COBRA FORGED TEC

Availability: 3-GW Stock shafts: KBS $ Taper Lite (s), Project X Catalyst (g) 7-iron loft: 29.5° Forgiveness rating: 2.5

Verdict: It took us an age to get hold of a Forged Tec sample but, based on this performance, it was well worth the wait. They were our fastest and longest player irons of the year, which is impressive when you realise they’re Cobra’s first stab at a hollow players’ iron. Inevitably, many will point to the strong loft (29.5° 7-iron), but that’s a sign of the times, as brands know consumers buy from launch monitor numbers. The really important question is whether you can stop shots on a green, especially moving into the longer irons. Only you can answer that. Based on our experience, backspin is 22% lower than our test average, but launch angle, shot height and descent angle are all very tight to our test averages. So for some it will be touch and go while for others, particularly those who replace long irons with hybrids, it will be workable. Try before you buy.