Callaway Mavrik vs Cobra King Speedzone Iron

Who comes out on top in this battle of irons between Callaway and Cobra?

Callaway Mavrik vs Cobra King Speedzone Iron

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.

Callaway Mavrik

RRP: £849 7-iron loft: 27° Shaft: True Temper Elevate 95 stiff, (98g)

Cobra King Speedzone

RRP: £699 7-iron loft: 27° Shaft: KBS Tour 90 stiff (102g)

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Buy Now from EBay for £599.99

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

We continually check thousands of prices to show you the best deals. If you buy a product through our site we will earn a small commission from the retailer – a sort of automated referral fee – but our reviewers are always kept separate from this process. You can read more about how we make money in our Ethics Policy.

Buy Now from EBay for £599.99

TOTALS Callaway Mavrik - 40/50 Cobra King Speedzone - 41/50

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Joel Tadman
Technical Editor

Joel has worked in the golf industry for over 12 years covering both instruction and more recently equipment. He now oversees all product content here at Golf Monthly, managing a team of talented and passionate writers and presenters in delivering the most thorough and accurate reviews, buying advice, comparisons and deals to help the reader find exactly what they are looking for. So whether it's the latest driver, irons, putter or laser rangefinder, Joel has his finger on the pulse keeping up to date with the latest releases in golf. He is also responsible for all content on irons and golf tech, including distance measuring devices and launch monitors.


One of his career highlights came when covering the 2012 Masters he got to play the sacred Augusta National course on the Monday after the tournament concluded, shooting a respectable 86 with just one par and four birdies. To date, his best ever round of golf is a 5-under 67 back in 2011. He currently plays his golf at Burghley Park Golf Club in Stamford, Lincs, with a handicap index of 3.2.


Joel's current What's In The Bag? 

Driver: Titleist TSR3, 9° 

Fairway wood: Titleist TSR3, 15° 

Hybrid: Titleist TSi2, 18° 

Irons: Ping i230 4-UW

Wedges: Titleist Vokey SM8, 54°. Titleist Vokey SM9 60° lob wedge, K Grind

Putter: Evnroll ER2V 

Ball: 2023 Titleist Pro V1x