Cobra King Tec Utility Iron Review

Cobra King Tec Utility Iron Review

The utility iron can be a tricky club to get right. While you want the suitable distance gapping at the top of the bag, you also want to make sure this club works well off the tee and off the deck while still being able to easily manipulate ball flight. While most of us will opt for one of the best hybrid golf clubs to fill this slot in the bag, there is no doubt that the best utility irons are becoming much more accessible for high, mid and low-handicap golfers. 

For 2023, Cobra has revamped its King Tec series to offer us the King Tec utility iron, a club that promises versatility, distance, and added forgiveness over the 2021 model. Cobra's King range is mostly marketed at the 'better' ball striker and those with a handicap of around 15 and below. But, after a few weeks with the new King Tec utility in my bag, I see no reason why this club can't be a gateway into the utility iron for many other golfers. 

I'll come on to looks shortly, but the most pleasing performance aspect of the King Tec utility iron is how well I found it performed on low strikes. With a club like this, I have a particular tendency to hit slightly thin strikes and the King Tec is superb at making sure these shots aren't total write-offs. Low strikes still feel powerful, maintain solid spin characteristics and decent distance. 

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Then, from middle strikes, this iron is a rocket. Much like the newly released Aerojet range and other new equipment in the King range, Cobra has worked hard to improve its H.O.T face. In it, the variable thickness across the face delivers more efficient speed from non-optimal strikes and loads of speed from middle strikes, something that was immediately visible in my testing. 

As much as I think there is scope for a higher handicapper to enjoy this club, it is worth noting there isn't a lot of offset. This is to be expected in a club in Cobra's King so, if you're used to a more offset cavity back iron, this might be a jump too far. At address, you can't see much of the back of this hollow head design and the topline will allow this club to seamlessly blend into a player's distance iron set of clubs. Coupled with how easy it is to manipulate different ball flights and this is a great utility iron for lower-handicap golfers who still value solid forgiveness characteristics. 

For me, the removal of the MyFly adjustability hosel is a strange one. Cobra opted to use it in the 2021 King Tec utility iron and this allowed players to really dial in this club for distance and preferred ball flight. While I can understand why it might be removed to help improve the aesthetics of the club, it's a frustrating loss that some may miss. With the fully adjustable Ping iCrossover going up directly against the King Tec, it'll be interesting to see how much golfers value adjustability in this type of golf club.

However, with lofts in the King Tec available from a 17° 2-iron to a 25° 5-iron there is still plenty of scopes to find the right distance to fill a gap in your set.  It's also worth mentioning that it comes with a stock graphite Mitsubishi MMT 80 graphite shaft which is a joy to use. Overall, Cobra King Tec utility iron doesn't make huge strides on 2021's version but still offers a wide range of golfers a great, versatile gapping option at the top of the bag.