“We’ve revolutionised the way putters are made, the future starts now.” As we've come to expect from Cobra when they bring out new equipment - the claims are big.
After a pretty lengthy absence Cobra are back in the putter market and once again doing it in their own innovative, somewhat disruptive way. This time around they have partnered up with Hewlett-Packard (yes you read that correctly, the computer hardware company) to design putters using 3D printing. They are the first company to try 3D printing since Ping and have made it a lot cheaper than their $5000 putter!
Cobra employees told me that these putters have twice the MOI of the TaylorMade Spider, this is really exciting to hear and could mean that putter forgiveness is about to go to an all-new level.
What's It All About?
Of course the main innovation with these putters is that they have a 3D printed nylon lattice cartridge, which is produced using HP's Multi-Jet printing technology.
Whilst it's the first line of 3D-printed putters that the brand have launched, they have already had some practice after releasing the one-off LE SuperSport-35 putter last year. This was very much an introductory product, and since then Cobra's engineers have chosen to switch from Metal Jet to Multi-Jet printing in order to save a little more weight.
The lattice structure is said to optimise the weight distribution and it combines with a forged aluminium crown and strategically placed tungsten weighting to produce the high MOI for maximum stability.
New in the 3D printed putter range, Cobra have also partnered with SIK Golf to feature their highly regarded face insert which uses Descending Loft Technology (DLT) to provide more consistency on every stroke.
Descending loft technology may sound a little confusing but it's really quite a simple concept. The face starts at 4 degrees of loft at the top of the putter face and 'descends' down to 1 degree at the bottom, helping to get the ball on the ground and rolling smoothly as quickly as possible therefore producing more consistent results regardless of where the ball is struck on the face.
This technology has been used to great success by Cobra staffer and major champion Bryson DeChambeau over the past few seasons and there are now a number of other tour pro's putting this new tech into play - Tommy Fleetwood has recently been spotted with one.
An Arccos sensor embedded inside the Cobra Connect grip syncs with the Arccos Caddie app to track your putting statistics. This is a great tool to identify and analyse the good and poor areas of your game, and work on which aspects of your putting you need to improve in the same way that the Tour professionals do.
The new Cobra King 3D Printed putter range is made up of three distinct models designed to ensure that every putting stroke is covered:
- GrandSport-35 (modern blade shape)
- SuperNova (fang mallet shape)
- Agera (oversized mallet shape) - I tested the Agera AL (armlock)
You can watch my full review via the [Golfalot YouTube channel] (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFwvulrGosICDicPGBvxqeA) here:
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Cobra King 3D Printed Putters Review
Looks and Feel
Modern day golf clubs are often characterised by multi-material constructions and the new 3D Printed range is obviously no different. The designs are split between a brushed grey steel and the lattice cartridge structure. The silver SIK face provides a nice contrast, with four horizontal black lines clearly indicating the different gradients.
The writing on the head is an electric yellow/lime green colour which really stands out, and if you've used Cobra products before then you'll know that they are no strangers to adding a bold splash of colour to their equipment. This splash of lime green also matched nicely in with the colourways we've seen in the Radspeed range so if you like your headcovers to match...
The putter heads actually reminded me of the Scotty Cameron Phantom X collection both in terms of colour and finish - and that can never be a bad thing!
The GrandSport-35 is a blade... but not quite as we know it. The topline is black with a silver back cavity which provides a nice distinction from above. When I first saw the putter I thought it looked a bit big and chunky but when you get it down by the ball it is actually relatively normal. Once I got past the modern looks, I grew to like the solid shaping of the GrandSport-35.
Look at this putter from the side, however, and it does start to look very high-tech. You can actually see into the head as the 3D printing process has created a bridge-like structural effect.
The weight saved by the 3D structure is then redistributed into the tungsten weight bolts in the heel and toe of the head, adding further stability.
The SuperNova is quite a block shaped fang design, which is reminiscent of an Odyssey #7 but with the straight lines and overall chunkiness of a TaylorMade Spider.
You can once again see the lattice structure inside the head, and the four weighted screws at each corner with 42g of combined tungsten on the perimeter extremities.
Finally, the (huge) Agera is an oversized mallet looks like a cross between a Spider OS and a Scotty Cameron Phantom X 12. It really is huge though which will put a lot of golfers off straight away, but also intrigue some golfers too.
You can't really argue with Cobra using these putters as inspiration as they are incredibly stable heads, and the Agera follows suit with an MOI of over 7,600 making it one of the most stable on the market.
Leaving plenty of space in the middle of the Agera putter head means that this putter looks like a square frame with a large gap in the middle, filled by a single line to help you out with your alignment. Removing this middle section also saves weight which is pushed into the perimeter, via 53g of combined tungsten, which is where the added forgiveness comes from.
The putters are surprisingly soft off the face, which actually threw be a little bit. As the heads are oversized and there's so much technology packed in there I was half-expecting the opposite.
Performance
The main thing that Cobra are promising with this range is stability, and WOW they deliver.
During my testing the heads just rocked back and forwards nicely, but that does mean it feels as if it's impossible to turn the head which could either be a great confidence boost for getting your putts running at the hole, or it could make some golfers with an arced putting stroke feel a little uncomfortable.
When brands do pack their equipment with technology you want to see that it makes sense and that it actually works well, rather than just being there for the sake of it. This is what impressed me most about the 3D printing and addition of the SIK face for these putters - they are excellent additions to increase the roll, strike and direction of the golf ball.
I'd guess that I'm in the minority of people who don't love the fang shape of the SuperNova, as I always seem to pull my putts left off the face. I feel as if they are designed to stop people from pushing the ball right, in the same way that you buy draw-bias drivers which try to do the same thing.
The GrandSport-35 blade was great, and was much more similar to the type of putters I would usually use. I'm getting more and more used to seeing these bigger putter heads and I am starting to really see the benefits as it increases stability whilst giving you a bigger hitting area.
If I can combine my preferred blade shape with a slightly bigger, more forgiving profile then it could be ideal.
I tested the new Agera putter in the armlock configuration which is a style that has been used to great success my the likes of Bryson Dechambeau, Matt Kuchar and Will Zalatoris on the PGA Tour.
I've never used a long shafted putter because I have always considered myself to be a good putter so I've never felt the need to try something so drastically different. I'm also not very tall so if I ever picked a putter like this up it was always too long for me!
I did my best impression of DeChambeau with this putter, even using the traditional right hand low grip. Putting like this will take some getting used to, my left shoulder was being pushed up so high that I was in danger of cricking my neck.
You have to have a lot of discipline to hold the shaft up your lead arm and keep it there, and Bryson is the King of discipline so it's no surprise that he's made it work.
From inside 25 feet it was awesome, I could visually see the club going back and through in virtually a straight line right in front of my eyes. The head is the most stable I have ever felt, so maybe I need to get one of these properly fitted for me as the results were very promising...
Cobra King 3D Printed Putters Verdict
These putters are exactly what I wanted to see from Cobra. If you are going to re-enter the putter market, then do it in style!
They've gone for a futuristic design, tried something innovative with the 3D printing and paired with an already successful manufacturer in SIK to take their product to the next level. I really am a big fan of the DLT putter face and think many golfers could benefit from it.
Back in 1997 Callaway bought Odyssey in an effort to make a jump right up to the top of the putter market and it clearly worked. Perhaps Bryson has told Cobra that "SIK's face insert is quality, you should use it in your new putters".
If this partnership ends up being anywhere near as successful as Callaway's decision over twenty years ago, it will have been well worth the plunge, I look forward to seeing how it develops.
Would I Use Them?
The 3D Printed range really did stand out in terms of looks and performance. I certainly liked the GrandSport-35 and was surprised and impressed with the Armlock method on the Agera.
I've heard that the demand for the Armlock style has been very high and it would be a shame if golfers weren't able to give them a go because I think they are well worth a try for those who struggle with consistency in their putting.
Even if you don't think that these putters would suit you then I'd still recommend you having a look as it could save shots from your score.
I for one am going to have a go when I find one in my size...
Pros
- Truly innovative new technology
- You’ll stand out on the putting green
- Excellent stability provides forgiveness
- SIK putter face works to get putts rolling quickly
Cons
- If you like simplicity then this is not for you
- Attention to detail of putters could have been better (see full video review)
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