2023 MGS Forum: Cobra 50th Anniversary Special!

[CFreddie]

Introduction

Hello fellow Spies - my name is Chris Frederick!  Wow, what a month it's been - I randomly stumbled on this place in March and found this incredible community.  First off, I want to give a MASSIVE thanks to the Mod community and Cobra Golf for this opportunity, and can’t wait to see what’s in store for the next couple months!  It means a ton to be selected as a new member - so my advice to everyone else that may stumble across this place - GET INVOLVED!

Let’s start from the beginning - I was born, raised, and remain in Atlanta, GA with my wonderful wife of 8 years and my two amazing children.  Growing up, I never really took golf seriously (averaging MAYBE 1 round / year) and usually gamed an old set from my dad.  That was until COVID, when I became OBSESSED and tried to play as much as possible.  Today, you’ll usually find me on a multitude of courses around the city (public golf in Atlanta kinda stinks, but that’s another story), or planning my next golf trip (last trip - Bandon, next up - North Carolina).  

After working on my game the last couple years (currently a 12 handicap), I finally took the plunge on getting fitted, specifically with my irons.

Overall, I’d say the strength of my game is 100 yards or less - specifically with the putter.  My biggest opportunities are with my woods, especially with my driver, which is inconsistent at best.  I’ve broken 80 once, but my scores usually hover in the mid / high 80s.   My confidence & mental side of the game have really hurt my scores recently (I refuse to hit certain clubs in my bag), which is why I’m so excited for this opportunity to test a full set of fitted Cobra clubs.   High level, I hope to lower my handicap quite a bit and reach single digits by the end of year (am I crazy? Probably…) 

Throughout the length of the test, I plan to use my current setup as a direct comparison to the new Cobra line (please check out my WITB here for my current setup). 

 

In the end, my goal is to put this new bag through the ringer, and really understand how these new clubs stack up.  What excites me most about this opportunity, is that I’ve NEVER hit a Cobra club - it hasn’t been on my radar and have never given them a fair shake (well, until today)!

The Fitting

My fitter choice was a local Golf Galaxy, which came with a bit of trepidation at first.  I had many other options to choose from (Club Champion, TrueSpec, Golftec), but Golf Galaxy was the only fitter in my area to carry the full Cobra selection.  This would allow me to try the exact options I’d be able to order, including shaft, grip, and length / lie / loft configurations across the bag.  

If you’ve never been to a fitting, it’s very important to do your research on head / shaft / grip options and ask yourself some questions about your game:

• How far do I (really) hit each club?  How consistent am I with each club?
• What conditions do I play most and how do I plan to utilize each club in my bag? 
• What options are available from your fitter?  What’s stock vs upcharge?
• For wedges, which clubs am I using for full swings vs partial?  Am I playing a lot of sand shots? Tight lies? Both?
• For shafts, how could the composition of the shaft affect my swing / flight (spin / launch / kick-point / feel)?

Upon meeting my fitter, we chatted a little bit about my game, specifically on some of the questions above.  As I mentioned above, my strengths are short game / putting, and biggest deficiencies come from driver & woods (more on that below), so I came in with an open mind regarding bag composition.  And after a short warm-up, we were ready to go…

Driver: First up, the driver - the (usual) bane of my golf game.  I’ve never really been a great driver of the ball, specifically around accuracy / consistency.  Given this feedback, the fitter went straight to the Aerojet Max, which is considered the most “forgiving” driver in Cobra’s current line.  This is done through the use of two weights - one at the 12g at the back and one 3g at the heel, which is supposed to promote a draw on a standard swing.  However, since my traditional shot shape is a draw, we flipped the weights to help fine tune my shot just a bit (it went from a strong draw to a nice, little baby draw - success!).  

Moving on to shafts, I asked the fitter to pull all stock Cobra options, which are plentiful and (should) address all possible swing types.  Given my average swing speed of ~100, we started out with the Kai’li options from Mitsubishi (Blue 60 and White 60), and we quickly narrowed that down to the White 60 (less spin -> more distance).  We then tried out the Hzrdus options - Black and Smoke Blue RDX, both of which felt completely different (more firm / crisp).  While I was getting the most distance from the Black, it was also the most inconsistent and felt almost uncontrollable at times.  This led me to the Smoke Blue, which gave me incredible distance gains (15-20 yards over my current driver), while giving me much better dispersion.  Case closed (check mark)

Fairway Woods / Hybrids: To me, this was the hardest decision in my bag given the multitude of options - do I lean longer fairway woods, or do I put more hybrids in my bag?   For my game, I’ve generally turned away from the stronger fairway woods, given their difficulty to hit (especially off turf), but I was really interested to try out the Aerojet options.  Given my driver choice (Max), we decided to focus on that same model and started on the 3 & 5 wood options with the Smoke Blue 70 shaft (10g heavier than driver shaft).  

After a couple shots, it became apparent that both clubs were relatively close in distance & dispersion, so we decided to split the difference and set the 3 wood up 1.5°, effectively making it a 4 wood.  Before moving onto hybrids, I asked the fitter to try out a 7 wood, which I’ve heard great things about.  Within a couple shots, it became clear that this would have a permanent place in my bag - the ball flew off the face and came to rest with ease, which should be a great option for my game going forward.  

To round out my longer clubs, I decided to go with the King Tec 5H, which should fill in a small gap in my bag between 7W & 5I.  In addition, I’ve always been a fan of hybrids, given their versatility on the course.  The fitter didn’t have many shaft options, but after hitting the KBS PGI in 85g, I knew this was the perfect fit for the King Tec.  

Irons: Moving on to irons, this was the only part of my bag that was predetermined - based on the groupings determined by the MGS Mods, I could choose between the Forged Tec & Forged Tec X.  Between the two, I was leaning towards the FT, given the slightly smaller profile - I find the “looks” of an iron really important and prefer the less bulky models when addressing the ball.  

Using my existing iron setup as a baseline (Callaway Apex with Nippon Pro Modus 105 in R flex), the fitter started throwing out a couple different shaft combinations (weight, stiffness, profile) with the FT head.  All-in-all, the clear winner was a lighter shaft - KBS Tour Lite, but in a stiffer profile (lighter but stiffer? Sure?).  And in a direct comparison with my current setup, the FT / Tour Lite combination gave me an additional 10 yards and much tighter dispersion - sign me up, I’m a fan!

Wedges: Given my wood / hybrid / iron composition to this point, I decided to make my wedge options relatively simple, rounding out my bag with Snakebites in 54° and 58°.  Unfortunately, these were the only clubs Golf Galaxy didn’t carry, but we were able to try out similar wedge / bounce combinations to determine which options would work for me.  Interestingly, Cobra “hides” the bounce (you can see them in the spec details), opting for grind “types” instead - Classic (full shot), Versatile (medium bounce, made for a variety of shots around green), & Wide-Low (lowest bounce, especially sand).  Since I typically only use my Gap wedge for full shots, going with the versatile grind in 54° and wide-low in 58° was a pretty easy decision. 

Putter: We completed our fitting on the putting green, which was the easiest part of the whole day.  Historically, putting is the strongest part of my game, and I’ve always preferred mallets.   However, given this opportunity to build a bag from scratch, I decided to give a blade a chance.  After hitting a couple different options from the “Vintage” line (traditional look, but Sik face), I tried out the 3D printed Grandsport.  Candidly, this thing looks “interesting” to say the least, but felt the best, so I figured I would eventually get over the looks (I hope?).  

The (Great) Unboxing

Bag: While I still wait out the rest of my boxes, I wanted to do a brief write-up of my bag choice - the Cobra Ultralight Pro+ Stand Bag in Navy Blazer / Ski Patrol (aka Red, White, and Blue).  Overall, this is an incredible bag: from the overall build quality, to the number of pockets, and "heft" (albeit, a very light heft), I'm very pleased with this product.  

A couple highlights:

- I REALLY love the magnetized rangefinder pocket - this is a great touch and prefer this over my current case

- The cooler pocket is MASSIVE, and love that they included this (who doesn't love a couple adult beverages on the course?)

- Its small, but the bright white legs really pop and bring the whole bag together

Looking forward to putting in my brand new matching sticks - crossing fingers the boxes arrive soon enough!

The (Great) Unboxing - PART TWO(?!?)

As announced in the main thread...

Looks like Cobra & FedEx were able to come through and get my clubs a day earlier (sorry @JerryB, @Tom the Golf Nut, and @Jnoble89...too soon?), so I wanted to give a quick update on unboxing / first impressions.  Enjoy!

The entire set arrived in two different boxes - one holding all the irons & wedges, with the larger box containing woods / hybrid / putter.  Everything was pretty tightly packed and well contained, with each club in its own plastic sleeve and plenty of paper surrounding the clubs to better protect them during the shipping process.  Well done Cobra!

Very First Impressions (aka two VERY short range sessions)

I was able to get away to my local range for a couple short sessions on the new clubs, with some quick takeaways:
- Irons: Based on some initial TopTracer readings, I'm seeing minimal distance gains (~5 yards with my 7 iron) but a noticeable improvement in dispersion (~10 yard decrease in min / max "offline" shots).  I'm confident I'll be able to squeak out a bit more distance while further reducing dispersion with a couple more range sessions.

- Wedges: These may take the most time to get used to - I wasn't able to spend any time in the short game area so I'll reserve judgement on these until I'm able to focus some good time on that area.  One note, I'm planning to bend my 56° down to a 54/55, since thats how I typically gap my wedges.

- Woods / Hybrid: One word - effortless.  While my woods have traditionally been the weakest part of my game, I'm very excited to be fitted in the longer clubs.  I wasn't able to get much hard data here unfortunately, but some anecdotal evidence suggests my driver alone could be a godsend - a number of drives hit the back net of the range, which I've never accomplished before.  Feel overall has improved with the Hzrdus shafts in the Driver / 3W / 7W - well hit shots feel incredibly crisp & smooth without any loss of control.

- Putter: The blade could take a bit of time to get used to, but I'm a huge fan of the SIK face - I attempted to hit putts off different "levels" of the face and the ball still rolled extremely well & pure.  More to come here...

All-in-all, I'm very impressed and looking forward to hitting some courses in the coming weeks to start putting these through the ringer.  One final note, I signed up for an Arccos trial - since its free for 45 days, I could at least get some good data on these new clubs to see how they stack up.  

Ok, time to drool...

Cobra Challenge Week 1 - Woods & Wedges (aka Let the Big Dog Eat?)

Nothing like diving straight into the deep end - woods have traditionally been the weakest part of my game, so I was a bit concerned about starting a new bag on the long clubs.  Good news, those concerns were quickly diminished after the first couple sessions on the range (and reinforced with 2 rounds this past week)...

Driver - Aerojet Max

Specs - 10.5° loft, standard length, Project X Hzrdus RDX Smoke Blue (60g), & GP Tour Velvet Plus 4 grips

Look / Sound / Feel - 4.5/5

First off, the looks of this driver inspires a ton of confidence at address.  As many of the other testers have commented, I really love the use of matte elements on the crown of these clubs - in comparison to my gamer (Callaway Epic Max), it's a lot less “busy”.  I’m not a big “sound” critic, but on solid to well-struck hits, this driver straddles the road between muted & booming (which is a good thing).  As far as feel, this thing absolutely rockets on good drives - it's almost effortless and feels very “crisp” - during my fitting, this was a distinct feeling between the Hzrdus RDX & other stock shafts I tried out.  

On Course Performance - 4.5/5 

This is where the AJ has really stood out - both from a distance & dispersion perspective.  On the distance front, drives with the AJ are ~10-20 yards more than the Epic Max.  Even better, my accuracy is starting to come around with a couple rounds - in my first round, I only hit 5/14 fairways, but I doubled that (10/14) in my last round.  If there is any knock against this driver, mishits are still mishits, so it's not “perfect” (but plenty darn close).  

Play It or Trade It - 5/5

This driver has firmly found its place in my bag - it's excelling in every department in comparison to my current gamer.  

Overall - 14/15

There is so much to like about this driver - from the confidence inspiring look at address to the recent on-course performance, I feel like my game is already set to improve just on driver alone.  That was until I met the fairway woods…

Fairway Woods - Aerojet Max 3W & 7W

Specs - standard lofts (15.5° and 21.5°), standard length, Project X Hzrdus RDX Smoke Blue (70g), & GP Tour Velvet Plus 4 grips

Look / Sound / Feel - 4.5/5

As with the driver, the look, sound, and feel are all winners on the fairway woods.  I really feel the combination of these heads with RDX Blue shafts are a clear winner (at least in comparison to my old Titleist 3W).  

On Course Performance - 5/5 

While trying to temper my expectations a bit, given I’ve never gamed a 7W, these two clubs have already risen to the top of my bag as clear favorites.  First off, the 3W is an absolute rocket off the tee (where I’ve typically hit it), besting my current gamer by >20 yards.  Even more important, one of the weakest parts of my game has drastically improved with properly fitted fairway woods (who would have thought?).  And on the 7W, I get excited just thinking about the next shot I’ll hit with it - it's truly effortless to launch high and stick soft, and has become my 2nd shot club on par 5s.  

Play It or Trade It - 5/5

Given these clubs are replacing my old gamer and an empty spot in my bag, these are FIRMLY in the bag.  

Overall - 14.5/15

Is it bad that I’m already excited about hitting these clubs again?  I’ve never been more confident about keeping clubs as these two before - great job Cobra!

Hybrid - King Tec 5H

Specs - standard lofts (24°), standard length, KBS PGI Shaft (95g), & GP Tour Velvet Plus 4 grips

Look / Sound / Feel - 4/5

The King Tec is very unassuming - all black crown and typical hybrid look at address.  I’ve noticed this club feels very crisp on most / all shots, even ½ (or less) shots - definitely something I wasn’t expecting when trying to manipulate the club around the course.  One of the best parts of this club is the adjustability - from the three weights on the bottom to the collar, the user definitely has a lot of options, which adds to the versatility of this club. 

On Course Performance - 5/5 

Hybrids have always been a conundrum to me - where do they fit in the bag?   With this, I think I’ve found the answer, and it lies within its versatility on the course.  From punch shots under low branches to chips right off the green that need to cover a long distance to the flag, this hybrid is incredibly easy to work.  If I had to find a “knock” against it, I’m not sure it fits any real gap near the top of my bag - my 5I to 7W gap is relatively close, so I’m not sure I’ll play a lot of full swing shots with this.  

Play It or Trade It - 4/5

My gamer (Callaway Epic Super Hybrid) has a super large draw bias, which has me leaning to the King Tec just based on that alone - it's VERY easy to hit straight & long.  But as mentioned above, it doesn’t really fit a necessary gap in my bag currently.  Regardless, I plan on keeping this just due to its versatility on the course.  

Overall - 13/15

It was hard to find any faults here with the King Tec - would definitely recommend to anyone looking to utilize a hybrid (or two) in their bag.  

Putter - King 3D Printed Grandsport-35

Look / Sound / Feel - 3/5

I’ve always played a mallet, but I wanted to try something new for this challenge.  My current gamer is a Scotty Phantom X 5.5, which fits my “slight arc” stroke a bit better than face balanced (or straight back), so while the shape was a departure, the GS was designed for a similar arcing stroke.  While this is definitely a “chunkier” blade, it was still a bit challenging to get used to visually.  As you can see from the comparison, the all black look is pretty stark difference from the Phantom’s silver & black.  

However, I’m a big fan of the SiK face - putts feel very crisp and roll true, even if I unintentionally (or intentionally) mis-hit it.  And while some of the other testers preferred a larger grip, I really enjoy the feel of the skinny SuperStroke pistol grip.  All-in-all, good showing here for the Grandsport.

On Course Performance - 3/5 

As discussed above, the “learning curve” for me to go from mallet to blade has been a bit challenging, so overall putting performance has struggled.  This is especially true in putts within 5’, where its been hard to get really comfortable over the ball.  However, one bright spot has been lag putting - my hypothesis is the SiK face helps “correct” errant mishits (which are more likely when you are trying to muscle putts), resulting in some very good long putts.  Maybe with time, this could be a much better overall performer.

Play It or Trade It - 1/5

Which leads to the most important question - does this stay in the bag?  And while it does have some very positive qualities (sound & feel, lag putting), I don’t think its enough to overtake my gamer…yet.  However, I definitely won’t be trading it - the Grandsport has earned a place “on-deck”, and could be called up again in the future.  

Overall - 7/15

Full disclosure - this putter didn’t have much of a shot to replace my Scotty, but I came away impressed.  And if I chose a mallet to start (e.g. the flow neck Supernova), the decision to switch could have been a lot more challenging.  Regardless, great work all-around Cobra!

Irons - Forged Tec (5I - PW)

Look / Sound / Feel - 4/5

Upon initial inspection, the Forged Tec looks very similar to my current gamers (Callaway Apex 21s) - I’d call it a small-medium topline (which I prefer), but doesn’t carry a lot of “heft” (again, which I prefer).  All-in-all, I thought Cobra did a great job cramming a lot of tech into a (relatively) small package, and there is plenty of forgiveness while not sacrificing profile / look.  In a comparison to the Callaway, you can see the extra "hump" on the back of the Apex 5I, not huge, but not as visually appealing as the FT (at least in my eyes).

Sound & feel is pretty spot on - a noticeable click on a well-struck hit, which I would expect from a hollow body iron.  I think the unsung hero here is the shaft, the KBS Tour Lite in stiff, which I feel fits this iron / feel profile very well.  On longer iron shots, these feel effortless even when I’m maxing out distance and never felt like I had to “muscle” these clubs to get extra distance (unlike my gamers, which definitely needed a bit more finesse to perform well).  One (small) knock, you get pretty instantaneous feedback on bad shots and I’d call these a BIT less forgiving than the Apex’s (not a bad thing, I just need to hit better shots ).  One additional shout-out, the Golf Pride Tour Velvet +4s probably aren’t for everyone, but I LOVE the feel of the thicker bottom grip with these irons - I was a bit worried about reducing feedback (with a slightly larger grip), but I’m definitely a fan of having a bit more heft lower in the shaft.  

On Course Performance - 4/5 

As with my putter, these clubs needed a bit of a learning curve to get used to - these probably didn’t fully click until my second round with irons-only.  Once I was able to dial in the ideal swing / tempo, the ball would fly off the face with a small draw (which is my normal shot shape).  Unfortunately, I don’t have a ton of data points on my gamers (my local range has TopTracer, but is currently closed), but in a past comparison of 7Is, the Forged Tec averaged about ~5 yards longer (151 vs 146) - I’d guess that gap is a bit larger now that I’ve gotten a bit more accustomed to the iron / shaft profile of the FTs.    

Play It or Trade It - 5/5

As I mentioned in my latest round review, the FTs took the lead and have won a permanent spot in the bag - the combination of iron profile, club feedback, and shaft profile contributed to a top notch package.  

Overall - 13/15

As with the woods, Cobra has built an incredible club - I’d categorize the FT as a middle of the road iron (perfect for my current handicap), bridging the gap between a true players iron and game improvement.  As its been mentioned multiple times, huge thanks the MGS staff for exposing these clubs to a player like me - I’ve never considered Cobras in the past, but I’m now a converted fan of the brand & clubs.  

Wedges - Snakebite 48° / 56° / 60°

Look / Sound / Feel - 3/5

Lets get this out of the way, the sand & lob wedges were a bit challenging to get used to - I don’t mind the full face of grooves, but at address, these looked a bit foreign to me (more on that below).  While I think this could inspire confidence in some players, this just feels huge in comparison to my current gamer wedges (Callaway Jaws Raw), and to me, the look of a wedge is VERY important to me (vs a wood / long iron).  

Sound & feel is the typical click you’d hear from a well made & well struck wedge, so absolutely no complaints here.   All-in-all, I came away impressed with these wedges, but will have to deduct a couple points for the look at address.  

One additional call-out - given some supply chain shortages, Cobra shipped me a 56° and 60°, which isn’t my “typical” setup (I carry a 50° / 54° / 58°) - not a huge deal, but something to note.  

On Course Performance - 4/5

Getting past the looks, these things are definitely a performer, but almost too well…let me explain below.

On a couple shots that stood out, I vividly remember how quickly these wedges stopped a ball on the green - these things are truly a spin machine.  However, my bread and butter wedge shot is more bump than flop, which works well with my jaws setup but quite the opposite with the Snakebites.  In many instances, the ball would leap off the face, hit the green, and stop within a couple feet - very impressive, but quite a difference from my current wedge process.  

Play It or Trade It - 3/5

This one is TOUGH - I really enjoyed playing with the SBs, but I struggled with the performance “challenges” documented above.  I’d categorize this as still “in-process” and plan to experiment with these wedges a bit more before making a final decision (including bending these wedges a bit down to match my 54 / 58 setup).  

Overall - 10/15

Great job Cobra - these are definitely top performer wedges and would confidently recommend these to a friend (assuming they prefer the looks of the full face grooves).  Will close this section as officially “undecided” on if these become my gamers or not.  Stay tuned…

Bag - Ultralight+ Stand Bag

Look / Sound / Feel - 4/5

I currently use a Titleist Players 3 stand bag, and I feel Cobra knocked it out of the park in comparison to my “gamer”.  I chose the “Navy Blazer / Ski Patrol” color way, which is a fancier name for “red, white, & blue”, which I loved seeing in person (I’ve already gotten a ton of compliments on the course).  

The Ultralight covers all of the expected bases - easy to organize, big storage pockets, and a breeze to carry around the course.  One (slight) knock - this bag is a bit “heftier” that my Titleist (5 lbs vs 3.7 lbs), which makes sense given the additional storage space (hello cooler & magnetic rangefinder pocket).

On Course Performance - 5/5

This gets the job done well - I walk a good amount and this has been a great bag to carry.  Easy to get on and off and everything is within reach when on my back.  No complaints / knocks here.  

Play It or Trade It - 5/5

This is an easy decision - this has firmly taken over as my “gamer” bag, and forced the Titleist bag to the on-deck circle (although I might just use it as my short course bag going forward).  

Overall - 14/15

Thoroughly impressed with the quality of this product - as with the other items I’ve reviewed, I’ve come away a huge fan of Cobra.  Thank you again to the MGS staff for this incredible competition!

[Jnoble89]

Cobra 50th Anniversary Member Special – Official MGS Forum Review by Jnoble89

Hello all!

For those of you that don’t know me, my name is Jason, better known as Jnoble89, and I am thrilled to be participating in the #Cobra50thAnniversary challenge. I am 33 years old, and reside in the Driftless Region of Wisconsin in Reedsburg, with my wife of 8+ years and our two boys, ages 6 and 3. This area of the state is home to some beautiful golf courses, and I proudly call the Reedsburg Country Club home. I do not carry an official handicap yet (working on it), but typically score in the low 100s on 18 holes. If you’d like to follow along with me on that journey, check out my thread here!

 

I have been playing golf for about 11 years now, but until this season it was very sporadic and probably no more than 15 rounds per year max. I have already played nearly half of that total this year since our season started in April (perks of a full membership at the country club). I am currently a high handicapper, but working hard at lowering that number. My biggest strength lies in my putting and short game approach (8 iron and down), and I am most inconsistent off the tee and on longer irons/fairway wood shots.

 

But enough about me, let’s get into what you guys really want to hear about, which is what I’ll be looking for this equipment to do in this challenge and what I am hoping to gain from the test. What I am looking for out of the Aerojet lineup is:

1.      Will my dispersion and consistency with ball striking improve?

2.      What will the ball speed gains/distance gains look like (especially with the irons)?

3.      If I can get more consistent on woods and long irons, will it help bring my handicap down to be closer to what my short game is? (IMO, I outplay my current handicap on short game)

4.      Will a 5w/7w work better for me than my current 3w setup?

If these clubs accomplish those things, they will be sticking around for a long while in my bag. I have zero experience with Cobra golf clubs, so I am really excited to try a brand I’ve never hit before.

I will be doing most of my testing through range and on course play, but am also going to try to get on a simulator to do side by side numbers testing against my current bag. I don’t have a personal set up, but will be talking to our head pro to see if anyone at the club has something they’d allow me to use.

I am looking forward to competing and having you guys follow along. This one is for all my fellow lefties on the forum! #LeftyGang 

THE FITTING

I had my fitting today with Steve Olson, who is a Cobra rep in Wisconsin. Coincidentally, he is also a Lieutenant for the Fond Du Lac PD, and works with my cousin there. Small world! We met at 2pm and I got a loose with my 56° and 7i, and was striking the ball respectably well.

We jumped right in after about 15 balls and Steve handed me my first club, which was a 7i. Right away I could tell it was standard length (I play +1), so was kind of confused but went with it. Expectedly couldn’t hit it to save my life and was wondering what the heck I got myself into. After maybe 3 swings, Steve hands me another one and says “ok, now let’s go with this.” First swing was LASERED to a roughly 160 carry into the wind. Immediately after impact I let out a “WOW” of amazement, and Steve said with some gusto “welcome to COBRA!” He then told me he had me hit one that would have been “off the shelf” and one fitted to me so I could feel the difference as to why fittings are so impactful. I hit a few more but the first set up was literal money. Aerojet 6-GW, +1” and 3° UP, KBS $-taper steel lite. Irons done.

Moved to driver next and all he had in LH was the standard Aerojet & Aerojet LS. I knew I was not a candidate for the LS model, so we left that in the briefcase. Started with the Kai'li Blue 60 and I hit a great shot on the first swing, but the shaft was more active than I like (it felt really whippy, which to me feels unstable). I play a Tensei AV Raw White in my current driver, so he switched me to the Kai'Li White 60, and I much preferred that feel. Had some solid strikes but was inconsistent on impact, lost a lot on a fade to slice miss. I did hit a handful of solid shots, which most looked to carry anywhere from 240-250. He recommended Aerojet Max 10.5° D setting, Kai’Li White 60g. The last drive I hit of the day (and my last swing of the day after the fit) was a 250+ carry baby fade. If I can find that this summer, watch out. Driver locked in. 

Next we moved to fairway woods, and again I was limited to a 3W as it was the only LH option. Set up with the same Kai’Li White shaft, the first two off the tee were drilled. Penetrating ball flight, 220-230 carry. I hit some more for the fun of it, and he recommended a 7W as well for off the deck as I really struggle with a 3W off the deck. I asked for his opinion between the 3W and 5W, and his recommendation was to bag the 3 for days where the driver is just not working so I have something I can still get solid distance out of off the tee. I will be using the 3 almost exclusively on the tee box, which actually works out for my home course as the there are 3 holes for sure that I already don't pull driver on. Fairways done.

I wasn’t able to hit any hybrids as he didn’t have LH options, but got to look at the RH heads and we decided on the King Tec 3H, stock shaft. He LOVES this club and thinks I’ll be able to tune it to my swing with the moveable weights. 

We ended the fitting with the Snakebite wedges. He had a 56 and 60 on hand in LH, so I hit both and holy cow was I impressed. Wedges are my favorite clubs to hit and even though I’m a high handicap, I can work them pretty well. Distance control was EXCELLENT and I was able to throw the 60 waaaaay up in the air. Honestly might be looking forward to these clubs the most. 52/56/60 Snakebite Black, KBS Hi-Rev Stiff, +1” 3° UP. 

After we finished we just had some fun hitting shots with the clubs. The entire fit was done in 2 hours, and Steve was honestly awesome at getting me into the correct shafts almost immediately. It was such a cool experience working with someone in the Cobra family. Got to ask him lots of questions about the tech in the clubs and he was great at explaining how it’ll help my game. Two golf geeks in paradise. Data was collected on a Mevo, but I honestly never even looked at the numbers. He saw what he wanted in the numbers and I trust him completely. He also told me he vacations a lot at a tourist destination very close to where I live, so we are going to try to set up at least one round together this summer. 

This was my first real fitting, and I cannot stress enough how impactful it is no matter your skill level. If you have never done an iron fitting, DON’T HESITATE! 

Now the waiting game begins, cannot wait to get these sticks! 

#LeftyGang

Unboxing & First Impressions

 

I'll be kicking off my unboxing and first impressions segment with the Ultralight Cart bag. I went with the Antique Bronze/Black colorway, and it looks even better in person than it did online (S/O to my oldest son, who helped me pick the color!). The actual unboxing itself was exciting purely in the sense that it was the first unboxing of the challenge. I posted a short video preview of my unboxing, which you can find on Page 25 of the thread. Outside of that excitement, there were no thrills or frills to the packaging. Standard shipping box containing the cart bag. The golf bag was inside a plastic bag which I appreciated, to keep it as clean as possible during transit.

Getting into the specifics of the bag, what stood out to me immediately was the absence of a dedicated putter well. There is an oversized slot in the 14 way top for the putter, but no well. This was something I had to have when I purchased my Org 14, but I have found at times it is challenging to get the club in and out with the oversized grip. I will be curious to see the difference the Cobra bag brings. There are also three full length dividers instead of individual dividers, but again, I have had challenges at times getting clubs in and out with the individual full length dividers in the Org 14. I have a feeling it'll be smoother pulling clubs with the Ultralight.

There are also no shortage of storage options on the Ultralight, which I LOVE. One thing I really like is the centralized cooler pocket. It is GIGANTIC. We have our own personal golf cart, and it's not set up where I can get a cooler on it practically, so this pocket will come in handy for sure. There is a magnetic rangefinder pocket, lined valuables pocket, two smaller pockets I'll use for tees and ball markers, and then a large pocket at the bottom of the bag where I'll keep golf balls. Two large pockets on each side, and one of them has a mesh slot that I will plan to store extra golf gloves in, which will keep them organized instead of floating around in that large pocket. There are also two smaller pockets on each side.

I'm already quite confident this bag will be replacing my Callaway ORG 14 based on the presumed functionality, but time will tell as I get it on the course. I did put my current clubs in the bag for a photo to see how it looks loaded. Definitely ready to get it stocked with the Cobra clubs!

Great start to the unboxing process, and I will update this section again when more arrive!
 

Some photos of the new sticks and I will add more as we go!

 

 

 

Cobra Woods Challenge - Reviews

//

Aerojet Max Driver (Updated 8/4/23)

Looks/Sound/Feel - 4.5/5

When compared to my Titleist TSi3, the Aerojet Max is louder. That being said, it’s not an obnoxious sound. When struck well, it inspires confidence that you mashed a bomb. Feel is very good, even on slight mishits. The face has also felt stable when I miss out on the toe. It is longer from front to back than the players shape of my TSi, but it’s not significant and still looks really good. I do prefer the traditional pear shape of my TSi, so half a point is lost for me there.  

On Course Performance 5/5

The AJ Max driver and I got off to a rocky start, but after having it in play consistently, it has overtaken the TSi3. I am consistently getting better strikes, and while the top end distance may not be quite as long as TSi, I am still getting balls out over 250 pretty consistently. I have had long drives of 277, 267, 265, and my Arccos average distance is 256. I am loving this club currently.

Play It or Trade It 5/5

Early on, the AJ Max did not outpace my TSi3. I can report that as of yesterday (8/3/23), it has taken the top spot in my bag and will be staying there for this season and beyond. The forgiveness plus still really solid distance outweighs the max distance potential of the TSi3, as mishits are much more punishing with that club. Really happy with how AJM is performing.

Aerojet Max Driver Overall 14.5/15

This is a very good driver with good no upcharge shaft options. If I could do it again, I’d order the Tensei White AV Raw shaft that I play in my TSi3. Kai’Li white is VERY similar, but the Tensei shaft fits my swing so well. It is a confidence inspiring club that looks great at address, feels really good on slight mishits and provides solid distance on those misses. I will continue to play this driver against my TSi3 and see if it can change my mind.

Aerojet Max Fairway Woods

Looks/Sound/Feel - 5/5

The 3 & 7 woods are home run clubs for me. They look fantastic at address and honestly do not look intimidating to hit. Sound is crisp and they feel great out of the center of the face. I tend to miss out to the toe and feedback on those misses is noticeable, which I think is a good thing. Compared to my Sim2 Max 3W, MUCH easier to hit and solid strikes feel better. 

On Course Performance 5/5

In every round I’ve played since getting these clubs, I’ve had a “wow” moment. First time out on Father’s Day and first on course shot with it, I landed and rolled off a Par 5 green from 235 out with the 3 wood. On that same hole with 7 wood a week later, I hit a beautiful, high draw from 212 out that got knocked down by wind and landed just short of the green. I’m inconsistent with fairway woods, but hit these better than any I’ve owned. 

Play It or Trade It 5/5

100% play it. Look at address combined with the shots I’ve been able to produce have had these clubs as a lock in my bag. I’ve never felt confident pulling a 3 wood off the deck, but that has changed since getting the AJ Max woods. I don’t hit them great every time, but I’m not scared to try it when I have a chance to reach a par 5 in two.

Aerojet Max Fairway Woods Overall 15/15

I’ve been nothing short of ecstatic with the performance of these clubs. They work just as well off the deck as they do off the tee for shorter par 4s, and I would recommend anyone in the market for new fairway woods to try these out. I can’t wait to keep getting more comfortable with them and maybe experiment with moving weights and loft settings. 

King Tec 3 Hybrid (Updated 7/27/23)

Looks/Sound/Feel - 4/5

Cobra did a great job with the looks of this club. The matte black crown and subtle carbon fiber are fantastic. I don’t love the look of hybrids, and do not like the head shape as much as my current gamer. Sound is a solid crack and when finding the center of the face the feel is crisp. However, feel drops off quickly when I miss towards the toe. My current gamer, Burner Superfast 2.0, edges it slightly in the feel department and looks for my eye, so docking a point. 

On Course Performance 5/5

I honestly have not had many opportunities to hit full shots yet with this club. First time I hit it, though, it was a rocket and seemed to come off the face smoking hot. In my first woods and wedges round, I used it to punch out of some trees after an errant drive on a par 5 and hit a nice punch draw that got me to striking distance of the green. After a bit of a rough stretch with the King Tec, I seem to have started to find a bit more comfort, especially off the tee. Hit two tee shots 220+ this week and if that keeps rolling, I'll be very pleased. Also had some luck off the turf with it recently, so scoring is improving to a 5 from a 4 (7/27/23).

Play It or Trade It 5/5

I do plan to play this club for a couple reasons. #1, my Burner Superfast 2.0 is 18°, this one has an adjustable loft sleeve so I can loft it up and realistically play two hybrids. #2, it’s a club I want to love and am going to try and tinker with it a bit by moving the weights to see if it’ll help me produce a more consistent flight. 

King Tec Hybrid Overall 14/15

I think this is a club that will perform very well for those that like the look of hybrids. It has pop and the ball comes off the face hot. I do not love the look of a typical hybrid, as my Burner Superfast 2.0 is longer and looks almost like a mini fairway wood. I’m going to keep it in play this year and see if I can get better with it. I’m not sure the shaft is great for my swing, but this was a club I did not get to hit at my fitting so it was the stock option.

Putter - King 3D Supernova (Updated 7/31/23)

Look/Sound/Feel - 4/5

This is my first venture out of the mallet putter lane, and I really like the look of the 3D Supernova. Size wise, it is nearly identical to my Spider Tour Platinum in both width and length. The Supernova is a single bend hosel vs. the double bend on my Spider, so that will take some adjusting. Sound is a little higher pitched “click” and off the face, the Supernova is firmer than my Spider. Taylormade’s Pure Roll insert is really nice, and at this point I do prefer the softer feel. I did leave a couple putts a bit shorter than I should have, and that I am chalking up to getting used to the feel of a new putter. The head also feels lighter, but overall club weight feels the same as the KBS putter shaft is heavier than the shaft in my current gamer.

On Course Performance - 4/5

Remember how I just said I currently prefer the feel of my Spider? Well, that feel, at least on early results, does not outweigh the performance of the SIK face insert on the Supernova. I had a bad heel miss with a putt in my first round with the Supernova, and the ball started and held the line and dropped middle cup for a par from roughly 5’. I can say, with certainty, that putt would have missed right with the Spider. For my first time out, I was able to lag putt to within 4’ on all two putts. Putting is the strongest part of my game, and there’s a chance the Supernova improves it more. What’s interesting is that when on the Perfect Practice mat, the Spider handles the Nova. On course, I haven’t seen a massive difference in the two.

Play It or Trade It - 3.5/5

The King 3D Supernova is trending into the trade it category at the moment. My strokes gained has gone in the wrong direction since putting it into play. While it is hard to say it is definitively the putter, I am used to that being one of the strongest parts of my game. I'm going to use it throughout this week (writing as of 7/31/23) and see what I can do with it. I should have a good feel of if it'll be staying on the sidelines afterwards.

Overall - 11.5/15

I really do like this putter. Feel is good, it rolls the ball well, and it looks great at address. I just have not found consistency with it yet or seen an immediate improvement over my Spider Tour Platinum. Putting is the most feel based club in the bag for me (probably for most), and with the success I've had with the spider, this was a tough spot to win.

 

Cobra Aerojet Irons Review

Looks/Sound/Feel - 5/5

The Aerojet irons look great to my eye at address. For a GI iron, the top line isn’t overly thick, and you cannot see any of the back of the iron when setting up to the ball. Feel on well struck shots is crisp, and produces a nice “thwack” sound. You can also feel when you don’t strike the ball well on mishits, which I think is good for feedback. I think sometimes GI irons are TOO forgiving on feel, so I appreciate this aspect. 

On Course Performance 5/5

I have been thoroughly impressed with the performance of the Aerojet irons. Well struck shots are missiles with great ball flight, and compared to my TaylorMade RSi 1s, they are longer by about 10-15 yards on well struck shots across the board. Forgiveness has been really good, too. Distance loss is anywhere from 10-20 yards depending on how bad I miss, but the ball still goes straight towards my intended target. As a player who still struggles to consistently hit irons above an 8, this has been great for my game. Spin to hold greens has been much better than I expected as well, and they blow the RSi 1s out of the water here which surprised me as they are stronger lofted. 

Play It or Trade It 5/5

Not much to be said here, these are a 100% play for me and have been from day 1. Irons were next in my bag for an upgrade and I am thoroughly enjoying playing these clubs. 

Aerojet Irons Overall 15/15

I will be fully transparent in saying I was hesitant to test the Aerojet irons as my preference was the Tec X. The thought that kept creeping into the back of my mind was that the irons with the same name as the driver line that year were “lesser” irons. I am happy to say that I was proven wrong and have loved these irons. They are packed with technology and great for high handicap golfers working on improving their game. I am proof of this as during the challenge my handicap has already lowered from 26.1 to 22.6. These will have a spot in my bag for quite awhile. 

Cobra Snakebite Black Wedges Review 52°/8, 56°/10, 60°/10

Looks/Sound/Feel - 5/5

The SB Black wedges look incredible at address. The black club head contrasts the ball and frames it exceptionally well. Feel is very solid and good strikes deliver crisp contact and a muted sound. Paired with the KBS Hi-Rev 2.0 Black PVD shafts, these are the best looking clubs in my bag, hands down. 

On Course Performance 3/5

On course performance has been really good 50 yards and in. Spin and control is great, and the 60° has changed my game drastically getting out of bunkers. However, I have had a hard time getting the distance I feel like I should be getting out of these clubs, which is costing me strokes I don’t feel I should lose. I have been short multiple times with the 56°, for example, from 80 yards. That is a distance I had no problem reaching with my previous 56° wedge. I have been taking very deep divots (I typically just “bruise” the ground), so it’s taking some adjusting. I feel as though I’m striking too far behind the ball. I think this will improve once I get more acclimated to the clubs, but I am docking two points for this aspect and how it’s hindered my approach from 75-100 yards. *This may be edited if I get it resolved before the end of the challenge*

Play It or Trade It 5/5

These are a no-brainer play for me. I have never owned a true wedge set, and so far I am really enjoying these clubs. I am confident I’ll get the distance issue resolved. The 60° has been a revelation out of bunkers, and the first shot I ever hit with it was getting up and over a towering pine after missing the green on a Par 3. I was sold at that moment. 

Snakebite Black Wedges Overall 13/15

Overall, I love these wedges. They put a ton of spin on the ball, which allows me to take a more aggressive approach to pins if I am in range. They will stop on a dime and I can get them to spin back as well. They look great at address, and the black finish is so far holding up very well. If I can get the distance issue worked out, these are a solid 15/15 and I will update my review to reflect that. I cannot speak to how they compare to a Vokey or other wedge as I’ve never owned or played one, but they have definitely won a spot in my bag.

Cobra Ultralight Pro Cart Bag Review

Looks/Sound/Feel - 5/5

I went with the Antique Bronze/Black colorway of this bag and it looks even better in person than it did online. Material is high quality and has been extremely durable. No wear marks from cart straps and honestly just a very well put together and thought out bag. 

On Course Performance 5/5

The #1 issue I had with my previous bag (Callaway Org 14) was that my grips were constantly getting hung up in the individual dividers. Difficult to get out, difficult to put in. The putter well, which I thought I HAD to have, was even worse. I have had exactly zero issues with the UL Pro in this regard and have not missed the putter well one bit. Pockets are laid out well, cooler pocket is massive, rangefinder pocket is magnetic, I could go on and on. It lacks a Velcro patch for my glove which I thought I would miss but I haven’t to this point. 

Play It or Trade It 5/5

Nothing to elaborate on here. Already sold my Cally Org 14 to a friend and the UL Pro is firmly in the play it category. Cobra killed it with this bag. 

Ultralight Pro Cart Bag Overall 15/15

Overall I am loving the UL Pro. If they added a Velcro patch to it, I believe they have an actual perfect golf bag on their hands. It’s lightweight, well thought out, tons of storage, and clubs go in and out easily. For the money (currently on sale for $174.99), you CANNOT beat this bag. If you’re in the market to upgrade, save yourself the time and research and go buy this thing right now.

Cobra Full Bag Score: 98/105 (Updated 8/4/23)

#LeftyGang

[JerryB]

Hi folks, my name is Jerry.  I’m a married father of three and am entering my third season of golf here in the far far west suburbs of Chicago.  I’ve been lucky enough that this is my third testing opportunity.  I got to test the current Titleist ProV and ProVx’s last fall (spoiler alert- they’re pretty good!) and the Shot Scope V3 watch the previous year (so good that I bought their new X5 on pre-release).

I’m a hacker, plain and simple.  I’m a bogey plus golfer but I can have some truly awful blowup rounds.  Still prone to chunking more than I’d like and my iron/wedge game is a mess right now.  Everything is hooking badly.  It’s me, but that doesn’t stop me from hoping these new clubs will magically fix it!  My driver/fairways/hybrids are my current strength although I sometimes start swinging too hard to predictably disastrous results.  My putting is fair when I take the time to read the green, which is far less often than it should be.

Most of the time I play at River Heights, run by the city of DeKalb Park District.  Apparently just before the pandemic they were thinking about shutting it down and when I started to play in 2021 it looked pretty neglected.  They’ve been putting money into it the last couple years and its starting to show.  Its cheap and still a bit of a dump, but so am I.  We’re made for each other!  I’m generally not much of a picture person, but I’ll try to do better during the testing.

         

I currently play a Callaway Rogue ST Max that I bought after attending a fitting event.  I play a PXG 0211 3 wood that I bought during their sale late last season.  Everything else I have are hand-me-downs and thrifting finds.  Currently in the bag are a Tour Edge Bazooka 7 wood, a Titleist 909H hybrid, a Grand Hawk XP hybrid, Cobra AMP 6-PW, Titleist Vokey SM7 50° and 54° and SM8 60° and a Ray Cook Silver Ray IV putter.

Much of what I’ve selected are pretty similar to what I currently game, minus some smaller details.  I’m taking this opportunity to go with a mallet putter instead of my usual blade and I’m trying out some different grips and going graphite in my shafts.  Given the motley collection I have, I’m pretty confident that I’ll see some good numbers with the new clubs.  My most interesting battle will be the driver battle between the Aerojet Max and the Callaway Rogue ST Max.  Cobra’s pretty good but Callaway is much bigger; who wins??

I’m really hoping to see that the general marketing is true:  A whole new set that goes together will produce better distance and tighter dispersion over a bunch of clubs that were mostly just cobbled together.  I’m playing Aerojet irons.  The whole line is supposed to be forgiving; a real game improvement set.  As a guy with plenty of mishits, I’ll be putting that to the test.

These are my club distances from the past year according to Shot Scope.  At a glance they don’t look awful, but there’s definitely some improvement opportunities.  We’ll see what things look like at the end of the testing period.

 

 

Gratuitous unboxing photo dump!!

 

This handsome boy was the only one who was excited for the bag opening.  To be fair, this took place around midnight after work and unlike the other two dogs, he has always had a big case of FOMO, lol.

Bag's nice.  Others have said it better than I can, so here's the cliff's notes:  Lots of pocket space, huge cooler spot, no velcro strip to attach a glove.  I already have a stand bag so I went with a cart bag for something different.  If I could go back, I'd probably go stand bag; I miss the legs.

 

 

Clubs were well-packed.  Nice and tight, nothing loose, wrapped up well.

 

A few little issues with the putter, though.  Pretty noticeable blemish on the grip and a decent-sized indentation on the face right above the Cobra logo.  And I think @sirchunksalot said something similar, but the packing list states the grip is supposed to be a Superstroke 2.0 but I received a 1.0 instead.  The two dings aren't a huge deal (if I'm hitting that far on the heel, I've got other problems) and the different grip isn't a problem since I didn't specify any particular grip, but its still worth noting that the paperwork is incorrect.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cobra Challenge Review

Driver, woods, hybrids

 

Looks, Sound, Feel:

Driver is up first.  To begin, all these clubs look great.  The head is shiny, but not too much so.  It has an elongated head that gives me a little more confidence that I’m lining up correctly.  The driver sounds a touch less metallic than my Callaway Rogue ST.  Not a bad thing, just a subtle difference and both still sound great.  An adjustable sleeve and two weight ports allow for endless tinkering.  When I’m swinging well, the driver feels fantastic.  When I’m swinging poorly, the driver still feels really good.  5/5

Woods look very similar to the driver at address but with a more compact head profile.  Like with the driver, the crown is somewhat shiny but has a bit of a checked pattern that seems to muddy up the shine just a touch, in a good way.  These clubs also have adjustable sleeves and two weight ports.  When I swing them well, they feel nearly effortless.  5/5

Hybrids are taking a little more time to get used to.  Not going to lie, I’m always a bit of a contrarian; I decided to go with three hybrids, the 4, 5, and 6, which took the place of a couple of irons.  It’s not a decision without merit as I have trouble hitting longer irons.  However, I’m really struggling to line up these hybrids that are lofted higher than I’m used to.  The hybrid shafts are the same as the ones in my irons (graphite) and I like the way they swing.  I still think the hybrids were the right choice but it’s taking a little longer than I anticipated to really get comfortable.  These are not adjustable and have one weight port instead of two, but they otherwise feel like smaller versions of the fairway woods.  4.5/5

 

On course performance:

Out of the gate the driver performed well.  When you hit it square, you know it.  When you don’t hit it well…you actually aren’t that aware.  Mishits travel nearly as long as solid hits.  I’ve been averaging roughly 5 yards more than my current gamer with a lot of consistent distance.  I even hit a new personal longest drive.  5/5

I struggled with the woods early on, which isn’t a knock on the clubs.  I was in the middle of an overall slump.  Poor strikes, for me, have meant worm-burners and I still managed some considerable distance.  Finally got situated in time for my most recent round and the woods came to party!  I tried 3 wood off the tee and got a solid mid-launch with yardage of 225+.  Hit one as a second shot on a par five that went 255!  While 3 wood has never been a strong part of my game, the Aerojet is averaging a good 25 yards more than my current gamer.  The 7 wood is a similar success; I’ve had a nice, high ball flight with a slight draw and on average about five yards longer than my current 7 wood.  5/5

As mentioned earlier, I’ve been a little slower to warm to the hybrids.  The 4 hybrid is most like what I already use, so the adjustment was easier.  It launches well and can go a mile when get hold of one.  During the Woods/Wedges challenge I haven’t found myself in a position to use the 5 hybrid too much so I’ll defer judgement until later.  The 6 hybrid is interesting, and I’ve used it as a bit of a utility club.  I’ve used it to punch out of trees, as a long bump-and-run club, and as a bit of a chipper just off the green.  As with the other hybrids, the ball rockets off the face.  If I can learn to harness it, I think the 6 can be a weapon for me.  4.5/5

 

Play it or trade it:

Despite all I’ve said about the driver, I’ve developed the yips with it recently to the point that I benched it and teed off with the 3 wood during my last round.  It’s going up against the only current club I have that I was fit for, so it’s a tough race.  I need more time to test these two clubs and may re-visit this question at the very end of the challenge.  Soft Play it.  4/5

My current woods are a PXG 0211 that I bought on a whim during a sale late last year and an old Tour Edge Bazooka that I thrifted.  While those are solid clubs, the Aerojet woods are a no-brainer as the easiest decision to make.  Play it.  5/5

My current hybrids are a Titleist 909H 21° and a Grand Hawk XR 21° that is cut down two inches shorter.  Would the Aerojet hybrids replace these two clubs, plus my current 6 iron?  Theoretically it’s a slam dunk although in reality the current state of my game necessitates more review.  Soft Play it. 4.5/5

 

Overall:

Driver 14/15

Woods 15/15

Hybrids 13.5/15

 

 

PUTTER

 

LOOKS, SOUND, FEEL:

I took a bit of a leap of faith with this putter.  This is the first putter I’ve had that wasn’t both a blade and also cost more than five bucks.  Went with the Cobra King Stingray 20.  After an initial adjustment period I think I love just about everything about this putter.  It’s got a long alignment line which helps me feel more confident regarding my aim.  The head feels solid and heavy enough to let me know it’s there.  My only slight gripe is the SuperStroke 1.0 grip.  I think I need to go a little bigger to have a little more stability in my hands.  But that’s an easy fix.  5/5

 

ON COURSE PERFORMANCE:

Putting has long been my weakness and this putter didn’t magically make me a better putter.  What it did do was make me feel more poised while standing over a putt.  The Sik face technology means the ball rolls smoothly almost instantly off the club face.  It’s a real confidence booster to watch a ball roll end-over-end on a consistent basis.  I’m getting my speed dialed in much better than with my old putters.  While I’m not dropping 40 footers, my lag putting is miles ahead of where it was previously which is leaving me with fewer three-putts.  5/5

 

PLAY IT OR TRADE IT:

Another easy choice.  Again, it should be given that it’s my first putter that wasn’t old and possibly had a previous life as a hammer.  But even with the bar set low, this putter clears that hurdle easily to become my new gamer.  Play it.  5/5

 

OVERALL: 15/15

 

 

IRONS

 

LOOKS, SOUND, FEEL:

Having played steel shafts before, I decided to take a leap and go with graphite instead.  I’ve noticed that early in the season, my wrists and forearms get sore.  The real test will be at the beginning of next season, but so far so good.  I love the way these clubs look.  Coming from Cobra AMP irons to these Aerojets, standing over the ball looks very similar.  As with most irons, when you hit it well, the feedback is instant.  Hard to find a better feeling in golf than flushing an iron, and these clubs are no exception.  Looks, sounds, feels…they’re all pretty great with these clubs.  5/5

 

ON COURSE PERFORMANCE:

While all aspects of my game can come and go on a whim, iron play is generally my weak link.  I’ve never hit longer irons well which is why this iron set starts with 7.  Even that one is pretty iffy for me; I’m much more likely to hit a hook or a worm burner than a solid 7 iron.  That’s a me thing, though.  Rest of my irons; 8, 9, PW, GW; I hit them all pretty well.  The gapping is consistent and they’re about 10-15 yards longer than my old gamers.  4/5

 

PLAY IT OR TRADE IT:

As with most of the comparisons to my old set, this one is a pretty easy choice.  These are going in the bag.  A possible exception might be my 7 iron.  I need to hit it better.  If not, I might replace it with another wedge as all the added length in my irons is leaving a little too much space in the shorter game.  At this point its more likely to stay.  Play it 4.5/5

 

OVERALL:  13.5/15

 

WEDGES

LOOKS, SOUND, FEEL:

The Snakebite wedges I went with are the black heads.  They look gorgeous.  Almost a little too gorgeous, in fact.  First time I used one in a bunker, I almost shed a tear.  They clean up well, but it still hurt a little.  A well-struck wedge sounds and feels really good.  Smooth.  The full face on the 58° is a good look and inspires confidence.  Compared to my SM7s, the clubs feel lighter and swing easy.  5/5

 

ON COURSE PERFORMANCE:

First opportunity to hit a wedge on the course, I hit it clean and dropped it tight to the pin.  Given my game, it’s been mostly downhill since, but first impressions are everything, am I right??  Wedges are generally a decent part of my game, and these clubs help.  Partial swings, full swings…these play well.  I get good distance on full swings, and the ball generally goes where I expect.  5/5

 

PLAY IT OR TRADE IT:

I went from 50° and 54° Vokey SM7s and a 60° SM8 to the 52° and 58° Snakebites.  The Titleist heads are a little heavier and I generally like that, but the Snakebites swing better.  I went with two wedges to give me another option at the top of my bag, although that hasn’t worked out as well as I’d hoped.  If I could do it again, I’d drop one of my hybrids and add another wedge to shore up gapping, although I’m not certain what the lofts would be.  As it is, the new clubs are staying in the bag, although I’m left wanting just a bit.  Soft Play it 4/5

 

OVERALL:  14/15

 

BAG

LOOKS, FEEL:

I have a Nike Air Hybrid stand bag, and I went with the Cobra Ultralight cart bag.  My Nike already has visible wear from the rubbing cart straps, so I decided to go with a black bag this time.  Bag is black with orange trim, though the dividers are more of a yellow color.  It’s a little off-putting, though when the clubs are loaded it is negligible.  3/5

 

ON COURSE PERFORMANCE:

Both bags fit about the same on the back of a cart.  I prefer the Nike bag if I carry because it has backpack straps versus the single strap of the Cobra.  I have an old two-wheel pull cart that I use on occasion; the Cobra bag fits nicely while the Nike bag does not.  Lots of storage space with the Cobra.  There is a large cooler pouch that can easily hold a six pack of your favorite canned beverage.  There’s a nice little magnetic rangefinder pouch.  I do wish there was a second ring on the other side of the bag to hang things from, and a Velcro strip to hang my glove from would have been a nice have.  3.5/5

 

PLAY IT OR TRADE IT:

I have a stand bag so I decided to try a cart bag to see the difference.  Having gotten used to a stand bag, I had an issue with my cart bag tipping over a few times, whether being a little overloaded with balls or water, or sometimes me just not putting it on solid ground.  Looks like the stand bag does come with a Velcro strip that the cart bag lacks.  Having a second bag has come in handy on a couple of outings so I’m happy to have it, but for our purposes here, it won’t beat out my current bag.  Trade it 2/5

 

OVERALL:  8.5/15

 

COBRA CHALLENGE TOTAL BAG OVERALL:  93.5/105

Edited July 24 by JerryB
fourth review

[DrRob1963]

8 hours ago, sirchunksalot said:

Thanks Mark! We had a wonderful time and even Mrs. Chunks thought it was worth getting up at 6 in the morning. 

Just wondering.... Rather than Mrs. Chunks, your better half should be "The Good Lady Chunksalot", shouldn't she???

[sirchunksalot]

44 minutes ago, DrRob1963 said:

Just wondering.... Rather than Mrs. Chunks, your better half should be "The Good Lady Chunksalot", shouldn't she???

I like that! Might have to start referring to her as TGLC. Most of the time on here we call the wives SWMBO, She Who Must Be Obeyed. 

[Jnoble89]

2 hours ago, sirchunksalot said:

I like that! Might have to start referring to her as TGLC. Most of the time on here we call the wives SWMBO, She Who Must Be Obeyed. 

I’ve been trying to figure out what that means for SO long

[Jnoble89]

My introduction post is up! Getting fit tomorrow and then will update next week with that process!

[Josh Ross]

10 minutes ago, Jnoble89 said:

My introduction post is up! Getting fit tomorrow and then will update next week with that process!

Heck of a start, excited to see not only how you fare here in this challenge but also if this helps drive those scores even lower in your journey to breaking 90! 

[DrRob1963]

6 hours ago, sirchunksalot said:

I like that! Might have to start referring to her as TGLC. Most of the time on here we call the wives SWMBO, She Who Must Be Obeyed. 

You know what they say.... "Happy wife = Happy life" !!!

[ZMendle10]

Loving the intro's already. Can't wait for the rest of them!!

[Louie Jara]

Congrats and best of luck fellas. Enjoy the fresh equipment!

[Josh Ross]

Anybody else excited for more details to start coming out? I'm ready for teams, challenges, pictures of new clubs. This is going slower than the countdown!

[TSauer]

45 minutes ago, Josh Ross said:

Anybody else excited for more details to start coming out? I'm ready for teams, challenges, pictures of new clubs. This is going slower than the countdown!

yes, yes, and uhh... yes!

[sirchunksalot]

1 hour ago, Josh Ross said:

Anybody else excited for more details to start coming out? I'm ready for teams, challenges, pictures of new clubs. This is going slower than the countdown!

As testers we are looking forward to seeing what the mods have in store for us. We're supposed to do a group call so the mods can draft teams and it'll be interesting to see who they pair up. 

I'm also getting pumped about getting the clubs in hand. I got a taste of those bad boys and now I'm ready for the main course. 

[Jnoble89]

7 minutes ago, sirchunksalot said:

As testers we are looking forward to seeing what the mods have in store for us. We're supposed to do a group call so the mods can draft teams and it'll be interesting to see who they pair up. 

I'm also getting pumped about getting the clubs in hand. I got a taste of those bad boys and now I'm ready for the main course. 

Can’t wait for my appetizer tomorrow!!!

[JerryB]

Intro post is up, and here's a word block about my fitting.

As soon as I got the details of my selection, I set out to get a fitting scheduled as soon as possible.  This was a brand-new world to me; I’d gone to a demo day last year for a quick fitting session into my current driver but otherwise I’d just accumulated stuff.  I settled on Golf Galaxy back in the suburbs for a few reasons: it was in my hometown so I could also stop and visit my parents, it was an affordable option, and I still had a gift card from there that my parents had given me for Christmas, ha!  Full bag fitting; two hours.

I went in a few minutes early and met with Jeremy, who immediately set me up in a bay to get warmed up.  He’s probably fifteen years younger than me and a career baseball player who switched to golf during the pandemic.  I found that interesting; he’s been golfing about as long as I have, how much can he help?  For starters, he’s way better than I am, and he’s been doing fittings for some time now.

My iron game has been a hot mess this year.  My swing, already not pretty, is badly out of sequence and the club face is severely closed at impact, among other horrors.  Hook City, baby!  Jeremy offered a few pointers and occasionally I would flush one, but the iron part of the fitting was not good.  I tried cracking a few jokes to lighten the mood, but my normal deadpan humor was not connecting today. 

One neat thing I got to use was the Mizuno shaft optimizer.  A few swings with that and it spits out a few good shaft options, narrowing things down a ton.  I tend to get a little chunky with my swing, especially early in the season, and my wrists were paying for it.  I mentioned I was thinking about going graphite for my shafts after having always played steel, and a graphite option was actually the top selection on the optimizer.  Tried a few different options and while nothing looked good (oof, you should have seen me!) the top graphite option felt the best.

After a bit we switched to a 5-hybrid head, using the same shaft option.  First swing and I piped it dead straight and about three yards to the right.  My swing and tempo fell into place; I heard an audible gasp from him on the first swing.  See?  I CAN do it!!  Alright…5 hybrid, mark that down.  Took about a half dozen cuts and they were all about the same save for one mishit. 

Next was the 4 hybrid and that’s where things started getting weird.  I was still hitting it well, but the results were about ten to fifteen yards shorter than the 5.  Was it fatigue?  I took a quick breather, and he pulled out a 3 wood.  I hit it solid, and it went further than the 5 hybrid, but not further enough.  He was a little perplexed.

Moving on to driver.  This is where things felt better.  Knowing that I was fit into the draw-biased Callaway Rouge ST Max driver just last year, we started with the similarly draw-biased Aerojet Max.  I was hitting it well, but the ball was ballooning on me.  We tinkered with a couple different shafts and even dropped to the 9° head.  He suggested I try teeing it lower.  We finally found a shaft/head combo that worked well.

They don’t carry Snakebite wedges, so he had me swing a couple of Vokey wedges and did some quick research on the Snakebite options.  Based on what I do with my wedges (I don’t take much of a divot and don’t really work them too much) we came up with a couple options to fit the gapping at that end of the bag.

We went over to check out the Cobra putters.  He’s big on feel so it was mostly on me to roll some putts and see what felt good, along with some feedback on his end.  I was quickly able to narrow it down to two, a blade and a mallet.  Both felt really good and, in the end, I went mallet since I’d never gamed one before and this seemed like a great opportunity to try something different.

And just like that the two hours were up.  While I never felt rushed, in the end it really felt like it was not enough time.  In the moment I walked away feeling pretty good, but after the fact there’s a few things that started to eat at me. 

First, I came in very unprepared.  I should have done a little more research ahead of the fitting.  When I do something for the first time, I like having my hand held, so to speak.  I want the expert to guide me.  I’m not very attuned to what my body is doing and how things feel.  I feel like Jeremy wanted more feedback from me and I just couldn't give it to him. 

Secondly, Cobra doesn’t have nearly as big of a footprint as a Titleist or TaylorMade.  While those companies had a large selection of demo equipment to choose from, Cobra had maybe a quarter of that.  There were some options that weren’t available.  One of the shafts we were going to try had a missing adaptor.  No wedges at all.

I was really overwhelmed.  I wish I had brought someone else along to pay attention to the details.  The fitter was writing things down for me, but when I came home and started to fill in the spec sheet, I realized that several details were missing.  What kind of shaft did I use for that 3 wood?  What about the wedge shafts?  When I hit the 3 wood, was it the regular, max, or LS head?  These are things that I may or may not have checked at the time but fell through the cracks.

Having gone through the process once, I now have a better idea of what to do next time.  I needed more time and I needed to ask more questions.  I should have taken the time to write more things down.  It was a learning experience, and it definitely wasn’t all that bad.  But I couldn’t imagine how it would have gone if I hadn’t already been narrowed down to a certain line of clubs.

[sirchunksalot]

My introduction is posted! 

[Josh Ross]

3 hours ago, JerryB said:

Intro post is up, and here's a word block about my fitting.

As soon as I got the details of my selection, I set out to get a fitting scheduled as soon as possible.  This was a brand-new world to me; I’d gone to a demo day last year for a quick fitting session into my current driver but otherwise I’d just accumulated stuff.  I settled on Golf Galaxy back in the suburbs for a few reasons: it was in my hometown so I could also stop and visit my parents, it was an affordable option, and I still had a gift card from there that my parents had given me for Christmas, ha!  Full bag fitting; two hours.

I went in a few minutes early and met with Jeremy, who immediately set me up in a bay to get warmed up.  He’s probably fifteen years younger than me and a career baseball player who switched to golf during the pandemic.  I found that interesting; he’s been golfing about as long as I have, how much can he help?  For starters, he’s way better than I am, and he’s been doing fittings for some time now.

My iron game has been a hot mess this year.  My swing, already not pretty, is badly out of sequence and the club face is severely closed at impact, among other horrors.  Hook City, baby!  Jeremy offered a few pointers and occasionally I would flush one, but the iron part of the fitting was not good.  I tried cracking a few jokes to lighten the mood, but my normal deadpan humor was not connecting today. 

One neat thing I got to use was the Mizuno shaft optimizer.  A few swings with that and it spits out a few good shaft options, narrowing things down a ton.  I tend to get a little chunky with my swing, especially early in the season, and my wrists were paying for it.  I mentioned I was thinking about going graphite for my shafts after having always played steel, and a graphite option was actually the top selection on the optimizer.  Tried a few different options and while nothing looked good (oof, you should have seen me!) the top graphite option felt the best.

After a bit we switched to a 5-hybrid head, using the same shaft option.  First swing and I piped it dead straight and about three yards to the right.  My swing and tempo fell into place; I heard an audible gasp from him on the first swing.  See?  I CAN do it!!  Alright…5 hybrid, mark that down.  Took about a half dozen cuts and they were all about the same save for one mishit. 

Next was the 4 hybrid and that’s where things started getting weird.  I was still hitting it well, but the results were about ten to fifteen yards shorter than the 5.  Was it fatigue?  I took a quick breather, and he pulled out a 3 wood.  I hit it solid, and it went further than the 5 hybrid, but not further enough.  He was a little perplexed.

Moving on to driver.  This is where things felt better.  Knowing that I was fit into the draw-biased Callaway Rouge ST Max driver just last year, we started with the similarly draw-biased Aerojet Max.  I was hitting it well, but the ball was ballooning on me.  We tinkered with a couple different shafts and even dropped to the 9° head.  He suggested I try teeing it lower.  We finally found a shaft/head combo that worked well.

They don’t carry Snakebite wedges, so he had me swing a couple of Vokey wedges and did some quick research on the Snakebite options.  Based on what I do with my wedges (I don’t take much of a divot and don’t really work them too much) we came up with a couple options to fit the gapping at that end of the bag.

We went over to check out the Cobra putters.  He’s big on feel so it was mostly on me to roll some putts and see what felt good, along with some feedback on his end.  I was quickly able to narrow it down to two, a blade and a mallet.  Both felt really good and, in the end, I went mallet since I’d never gamed one before and this seemed like a great opportunity to try something different.

And just like that the two hours were up.  While I never felt rushed, in the end it really felt like it was not enough time.  In the moment I walked away feeling pretty good, but after the fact there’s a few things that started to eat at me. 

First, I came in very unprepared.  I should have done a little more research ahead of the fitting.  When I do something for the first time, I like having my hand held, so to speak.  I want the expert to guide me.  I’m not very attuned to what my body is doing and how things feel.  I feel like Jeremy wanted more feedback from me and I just couldn't give it to him. 

Secondly, Cobra doesn’t have nearly as big of a footprint as a Titleist or TaylorMade.  While those companies had a large selection of demo equipment to choose from, Cobra had maybe a quarter of that.  There were some options that weren’t available.  One of the shafts we were going to try had a missing adaptor.  No wedges at all.

I was really overwhelmed.  I wish I had brought someone else along to pay attention to the details.  The fitter was writing things down for me, but when I came home and started to fill in the spec sheet, I realized that several details were missing.  What kind of shaft did I use for that 3 wood?  What about the wedge shafts?  When I hit the 3 wood, was it the regular, max, or LS head?  These are things that I may or may not have checked at the time but fell through the cracks.

Having gone through the process once, I now have a better idea of what to do next time.  I needed more time and I needed to ask more questions.  I should have taken the time to write more things down.  It was a learning experience, and it definitely wasn’t all that bad.  But I couldn’t imagine how it would have gone if I hadn’t already been narrowed down to a certain line of clubs.

Hey man, love that you detailed your experience for us. You could've easily sugar coated it but in truth a full bag fitting can be overwhelming, especially if it's your first time and you've got to fit it in a certain window. I bet if you don't wait too long to call Jeremy back he may remember the details you didn't have written down.

As for wedge shafts, a lot of fitters will tell you to get something similar in weight to your iron shafts to keep things consistent. You wouldn't want heavy iron shafts and light wedge shafts in my experience.

[GregB135]

Congratulations testers. This one is always a fun one to follow.

[Tom the Golf Nut]

I feel bad for my current set of clubs that I enjoy playing with. I'm supposed to play on Sunday with Big Stu if the weather holds up. But all I can think about is playing with the new clubs which haven't even been ordered yet. Lucky for me I have been keeping the travel cover on the clubs so they can't read the forum.