Cobra King 3D Printed & Vintage Putters Review

The Cobra King 3D Printed putters bring extra forgiveness, a more consistent launch and roll, and shot tracking to the putter arena.

Golfers love putters so much they spend over $414,000,000 on buying new models every single year. That number only takes into account the biggest 10 putter markets globally, but it’s an astonishing figure, particularly when you realise more than 1.9 million putters are sold annually around the globe.

The biggest market is, of course, the USA. American’s spend $200 million on buying the best putters on the market (in the UK the numbers were $24 million in sales and 100,000 units) every single year.

It’s no massive secret Cobra (who until now have made every club in a golfers bag except the putter) have been anxious to tap into that lucrative putter arena. But where other brands, thanks to the lucrative numbers, would have waded in at the earliest opportunity Cobra have waited patiently in the wings.

And they’ve waited because they didn’t want to enter the market until they had technologies capable of moving the market forward, and making a real difference to golfers performance. That way they will ensure they don’t just become another putter brand. It might have taken 8 years of patience, but thanks to the benefits 3D printing brings to the party, Cobra reckon they’ve spotted their perfect opportunity.

Thanks to now understanding how 3D printing can make a difference to golfers putting stats, Cobra are grabbing the bull by the horns and introducing six new high MOI performance 3D Printed putters, and seven more classic Vintage models.

What you need to know about the Cobra King 3D Printed putters   

There’s a 3D Printed nylon centre

Cobra launched the first commercially viable 3D Printed putter, the Supersport-35, in November 2020. And the brand used the model to showcase how 3D printed technology enables putter designers to layer up a steel head in a lattice network, which removes mass from the centre. A construction type that isn’t possible when casting, forging or CNC Milling, and it’s an idea that also improves MOI and forgiveness.

Well for the new 2021 King 3D Printed models Cobra are taking the idea a stage further. They’ve created a light weight nylon lattice cartridge, to sit at the core of each of the new 3D Printed putters. By reducing the mass of the core, weight is freed up, so 3D putters have become a true MOI and forgiveness story, and not just a cool passing trend. There’s benefits in terms of sound tuning from the nylon too.

How much weight does a nylon core save? Well Cobra say depending on the model the nylon cartridges can weigh as little as 7.1g. Between the cartridge and a new lightweight aluminium crown design (see below) there’s a weight saving of over 100g, which in golf club engineering terms is enormous.  

Multi-material construction

As nice an idea as Cobra’s original 3D printed putter was, the limitations of printing metal into very crisp, straight lines and edges, like golfers love on a CNC Milled putter, was very clear. from the outset

Not to be put off by those initial limitations Cobra have actually used what they’ve learned in that first design to their advantage. Their clever engineers have come up with the idea of cutting the crowns off each putter head and replacing them with a lightweight aluminium alternative. The aluminium has the sharper edges that golfers desire, and there’s a further weight saving of between 52g – 34g depending on the model.

It’s genius thinking and exactly why 3D printed putters could now take off in a really big way. The multi-material story doesn’t stop there though. Every putter head within the family also has heavy tungsten sole weights to push up forgiveness, and a new lightweight aluminium face which allows a further 24g – 35g (depending on the model) of weight savings too.   

SIK face insert

It was Bryson Dechambeau who hooked Cobra up with SIK Golf, they’re the guys who until now, have made his personal putter. Bryson’s sworn by SIK putters as he’s risen to a career high of World #4, as he believes the brands Descending Loft Technology gives more consistent launch and roll on the greens. Cobra did their own research and were inclined to agree with the Californian, so they’ve signed a multi-year deal to use SIK’s face tech for themselves.

SIK’s idea is that golfers don’t consistently hit putts from the same part of the face, as the amount of shaft lean from putt to putt differs. If putts are hit high on the face the ball (sometimes due to the hands being in front of the head) is squeezed down into the turf which leads to it bouncing across the greens surface.

Upward strokes (where the head sometimes passes the hands) can cause excessive launch, so as putts land back on the greens surface they bounce offline. But SIK’s face tech means there’s four different lofts on every putter face. 4° at the top, and 1° at the bottom (with 2° and 3° central portions), which they say evens out launch consistency even when the attack angle or shaft lean changes.    

Cobra say 1.5° of putter launch is optimal, and SIK’s Descending Loft Technology helps you hit that number more consistently no matter whether you’re stroke is up or down. Cobra’s SIK face is CNC Milled from 6061 aluminium, it’s a little softer than SIK’s steel putters and thanks to being lighter it also frees up between 24g and 35g of additional weight (depending on the head shape).

They’re named after super cars

Cobra love their high performance super cars, so much so they’ve taken inspiration from them for everything from aerodynamics to colours and shaping for a good few years now. The King putters are all named after some of their favourites too.

The GrandSport was inspired by the Corvette C7 Grandsport. The SuperNova came from the paintjob on McClaren’s $300,000 P720 S, and the $2.1million Swedish Koenigsegg SR lent lent its name to the Agera.     

The first connected putter

Cobra have worked with shot trackers Arccos since 2017 and between them they’ve built a huge data pool of how golfers perform on the golf course. The King 3D Putters will be the first connected putters on the market (there’s an Arccos shot tracker in the end of each Lamkin Sink Fit grip), and Cobra have delved deep into their Arccos data to see how much potential there is for their new putter families to help golfers in real terms.

Cobra have seen that everyone three-putts. Even scratch handicappers have a three-putt percentage of 6%. For 10 handicapper’s that rises to 13% and a typical 25 handicapper is three-putting 24% of the time they’re on the green. So there’s not only a huge potential for more stable putters to shave shots from a golfers three-putt game, they’re also highly likely to increase your one-putt percentage too.      

How much more MOI is on offer?

You’ll hear many brands talk about their putter models being high MOI, but very few like talking numbers or setting out how their models compare to the competition. Cobra though have taken the time to not only research competitors models but they’ve also tested their own models against them on a robot.

And Cobra have found against a market leading blade, mallet and MOI putter their GrandSport (blade), SuperNova (mallet) and Agera (MOI style) boast between 21% – 53% more MOI performance. Which is serious numbers in anybody’s book.

And to put that into context, on a putting robot the Agera (Cobra’s highest MOI putter) when hit 1” off the toe, could still hole a putt from 16 feet when a very popular MOI tour alternative missed from 13 feet.

Cobra King 3D Printed putter models

Cobra King 3D Printed GrandSport putter

RRP: £269

Models:

GrandSport-35 – Plumbers Neck with 35° Toe Hang

Grandsport-AL – Armlock with Plumbers Neck and 45° Toe Hang 

Head make-up: 268g steel chassis, 21g aluminium crown, 30g tungsten weighting

An oversized blade shape that boasts an MOI comparable to other oversized mallets on the market. The plumbers neck creates a 35° toe hang which is ideal for players with a slight arc putting stroke.

The multi-material construction means there’s a 268g steel chassis, 21g aluminium crown, and an intricate 3D printed nylon lattice cartridge inside. Nylon is roughly half the weight of aluminium so it enables weight to be removed from the centre of the clubhead and repositioned to the heel and toe areas for increased MOI and forgiveness.

30g of tungsten weight (combined) in the heel and toe enhance perimeter weighting for additional stability on off-centre hits.

Cobra King 3D Printed SuperNova putter

RRP: £269

Models: SuperNova  – Single Bend, Face Balanced with 0° Toe Hang

MOI: 5700g cm2

Head make-up: 291g steel chassis, 18g aluminium crown, 42g tungsten weighting

Perfect for fanged putter fans, thanks to an MOI over 5700g cm2 the oversize SuperNova offers excellent stability on off centre hits. Thanks to the Face Balanced set-up the SuperNova is a cracking choice for straighter putting strokes.  

Cobra King 3D Printed Agera putter

RRP: £269

Models:

Agera – Single Bend, Face Balanced with 0° Toe Hang

Agera AL – Armlock with Single Bend,  Face Balanced with 0° toe hang

MOI: 7600g cm2

Head make-up: 261g steel chassis, 27g aluminium crown, 53g tungsten weighting

The Agera is an oversized mallet and it’s available in both a standard length and armlock model. The total head weight is 370g, but 320g of that mass (that’s 84%) is positioned below the centre of gravity.

A 3D printed lattice in the centre of the head frees up mass to maximise forgiveness. With an MOI of 7600g cm2 the Agera is the most forgiving putter in the family. The Face Balanced set-up is good choice for straighter putting strokes. 

Verdict: Cobra King 3D Printed putters 

Finally a 3D Printed putter that golfers will actually go out and buy. We’ve seen 3D Printed models before but they’ve always felt like they were showcasing 3D Printing as a technology, rather than displaying a significant step forward in flatstick performance.

Yes Cobra’s original King SuperSport putter boasted of additional MOI thanks to its 3D Printed body, but because 3D Printed metal has less defined, and more clumsy edge geometry it always felt like golfers traded looks for performance. And of course there was only a single blade shape available. That sort of thinking though is completely blown out of the water by the new King 3D Printed line-up.

With only the core of each of the new family being 3D Printed, and because the material is nylon, and its internal, there’s no cosmetic compromise this time around, and there’s a sizeable step up in forgiveness. Admittedly very traditional blade fans are likely to pick apart the SuperSport (it’s quite large and has a heavily rounded toe and heel), but that’s where criticism of the 3D Printed family will stop.

Both the Agera and SuperNova are brilliantly engineered top drawer MOI flatsticks. We’d opt for the SuperNova, because of the straighter and longer alignment lines plus the fang back design, but completely respect if you’re going all guns blazing for forgiveness then the slightly larger Agera will be the model to choose.

Thanks to the aluminium insert there is a slightly firmer feel and sound to some of the competition, but for year round use in the UK that really isn’t a bad thing. If these models had were around at the start of the year (when we ran our Best of 2021 Test sessions) they would definitely have been amongst our favourite putters of 2021. For now, until next year, the SuperNova will need to be content with spending the foreseeable future tucked up in my bag.          

WATCH: Best 2022 Putter video

Cobra King Vintage putter models

As confident as Cobra are about the benefits their King 3D Printed putters bring to the party they’re well aware tons of golfers still like the look of a classic, familiar shaped putter. So to ensure they’ve got all bases covered they’ve also developed a seven model King Vintage line-up too.

Thanks to a more traditional cast 304 construction the Vintage models come in for £199 a pop, you do still get though the SIK aluminium face insert with the brands Descending Loft Technology and an Arccos shot tracker in the grip.  

Cobra King Vintage Sport 45 putter

RRP: £199

Toe hang: 45°

MOI: 4684g cm2

The Sport 45 is a traditional blade shape with a plumbers neck hosel. A 45° toe hang means the Sport is designed for players with slight arc strokes. A single sightline and clean top rail aid alignment for golfers who use the top rail to set-up square to their target.

The Sport-45 comes with two 20g sole weights that can be adjusted to +5g or -10g to tune the overall head weight to your personal preference (custom weights – 10g, 15g, 20 and 25g are sold separately). Available in either a 34” or 35” length.

Cobra King Vintage Sport 60 putter

RRP: £199

Toe hang: 60°

MOI: 4763g cm2

The Sport 60 is a classic toe and heel weighted blade shape, and it’s flow neck design gives  60° of toe hang, which means it’s a good fit for strong arc strokes.

The 60 comes with two 25g sole weights that can be adjusted by -15g (each) to decrease the overall head weight up to -30g (additional weights sold seperately). Available in 34” and 35” lengths. 

Cobra King Vintage Torino putter

RRP: £199

Toe hang: 0° – Face Balanced

MOI: 3470g cm2

The Torino is a classic mid-mallet shape and size. The single bend shaft makes the model face-balanced, so it’s a great option, along with its parallel alignment lines, for straight back and through strokes.

The Torino comes with two 10g sole weights that can be adjusted up to +15g each to increase the overall head weight up to +30g, so you can dial in feel and stability (additional weights sold separately) you desire. Available in 34” and 35” lengths.   

Cobra King Vintage Nova and Nova 40 putters

RRP: £199

Toe hang: Nova – 0° Face Balanced, Nova 40 – 40° Toe Hang

MOI: Nova – 3978g cm2, Nova 40 – 4216g cm2

Fang shaped putters are very popular in the game today as not only do they enhance stability but they also frame the ball and show the putters path brilliantly too.

To ensure there’s a fang option for all golfers the Nova comes in both a face balanced (Nova) and slant neck, toe hang (Nova 40) model. Where the Nova is better suited to straight back and through strokes the toe hang of the Nova 40 is much more at home in the hands of slight arc players.

A single 10g sole weight can be adjusted in either model by up to +15g, to increase the head weight up to +30g (additional weights sold separately). Available in 34” and 35” lengths.

Cobra King Vintage Stingray and Stingray 40 putters

RRP: £199

Toe hang: Stingray – 0° Face Balanced, Stingray 40 – 40° Toe Hang

MOI: Stingray – 4854g cm2

The Stingray is an oversized mallet and thanks to its multi-material construction it’s the highest MOI Vintage model. The Stingray is available in both a single bend, face balanced model that’s designed for straighter strokes, and a 40° toe hang set-up that’s more for arc players.

The Stingray has a plastic and carbon fibre core with a single adjustable sole weight, so the weight can be tailored to your preference (additional weights old separately).    

A lovely mallet choice for golfers who like seeing a long alignment stripe which very nearly runs all the way to the back of the golf ball.   

Verdict: Cobra King Vintage putters

As lovely as the Vintage family are it would have been so easy for Cobra to bang similar models out a few years ago, but they’d be worse off for it. Even though these head shapes compete favourably on MOI, against the stiffest of competition, many golfers would have seen them as just another putter, and moved swiftly along.

Thanks to waiting and developing the extra MOI and new SIK face insert tech for the 3D Printed family, which spills over into this line-up, the Vintage are now a very credible option for reasonably sensible levels of cash. More traditional putters fans will love their simplicity.

The pick of the bunch for us is the cracking Nova, it sets up beautifully behind the ball for fans of fang shaped putters. Sit it alongside the SuperNova and you can’t fail to see how much extra stability is on offer from the supersized big brother. Remember though, compared to other fang models the Nova is really forgiving on off centre strikes, and it’s a brilliant ball scoop too.

If you find yourself drawn to the Sport 45 or Sport 60 you might want to think about a grip change, the stock Lamkin Sink Fit is pretty big for this style of putter, and Lamkin themselves tend to recommend smaller sized grips for more acring strokes.

All in though the Vintage line-up are a really impressive stab by Cobra at putters for the first time in a generation.

Got a question about the Cobra King3D Printed or Vintage putters? Ask us on Twitter.

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Cobra King 3D Printed Putters

Cobra King 3D Printed GrandSport putter

RRP: £269.00

Models:

GrandSport-35 - Plumbers Neck, 35° Toe Hang

GrandSport-AL - Armlock with Plumbers Neck, 45° Toe Hang

Cobra King 3D Printed SuperNova putter

RRP: £269

Model:

SuperNova - Single Bend, Face Balanced 0° Toe Hang

MOI: 5700g cm2

Cobra King 3D Printed Agera putter

RRP: £269

Models:

Agera - Single Bend, Face Balanced 0° Toe Hang

Agera AL - Armlock with Single Bend, Face Balanced 0° Toe Hang

MOI: 7600g cm2

Stock grip: Lamkin Sink Fit (99g) Connect with Arccos Shot Tracker

Stock shaft: KBS CT Tour (120g)

Visit the Cobra Golf website here

Cobra King Vintage putters

Cobra King Vintage Sport 45 putter

RRP: £199

Toe hang: 45°

MOI: 4684g cm2

Cobra King Vintage Sport 60 putter

RRP: £199

Toe hang: 60°

MOI: 4763g cm2

Cobra King Vintage Torino putter

RRP: £199

Toe hang: 0° – Face Balanced

MOI: 3470g cm2

Cobra King Vintage Nova and Nova 40 putters

RRP: £199

Toe hang: Nova - 0° Face Balanced, Nova 40 - 40° Toe Hang

MOI: Nova - 3978g cm2, Nova 40 - 4216g cm2

Cobra King Vintage Stingray and Stingray 40 putters

RRP: £199

Toe hang: Stingray - 0° Face Balanced, Stingray 40 - 40° Toe Hang

MOI: Stingray - 4854g cm2