Better off putting in new, single length shafts.

Jd Stocker

7 years ago

If u cut the bottoms of the shafts it has a huge effect on the stiffness and kick point. But subtraction off the grip end is far less. The whole point of me doing this is to increase the consistency of each club. I took 1.5 inches off my callaway BB, and gained 15yrds on average, and hit the fairway 75% more than the stock 46 inch shaft. Proof is in the pudding. It’s all experimental at this point, and I can’t wait to tinker and see what my end results are. ?

Ed Pascual

7 years ago

Here’s what you’re up against when you try to one length a traditional set.:
1. The lie angles need to be adjusted dramatically. Unless they are forged, you might break those heads while bending them.
2. The swingweights will be out of whack. You’ll need to add led tape to the long irons. You’ll need to somehow reduce the weight of your short irons.
3. Cobra changed the center of gravity in the 4, 5, 6 iron so they can still reach optimum height. You can’t really do that on your own.
4. The 4, 5, and 6 iron are also reingeneered with hotter faces and more mass to compensate for the distance loss for the shorter irons. Again, you can’t do that on your own.
5. BillJanelle’s point. Gotta get new shafts otherwise kickpoint and flex won’t match up.
-I’m not hating. I’m just trying to save you time, $$$, and headache. Golfers try and do this at the shop all the time, and I try to talk them out of it. I’ve seen many clubs ruined.

Ed Pascual

7 years ago

All that being said, if you find it fun to tinker, and time and money arent a factor for you, go for it.

Bill Janelle

7 years ago

Hope it works out for you. I still carry a 2 iron so what do I know?

Edward Colligon

7 years ago

I would just buy a few 7i shafts of the same make that you have in your others, bend to the proper length (you can bend non-forged, otherwise fittings would be pointless), but the lofts and weights need to be adjusted so that launch conditions are similar. Because your head will be moving slower (shorter shaft) you need to up the head weight to equal up the momentum. That’s what people forget. Golf isn’t about club head speed, it’s about momentum. A light head going really fast can be worse than a heavy head going medium speed. Not perfectly of course, because balls have to compress, which requires speed and time, but it’s something to keep in mind.

Steve S

7 years ago

Hey Edward! Someone who actually “gets it” about the physics of the golf swing. The momentum equation (mass times velocity) is the key driver in distance related to the golf club. I have a friend who is a PhD in engineering who has proved this on a launch monitor. He has added weight to his driver until his swing speed slowed then backed off the weight. The myth that a lighter club gives you much more swing speed(and distance) was shown to be false. The “as delivered” swing speed was within 2 miles per hour of the “weighted” club but he hit the “weighted” club 30 yards further (swing speed about 110-115).

I did the same with my irons. I now hit my irons like I did 5 years ago…5-10 yards longer… Haven’t tried it with the driver..yet….

Jd Stocker

7 years ago

4 iron testing was good today avg. 185 carry. Also miss hits very minimal. Hafta toe up a degree or two.

Todd Zuelzke

7 years ago

The lie angle difference from 3 clubs is usually only about 1.5 degrees from 4iron to 7 iron so that is not a big deal for now. It should only change the starting direction of the shot. Good for you being curious and trying new things. I do it myself. Loft also isn’t a big issue since the one length doesn’t have huge gapping any bigger than most modern sets do.

Jd Stocker

7 years ago

Very happy with my results. My 3h was even more impressive with a 1.5 deduction on length. Avg of 209 carry

Lucas Åkerlund

7 years ago

Oneloft is the new next thing…

Ed Pascual

7 years ago

This is great information. I’m a club fitter and for years I thought the one length option would be a disaster for most people, but cobra really used tech to their advantage so that now it’s a viable option. What I’ve noticed is those golfers who struggle with consistency and dispersion with their long irons can benefit from these. Also, golfers with bad backs or those who are taller, tend to feel more comfortable with the one length short irons.

Mike Thornton

7 years ago

I ordered a set of forged one and have been using them on simulator and at the range. (No course time so far for me here in the North East).

There is definitely a learning curve to this idea. Although I’ve found the transition easier than I was expecting, I have to override my brain telling me something’s not right when I’m looking down at the 4 iron or gap wedge. This is getting easier with more repetitions.

One thing I am disappointed in is that Cobra have not yet supplied matching one length wedges (according to customer support they are coming soon).

In order to commit to this system fully I need these in the bag also.

Overall I’m positive about this change for me but the acid test will be when I can get to the course…

Tony Covey

7 years ago

Yup…ONE Length wedges are on the way. Only two lofts available out of the gate. As with so much of this story, whether or not the lineup expands depends on the consumer.

FtwPhil

7 years ago

Are you In MA?

Mike Thornton

7 years ago

I’m in CT.

Alfriday

7 years ago

The King F7 One SW is available from Cobra on their website. I got mine a few weeks ago. Go to the order page for the One irons, click purchase single irons as opposed to a set, and under the “loft” tab, the SW shows up. The SW works fine with the forged set.

Perhaps Tony can clarify, but in the first blog post a few months ago, the only wedges listed were in the One set, none were mentioned in the forged set.

Mike Thornton

7 years ago

Thanks Al – I did see the SW with the F7 set. I’m trying to be patient and wait for the Forged. Was told they’d be available for pre-order this month.
Tony indicates there’ll only be 2 loft options. I hope they gap them relative to the existing PW/GW – 55 & 60 maybe. I’m already concerned about hitting a lob wedge with 7 iron shaft but my wedge play is poor relative to my index (5) and I’m comfortable with the PW/GW. Time will tell I guess….

Jamie

7 years ago

Great info as always. Any idea when we will see most wanted driver data. I’m hoping very soon because i really want to see non-biased testing on the Cally EPIC drivers.

Tony Covey

7 years ago

Jamie – We’re getting a late start on the drivers this year because of Callaway and TaylorMade’s unwillingness to provide samples. We had to purchase at retail last week, so the test is just now underway. Putter results will publish first this year.

Jamie

7 years ago

Great to hear but disappointing about Cally and TM. I have not paid attention in the past to how long it takes to conduct the test. Do you have an idea about what kind of timeframe we could be looking at for seeing the results?

Wayne Talsky

7 years ago

I actually hit the single length irons in January at the PGA Show. I am a 1 handicap with a swing speed around 110mph (driver). I found them to be quite good 4i-9i, however in the wedges, I found it quite challenging to grasp the feel necessary to hit certain shots. I have been playing for 30yrs. I think if you are newer than myself your adjustment might not be as extreme?! I wouldn’t rule them out but they certainly aren’t for everyone…

Tony Covey

7 years ago

Wayne – It’s interesting you say that. I think the feel thing, which I’ve experienced myself is largely psychological (which I suppose doesn’t make it any less real). In my most recent round, I decided to try a half gap wedge into a green (approximately 80 yards). I start thinking about the length of the club in my hand, and how weird it is…a dozen thoughts (none good) later. I chunk it. Immediately I think “yeah…the wedges are going to be a problem”.

Then I got out of my own head, and thought about how two holes before I had flawlessly executed exactly the same shot…with a 7-iron. Should be the same swing, but you know…it’s a wedge, and so it feels weird. My guess is it will take a few rounds, but once you, as Tiger would say, put in the reps to where it becomes normal, I think (at least I hope) it won’t be an issue.

James

7 years ago

The wedges were what made me go back to my previous gamers. I thought about holding on to them up to the nine, for they worked well. But those wedges man… just couldn’t do it…

Robert

7 years ago

So they advertised that they were able to get rid of the inherent problem with single length irons by modifying lofts and the design of the clubs. That way you get consistent gapping, but only 1 player got good gaps between the clubs (And that’s assuming the 8 and 6 would be 10 yard gains). If they really spent that much time working on it, but were unable to fix the problem, can it be fixed?

The only way I can think to fix it is to do 2 lengths. Does that defeat the purpose? Maybe, but at least you’d get better gapping.

Kenny B

7 years ago

I hit the Cobra ONE forged last week at a PGA Superstore while on my 2 week vacation to AZ. I am a match for your old, slower swing tester. They felt good and I didn’t have any trouble hitting the wedge with the longer length which I was worried about. The 5i did fly lower, and all clubs were a little shorter than my Ping i20’s, but I think it is attributed to the graphite Pings vs the steel shafted Cobras that were available.

strokerAce

7 years ago

this is absolutely fantastic information and one reason why I both subscribe to and donate to MyGolfSpy.

Way to go Tony! Great, great research and detailed data.

Jericho Das

7 years ago

I definitely see the advantage of being able to set up to the ball with the identical address with every club but how does it work? ..wasn’t it normally a combination 4° of loft and a half inch in length gets you 10 to 12 yards distance per club? .. is it degrees in the loft, head weight or different progressive kick points in each shafts that gives you your correct yardage gap that gives you your correct yardage gap in distance ..id imagine you’d swing every club in the bag your ..say same smooth 7 iron swing or ?

Jerry

7 years ago

I, like many, am very traditional and do not think I can change my game (read swing) at my age. Saying that tho this test is anecdotal to the extreme but very understandable. I can’t imagine doing such a radical changeover in one testing session. Perhaps analogous to belly putting? I recalled trying them at various retailers and could never get the hang of the technique. I sometimes wonder if those who switched did so because their traditional putting was so bad they had no choice. I now wonder if a case can be made for single length clubs to help golfers with bad backs? It’s more difficult to bend over with std wedges and short irons than I would guess it is with single length clubs? Maybe there’s a market segment there? But what MGS might attempt is a long term test with some golfers and ask them to report improvement in handicap over a test period. That would seem to be a logical next step. Then testers could get used to the new clubs and truly see if they work as claimed.

Tony Covey

7 years ago

Jerry – I think and I know Cobra does too, that with more reps, more sessions, the benefits of ONE Length will show as even greater.

That said…and this is 100% true…of the 9 of us that tested, 4 of us knew what we testing, the other 5 were only aware that they were testing irons. Of the 5, none noticed the length differences in the 5 or the 9 irons. It’s crazy. Once I told them…minds blown. Obviously we don’t expect many (if any) golfers will blindly try ONE, but was eye-opening to see that nobody actually noticed until we explained it.

Brad

4 years ago

Tony, I think there are pluses and minuses to the “blind” test.
The plus is that they don’t bring in any psychological biases to the test, which is very important.
But a big minus is that when they were addressing the ball with the ONE length clubs, there has to be a change in ball position. I noticed that several of the testers’ dispersions showed a tendency to draw it. I’m going to assume they probably don’t put the ball in the exact middle of their stance, which is where it’s recommended for single length irons. So the testers might ignore their tighter landing areas and just see the ball trajectory change as a negative, when in fact, with a minor change to ball position at address, they’d see the improvement to their precision.

Steve S

7 years ago

Thanks for this, Tony. You’ve confirmed what I’ve read and my own (somewhat flawed) testing with Pinhawk irons. Higher swing speeds seem to benefit more than slower swingers. I think it is also tough to make the change after years of playing conventional clubs. The problem is that there is no really true single length. It’s three lengths at minimum: Driver, Fairways/hybrids/long irons, the 5 thru GW.

It might be the way to go for beginning golfers or someone who is willing to spend a month at the range working on making the SL’s feel “normal” after playing “conventional” for years.

Sterling in my bag

7 years ago

Love to see a Cobra One Length vs Wishon Sterling!

Gordon Hutchison

7 years ago

I’m a scratch player and have been using a set of single length Wishon irons for about 9 months.
They took a little getting used to , the short irons being the biggest challenge. However I’m very happy with the clubs, the gapping is fine, and over this period I have seen improvement in my consistency through always practicing and playing with what is essentially one club. The swing improvement has also made my driver more consistent, an unexpected bonus.
I have not tried the Cobras version yet but will do soon. I would say if you hit a lot of balls on the range then there is every chance you will benefit from these irons.

Matthew Salzer

7 years ago

Have fitted a few of these sets for my customers and I’m seeing very similar mixed results, but it’s 50/50 as far as what has been best so far. The option for a lot of golfers I feel will change their game. The consistency for the customer who fit in one length was greatly improved over their current set which is really what it’s all about.

Sharkhark

7 years ago

I was waiting for a story on these I was even literally having a slow icy day at my small business & surfing YouTube watching a single length cobra review as your story popped up in my notification bar.
I am the ideal group as I guessed.
I’m only about a little over 70 mph with irons & I am alternate 9-10 hdcp. (factor of 7.4).
I struggle in the longer irons .once i move to a 6 I’m just ok but 5 forget it. Very inconsistent.
I believe that these may be good for me. I got my irons lengthened .6 inches last year.
Loving the longer short irons not so hunched over. But the longer irons are harder to swing than before. Kind of matches up with single length.
Only disappointment is that I prefer the forged look but I play graphite due to forearm pain & they don’t offer in graphite only the chunkier f7.

Very interesting article much appreciated. Will try to find a demo set hopefully this spring here in Halifax ns.

Tony Covey

7 years ago

Cobra has a selection of graphite shafts available. 4 UST Recoil models along with the Cobra/Fujikura Pro 63i.

Sharkhark

7 years ago

Thanks for that info. I don’t know what site I was on but the drop down menu didn’t show all that. Sure enough I looked at cobra site & your right. Very interested to hear later on what you think as it goes.
Also can’t wait to try them myself. Cheers.

Edward Colligon

7 years ago

I was super excited for this test, but I feel that you shouldn’t have compared them to their gamers. There’s a good chance that some of those guys had their gamers fitted, while the one-lengths only had lie angles slightly adjusted. The shafts could have been wrong (or at least not as good). Should have just had them hit the single- and variable- length of the forged or F7 that they were looking at, so that the tech is compared accurately.

Rick McKinney

7 years ago

Great stats. I have been building Sterling Single Lengths from Tom Wishon since introduction. Nothing wrong with Cobras, however, golfers that have purchased Sterling’s with true custom fit, and follow up tweeking of lie, loft and length have achieved stats that are more consistent than there previous sets. After about three weeks, you can’t get these out of their bags. Single digit handicappers all the way up to weekend golfers have all been pleased. Nothing wrong with Cobra’s for the masses, but once again custom fitting blows the O.E.M.’s away. Should review Sterling’s.

Paul Morris

7 years ago

Guys, thanks for this test, brilliant.

How about a head to head with the Sterling/Wishon one lengths, which I feel have a more hi-tech approach to the gapping issue, hybrid head available at the long end for instance.

Thoughts?

Paul M

Tony Covey

7 years ago

Paul – it’s something we’re considering (Cobra v. Sterling v. a few other takes on single length). Like most of the OEMs, I suspect, we’re trying to gauge what the real interest level is. Just testing two sets is labor and time intensive…4+ and the commitment grows exponentially, so we need to be sure the interest is there before we take something of that magnitude on.

What’s interesting is how different manufacturers have tackled some of the various issues with single length:

Cobra has done some complex engineering to create constant weight across the set, while maintaining a consistent profile/footprint.
Wishon changes its face technology throughout the set to overcome the distance issues.
Edel is focusing on the shaft (a legitimate issue) as the key to overcoming some of the issues.

It’s fascinating for sure, and we’re not yet in a position to say whether or not one approach is clearly superior to another.

Tom Olsavsky

7 years ago

Tony,

As you know, we also have TecFlo throughout our irons sets to improve performance. New for this year is PWRShell face, which is especially valuable to give High COR with the lower number irons.

stuart wright

7 years ago

Got to agree with Jlukes with regards for gapping from iron to iron as this for most golfers would be of most benefit to overall distance comparing 6 iron to 6 iron etc. I realise you have touched on it a bit but could be better represented in your findings

d

7 years ago

So the PXG owner is better with the Cobra single length? Every PXG owner that I know has been disappointed with the quality and results they are getting.

Tony Covey

7 years ago

I suppose that’s one interpretation (by someone who appears to have an axe to grind), but the reality is that I love my PXG irons. Love the footprint, the feel, and the performance, but they don’t come in single length. As someone who struggles at both ends of the iron set, the inherent consistency in the setup of single length is both logical and appealing.

Forged ONE are going in the bag to start the season – that’s not a promise they’ll stay. Frankly, I’m worried the footprint might be a bit small. Forged Tec is probably my wheelhouse within the Cobra lineup, but right now Cobra doesn’t offer those in single length, which is also true for the entire PXG lineup.

So if you were to rephrase the question as ‘would you be interested in a single length set from PXG?’, the answer would be a resounding hell yes.

Scudder Graybeal

7 years ago

Remember the EQL? It didn’t last long and neither will these. Three times the sales projection? What are the actual numbers, and how many sets will be returned.

jlukes

7 years ago

Great stuff. Would I would love to see is a visual representation on how gapping differed. It seems as if most golfers so more consistent yardage gapping with the one length

Tony Covey

7 years ago

I totally wanted to do that. I was having trouble getting it to look just like I wanted, and ultimately I decided it might end up being the tipping point towards overwhelming within a series of charts that are already pushing the limit.

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Irons

Tested: 2017 Cobra ONE Length Irons

Is ONE Length Right For You?

How We Tested

About our Charts

Tester 1: High Swing Speed Golfer

Observations:

Tester 2: High Swing Speed Golfer

Observations:

Tester 3: Mid Swing Speed Golfer

Observations:

Tester 4: Low Swing Speed Golfer

Observations:

Tester 5: High Swing Speed Golfer

Observations:

Tester 6: Mid Swing Speed Golfer

Observations:

Tester 7: Slow Swing Speed Golfer

Observations:

Tester 8: Mid Swing Speed Golfer

Tester 9: High Swing Speed Golfer

Observations:

Is ONE Length Right for You?

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