Gear: Cobra King Supersport-35 putter
Price: $399
Specs: Printed 316 stainless steel. 34″ and right-hand only
Available: November 20
Making an iron involves using one of two manufacturing techniques, either pouring liquid metal into molds and casting your design or superheating a bar of metal and forging it under high pressure into the shape you want. Putters are either cast like an iron or milled, a different process that involves a computer controlling a fast-spinning bit that passes back and forth over the metal. The bit shaves off thin ribbons of material, one after the other, until the desired shape is finally achieved.
With the release of the limited-edition King Supersport-35 putter, Cobra has teamed with HP to make a putter using a new method, 3D metal printing.
The process of 3D printing involves a computer being given detailed instructions about a structure before the system adds layer upon layer of material to recreate the object. In schools, students often make simple things like tiny statues of the Eiffel Tower or simple figures. Using HP’s Metal Jet 3D printing technology, Cobra designers could create shapes and structures that could not be made using either casting or forging.
The King Supersport-35 is printed in 315 stainless steel, including the dark lattice area in the back of the head. The lattice structure is very strong but utilizes significantly less steel, so the middle of the putter is lighter. The saved weight was redistributed to the heel and toe areas of the head, giving the King Supersport-35 extreme perimeter weighting and more stability.
After the head is printed, it is sintered, which means heating it to bond the printing more solidly, but it is not heated to the point of melting the metal. Closely examining the chrome-toned steel reveals tiny lines that were created by a final milling process that gives the King Supersport-35 a more traditional look. Even though the milling machines are controlled by a computer, they can not get into the tight spaces of the lattice structure, so it feels rougher and has a darker color.
To help golfers achieve a better roll, Cobra gave the King Supersport-35 a four-segment face insert designed by SIK Golf (Study in Kinetics), the company that makes putters for Bryson DeChambeau. The hitting area has been divided into four flat surfaces that have different lofts. The top portion has 4 degrees of loft and each portion below it goes down in loft by 1 degree, with the lowest area having just 1 degree of loft. SIK calls it Descending Loft Technology and it is designed to normalize roll and nullify the effects of an excessive forward press at impact or a thinly-struck putt.
The Cobra King Supersport-35 has 35-degrees of toe hang, so it should be ideal for a golfer who has a slightly-arced putting stroke. If comes standard with an Arcoss-enabled Lamkin Sinkfit Smart grip. The putter will only be available at cobragolf.com.