While visiting the Cobra facility to film our 3DP feature, I was able to spend some time hitting prototype irons built for several different Cobra staff players on the PGA and LPGA tours.
This is perhaps the most unique feature of Cobra’s 3DP process. They can make one-by-one sets for Tour players in just a few weeks, instead of reworking the head for a new forge, which would take months. This turning ability has put the Cobra at the top of the list for free agents looking for a new set of irons, and it’s likely that we’ll start to see more players in the majors switch to their 3DP customs.
Let’s break down my favorites from testing at HQ.
Max Homa’s solid UK
Max Homa signing with Cobra was big news and Max has repeatedly said that the process of building his 3DP iron was one of the reasons he was so excited to sign with Cobra. He was a big fan of the standard King MB forged irons that Cobra was making, and a lot of what he did with his 3DP.MH irons (which you’ve also seen in some images as 3DP.MB.s) was to mimic the feel he got from those, adding some forgiveness thanks to the increased mass properties of the head. It also adds a touch of compensation to its lineup compared to standard counterfeit offerings. The biggest difference for Max? It does not have an internal grating system with its bars. He chose to create his set as a solid print set that gives him the feel he’s been looking for, matching the irons he’s played most of his life. The advantage for him? It still gets the shape, visual package and performance it demands to its exact specifications.
;)
John Sodaro / GOLF
Love Rickie Fowler’s 3DP King Tour
Rickie Fowler has an interesting history of tour equipment. He’s a die-hard golfer who wants to use the best tools for his game, and over the past few years, he’s made some changes that you might not expect from a Tour player. He started playing AeroTech graphite irons and a “player’s distance” iron at Cobra King Tours. The combination has been great for Rickie, and it’s been nothing but complimentary to the more forgiving build. When Cobra introduced him to the 3DP program, he really didn’t want to change too much from the King Tour drivers. So the 3DP.RF (which you’ll also see pictured as the 3DP.KT for the King Tour) is very much based on the King Tour, but again, with better mass properties that increase the MOI of the head. His irons are a combination of King Tour and 3DP Tour. Offset from the King Tour, MOI from the 3DP Tour, a higher toe touch compared to the 3DP Tour, and the nicest part of its construction is that they didn’t add any tungsten to Rickie’s 3DP irons. They achieved a higher MOI design with only the internal lattice structure. The combination of which allows them to hit Rickie’s favorite launch properties.
Toughest Switch: Lexi Thompson
Lexi Thompson loves the weirdest iron ever – the Cobra S2 Forged. This is an iron that came out over a decade ago and she was so in love with it that she still has it in her bag. The problem? Cobra doesn’t make iron anymore and they don’t even have a tank. But there’s a simple fix: 3D printing. I actually think this is where Cobra’s 3D printing capability really shines. They can take a player like Lexi Thompson and give her the exact iron shape and look she wants with more performance. In very simple terms, they can scan the old S2 Forged, then take that pattern into their new software and create an internal lattice structure that gives it a higher MOI design with a bit more ball speed, while keeping the exact offset, sole and loft package it has wanted for years.
;)
John Sodaro / GOLF
You can check out our full Cobra 3DP feature on YouTube!
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