For many years Cobra did not produce putters as it focused its attention on other things, such as making some of the best golf drivers, but in 2022 it launched two new lines of flat sticks; the 3D Printed and the Vintage. The 3D Printed range was very futuristic looking and carried a real wow factor, while the Vintage models cost a little less and had a more traditional look. Both have been given a facelift for 2024.
While Cobra may not yet be a name synonymous with the best putters the brand is slowly but surely looking to change that and the recent models we have tested have performed very well.
One of the main differences between 3D Printed, which includes the King Grandsport-35, and Vintage is that the Vintage has a new soft PEBAX face insert crafted from lightweight and responsive thermo-plastic elastomer. This provides a softer feel at impact in comparison to the firmer aluminium face insert in Cobra's 3D Printed putters. In truth though I felt that the difference was minimal.
A nice feature of both the Vintage and 3D Printed putters is the Interchangeable weights that allow you to personalize your putter to find your desired feel and control. Nominal 15g weights can move +/- 5-10g in either direction, while additional weights (5g, 10g, 15g, 20g, 25g) can be purchased separately to match your preferred head weight.
To round things off, all Vintage and 3D Printed putters come with a KBS CT Tour shaft and a SuperStroke Zenergy Pistol grip to complete the premium look and feel and these grips are equipped with Cobra Connect powered by Arccos, so you can track your stats if you use the app.
As with other putters in the Vintage and 3DP families the Cuda features Descending Loft Technology (DLT) on the face, which uses four descending lofts (4°, 3°, 2°, 1°) to mitigate de-lofting or the addition of loft through impact. This innovative technology was originally the hallmark of SIK putters and they featured on Cobra's 2022 3DP and Vintage releases.
SIK has since been taken over by LA Golf but ‘DLT’ remains in Cobra's new putters. It is said to provide a consistently more optimal launch (around 1.5°) regardless of your angle of attack or ball position in your stance.
In simpler terms, if you have your hands ahead or behind the ball at impact, that alters the loft of the putter. Usually the only way to negate that is to have a putter fitting and then the putter is customised to suit your stroke, but 'DLT' is designed to deliver the putter with the correct amount of loft and therefore provide a more consistent roll.
I experimented with different shaft positions at impact with both the Cuda Vintage and the Cobra Grandsport-35 3D Printed putter to see this DLT in action. I hit some putts with an orthodox position, as well as some leaning forward and then back, which on a standard face would change the loft slightly. To the naked eye the launch and roll did seem to be very consistent and there was no noticeable skidding or jumping.
I tested the Cuda on my home course at Hurlston Hall Golf Club as well as extensively on the artificial turf putting green I have at home. As part of the testing process I like to use a variety of different golf balls to get a true sense of the feel and sound off the face. Every putter will feel soft when using a low compression golf ball, but a premium golf ball usually has a firmer feel and is going to sound different coming off the putter. By using a variety of the best golf balls you get a better understanding of the feel off the putter face.
The Cuda was not quite as soft off the face as I expected and as mentioned above I didn't notice a great deal of difference in feel to the putters in the 3D Printed range I tested. The sound was perhaps a little on the clicky side, but still pleasing on the ear when struck out of the middle.
The head shape suits both my eye and my stroke. The Cuda is a face balanced putter designed for a straight back and through motion, so I found it very easy to start putts online. Using a blade putter sometimes causes me to be erratic on longer putts, both in terms of speed and direction, so mallet putters such as this one with large, forgiving heads give me more confidence over the ball.
Forgiveness was excellent and heel and toe strikes still made it to the hole more often than not. While the putter is responsive enough that you can feel when you've missed the sweet spot, there is still a solidity about the strike that inspires confidence. If anything I felt it was slightly more forgiving off the toe than the heel but that could just be me, and perhaps that's where the adjustable weighting could help.
In summation, the Cobra King Vintage Cuda is one of the most forgiving putters of this year, making it an ideal putter for high handicap golfers, but I would also say it should suit any golfer who currently uses a face-balanced putter. While it is not one of the cheapest putters out there it is a high quality product that sits in the mid-price range, so it represents excellent value for money.
