Jan. 20, 2026, 10:00 a.m. ET
Cobra’s new King and King Max irons are designed for mid-to-high handicap golfers seeking forgiveness and a higher launch.The irons feature a 3D-printed medallion and an internal tungsten weight to lower the center of gravity.A refined sole design aims to improve turf interaction and provide more consistent contact for various swing types.The King Max model is larger, has more offset, and weaker lofts to help players launch the ball higher with a draw bias.
Gear: Cobra King, King Max irons
Price: $999 (seven clubs) with KBS Tour Lite steel shafts and SuperStroke Crossline grips. $1,099 with KBS PGI graphite shafts
Specs: Cast stainless steel with a variable-thickness face insert, 3D-printed medallion, internal weigh suspended in polymer and updated Skid Sole design.
Available: Feb. 3 (fitting and pre-sale), Feb. 6 (in stores)
Who it’s for: Golfers who shoot in the high-80s, 90s and 100s looking for easy launch, more ball speed protection on mis-hits, and added forgiveness.
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What you should know: The King irons have a low center of gravity that encourages a higher launch angle, a variable-thickness face that delivers more ball speed and a refined sole design intended to improve contact consistency. The Max version is bigger, launches higher and has a draw bias.
The Deep Dive: Cobra’s iron lineup has become increasingly segmented over the past few product cycles, with clear lanes for better players, better-player distance designs, and full-on game-improvement irons. The new King and King Max irons sit squarely in that last category, replacing the DS-Adapt irons and building on the same core goals: help golfers hit the ball higher, carry it farther, and get more usable distance when contact isn’t perfect.
Where the DS-Adapt irons focused heavily on expanding face flex and improving sound and feel through urethane microspheres and chassis stiffening, the King family takes a different approach.
On the back of each iron is a 3D-printed medallion that has a lattice structure. In irons like the new 3DP Max and 3DP MB, the internal portion of the club is designed using 3D printing, but that increases the price considerably. Here, 3D printing is used strategically to reduce weight on the top of the head.
It is complemented by an 80-gram internal tungsten weight that is suspended in a shock-absorbing polymer material. It’s 15 grams heavier than the internal weight in the DS-Adapt irons, which pushes the center of gravity (CG) lower as it works with the back badge to absorb excessive vibrations and improve sound. The result of the lower CG is that shots should fly higher and come down more vertically, so they stop quicker.
Like its predecessor, the King irons use a 360 SpeedShell face insert designed to flex more efficiently across a larger area. Cobra says this version delivers significantly more face flex than before, helping protect ball speed on toe and heel strikes.
Another meaningful update comes from the sole. The new Skid Sole design borrows from Cobra’s wedge line and features a pre-worn leading edge, added bounce, and a flatter mid-sole section. The goal here isn’t turf interaction for elite ball strikers, but cleaner contact for the full spectrum of swings, especially golfers who tend to hit slightly heavy or catch shots low on the face.
The difference between the King and the King Max is largely about shape, specs, and launch windows. The standard King iron is aimed at faster-swinging players in roughly the 10-to-20 handicap range who still want speed and forgiveness but prefer a slightly more compact look at address. The King Max has a larger profile, more offset, and lofts that are two degrees weaker throughout the set to make it easier to get the ball high in the air.
Taken together, the King and King Max irons represent a clean handoff from DS-Adapt rather than a radical departure. The ideas that worked remain, but they’re now supported by more sophisticated construction and a clearer split between player profiles.
