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Cobra 2024 3D PRINTED and Vintage Putter Line
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 structural changes. Its wings now are completely solid. The top extends back to the crotch of the fangs rather than dropping down behind the face like it did before.
By doing this, COBRA improved the Nova’s alignment scheme. The central sight line now extends deep into the putter body and the holes in the wings are no longer visible distractions. Even the little curve at the center of the putter draws the eyes to the middle of the head, improving target line focus.
COBRA Vintage Stingray / Stingray 20 / Stingray 30
Like the Nova, the COBRA Vintage Stingray head was reshaped to reduce the size of the holes in the body. As with the Nova, the change results in vastly improved alignment optics.
The body lines of the previous Stingray model pointed in multiple directions. With the new Stingray, all lines point parallel to the target. When you consider that the putter has an overall diamond shape, getting all of the lines going in one direction is an accomplishment.
With its three neck options, Vintage Stingray may be the model that can fit the most golfers. The Stingray 20 and its plumber’s neck should get lots of looks from blade players looking for mallet optics.
COBRA Vintage Sport 40/Sport 60
If you have been wondering if there are any blades in the COBRA Vintage line, wonder no longer. The Vintage Sport 40 and Sport 60 are the Anser-style blades in the Vintage line. They are angular interpretations of the design. Some of the edges are rounded but the heads are characterized more by right angles than flowing bumpers.
Naturally, the blade putters lack the complex alignment schemes of the mallets. This is no fault of the blade as the larger mallet body has more room for lines. The straight edges of the Sport putters at address do help to square the putter to the target. There is a cavity alignment line to help as well.
COBRA Vintage Widesport
Do you want the forgiveness of a mallet but only like the look of a blade? Let me introduce you to the COBRA Vintage Widesport. It is hard to imagine there was a time when wide blades were not common in the putter corral. Living in the future does have its advantages.
The shape of the Widesport is similar to the Sport blade models but it is not just an inflated copy of the Sport. By removing the neck, COBRA is able to place the neck’s mass into the body. This also reduces toe hang, making the Widesport play more like a mallet. It’s kind of funny how some mallets are designed to feel more blade-like and this blade is made to feel more mallet-like.
Though one could expect the opposite, the edges of the Widesport are more rounded than the Sport models, especially the rear bumper. I am sure this was done to influence the weight position in the head but it also makes the Widesport look the most visually refined of the blades.
Final Thoughts on COBRA 3D PRINTED and Vintage Putters
COBRA Golf is a legitimate putter company. Maybe not historically, but these new lines show that COBRA is not producing putters as an afterthought. These putter lines demonstrate their commitment to produce putters with assistive putting technologies and the range of model options needed to facilitate matching a putter to various strokes.
At $349 for the 3D PRINTED and $249 for the Vintage models, these are priced competitively. It seems most other putters are creeping up on that $400 number these days.
COBRA didn’t skimp on the components with these putters, either. All putters come with a SuperStroke grip and a KBS CT120 shaft. The headcovers are well made and durable.
If you’ve never tried a COBRA putter, you should probably change that.
Find out more about the COBRA 3D PRINTED and Vintage putter lines at Cobra.Golf.com.
FAQ: COBRA 3D PRINTED and Vintage Putter Lines.
Why did COBRA switch the top of the 3D putters from aluminum to carbon fiber?
My guess would be to reposition the weight in the head. Carbon fiber is lighter and maybe cheaper than forged aluminum. Maybe it allows for shapes that are not possible with aluminum as well.
Are there any pros playing COBRA putters?
Not that I know of. It would be a big boon for COBRA if they could get Rickie Fowler into a counterbalanced version of one of these mallets. Bryson’s putter has the LA Golf face but it is not a COBRA putter.
Can you get the PEBAX polymer face on the 3D PRINTED putter?
As far as I know, you will not be able to get the polymer insert in any of the 3D PRINTED unless you are Rickie Fowler.
Which one is the best for scooping up the ball?
Finally, an important question! Most of them are not great scoopers. They lack that low, flat area for scooping. The Nova was a solid scooper but the new design killed that. I think the Nova is a better putter now, so you will probably be reaching into the cup more than scooping, should you putt with that one.
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