King Cobra SSI Irons Review – Are They Forgiving & Good for High Handicappers?

King Cobra SSI Irons Review – Are They Forgiving & Good for High Handicappers?

“On paper, the King Cobra SSI irons have undeniable game improvement technology.”

So the fact that they are 20+ years old shouldn’t matter, right? We tested the King Cobra SSI irons to find out.

King Cobra SSI Irons Overview

“The King Cobra SSI were introduced in 2022 and they were marketed towards mid to high handicappers.”

It doesn’t take much experience to see that these are game improvement irons. They are big and look uber-forgiving behind the ball. The King Cobra SSI irons have perimeter weighting, pronounced offset and a urethane badge in the cavity to dampen vibration.

All these features are pretty standard when it comes to GI irons. But really, it’s the size of these irons that make them timeless game improvement irons. Are you going to get any workability out of them? No. Will they be the irons you are playing once you break 75? Probably not.

But I found that it was nearly impossible to produce a bad lie with these irons. With the 7-iron, I hit 160 carry shots swing after swing. And My divergence was super-tight even on low-face strikes.

The only gripe I had about these irons was feedback. I had no idea where on the face I was making contact based on feel alone. These are cast irons so I wasn’t expecting crystal clear feedback to begin with; but it was completely muted.

As advertised, there isn’t any harsh vibration; but there is virtually no feedback either. So I had to rely on launch monitor data and the shape of my shot to give me a clue as to how I was hitting the ball.

But as it turns out, I was striking the ball on the sweet spot nearly every time. The King Cobra SSI affords you a ton of real estate because of the sheer size of the club head. It’s honestly hard to mis-hit right or left with these irons so the perimeter weighting is almost wasted. I did notice that it was somewhat easy to hit the ball thin with these irons; but that may have had more to do with me not being used to their weight.

Are King Cobra SSI Irons Forgiving?

“It was ridiculously easy to hit baby fades with these irons.”

First of all, it is really hard to miss the massive sweet spot with these irons. On pure strikes, you get a high, baby fade. My dispersion throughout testing never exceeded 8 yards so that should tell you something about how forgiving these irons are.

The offset makes it very easy to turn the club over and square up at impact. The top line surprisingly isn’t massive though. It’s of moderate width as is the sole. So it doesn’t look super-chunky at address which I think is a plus for these irons.

The King Cobra SSI irons also have chamfered, angular soles that are supposed to improve turf interaction. Digging wasn’t too much of a problem during testing. However, modern GI irons certainly have more refined and effective soles.

Overall though, the King Cobra SSI irons are incredibly forgiving. Without much effort or experience, they offer really tight dispersion with high launch.

Are King Cobra SSI Irons Good for Beginners & High Handicappers?

“The King Cobra SSI irons are excellent for beginners and high handicappers.”

A lot of times, I get irons to test that are good for high handicappers; but I wouldn’t recommend them for pure beginners. The King Cobra SSI irons are a different story. I would absolutely recommend them to pure beginners because the size inspires confidence.

The performance is super-encouraging if you’re a beginner as well. With the King Cobra SSI irons, you will be able to get your apex height to where it needs to be and see the ball fly straight. What more could a beginner ask for?

Should you Buy the King Cobra SSI or the S9 Irons?

“The Cobra S9 irons have a similar profile to the King Cobra SSI irons.”

They are also large, cavity back irons that are extremely forgiving. But they have a different feel to them. The CG is noticeably lower in the S9 irons and the launch is a bit higher than the King Cobra SSIs.

The S9 irons also have a cleaner sound and feel. I would recommend the Cobra S9 irons over the King Cobra SSIs if your chief concern is getting the ball airborne.