About this Review: This review is my honest opinion of the iron set, which I purchased with my own money in January of 2023.

My take

In my opinion, the Cobra King CB/MB Iron Set has some of the prettiest-looking and best-feeling blades I’ve seen in a long time. They’re worth a try for those in the market for some newer players’ irons.

About the club I own

• Model: 2023 Cobra King CB/MB Iron Set
• Loft setting: Standard
• Shaft type: Steel
• Shaft flex: X Stiff

About me

• Average score: 70
• Handicap: +2
• Experience: 20 years of golf
• Right/Left-Handed: Right-handed
• Typical ball flight: Draw
• Golf ball used: Titleist Left Dash
• Club swing speed: 115mph

Test conditions

• When I bought the club: January 2023
• Days tested: 30
• Where I’ve used it: Range, course, and simulator
• Weather and wind conditions: Dry and wet conditions

How it performs

What I was looking for

I was looking for a blade combo with minimal offset and a clean look. It also helped that these clubs were rather easy to hit in terms of blades.

Why I chose this club

My decision was rather simple: the look and feel of the club are head and shoulders above the other brands I tried. In my opinion, those are the main characteristics of blades because they typically lack any sort of technology.

What I love about it

• Distance: With clubs like these, I try to ensure I hit the numbers I want. I am very happy to see that my yardages match the distance I expect. For example, my 7 iron has always been my 175-yard club, and my distance with these irons matched.
• Feel: In my opinion, the responsiveness is exactly how a blade should be. It has just enough of a soft feel while still being able to tell me exactly where I hit it on the face.
• Sound: It offers just the right click. This can really kill an iron, but these check the box. In my first few shots, I could tell that Cobra spent time on this aspect.
• Workability: It’s very easy to work the ball both ways with these clubs. I tend to shape the ball when I play, and these allow me to do that to the fullest.
• Shaft Feel: I use the new True Temper Mid Tour Issue Shaft. I have been a True Temper guy my whole life, but I wanted something a little less stiff than what I had been using—Tour Issue X7. This definitely achieves what I was looking for while still having the smoothness of a True Temper Shaft. Though I still highly recommend getting fitted to see what works best and feels best for each golfer.
• Aesthetic Appeal: These irons are super clean and simple, which is very refreshing. I don’t see many companies doing it these days—just keeping it simple.
• Spin: Essentially, 7000 rpms for a 7 iron, which is right in that sweet spot for the ball to reach accordingly. Any more or less, and I find I start dealing with direction and distance issues.

Issues I’ve encountered

• Forgiveness: They’re definitely not clubs that are meant to be forgiving. It exposes me if my swing is off at all. The sweet spot on these irons is rather small, so any mishit definitely doesn’t fly as well, especially on thin shots—ouch.
• Launch Angle: These clubs definitely required some adjusting, as can be seen with the lead tape in the pictures. I would definitely recommend getting fitted.

Best shot with this club

I was feeling rather confident during my first round with these clubs, so I decided to play a little game with myself. I would alternate the type of shot I hit each time to see if they performed. First was a PW low draw from 125 yards—which was executed amazingly (hit it to 10 feet). Next was a high fade from 183 yards—which is typically a tough shot for me. I hit it a touch thin but very respectful to about 30 feet. So I kept randomizing shots the rest of the round, and I was very happy with how they were reacting; seemingly no bias to a draw or a fade, which is ideal.

Value for the money vs. other options

Compared to irons in a similar space, the price and value of these irons are neck and neck. Anything forged, whether Mizuno or TaylorMade, will offer a similar price. But frankly, I could argue the value is better with the Cobra Kings since the feel and look are very impressive. There isn’t a whole lot of technology in there when it comes to this niche, so it’s more on looks and feel. I tried the TaylorMade MBs, the Mizuno 221s, and the Callaway MBs, and I just didn’t like the look or feel of these other options as much. The Mizunos were the closest, but I just didn’t like the look at address. The TaylorMades felt harsh, and the Callaways didn’t look good at address either. Cobra has long gone away from chrome-finished MB/CBs, and it was very nice to see them go more traditional in this current lineup. I played the black version a few years ago, but the kid in me wished for chrome.

Final verdict

A sleeper amongst giants. For a scratch player or those who simply prefer a traditional look, I would highly recommend giving these irons a try. When I test them against other irons on the market, their feel and playability really stand out to me.