Who comes out on top in this battle of 2020 game-improvement irons between Callaway and Cobra?
Callaway Mavrik vs Cobra King Speedzone Iron
In this head-to-head match up, Joel Tadman Callaway’s Mavrik iron up against the Speedzone iron from Cobra King.
RRP: £849
7-iron loft: 27°
Shaft: True Temper Elevate 95 stiff, (98g)
RRP: £699
7-iron loft: 27°
Shaft: KBS Tour 90 stiff (102g)
How the Callaway Mavrik (left) and Cobra King Speedzone irons look at address
Callaway Mavrik Iron vs Cobra King Speedzone Iron
Looks
The Mavrik has a noticeably darker finish and more offset than the Cobra. Seems easier to align thanks to the two white scorelines near the leading edge and also has a much thicker topline, making it look a little chunky.
On the Speedzone your eyes are immediately drawn to the carbon fibre section within the top-line but after a few shots you forget it’s there. A little more traditional in shape with less offset and a lighter finish.
Callaway Mavrik – 7/10
Cobra King Speedzone – 8/10
Feel/Sound
The Mavrik offers a louder, higher-pitched and more metallic sound at impact that is arguably more wood-like than the Cobra, although the sound is still quite short, contributing to a soft feel.
The Speedzone is still fairly loud but a bit more of a ‘thud’ sensation at impact. It feels fast and forgiving, both on off-centre hits and through the turf thanks to the wider sole, but not overly soft.
Callaway Mavrik – 8/10
Cobra King Speedzone – 8/10
Performance Averages (7-iron)
Callaway Mavrik
- Ball speed (mph): 127.6
- Launch (degrees): 16.5
- Spin (rpm): 4,741
- Peak height (yards): 34
- Carry (yards): 190
Cobra King Speedzone
- Ball speed (mph): 128.6
- Launch (degrees): 15.4
- Spin (rpm): 5,045
- Peak height (yards): 33
- Carry (yards): 189
Ball Flight
The Mavrik gets the ball airborne effortlessly with low spin helping produce a strong flight. The extra offset tended to create a miss left for us, but should help slicers square the face at impact more easily.
The King Speedzone didn’t quite flight the ball as high as the Mavrik but there is ample ball speed to keep the ball in the air, helped by the longer stock shaft length and slightly higher spin.
Callaway Mavrik – 8/10
Cobra King Speedzone – 8/10
Forgiveness
Our carry distances and shot pattern were very consistent with the Mavrik iron. Strikes low on the face or lateral misses were punished minimally, you’d have to hit a really bad shot to miss the green.
Didn’t quite have the directional control of the Mavrik, perhaps because of the longer shaft, but off-centre hits with the Speedzone still performed well with limited drops in ball speed and distance from heel or toe strikes.
Callaway Mavrik – 9/10
Cobra King Speedzone – 8/10
Overall Appeal
It’s unusual for the mid-size iron in the Mavrik range to have strongest lofts. That said, it delivers everything a mid-to-high handicapper would want from an iron. Notably a strong high launch, low spin combination but at a higher price.
An iron like the King Speedzone with this spec was always going to be long but the ball flight hasn’t suffered. You have the choice of One Length for consistency of set-up and the Arccos Smart Grips for performance analysis, which adds considerable value.
Callaway Mavrik – 8/10
Cobra King Speedzone – 9/10
TOTALS
Callaway Mavrik – 40/50
Cobra King Speedzone – 41/50
For more head-to-head tests follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. There is also a new comparison test each month in each new Golf Monthly issue.
This article Callaway Mavrik vs Cobra King Speedzone Iron appeared first on Golf Monthly.