21 things you didn’t know about Cobra’s One Length irons

Cobra recently revealed the King Forged and King F7 One length irons and here are some of the finer details you might have missed.

From changing head weights to playing flop and sand shots with One Length clubs here’s what the team at Cobra told us.

Why are One Length irons more consistent?

Cobra say One Length irons are more consistent because every shot is played with a much simpler setup and swing. Every swing is a 7-iron so contact is much more consistent than having to adjust for the different specs of clubs today!

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Why do the F7 and F7 One irons come in a set from 5-G, instead of 4-G like the Forged One and Forged Tour?

Most 4 irons today are difficult to hit since the industry has made them stronger. Cobra found that many golfers play better with a hybrid than a strong lofted 20° 4 iron. If you can handle a strong lofted 20° 4 iron, the F7 and F7 One versions have great technology and are available as a custom order.

Do I have to use a single-plane swing like Bryson DeChambeau?

No, One Length irons work with any swing, just like your 7 iron.

How do One Length irons work in the short game and wedges?

They work very well and the simplified setup is very effective and consistent for both full swings and the short game. Everyone can hit their 7 irons for full swings and chip shots. By using a simple, consistent setup and swing for the short game, Cobra reckon many players will see improvements in their short game. In testing conducted by Cobra, One Length short irons and wedges were preferred and gave better results in getting the ball closer to the hole more consistently. Cobra think this will improve the short games for most players, without having to practice more. For bunker play, they also found One Length wedges produce higher launch angles, which is important in getting out of bunkers successfully.

What about gaps between clubs? Won’t the long irons go shorter and the short irons go longer?

Loft is the primary specification when it comes to yardage gaps not shaft length. Think of it in terms of a wedge. The wedges in everyone’s bag today are all about the same length but have different lofts. These wedges have typical yardage gaps, due to loft, not length.
The little gain that comes from shaft lengths, is more than compensated for by better head performance, more consistent setup, swing and impact location vs a variable length set of irons. Cobra say the F7 One and the F7 will have similar yardage gaps throughout the set.

Can One Length irons be fit like standard irons?

Yes they can, Cobra  recommend you see a fitter to look at all the options. Demo clubs will also be available at some retailers for you to try on the golf course.

What shafts are available for One Length irons?

All the same shafts offered within Cobra’s custom fit program.

What about larger grips? Are the grips as big as Bryson’s?

Cobra offer a wide range of custom grips, including those that Bryson plays. They recommend golfers get fit for grip size as most adult males play with grips that are too small.

Who fits into One Length?

Players of all skill levels seeking more consistency and accuracy.

Why One Length?

One Length offers less variables. One swing, one swing plane, and one posture. This makes it easier to be more consistent and hit more centered shots.

Are the shafts different between the F7 and F7 One?

The shafts are the same for F7 and F7 One. And everything is built around the 7 iron, some will ask if there’s a specific 7 iron shaft in every club. F7 One length uses parallel shafts and like variable length parallel shafts they are the same shaft cut to different specs. The Forged One and Tour Forged are slightly different as the shafts are taper tip, so each shaft is designed for the corresponding head and is unique.

What makes One Length irons work?

The key is matching head weights. Since all clubs are built to a 7 iron length, the head weights on the longer irons are increased while the short irons decrease in weight. To get them all to match, all heads in the F7 One and Forged One sets weigh 270 grams.

What does changing the head weights do to performance for long irons and short irons?

Long iron heads get heavier, which lower the CG and increases inertia (higher ball flight)
Short iron heads get lighter, which raises the CG and reduces inertia (lower ball flight)
In almost all cases Cobra reckon, One irons are better because impact consistency is greatly improved. So especially in the longer irons, consistency of swing and impact location produces much better shots, not only on average, but all the time.

What about shot variety, workability, knock downs, half shots, etc?

Cobra say anything a golfer can do with their 7 iron, can be done with One Length irons.

Won’t the longer One Length ‘short’ irons and wedges be more challenging around the greens?

In testing, Cobra found many players are better around the greens with One Length irons vs variable length. It’s easy to chip with a 7 iron, just remember that stance and setup with One Length irons is like your current 7 iron.

What about flop shots and bunker shots?

Players should use the same technique as a standard flop or bunker shot. As the SW is a longer length it provides a wider arc which aids creating a higher softer trajectory on short shots.

What is the ball flight of One Length vs Variable length? How do head weight changes affect ball flight?

Lower CG One Length long irons fly very similar to variable length longer ones (that have higher CGs). For most players the flights will be the same, but the One Length irons will be much more consistent (One swing, one swing plane, and one posture). Higher CG One Length short irons will fly similar to (but very slightly higher) their variable length version if played from a 7 iron ball position. If played back in stance like some players do with short irons, ball flights will be similar.

What about MOI changes?

Long irons with more head weight, have higher MOI, which is beneficial since longer irons are typically harder to hit. Higher MOI provides more forgiveness on longer irons versus variable length versions. Short irons are much higher spinning due to loft, so the lower inertia is not as critical.

What about lofts and distance/gapping?

In testing Cobra found most players produce similar gaps with F7 One Length irons and variable length F7 irons. The lofts are the same between these two sets. Loft is the most important predictor of distance in irons. As we know current variable length sets have proper gaps in their wedges, and almost all wedges in sets today are single length.