Equipment

2021 Cobra RadSpeed irons

Published

5 years ago

Dec 8, 2020

3D printing has officially gone mainstream in golf. On the heels of the recently launched 3D-printed King SuperSport-35 putter, Cobra is introducing the new 2021 Cobra RadSpeed irons with golf’s first-ever 3D-printed nylon medallion designed to save weight, increase forgiveness, and fine-tune acoustics. All of this while being built into a sportier-looking iron.

2021 Cobra RadSpeed irons: The package

If you talk to golfers who are the target market for technology-packed irons there are generally a few requests:

I want them as forgiving as possible
I want them to feel good
I want them to be compact because “I don’t want to play a shovel.”

To these golfers, the engineers at Cobra have heard your requests and they are here to deliver.

The lead of this story, for good reason, is the large 3D-printed medallion designed to enhance the feel of the irons while also saving weight and increasing the MOI, but the real star of the show for golfers and fitters is the new Radial Weighting system around the head—and specifically in the toe of club.

The whole package creates a set of irons that can be built to exacting specs like never before, and just like the 3D-printed medallion, Cobra is demonstrating that precision in the design and build process leads to better performance for the end-user.

2021 Cobra RadSpeed irons: The technology

3D printing

Let’s start with the medallion. Unlike traditional badges used in irons, which are made using various injection molding processes, the 3D-printed medallion is comprised of nylon and uses an intricate structure of intertwined lattice to increase strength while also reducing weight.

3D-printed titanium skateboard truck

The backbone of this technology is the ability to create shapes that maximize strength while also reducing both material use and weight. In the case of golf clubs, this saves engineers precious grams of mass, which can be repositioned around the head. This is a crucial element of golf club design since the final mass of each part is defined by its position in the set (i.e. the final 7-iron mass on a standard set of clubs is roughly 268g, no more and no less.)

3D-printing has been used for years to prototype clubs, but thanks to the evolution of the technology, which in turn has helped drive down the cost, Cobra can effectively bring this to market while offering an advantage over previous and not having to pass enormous costs on to the consumer.

Radial Weighting

Much like the RadSpeed driver, the irons derive their name from newly positioned weights around the radius of the iron head designed to increase stability. By placing weight on the extreme perimeter of the head (away from the center of gravity), Cobra can both lower the CG and make the club slightly more compact while not sacrificing forgiveness. The screw-in weights are 10g in the toe and 3g in the heel (in a stock-configured club) but can be reconfigured for custom builds depending on the specs.

This allows the engineers to keep the center of gravity directly behind the middle of the face, which is especially important when tip weights might be involved to adjust any custom orders. Let me explain in a little more detail: Basically, every iron on the market utilizes a tip weight, either inserted into the shaft or into a port in the bottom of the hosel. OEMs use them all the time, and there is 100 percent nothing wrong with using tip weights to achieve the desired swing weight, but when you use them, you move the CG closer to the hosel/heel side of the club. It’s not moved on a humanly noticeable level but from an engineering perspective, it occurs.

According to Cobra, this weight may be adjusted +/- 6g during custom builds to dial in proper swing weight based on length, shaft weight, and grip specs.

PWRShell Technology

Besides the perimeter of the club, where the forgiveness is created, the most important single “part” of any club is the face. Cobra has worked long and hard to maximize speed and increase launch with PWRShell technology, which has once again been refined to improve performance.

Forged from high-strength 17-4 stainless steel, the thin face has a longer and deeper internal channel to increase compliance—a fancy physics term for an object’s ability to flex, which in turn increases the ball speed retention around the face to create a larger area of maximum energy transfer. The forged PWRShell faces are found in the 4-7 irons, while the 8-SW use a one-piece construction. NOTE: The term “area of maximum energy return” is a way to define the face area where a player is going to see great results versus the traditional “sweet spot.” Even as irons, and clubs in general, get more forgiving, there is still only a tiny single defined sweet spot.

The other component of the face puzzle is control, and that means talking grooves. The variable-length RadSpeed irons feature progressive groove shapes—V grooves in the longer irons for reduced spin, and U grooves in the shorter irons (8-SW) for added spin and control.

Carbon Fiber Topline

Just like the previous SpeedsZone irons, the RadSpeed irons have a unique carbon fiber topline that saves two grams to be moved around the head—remember, every gram counts! The insert has been tweaked to an all-black cosmetic to offer a slimmer and more compact look from address.

One Length is growing

We can’t talk Cobra irons without talking One Length. And yes, the RadSpeed irons are offered in a one-length package to promote repeatability at address for improved consistency shot after shot. The stock configuration is built around matching lengths of 37.5” (custom single lengths are available), along with consistent head weights and swing weights in every iron.

There are some progressive aspects of the RadSpeed One Length irons and that is their lie angles and shaft weighting to promote higher launch in the lower-lofted clubs and more control in the scoring clubs.

Sole comparison: RadSpeed variable-length (left ) One Length (right)

Last but not least, when you look at the soles of the RadSpeed One Length irons, you will notice the soles get wider from the 6-iron up to the 4-iron. Once again, this progression is thanks to some well thought-out engineering.

The wider soles create a lower and deeper CG to make it easier for golfers to increase peak height and land/descent angle to help hold greens from longer distances and improve gapping.

With constantly improving fitting techniques, alongside evolving technology, you can expect to see more golfers either switch to or take up the game with single-length clubs. Cobra is leading the way in the consumer market, and thanks to greater education, at this point One Length makes up over 30 percent of their irons sales with it expecting to continue to grow. When you consider how many new golfers have been created in 2020, and how One Length clubs help create greater consistency, it should be no surprise to see more of these sets in golf bags moving into 2021.

Price, specs, and availability

The Cobra RadSpeed irons, along with the entire RadSpeed product line, will be available at retail and online starting January 29, 2021.

The RadSpeed variable length irons will be available in a Nickel Chrome finish and come stock 5-gap wedge (7 piece set) in both right and left-handed or 4-PW in right hand only for $899. There is also a graphite combo set which includes a 5 hybrid and goes 6 iron to gap wedge in right hand only for $999.

The stock shafts are KBS Tour 90 in steel and UST Recoil ESX 460 in graphite, along with Lamkin Crossline Connect black grips.

There is also a black PVD finish option available through custom order only for an additional $100 upcharge.

The Cobra RadSpeed ONE Length irons also come in a Nickel Chrome finish and can be differentiated by their black, silver, and blue medallion. They will come stock in a 5-gap wedge (7 piece set) in both right and left-handed for $899, with a graphite combo set which includes 5 hybrid, 6 iron to gap wedge for $999 right-handed.

The ONE Length stock steel shafts are progressive and are made up of KBS Tour 80 (4-6i), KBS Tour 90 (7-9i), and Tour 120 (PW, SW). The graphite stock shafts are also progressive with UST Recoil ESX 460 (4-9i) and the UST Recoil ESX 480 (PW, SW). The One length grips are the Lamkin Crossline Connect in blue.

Lofts

The 2021 Cobra RadSpeed irons, along with the entire RadSpeed line, will continue to employ Cobra Connect powered by Arccos. Every club comes with an embedded electronic sensor in the grip to automatically record the distance and accuracy of every shot so golfers can track their improvements round-to-round.

For more information, visit www.cobragolf.com.

Equipment

Why Rickie Fowler is switching to a shorter driver at the PGA Championship

Published

1 day ago

May 13, 2026

Alistair Cameron

In a golf world where players are looking to eke out every yard possible, usually by lengthening their drivers to add clubhead speed, there’s one player at the PGA Championship who’s going in the opposite direction. In fact, for Rickie Fowler, his goal off the tee is not about gaining extra distance or yards north to south, but rather about shrinking the misses from east to west.

Ahead of the PGA Championship and the week prior at the Truist Championship. Fowler mentioned to Cobra Tour Rep Ben Schomin that the driver didn’t quite swing feel the same as everything in the bag. As a result, and with Schomin’s suggestion to try and sync everything up with the big stick, Fowler decided to test out a shorter length shaft.

“He’s been at 45 (inches), and he’d been at 45 for a few weeks, 44 1/8 (inches) is really is where he is been living really for the most part, for the last couple of years, and is where he is been comfortable,” Schomin told GolfWRX. “It just felt like it was a little long and loose on him.”

Interestingly, Fowler ranks 40th in Driving Accuracy this year on the PGA Tour. It’s his most accurate season with the driver since the start of the decade. But sometimes for players, feel is more important than statistics.

“It was really more of a trying to get the swing to feel the fluidness from club to club to club to try to get it to feel the same,” Schomin added. “And so we took it down to 43 and a quarter, and it was a touch of a ball speed loss, just based on that overall club head speed. But honestly, he squared it up probably a little better. The right miss wasn’t nearly as far. So really, overall down-range dispersion tightened up a fair amount, and he felt confident in swinging it.”

The change in length had Fowler’s caddie, Ricky Romano, beaming at how well he had driven during Tuesday’s practice round at Aronimink. So much so, he was asking Schomin not to suggest changes anymore.

Fowler’s shaft-shortening is one of a few driver adjustments he’s made this season, and to Schomin’s credit, it’s thanks to the fact that he and the rest of the Cobra team had Fowler fit very well into three of the four heads in the Cobra OPTM lineup.

“He had three distinct drivers and the biggest decision was trying to decide which worked best at that time,” Schomin told GolfWRX previously. “He’s played the majority of the season with OPTM X, but has also played a couple of tournaments with OPTM LS. His overall driving stats have been good.”

At the RBC Heritage earlier this spring, Fowler switched drivers, changing from his Cobra OPTM X and into the Tour, low-loft Max K model that Gary Woodland used to win just a few weeks prior.

Now for the PGA Championship, Fowler’s back in the X head, but still using the UST Mamiya LIN-Q PowerCore White 6TX shaft, just a little bit shorter.

“Will he stay there? I’m not sure,” Schomin added. “Could we end up say at like 43 and 7.5 (of an inch). If it’s giving him the same feel of consistency through the bag, then I think we might end up just a touch longer. But if he likes where he is at, he’s confident where he is at, that’s really all that matters.”

If there’s more testing, though, just don’t tell his caddie.

Equipment

GolfWRX Launch Report: 2026 Titleist GTS drivers

Published

1 day ago

May 13, 2026

GolfWRX Staff

What you need to know: As is customary for the Fairhaven-based company, Titleist officially announced today that its GTS drivers are headed to retail, following a successful tour release. The GTS2, GTS3, and GTS4 drivers will be available in golf shops June 11.

Since debuting at the Texas Children’s Houston Open, the new GTS lineup has quickly gained traction on the PGA Tour, with more than 50 players already making the switch to a GTS2, GTS3, or GTS4 driver. Among them are Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth.

Justin Thomas’ Titleist GTS2 driver (Greg Moore, GolfWRX)

According to Titleist, the GTS series builds upon the performance foundation established by the GT Series, while introducing several major technological advancements, including a new Split Mass Frame construction, refined aerodynamics, and an updated Speed Sync face design.

2026 Titleist GTS drivers: What’s new, key technology

Split Mass Frame and thermoform body

At the center of the new GTS lineup is a redesigned internal structure: the Split Mass Frame. This technology works with a full-thermoform body made from Titleist’s Proprietary Matrix Polymer (PMP), a lightweight composite that enables engineers to reposition mass more efficiently throughout the head. Compared to the previous GT generation, GTS drivers feature nearly double the PMP material, increasing from 13 grams to 26 grams, while maintaining the sound and feel preferred by better players.

The weight savings from the thermoform construction allowed Titleist engineers to strategically separate mass placement inside the head. Specifically, more weight is pushed rearward to improve stability and forgiveness, while additional mass is positioned low and forward to optimize speed, launch, and spin.

In short, golfers are able to maintain ball speed and consistency across both centered and off-center strikes.

Faster aerodynamics

Titleist also refined the aerodynamic shaping of the GTS heads to help players generate more clubhead speed.

The tails of the new GTS2 and GTS3 heads have been raised compared to previous models, helping airflow stay attached to the crown and sole longer during the swing. According to Titleist, the improved airflow reduces drag and increases speed without affecting launch conditions or center of gravity placement.

Typically, aerodynamic gains can compromise forgiveness or launch characteristics, but the weight savings from the Split Mass Frame allowed engineers to preserve preferred CG locations.

New Speed Sync face

The new Speed Sync Face design is engineered to improve ball speed retention across a larger portion of the face. A reinforced perimeter structure helps maximize face deflection and COR on centered strikes, while the upper portion of the support ring is opened up to increase speed on high-face impacts, a common strike location for many golfers. The face also features a variable thickness design to preserve speed and performance across a wider impact area.

Expanded adjustability

Each GTS model includes a dual-weighting system to fine-tune launch, spin, and shot shape more precisely than previous generations. GTS2 uses interchangeable forward and aft weights, while GTS3 and GTS4 combine a rear weight with an adjustable forward track weight system.

Tour-inspired face graphics

The new lineup features redesigned high-contrast face graphics to improve alignment and framing at address, according to Titleist. Sharp visual lines are designed to make it easier to center the golf ball and to perceive loft more easily at setup.

Additional model details

GTS2

The GTS2 is the most forgiving model, designed for golfers seeking maximum stability and consistent speed across the face.
It produces high launch with mid spin and features a larger, confidence-inspiring profile behind the ball.
Standard weighting includes an 11-gram forward weight and a 5-gram rear weight, with additional fitting configurations available.

GTS3

The GTS3 is aimed at players who want more control over launch, spin, and shot shaping.
Compared to GTS2, the GTS3 offers lower launch and spin while featuring a more compact profile and deeper face design preferred by many stronger players.
The head features an adjustable forward-track weight system to further fine-tune center of gravity placement.

GTS4

The lowest-spinning option in the lineup, GTS4 is built for golfers looking to reduce excessive spin and maximize total distance.
Unlike previous “4” models from Titleist, the new GTS4 features a full 460cc profile that improves forgiveness and stability while retaining its low-spin DNA.
Like GTS3, it includes a forward track weighting system for precise fitting adjustments.

What Titleist says

“When we talk about driver design, it’s never about the one feature or benefit — it’s about all of them,” said Stephanie Luttrell, Titleist’s Senior Director of Metalwood R&D. “Ball speed, forgiveness, spin stability, adjustability, exceptional sound and feel… these are all attributes that golfers care about. It’s our job to design a lineup that elevates performance across the board without sacrificing in key areas, and we feel we’ve done that with GTS.”

“We know that forward CGs drive speed with great launch and spin characteristics, but you need to be able to do that with an inertial stability that still preserves ball speed, launch and spin consistency on off-center hits,” Luttrell said. “We’ve never before been able to hit these CG positions and inertia properties at the same time, and we’re achieving that because of GTS’ construction.”

Club Junkie’s take

I feel like every time there is a new Titleist wood release, I figure they can’t outdo their previous driver. And every year, I am wrong and impressed with the performance. The GTS fits right into that narrative again, as I didn’t know where Titleist could go from GT, but they pushed the limits again, and my fitting proved the smart people there found ways to improve.

My past four Titleist drivers have been a 2 series as my swing typically requires a little height, spin, and forgiveness so I figured I would just get a new GTS2 and be on my way. During the fitting, I was impressed by the new GTS construction, its added PMP material, and the advanced adjustability on each model. My fitter, Joey, got to work putting together a GTS2 and we started there. The launch and spin were great, and the consistency on misses was very tight. My average ball speed with the GTS went up a little bit as the new Speed Sync face creates more speed away from the center.

Joey then built up a GTS3 in 11 degrees, but I figured this wouldn’t have the stability I needed for tight dispersion on my miss hits. That thought was quickly erased after a few shots, and I really liked the more center start line and reduced draw on the misses I was seeing. We tried a few different settings and shafts to dial in the details in order to get the best fit. Having a forward and rear weight in the head allowed Joey to set up the GTS3 with a heavier rear weight to keep the launch and spin up, while the Sure Fit hosel set flat created a more center start line for me. My misses were not nearly as far left, and I was really impressed with the consistency on the spin and launch when I didn’t hit it in the center.

Titleist again created a wood line in GTS that delivers improvements over previous drivers while keeping the traditional look and feel you expect. More adjustability, better off-center speed, and 3 drivers that are playable over a wider range of players should make these extremely successful in fittings.

Pricing, specs, availability

GTS2 lofts: 8, 9, 10, 11 degrees (RH/LH)

GTS3 lofts: 8, 9, 10, 11 degrees (RH/LH)

GTS4 lofts: 8, 9, 10 (RH/LH)

Featured shafts

Project X Titan Black
Mitsubishi Tensei 1K White
Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Blue
Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Red

Premium shafts

Graphite Design Tour AD DI
Graphite Design Tour AD VF
Graphite Design Tour AD FI

Available for fittings and pre-sale now.

In golf shops worldwide beginning June 11.

Price: $699 (standard), $899 (premium)

Equipment

Titleist launches new GTS2 and GTS3 fairways

Published

1 day ago

May 13, 2026

Gianni Magliocco

Titleist has today introduced its new GTS2 and GTS3 fairways.

Lower and deeper center of gravity (CG) positions, new adjustable heel-toe weights and advanced clubface innovations drive total performance in the two tour-proven models.

New GTS fairway technology:

Wraparound composite crowns: Unlock lower CG positions for higher launch and lower spin as well as more CG depth for added forgiveness.

Refined shapes and profiles: With two distinct setups, with GTS2 featuring a shallower face height and larger address profile compared to GTS3’s deeper face and more compact profile. Both models feature flatter sole designs for better performance off the turf.

Dual-weighting systems: The dual-weighting systems allows for personalized performance, with interchangeable heel-toe flat weights helping to fine-tune CG location across the face.

A forged L-Cup face design: The new face design is optimized for GTS and works to preserve ball speed, maintain launch conditions and enhance sound and feel on low-face impacts.

Tour-inspired polished clubfaces: To help players see more of the clubface at address.

GTS2 Fairway

The new GTS2 fairway is designed with a shallower face and a larger profile than GTS3, ideal for players with more sweeping deliveries with their fairway metals.

GTS2’s new face height, inspired by tour feedback, was designed shallower than the prior generation GT2 model and more in line with the GT1 fairway. Each loft in GTS2 leverages a shallower profile except for the 13.5-degree, which maintains a slightly taller face.

With its new dual-weighting system, the ‘2’ model now has heel-toe CG adjustability.

Lofts: 13.5, 15.0, 16.5, 18.0, 21.0

Dual-weight system: 11-gram weight in heel, 5-gram weight in toe (standard)

GTS3 Fairway

The new GTS3 fairway is designed with a deeper face and a more compact profile, ideal for players who hit down on the golf ball more with their fairway metals.

New to the GTS3 family is a 21-degree offering, giving players two distinct profiles in Titleist’s 7-wood loft.

Instead of the track weight system featured in prior generation ‘3’ models, GTS3 now benefits from adjustable heel-toe flat weights.

Lofts: 15.0, 16.5, 18.0, 21.0

Dual-weight system: 11-gram weight in heel, 5-gram weight in toe (standard)

Price & Availability

The new GTS fairways are available for fittings and pre-sale now and will be in golf shops worldwide beginning June 11 priced at $399 (standard) and $599 (premium).