Single Length Updates (post'em up!)

[wfwp]

[Jaggie99]

Jaggie, yeah good luck with the testing.

 

One other thing. the F8 have the forged pwrshell only in the 7 to 4 irons. The 8 to PW is just "regular" head, no pwrshell. If you look at the Cobra site, they never point that out eventhough they really push their forged "Pwrshell" as one of the technology in the one lengths.

 

Honestly, the 8 to PW don't feel too bad either, soft (but not too forged soft) but definitely not rock hard. Comparable to the Ping Ansers that I have as a backup. The weird thing is that the F7 has the Pwrshell from PW all the way down to the 4 iron. Now, to me, the Pwrshell is interesting in the F8, it really does feel like a soft trampoline, you'll swear the ball just "bounces" off the face, HOT! I didn't get that with the F7s when I tested it.

 

I might have to test the Forged Tec myself. I am curious as well to see what Cobra has done.

 

So I spent Sat and Sun testing F8 OL out. About 20 mins each day and tested the 5i, 7i, PW and GW. Actually had no issues adjusting to irons. The 5i and for sure the 7i were pretty easy to hit. I was getting 165 carry with 7i and 185 with the 5i. Penetrating ball flight ! The best thing about the 5i was just a smooth swing and the ball rocketed off the face. Mishits were not as bad. I attempted to purposely put some bad swing (over the top, shallow) and disperson was as bad as I would have expected

 

The PW and GW were sweet to hit and for the most part I got past the weird feeling at setup. Just trained my mind that I am swinging a 7i. The only issue I experienced was the massively high ball flight. I only attempted full swings but would have to try again with partial wedge swings. It will likely feel weird taking a half, 3/4 swings with 7i length wedges. I was not too enamored with the awkwardly high ball flight. On windy daysthis would be a nightmare besides the fact I just cant fathom hitting it so high and accurately control the distances. As you mentioned the wedges did not have that sweet forged feel, while the 5i and 7i did feel springy with the Powershell

 

I liked the concept, the irons are definitely forgiving but I may have to try them some more before I buy into the concept. And if what some others have said about the F8 irons quality being not the best after a few rounds, then Cobra is only doing themselves a disservice.

[tatertot]

 

Them is purdy.

[ChaosTheory]

Jaggie, yeah good luck with the testing.

 

One other thing. the F8 have the forged pwrshell only in the 7 to 4 irons. The 8 to PW is just "regular" head, no pwrshell. If you look at the Cobra site, they never point that out eventhough they really push their forged "Pwrshell" as one of the technology in the one lengths.

 

Honestly, the 8 to PW don't feel too bad either, soft (but not too forged soft) but definitely not rock hard. Comparable to the Ping Ansers that I have as a backup. The weird thing is that the F7 has the Pwrshell from PW all the way down to the 4 iron. Now, to me, the Pwrshell is interesting in the F8, it really does feel like a soft trampoline, you'll swear the ball just "bounces" off the face, HOT! I didn't get that with the F7s when I tested it.

 

I might have to test the Forged Tec myself. I am curious as well to see what Cobra has done.

 

So I spent Sat and Sun testing F8 OL out. About 20 mins each day and tested the 5i, 7i, PW and GW. Actually had no issues adjusting to irons. The 5i and for sure the 7i were pretty easy to hit. I was getting 165 carry with 7i and 185 with the 5i. Penetrating ball flight ! The best thing about the 5i was just a smooth swing and the ball rocketed off the face. Mishits were not as bad. I attempted to purposely put some bad swing (over the top, shallow) and disperson was as bad as I would have expected

 

The PW and GW were sweet to hit and for the most part I got past the weird feeling at setup. Just trained my mind that I am swinging a 7i. The only issue I experienced was the massively high ball flight. I only attempted full swings but would have to try again with partial wedge swings. It will likely feel weird taking a half, 3/4 swings with 7i length wedges. I was not too enamored with the awkwardly high ball flight. On windy daysthis would be a nightmare besides the fact I just cant fathom hitting it so high and accurately control the distances. As you mentioned the wedges did not have that sweet forged feel, while the 5i and 7i did feel springy with the Powershell

 

I liked the concept, the irons are definitely forgiving but I may have to try them some more before I buy into the concept. And if what some others have said about the F8 irons quality being not the best after a few rounds, then Cobra is only doing themselves a disservice.

 

After a few rounds, I got used to hitting partial shots, and moving the ball position back or up as desired. And since they are all the same length, once you learn those things, they work with the whole set. I no longer feel that I hit the wedges too high, because I just move the ball back some.

[ChaosTheory]

Moving from a 35.5 to 37 inch wedge, you only gain maybe 3 MPH of swing speed. Since there are plenty of people playing wedges with more swing speed than you or me, the speed from the extra 1.5 inches is not what causes the high flight.

 

It can only be:

1) 7 iron tipped shaft is more flexible at the tip.

2) Shallower angle of attack presents more of the loft to the ball.

3) Ball position.

 

The fact that the F8's still do it tells me the shafts are not really the answer.

Having played SL, my educated guesses are 3, 2, 1 in order of significance. Anyone who is having the issue, move the ball back on wedge shots. That should also steepen your angle of attack at the same time.

 

Moving the ball around does not negate the benefits of SL. Trust me. Quite the opposite, it makes them more versatile and makes you a better shotmaker.

[Rich Douglas]

The problem with the Edel and Cleveland is that both are built around a 7-iron length. That makes it easier to fly the lower irons, but it makes hitting the higher irons all that much harder.

 

I play the Sterlings, 4-GW. I recently purchased the SW and LW. They're great with a full swing, as well as with chipping and putting. But lob shots and bunker play are not ideal; the clubs are too flat and create toe-drag when opening them up to hit it high or out of the sand, especially if you choke down to get them to a manageable length. A bridge too far. Again, with squared faces, these wedges are just fine.

 

I've been playing these for 16 months. I will never go back. And if Ping decided to take the plunge....

[Mr. Grumpy]

After about 5 months with mine, I feel that there are really only a couple of benefits and many limitations.

 

1. If you over think the shot it usually ends in a misfit.

2. They reward smooth consistent swings, and penalize over swinging - trying to squeeze out more distance.

3. Misshits, other than chunks, are not as bad as you would think.

4. When the honeymoon is over you feel like you will play just as well with VL irons

5. you will still have bad days

 

My game is currently in a slump and I am overthinking. I feel the key is to return to smooth but controlled swings. My last 4 outings was 101, 108, 101, 92. All higher than what I consider my current average to be, though now my spreadsheet says diff..

[DrainBramage]

i am about the same time into the SL idea. My Cons & Pros:

 

SL irons won't fix your swing issues by themselves

'Single length' is a bit of a misnomer, as you'll still need 4-7 different lengths in your set of 14 clubs

The lower lofts have a lower apex and less vertical decent angle (not really a big deal unless you are playing very firm greens)

Refraining from over swinging the long irons takes a bit of mental discipline

SL does zero to help you find the errand driver shot or prevent three putts (two of my main three scoring issues)

 

SL will limit the number of variables you need to practice and adjust to (really the main benefit)

What you practice with one club translates to all the SL clubs.

The hope of a marked improvement has energized my practice sessions

All of your SL clubs can be hit with a wedge swing

You can be creative with using your lowest lofted SL club by hitting them like you would a wedge (my favorite benefit)

My contact consistency has improved some what (my third major scoring issue) in the last few months. I attribute that to more focused practice which can be partially credited to the SL clubs

[Pack7483]

Just got a set of F7 ones. 5-gw and added a 19* SL f8 hybrid. So far I love the SL clubs. I also cut & reweighted my epic driver down to 44" and my epic 3w to 42". Making much better contact through out the bag. Tempo is huge with single length. I find before a round if I take just the 8 iron to the range and warm up with smooth swings that is the feeling I need for every iron shot during my round. My only variable length clubs are driver, 3w, and sw. I usually only carry 12 clubs.

[Pack7483]

Another thing I like about SL is the consistency of chipping with different lofts. I used to use my 58* wedge anywhere 50 yards and in, but now working on implementing the rule of 12 chipping. Chipped in for birdie with a 9 iron first round! I hadn't chipped with an iron in years.

[dcmidnight]

After about 5 months with mine, I feel that there are really only a couple of benefits and many limitations.

 

1. If you over think the shot it usually ends in a misfit.

2. They reward smooth consistent swings, and penalize over swinging - trying to squeeze out more distance.

3. Misshits, other than chunks, are not as bad as you would think.

4. When the honeymoon is over you feel like you will play just as well with VL irons

5. you will still have bad days

 

To be fair I'd say that all five of these would apply to any irons you tried - not just SL.

[ChaosTheory]

After about 5 months with mine, I feel that there are really only a couple of benefits and many limitations.

 

1. If you over think the shot it usually ends in a misfit.

2. They reward smooth consistent swings, and penalize over swinging - trying to squeeze out more distance.

3. Misshits, other than chunks, are not as bad as you would think.

4. When the honeymoon is over you feel like you will play just as well with VL irons

5. you will still have bad days

 

To be fair I'd say that all five of these would apply to any irons you tried - not just SL.

 

DC you are right. But in my experience, and it seems that of others too, the SL set forces an educational adjustment on you. Namely, if you keep trying to kill your 5 iron, you won't get any benefit from it being shorter. So you learn to swing it like a smooth 7 iron. And if you try to kill your PW, it flies too high. So again you learn to put a smooth swing on it. By that time you have to be getting the idea that a smooth swing is a good thing. I think those who briefly try SL and don't like them probably never got to the state of mind I just described. They are over-swinging their 5 irons and hitting them fat/thin/sideways. And secondarily, haven't learned how the wedges like to be hit. All just my opinion, obviously.

[AZstu324]

After about 5 months with mine, I feel that there are really only a couple of benefits and many limitations.

 

1. If you over think the shot it usually ends in a misfit.

2. They reward smooth consistent swings, and penalize over swinging - trying to squeeze out more distance.

3. Misshits, other than chunks, are not as bad as you would think.

4. When the honeymoon is over you feel like you will play just as well with VL irons

5. you will still have bad days

 

To be fair I'd say that all five of these would apply to any irons you tried - not just SL.

 

DC you are right. But in my experience, and it seems that of others too, the SL set forces an educational adjustment on you. Namely, if you keep trying to kill your 5 iron, you won't get any benefit from it being shorter. So you learn to swing it like a smooth 7 iron. And if you try to kill your PW, it flies too high. So again you learn to put a smooth swing on it. By that time you have to be getting the idea that a smooth swing is a good thing. I think those who briefly try SL and don't like them probably never got to the state of mind I just described. They are over-swinging their 5 irons and hitting them fat/thin/sideways. And secondarily, haven't learned how the wedges like to be hit. All just my opinion, obviously.

I actually accredit much of my swing improvement to the Single Length and what you just mentioned. I definitely learned that simplifying the swing and working at a consistent tempo will only help improve one's game. That said, and I realize that I'm the outcast in this forum, I just missed the variation and extra attention to detail that a standard length set demands. After 2 seasons with Single Length I switched back to standard and have never hit the ball better than I do now and completely accredit that to my Single Length detour.

[kmbean]

Damn this thread I am intrigued with the King Forged Tec Black OLs.

[kmbean]

And just ordered 3-9 King Forged Tech Black OL's from DD.

 

I hate you all.

[Milfordlefty]

And just ordered 3-9 King Forged Tech Black OL's from DD.

 

I hate you all.

 

Welcome to the dark side. Enjoy your more consistent iron shots.

[9woodfan]

I've played 3 x 9 hole rounds in the last 2 weeks and shot 4-5 pars per round. I'm confident in saying that NEVER happened with my previous set of SGI irons. I had 2 doubles today thanks to a pair of 3 putts.

 

I'm dying to try the G700 irons but there really isn't any point. These clubs have been awesome and SL (for me) has been fantastic.

[Cloran]

I bought a set of Wishon Sterling irons... tried them at the range... hit them like crap... sold them a week later for a neat little profit.

 

They weren't fit for me so that could have been the problem, but I've tried other sets in the past (1irongolf.com) and it never ends up as well in real life as it seems it will in my fantasies. Same could be said for a lot of things I suppose.

[TaylorGreen]

And just ordered 3-9 King Forged Tech Black OL's from DD.

 

I hate you all.

 

Welcome to the dark side. Enjoy your more consistent iron shots.

+1

[Mcgeeno]

I bought a set of Wishon Sterling irons... tried them at the range... hit them like crap... sold them a week later for a neat little profit.

 

They weren't fit for me so that could have been the problem, but I've tried other sets in the past (1irongolf.com) and it never ends up as well in real life as it seems it will in my fantasies. Same could be said for a lot of things I suppose.

 

Its not for everyone I'm sure.

 

My SL irons helped changed how I can practice and prepare. Simplified setup, swing, posture, stance etc. This led to consistency from top to bottom. By mid season I could bring two clubs to the range. I could practice less and play more. It didnt matter which clubs I was working with everything was the same except the yardage they went.

 

I've posted before but I kept all my stats for all 106 rounds last year and my stats were quantifiable and my improvement was measurable with game golf and excel. GIR percentage up, proximity to the hole improved and handicap down over 2 full points.

 

I couldnt see myself switching back to conventional irons, but I'm one of three people in my town who bought them.

[Paully]

Just received my F8 one length and spent a couple minutes on my Skytrak. Initial impressions are very positive. Surprisingly I'm not bothered at all with the shorter shaft long irons and longer shaft short irons, I was hitting them great right off the bat. Felt almost like cheating. I'm going to put them into play tomorrow for some on course testing but I'm super optimistic about these.

 

My only concern at the moment though is that the cobras seem to spin super low for me. I was a club longer with the cobras vs my z745s but I'm attributing that to the low spin. We'll see how it goes tomorrow.

[Short Pete]

I bought a set of those Cobra F7 single lengths with the regular steel shafts off the shelf for small money just for the fun of it. 5 through gap wedge, standard loft, length and lie (which normally fits me perfectly with Cobra irons). I was curious to see if this worked for me, I always hit my 7 iron well, it's my practice club, so why not have a go with a set full of 7s?

 

Three practice sessions and one round under the belt so far, how do these work for me? Very very well! The standard specs fit my swing perfectly, as if they were fit for me. I swing my 7i slightly above 80 mph, the first two practice session I had a look at the distance gaps, and I honestly didn't notice much difference. I hit the wedges extremely well and with astonishing precision, and a tad longer than my VL ones. 9, 8, 7 go with a high but penetrating flight, they stop where they land. Very easy to hit. Surprisingly I had no real height issues with 6 and 5. I just put them in the 7 iron position and swung away as I did with the other clubs. The results were very consistent, I rarely mishit a shot, everything went straight, with good trajectory and height. The distance gaps between clubs were very consistent, if you have decent contact and put enough speed on them they will do their job well. I found it very pleasing to pick my club, take my middle iron stance and just swing away. I fought the need to give the 5 and the 6 a harder whack at first, once I got over that I realized that the good contact made up for the need for speed. Just one round in, but on the course they worked equally well. Since the first nine of my home course are not overly long but very tight I played irons off the tee on all but one hole. I didn't really mishit a single iron shot, the 5 is ramrod straight off the tee, and again it was pretty easy to just pick the club, take the standard stance and put a good mid-iron swing on it. I had five greens out of 9 in regulation, that's very good for me. The short game verdict is not in yet, I had a few chips with it which went well, since I managed to avoid the 30-40 yard distance to the green (which I hate) there was no need to hit those.

 

For me and my game these seem to work well. Especially the 9, PW and GW are fun to hit, I have a little more reach thanks to the longer shaft, can stand comfortably above the ball, hands are a little higher, I don't have to bend down that much. This suits my swing very well. If you're able to make solid contact and create enough swing speed this concept can work very well. I can't remember hitting so many consistent iron shots like I did in these three sessions. I will keep these for the next few weeks, and if the initial impression continues I think maybe I will get me some fitted Cobra SL's from the newer generation. But who knows, if the F7 with that standard steel shaft will continue to work that well, why not keep them.

[Short Pete]

I could see the concept in the 4, 5, 6, 7 itons, but I don't think I want my short irons to have longer shafts.

 

I thought the same until I actually tried hitting them. Once you get the added length out of your mind these perform pretty well. I don't grip down, I don't narrow my stance, I don't vary the ball position. I address the ball like I would with a 7 iron and give it a wallop. Results in a relatively high but controlled trajectory, distance control and direction are spot on for me. Using these clubs is more a task for your head than for your swing mechanics. The Cobra F7 feel very good for a GI and are sooo easy to hit.

[puttitin]

For those who prefer VL in the short irons,Cobra can provide these lengths from their Cobra -8 VL make up.

So I am thinking of having a set built 5-8i at 36.50" from their SL series and 9-G at 35.75;35.50;35.25 from their VL series. They would adjust the SW to D0,and tweak the loftand lies as well.

[Paully]

Just got back from the course, these clubs are legit. I'm going to do a side by side comparison against my z745 tonight on my Skytrak. I'll post later with the results.

[Paully]

Just got done on the Skytrak. I recorded 5 solid shots each with a 9, 7, and 5 iron. I deleted any obvious chunks and thin shots, I'm not a robot :). Anyways, here is the data. I'm not a long hitter so don't hate! I'm going to have to pick up a one length gap wedge to fill in the new hole between my PW and 52 vokey.

 

Srixon Z745 vs Cobra F8 OL

 

Skytrak settings: Sea level, no wind, 70 degrees, 50% humidity, KSIG ball

 

 

 

z745 9 iron

 

 

f8 9 iron

 

 

z745 7 iron

 

 

f8 7 iron

 

 

z745 5 iron

 

 

f8 5 iron

 

[ottrad1]

I stop at gap for now but am definitely curious for full shots. The gap flies a bit further than I am used to and like the idea of the same set up for a 56ish 100 yard swing.

 

I stop at the GW in my Edel's. The GW is not like a 50* sand wedge...its more like an 11 iron. I have not hit the Edel 55* SW, but if it plays like a '12 iron'...I am interested in one as well. I'd drop my Kasco K2K 33 and my current 54* wedge and add a 60* wedge for bunker play.

I did get the SL Edel SLS-01 SW. Originally it was intended for full wedge shots only. I now find I am using it more and more over my standard single Edel Digger wedge. It is just too stupid easy to choke down, lay open, pitch, chip, etc. I was intending using it for longer bunker shots greenside, but now i reserve the option to use either wedge to solve problems

[SDGolfRookie]

Do you think the new Cobra Black Forged Tec Ones are instantly better than the current Forged Ones?

 

Seemed like F8 was a notable improvement over F7...

[Rich Douglas]

I bought a set of Wishon Sterling irons... tried them at the range... hit them like crap... sold them a week later for a neat little profit.

 

They weren't fit for me so that could have been the problem, but I've tried other sets in the past (1irongolf.com) and it never ends up as well in real life as it seems it will in my fantasies. Same could be said for a lot of things I suppose.

 

I don't know how one doesn't hit them well, unless they don't fit. It's one swing, folks. Just hit all of them like you would an 8-iron. Same stance, same ball placement, same swing, everything.

 

As for the clubs themselves, they're pretty easy to hit. A slightly thick topline, some progressive offset, some bounce, good perimeter weighting. These aren't Ping G, of course, but more like Ping I. They don't have slots all over the place, but that's a necessity. The 4-7 already have a high COR, and the 8-Wedges have to be softened. (The 4-7 make a nice, soft >clink< when you flush them.)

 

I've played them (4-GW) for 16 months. I'm never, ever going back to VL. Got a nice set of clubs from 2016 just sitting there, barely used (and not touched since I got the Sterlings).

[Rich Douglas]

 

 

I couldnt see myself switching back to conventional irons, but I'm one of three people in my town who bought them.

 

I've been playing Sterlings for 16 months. I play once or twice a week, always going out by myself and paired with strangers. I've never played with anyone else who had SL irons of any make, much less Sterling. I never see it. Admittedly, I play most of my golf on municipal courses. (I'm too busy to get in 18, so I play a lot of 9-hole courses.) Perhaps my sample is skewed, but after more than a year, you'd think I'd run into SOMEONE who place some version of SL. Nope.