What Are ONE Length Irons?

Several years ago, Cobra Golf began making Cobra One Length Irons at the request of past PGA Tour player, Bryson DeChambeau. The iron set has all of the club's shafts at the same length to provide the same swing plane for each club. The stock shaft length is the 7-iron length which is usually the most comfortable club for golfers. While traditional length irons (or variable-length, as Cobra calls them) are as long and forgiving as irons have ever been, the swing for each club is slightly different. The difference between each golf club creates less consistency in accuracy and total distance for the majority of amateurs. Cobra believes that one-length sets can solve the issue of inconsistent swings and make the clubs more forgiving by getting golfers more swing stability in a repeatable setup with the same ball position.

One Length irons aren’t just the same length configuration. The "ONE" in the name means that you get one length, one set up, and one swing. Basically, if you want to practice at a driving range, you don’t have to switch from club to club as each club can be played the same. To help ensure that the lofts of the longer irons hit the ball the same as traditional length irons, Cobra's PWRshell face technology, use of carbon fiber on the topline, and "wide body kit" design create a high MOI and generate faster ball speeds. In other words, they made the clubhead a little bigger and wider to generate the precision and distance that will be missing from a shorter club length.

The Reason I Switched

I’ve been golfing since I was in middle school (imagining that I could best Tiger). I spent most of my time golfing struggling with a high handicap, but as I got older and understood course management and equipment more, my scores dropped. I improved to a 5 handicap and really got into the statistics of my game with Arccos, Garmin Golf, and TaylorMade’s MyRoundPro apps. These helped me identify which clubs were helpful and which were not. It also showed me that I used my 7-iron heavily. The ease with which I could crush a 7-iron and keep it straight made the idea of single-length golf clubs very interesting.

I debated the switch to One Length irons for a few years. I loved the idea of striking every club as well as my 7-iron, but like many of you, I was unsure about the effects on my long irons and launch with the shorter irons and wedges. I played around with the irons at shops and demo days but just couldn’t bring myself to commit to them because the short irons and wedges felt strange. Finally, this year, I hit a breaking point of not hitting my irons well and losing some distance. Time for new clubs—a phrase my wife hates!

I realized that my iron striking and trajectory were less consistent than they had been a couple of years ago. As I started to review my rounds in Cobra Connect's Arccos system, I realized that my iron game had been on a steady decline. The decline mirrored some changes in my life, such as a new job that required more of me and my daughter being born. So with the job and family taking away time that was once reserved for practice, I decided it was time to simplify my clubs.

I debated between the One Length version of the Cobra Speedzone irons and the Forged Tec irons. The Forged Tec really appealed to me and felt great, but I went with the Speedzone because I was looking to make golf simple and easy—if that’s possible! The game-improvement irons were the better option for me as the center of gravity (CG) and perimeter weight balance in the iron's cavity from heel to toe will provide the largest volume of forgiveness, high launch, and distance.

First Impression

My first impression was that the irons are clean and look fantastic. When they arrived, I tried to see if there was any way that I could clear my work calendar and go play. Unfortunately, I had to wait a few days for the weekend. I opted not to get any hybrids in the set and instead went with the 4-iron through the pitching wedge (PW) and gap wedge (GW) to cover any approach yardage gaps. The gap wedge was most interesting to me as it was the most traditional looking at the head but also felt very long compared to my previous gap wedge.

First 36 Holes

The front nine of that first round was both expected and unexpected. I struggled with contact on the 4 and 5-irons, but the lower irons were perfect and the gap wedge might have become my new favorite club!

The upside of it all was that every shot was straight and as close to target as I had ever been in my approach. As I shifted to the back nine, I found that the reason my 4 and 5-iron striking wasn’t as solid was due to me still setting up as if it was a 4 and 5-iron, rather than a 7-iron setup. Once I moved the ball back in my stance, they were both rocketing down the fairway. The 4-iron started going around 220 yards and the 5-iron was around 205 yards. Those numbers are not something I’ve had in my iron game since I was in my twenties. I finished the round at 4 under par. Considering this course is one that I had been averaging around 4 over par for the past couple of years, I was really on board with the one-length iron concept. However, I did have to admit that it was also one of my best driving days I’d had on that course. When your driver is keeping you in the fairway with short approach shots, you can drop your scores fast.

The second round allowed me to pick up where I left off with the first round. Because I had a better idea of what to expect from the irons, I decided to play a shorter course and only use the irons and wedges. I needed to see how versatile the set was compared to me hitting my driver well. The 4-iron was fantastic off the tee, averaging around 215 to 230 yards. The other irons throughout the set kept playing straight and my misses were mostly due to me aiming a little off. As I progressed to the back nine, I did start to struggle a little with making contact, but I think that it was due to my own heat-related fatigue that day than anything else. Feeling like Bobby Jones, I finished the round at even par, but by taking out the length off the tee I would have normally had, this was a great score.

Overall First Impressions

If you’re looking to make more consistent contact with the ball with every club, the One Length Irons are the way to do it. Will they feel a little odd at first? Yes. But that feeling goes away pretty quickly as you see shot after shot impact the sweet spot and go straight. You realize how improved modern irons are versus irons from even three years ago; I added tons of distance control to my shots just by hitting the center of the club face more often. One Length irons are not a trend or gimmick—they are a modern design that can help golfers who want to play well but don’t have time to spend hours practicing. I played both of my first rounds with no warm-up and still played very well. It was the exact thing my golf game was looking for.

Want to learn more about these irons? Check out the second part of my review. If you have any questions on whether Cobra One-Length Irons are right for you and your game, chat with a Curated Expert at any time! We are happy to be a source of information and free recommendations.