Cobra S9's?

[ERC7.5]

I am in serious need of some new irons and just found a smoking deal on some King Cobra S9's. The reviews that I have read seem positive. Has anyone here had any experiences with these clubs?
I'm told by many that golf with me that I hit my irons high....all of them. Any feedback will be greatly appreciated!

[popey]

Try before you buy! Two golfers experiences are never the same!

[ERC7.5]

Thanks. That's pretty much what my buddy suggested. Going to Dicks sometime this week to try 'em out. I just hope they don't nag me too much.

[popey]

Go with a range of clubs in mind. As if you are set on one set of clubs you will not see that another set maybe better for you!

Also do not buy on price. By this I mean that do not buy the most expensive set as they are not always the best for you and also do not buy a set as they are cheap. The amount of clubs that are now sitting in my garage that I bought because they were cheap and are not suitable to my swing!

[ERC7.5]

I sensed sarcasm when I read the first line.

Go with a range of clubs in mind. As if you are set on one set of clubs you will not see that another set maybe better for you!

I was hoping to not have to do too much homework but it definitely makes sense. I feel my current set of irons are definitely holding me back. I can play 'em but I'd like to get better and I know that some of that is going to include better equipment. I hear that all the time from my older golfing buddies. "You're shooting high 70's/low 80's.....imagine what you could do with the right equipment." It's time for me to start taking their advice.

Thanks again!

[popey]

No worries!

I like to think that it is not the equipment but the player that makes the difference although this is changing with modern golf clubs!

Have seen the adverse effect with people buying new clubs and playing worse as they did not get fitted and the lie angles are all wrong mean that hit it all over the place!

Good luck and hope you find a great set for you!

[ERC7.5]

Thanks again

[Shindig]

For what it's worth, I liked these - both the S9 and the FPs (which may be more fit to your handicap level). It's worth noting that the S9s have a PW at 44 degrees, so you need to figure your wedges accordingly.

[ERC7.5]

Thanks for the feedback Shindig. Just curious. What's the difference between the FP's and the S9's that makes it more fit to my hdcp level?

[907golfer12]

The S9's have more offset, have a bigger club head, and more perimeter weighting. Thus they get the ball up a lot quicker, so people with lower swing speeds can hit the sweet spot more and when they don't, they don't lose much distance. The FP's have less offset, a little smaller head, and a little less perimeter weighting, they are a little harder to hit, but not extremely, like blades or player's cavities.

[Masa]

Pretty much everything has been said already. Every major company out there makes quality equipment, just a matter of finding what suits you. The S9s fit me just fine, but then again, I have Dynamic Gold shafts instead of the stock Nippon 900XH and they come out at a swingweight of D8. For whatever reason that works for me.

I've hit pretty much every iron out there (kind of happens when you work at a golf shop), and there are plenty of clubs that I would play. Go in and hit a bunch of clubs. I got my S9s last year for under $300 fitted and new, at times I wish I had different irons, something a little smaller, but it really doesn't matter. I've played with a 65 year old still using MacGregor blades and persimmon woods to a 7 handicap, and I've played with a guy in his 50s playing 2004 Big Berthas to a 4 handicap. They found what works for them, and that's really what you want to do. The S9 set is usually 4-GW (GW is 49 degrees) so I have wedges of 54 and 58 degrees to have pretty even spacing.

[Shindig]

Thanks for the feedback Shindig. Just curious. What's the difference between the FP's and the S9's that makes it more fit to my hdcp level?

S9s are "super game improvement" - bigger cavity back, more forgiveness, etc. The FPs are "game improvement" - they're cavity back, but not to the point that you can't hit a draw or fade if you want to. You won't be able to draw or fade it as well as you could with blades, but you'll be able to control the ball flight more while still having forgiveness.

Maybe it's just me - I have trouble hitting low shots with super game improvement clubs. But when I grab game improvement clubs - even ones that aren't fit for me and have the wrong shaft for me - I can do high or low, fade or draw, more consistently. Not all the time, but with super game improvement my options seem to be "high and straight." Meanwhile, my mom thinks I'm crazy for complaining that I hit my irons "too high and too straight." But avoiding trouble or dealing with the wind sometimes calls for a fade or draw, and I just can't do it with super game improvement clubs. When I was struggling to shoot in the 90s, then it's just a matter of dealing with the wind and accepting that I wasn't going to pull off the draw/fade anyway.

[ERC7.5]

The S9's have more offset, have a bigger club head, and more perimeter weighting. Thus they get the ball up a lot quicker, so people with lower swing speeds can hit the sweet spot more and when they don't, they don't lose much distance. The FP's have less offset, a little smaller head, and a little less perimeter weighting, they are a little harder to hit, but not extremely, like blades or player's cavities.

Thanks for the feedback 907golfer12. That definitely helps. The S9's sound more like the irons I currently have (and what I'm trying to get away from).

I have an uncle that lives in Anchorage.....he love's it there. I'm gonna have to go see him sometime.....nice courses up there?

[ERC7.5]

Thank you Shindig & Masa. Combining the feedback received here with some of the information received from friends & fellow golfers at my home course (including the house pro), it appears that I need to take a look more into the "game improvement" style of irons but still look at all my options as the "super game improvement" may be what suits me.

I am planning to go to a Dicks Sporting Goods or the like to swing a few of these. Can someone give me a small list of irons that are "classified" as "game improvement"? Greatly Appreciated!! Cheers!

[Masa]

Top of my head list of middle game improvement irons:
Adams Idea a3
Callaway X-20
Callaway FT
Cleveland CG Gold
Cobra FP
Mizuno MX-25
Mizuno MP-57
Nike CCI
Ping I-10
Taylormade R7

"Super" Game Improvement:
Adams Idea A3 OS
Callaway Big Bertha
Cleveland HiBore
Cobra UFi or S9
Mizuno MX-950
Nike Sumo
Ping G-10
Taylormade R7 CGB Max or Burner XD (maybe slightly less than "super" but not quite to the regular R7 range yet).

Plenty more out there on top of this. These are just some of the more popular ones that people regularly try around here. The Ping 10 series has been selling well, as have the Callaway X-20s and Taylormade R7s. Hopefully this gives you a list to start with to try to find what fits you.

[ERC7.5]

Thank you Masa. I'm gonna take a look at most of these and hopefully can find something that is a perfect fit for me. Thanks again.

[Shindig]

Thank you Shindig & Masa. Combining the feedback received here with some of the information received from friends & fellow golfers at my home course (including the house pro), it appears that I need to take a look more into the "game improvement" style of irons but still look at all my options as the "super game improvement" may be what suits me.

Check out Golf Digest's hot lists for 2008 and 2007. They categorize irons in these ways and give some information about them at a quick glance - some of which is incredibly useful, such as the loft in the pitching wedge.

[Clubswinger21]

erc7.5, I have heard nothing but good things about these irons. I heard they are long and easy to hit. If you find a good deal on them.. go for it. Im a single digit handicap with about a 14 handicap iron game. And i have considered buying these based on reviews i've read. Instead i went for the macgregors which i had a chance to hit and found them to be incredibly easy to hit. Really if you're looking to improve your iron game you cant go wrong with these.