- COBRA Golf announces new 3D PRINTED and Vintage putter models.
- The COBRA 3D PRINTED line features innovative 3D-printed construction.
- Pricing is $349 for 3D PR models and $249 for the Vintage series.
- Available for pre-order now and in shops Feb. 23.
COBRA has updated their 3D PRINTED and Vintage putters for 2024 and that brings up a key question.
Why doesn’t COBRA have more of a presence in the putter market?
Is it brand awareness? Lack of Tour play? I have no idea. That said, I do think that COBRA putters have as much to offer as other putters from the big-name companies. COBRA putters have technologies to help golfers putt better and the large model cohort is diverse enough that matching a putter to the individual should not be an issue.
Bottom line: COBRA makes good putters. The COBRA 3D-printed King Grandsport 35 was the Most Wanted Blade in 2022, literally performing better than the blade putters from all other manufacturers. In 2023, it didn’t repeat the victory but still placed fifth overall out of 27 putters.
Though the success of the Grandsport 35 was not repeated throughout the rest of their lineup, the success does tell me that COBRA engineers know how to make putters. Perhaps this new release will be the one that pushes COBRA 3D PRINTED and Vintage putters into the foreground where all usual indicators say they should be.
Let’s take a look at the key COBRA putter technologies and see how they have updated their models for this new release.
COBRA Putter Technology: 3D Printing
It’s easy to forget that until recently, 3D-printing was not a common manufacturing technique. When COBRA first partnered with HP to 3D-print components for the original Grandsport, it was a significant event. Though a limited release, that putter was the first putter with 3D-printed components sold at retail.
Since then, 3D-printing has become commonplace in all kinds of manufacturing. Just search for “3D-printing” on TikTok and you will find all sorts of folks 3D-printing all kinds of things. (I love watching people make superhero helmets on 3D printers.)
Though the majority of the larger golf companies now use 3D-printing in research and development, COBRA is the only one that has integrated the technology into recurring product releases.
By my count, this new 3D PRINTED putter line is the third 3D line COBRA has released. Though the printed materials used and the printed architectures have changed, COBRA’s reason for using the technology has not.
3D-printing allows COBRA to produce components for their putters that would not be possible with traditional techniques.
COBRA Putter Technology: LA Golf’s Descending Loft Face
You may be confused as to why the descending loft face found on the new COBRA putters is labeled “LA Golf” rather than “Sik” as it was previously. No conspiracy there. A year or so ago, LA Golf purchased Sik and acquired their face technology. COBRA now licenses the technology from LA Golf rather than Sik.
Regardless, the descending loft face technology is the same. The loft of the putter decreases from four degrees at the top to one at the bottom. The result of the incremental decrease is that no matter how one strikes the ball—ascending, square, descending—the launch angle should be 1.5 degrees. COBRA (and LA Golf) view this as the ideal launch condition.
I think of the LA Golf face as a putting translator. The LA Golf face takes whatever stroke you have and translates it into an ideal roll.
COBRA Putter Technology: Neck (Fitting) Options
As you look through the models for both the 3D PRINTED and the Vintage lines, you are likely to notice the plethora of neck options. Many models have at least two available. The COBRA Vintage Stingray overachieves with three.
The number after the name of the putter lets you know the type of neck. Models with a standard spud hosel have just the model name, no number. Models with slant necks, plumber’s necks and such will have the model name plus a number that indicates the type of neck.
Is it a good thing to have neck options? In terms of fitting a putter to a putting stroke, it is. When you change the neck, you typically change the toe hang. Changing the toe hang changes how the putter opens and closes during the stroke.
Ideally, you match the behavior of the putter to the behavior of your swing. When they match, magic happens. If not magic, at least making more putts happens.
Ultimately, having the neck options expands the potential customer base for the COBRA putters. More necks equates to more chances to correctly match more golfers’ swings.
The COBRA 2024 3D PRINTED Models
If all you did was look at the model names, you could assume that the new 3D PRINTED putter line would look just like the previous COBRA KING Black 3D line. If you did, I’m not going to judge you as I thought the same thing before I actually saw the putters.
The model names are the same but the new COBRA 3D PRINTED putters are not the same as the previous models. The Supernova, the Agera and Grandsport have undergone significant overhauls.
My overall feeling is that the changes take the putters in more visually pleasing directions. I’ll explain in the model descriptions below.
Though not shown here today, the Agera and Grandsport will also be available as armlock models.
COBRA 3D PRINTED Agera / Agera RS / Agera RS 30
Of all of the models, the COBRA 3D PRINTED Agera has had the most significant change. All previous versions were square in shape with the central portion of the putter open. The switch to an all-black color scheme in the second version of the Agera was an improvement but it still didn’t flow very well visually.
The metamorphosis of the Agera in the new 2024 line is from caterpillar to butterfly. Gone is the boxy body, replaced with a very sleek aerodynamic wing. The difference is significant. COBRA could have easily introduced this putter as a new model. That’s how little it resembles the previous Agera. Yes, not resembling the previous model is a good thing.
In addition to the standard Agera, COBRA is releasing a Reduced Size (RS) version. As one might expect, the Agera RS looks just like the Agera but with reduced geometries. If you like the look of mallets but their size turns you off, this is your putter.
The Agera RS 30 is the Agera model that comes with the short slant-neck option.
COBRA 3D PRINTED Grandsport 35
“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” is the motto for many putter makers. With the success of the Grandsport 35, this would be the prudent plan of action, yet COBRA chose to change the Grandsport design quite a bit. I am guessing it was primarily an aesthetic decision.
Like the previous Agera, the previous version of the Grandsport shown in the photo above was very atypical in terms of looks. The open back and oil drum-shaped tungsten weights made the Grandsport a unique-looking putter but maybe it was too unique to resonate with the majority of consumers.
The 3D PRINTED Grandsport 35 now looks like most other blade putters from the rear. Though in some ways the loss of a unique-looking and solid-performing blade makes me sad, I feel this move will help more golfers discover COBRA as a putter brand as this version is less “scary” than its predecessor.
The risk is that, since the 3D technology is no longer visible, consumers may not find the $349 price as easy to understand.
COBRA 3D PRINTED Supernova / Supernova 20
The COBRA 3D PRINTED Supernova’s fang shape is still there but the fangs have changed. In some ways, the new Supernova design mirrors that of the new Agera. The new Supernova’s fangs are divided into sections rather than one piece like the last version.
The fangs now are a combination of metal and carbon fiber atop the 3D-printed lattice. Sight lines have been expanded, making it even easier to know where the putter is aimed. It is worth noting that the sole weights are at the back corners of the bottom, making the Supernova feel more mallet-like than the Agera where the weights are toward the front.
If you need a little more toe hang, the Supernova 20 comes with a short slant neck.
The COBRA 2024 Vintage Models
Unlike the major physical changes found in the new 3d PRINTED models, the changes to the Vintage line shapes are not as dramatic. Some heads, like the Nova and Stingray, have changed a bunch. For other heads, the changes are primarily cosmetic. The green-and-black scheme of the previous Vintage Black line is replaced with orange fill and a deep gray finish.
The big change in the 2024 COBRA Vintage line is the switch from aluminum to a PEBAX polymer insert. It is still a descending loft face but it is much softer than the aluminum face in the previous Vintage putters and the current 3D PRINTED line.
The COBRA Vintage line features more shapes and neck options than the 3D PRINTED line. The majority of golfers should find a Vintage head/neck combination that fits their stroke.
COBRA Vintage Cuda/Cuda 30
The hollow-bodied Cuda continues on in the 2024 Vintage line. This mallet is a tale of two sides when you compare the top to the bottom. At address, the Cuda looks like a traditional mallet. Even when you swap the neck to a slant neck with the Cuda 30, it still looks very traditional.
When you look at the Cuda’s underbelly, the story changes. Most of the material rear of the center is missing. Nearly all of the mass is toward the front half, including the adjustable weights. The result is that the Cuda looks like a large mallet but feels more like a smaller blade. I think of the Cuda as a blade that wears a metal cape. The cape covers the back of the putter but doesn’t have much mass.
COBRA Vintage Nova/Nova 30
The 2024 Vintage Nova saw some str