Cobra FP v.s Titleist 775CB v.s Mizuno MX-25 v.s Callaway X-20

These are my four choices... I've only recently added the King Cobra's as an option after reading a few pretty impressive reviews today and they too are on Golf Digest's Hot Gold List. They seem priced much lower than the others mentioned but I was wondering if anyone here owns the Cobras and what the differences between these sets are.

I'm looking for a Game Improvement Iron Set I can grow into while also getting good feel from the clubs. As I mentioned in a different thread, I normally shoot low 90's and it's now time to purchase.

Specifically, what I was hoping to get with this new thread are owners of these sets to provide any feedback they may have. I'll be going to the store today to hit all 4 sets to see which one tends to feel better for me. Any feedback is welcome and appreciated.

PJStyles

I am also looking at either the Cobra S9s or FPs and also was wondering if anybody can chime in here. It appears that both irons are more for the high handicap golfer.

Lew

I'm leaning towards the Cobra FP's instead of the S9 because they seem to have more feel in them and less game improvement technology. I want to be able to use these clubs for a long time, especially once I start to shape shots etc...

I know price is not a good indication of quality but the lower price has me wondering whether these Cobra Irons are missing something...

PJStyles

I would seperate these clubs: Cobras vs. Cally X20 Ttileist 775 vs. Mizuno MX-25 The Cobras and Callys are super game improvement clubs. The Mizunos and Titleists are more towards game enhancement

Actually the Cobra S9 are Super Game Improvement...but the Cobra FP are not... They would fall in the same category as Titleist 775 and are even ranked better according to the Golf Digest ranking for Game Improvement clubs. I guess the main difference is that Titleist 775 and Mizuno MX-25 are forged....

PJStyles

except that the x-20's were called best game improvement not super game improvement.

I have only tried the callaway x-20's and they felt pretty nice.. however I also tried the taylormade r7's as well as the cleveland cg golds (both of which I thought felt better.and I ended up with the r7's which i absolutely love.. extremely forgiving but you still have a decent amount of workability)

As you can see from my signature, I own the 775s. I think they are superb irons. I like the steel shaft, the Nippon NS Pro. The irons are well balanced and feel soft as butter when well struck, yet they provide definite feedback on poorly struck shots. They look good to my eye; that is, they have a quiet, conservative appearance which I like. Yet, the irons do provide some forgiveness and offset that are greater than other Titleist irons. I think the Titleist and the Mizuno irons probably have a lot in common. And if I were making a choice between the irons you mentioned, I would opt for either of those two sets. That being said, I played yesterday with a 47 year old fellow who plays the Cobra FPs. His irons have the Aldila graphite stock shaft. The course we played is the Riverbend Country Club in Robinsonville, MS. It is a challenging, links style course, par 72. He shot a 73. He claims the graphite shafts are easier on his wrists. I saw him miss only one approach shot. I, on the other hand shot a 91 ( which should have been an 85 or 86 ) with my 775s. I share this with you to say that some pretty fine golfers I know play the Cobra FPs. While I love the look of the Titleists and Mizunos more than I do the Cobras, I sure wouldn't discount getting the FPs. They are probably among the best values in quality clubs currently being offered. In any event, good luck to you on your quest for a good set of clubs. Let us know what you get.

All of the irons you mentioned look great. I think it would be best if you could hit a few shots with each club though to see which feels the best to you. You will also want a club that appeals to your eye. Confidence in the irons sometimes comes from what you think of it at address. I had a set of the 775’s and they were great. The longer irons are excellent for the higher handicapper because they were more forgiving and the lower irons help you learn how to work and shape shots. Good Luck!

Okay guys...back from Golf Town here in Toronto where I tried the following clubs:

- Cobra FP
- Big Bertha '06
- Callaway X-20
- Mizuno X-25

I have to say without a doubt, I was hitting the X-20's the best. The guy taped the clubs prior to hitting and wouldn't reveal to me which ones I was hitting. I tried many shots with each of them and as soon as I picked up the X-20 (not knowing it was the x-20), it just felt right and the ball flight was awesome.

One thing I did notice was that the balls struck with the X-20 had a higher trajectory than the Cobra's which I prefer in order to stick the balls on the green. I'm sold on the X-20 but the price is just a bit high for my budget. THey are priced at $999.99 CDN here. Anyone know where I might be able to find the set a little cheaper? I was even debating on getting the Big Bertha '06 which I was hitting well and they were priced at $498 CDN.

PJStyles

P.S - Also tried the Big Bertha '06 Driver and was seriously impressed! I didn't hit a single slice, which is normally the case and the distance was very good.

I think all of those iron sets fall into game improvement... I don't see any super game improvement irons listed. However, I agree that the Titleist 775CB will be a closer comparison to the Mizuno MX-25 than the other two. Those two irons sets, while still offering game improvement features tend to be geared toward a slightly better player than the Callaway or Cobra. Plus they are forged. Not to say a good player can't use the Callaway or Cobra. If I were buying I'd get either the Titleist or Mizuno, actually I've considered getting one of those two myself.

But in the end you will be the only one who knows the right set for you. All 4 of those are great iron sets, with great reviews, from top of the line companies. So hit all 4 and pick the one that you like the best. You can't go wrong.

I have the Mizuno mx-23 - which are the model before the 25s. I hit the 25s recently and they dont fell much differemnt than my 23.... im sure there is some type of difference - but im not good enough to tell.. i really like the mx-23 - when you hit them good, they are awesome, if you throw a bad swing on them, you wont be very happy.. but they feel so good on a good swing you will always want to hit them....

I also hit the callaway x-20 and the cobra fp, i love dthe cobras, and came close to buying them, they are a touch more forgiving then the mizunos, but still lack the feel.... but they are aweome. The x-20 were another really good iron. I felt like i couldnt hit a bad shit with them.. but they were a little pricey for me...I picked up my mx-23 for under 300 used... but they looked brand new....

havent hit the titleist - i heard they are not as forgiving - but you should just try everything out.... probably wont be disappointed with e mizunos though...

I had 3 of those on my list when I bought clubs as well. I demoed the tree (X-20's, Cobra and Mizuno's) and well, you can see what I have in my bag below.
I was told I would loose yardage with the 25's, but I've actually increased my yardage after about 2 months of hitting them. I had to re-learn my extra yardage as I was over hitting every thing.
My second favorite was the X-20's. The only draw back was the feel compared to the forged iron of the Mizuno's.

I would seriously consider the 775 cb's. They look to be a great club and I wished I had demoed them to compare.

Thanks to everyone for your inputs. I will go with the Cobra FPs.

Lew

The only two that I liked from that list (demo'd all four) were the Ttileist 775 and Mizuno MX-25. I found the 775 to be a straighter club, both were forgiving. The 775 CB is on my Must Buy list once I trade my irons in. The MX-25 I felt worked liked the MX-19 and if you go with the Mizuno, go for the 19 to save money.

This is precisely the comparison I am looking for. I hope others will enter their experiences.

I hit the Mizuno mx25 and Callaway x20s at Dicks yesterday, along with TaylorMade r7. I liked the Callaways a great deal, but ultimately felt I couldn't tell the difference between a solid strike and an inferior one. No feedback. I want feedback at this point, and fell in love with the Mizunos.

I need to test the Titleist and Mizuno's side by side, but think my decision will be made by testing those two sets on a range or with a virtual range.

Cart Bag
ISI Irons
ONE Platinum ball
CG10 60 degree wedge
r7 stiff shaft 10.5 degree driver
Two ball White Hot XG putter
Stand bag

Funny you say that. I really wanted the MX-23 because of the aesthetics. However, I ended up purchasing the MX-25's because I couldn't find a set of 23's in regular steel. I'm not a big fan of the HEMI-COG lettering of the 25's. Form and function is my cup of tea and to me the MX-23's embodied that. I played in a corporate tournament (best ball) yesterday with a fellow who was playing 23's. And on a par-3, he pulled out a 7 so I compared it with mine. The difference between the two: the 25's are just ever so slightly larger, with a slightly thicker topline. The 25's are more forgiving....so I hear.

Regarding, the MX-25's I do not regret dropping $600 USD on these clubs. Truly responsive clubs. Love the satin finish, although Mizuno's require a bit of care considering they are forged from a soft carbon steel. I appreciate the weaker lofts, they seem to set up well. A well struck shot on the sweet spot yields....well an incredibly soft mushy yet solid feeling. Lively. The feedback is compelling and addictive. I believe players who play Mizuno (the forged clubs that is) do so, because of the quality of the experience at impact. I played Taylormade RACs prior to the 25's and thinking back they felt muted. I don't think you can go wrong with any, as they (Titleist, Callaway, Cobra & Mizuno) all make excellent clubs. All the best.

I was in the same market as you just last week. I went to the shop and hit the mx-25, x-20, cleveland cg Gold, and mp-32 (wanted to try a blade for the hell of it).

I ended up getting the Cleveland CG Golds because the feel off the mat was beautiful and my shots were responding to fades/draws, and from the reviews I've read these clubs are ones that you can grow on because they're fairly forgiving, but still give you feedback on a bad hit. So far they're OK in the grass (I only hit them on the mats before I bought them). I'm still adjusting my swing to hit them better, but they're a nice club.

I tried the mx-25's and, while I liked the response and the way the ball came off the club, they were $150 more than the Golds and I just graduated college so I've got student loans to pay off ;)

I have a feeling I'll be replacing them next season, though, if not sooner.

Another note, buy slightly used clubs off of eBay if you can... I could've saved another $250. Brand new clubs aren't worth that extra 30% of the price to me.