There is a lot of cool gear in the golf equipment world that doesn’t always fit neatly into Most Wanted Tests or Buyer’s Guides. You still want to know how it performs. In our We Tried It series, we put gear to the test and let you know if it works as advertised.
What We Tried:
COBRA SNAKEBITE Black wedges. I’ve had the COBRA KING MIM wedges in my bag for the last few years. It’s time for an upgrade.
Who Tried It:
Connor. Director of Soft Goods Testing and resident sneakerhead. I believe golf is better with a pair of cool shoes and comfortable joggers.
Better in Black
I’ve never owned a brand-new set of wedges so I’m stepping into new territory for this review of the COBRA SNAKEBITE Black wedges. My first impressions are that the black finish is sleek and sexy.
The darker finish suits my eye. I love the anti-glare properties and the premium aesthetic. Something about the color of the COBRA SNAKEBITE Black wedges just frames the white golf ball so well.
Did I hit the ball better with black wedges? Absolutely not. But I feel a heck of a lot cooler with these in my bag. In the words of famed tech Youtuber MKBHD … “Matte Black Everything!”
Durable Finish
The main concern as it pertains to black finishes on golf clubs is durability. The more a finish wears, the uglier your clubs look. COBRA’s satin QPQ (quench-polish-quench) finish is holding up surprisingly well. After hundreds of shots, the COBRA SNAKEBITE Black wedges still look darned good. Pristine? No. But the finish hasn’t worn at all. Consider me impressed.
Full-Face Grooves
The COBRA 56- and 60-degree wedges both feature full-face grooves. For someone like me who doesn’t always hit the middle of the club face, having grooves out near the toe and heel is especially useful.
During my testing, there was noticeably better performance from off-center hits on the COBRA SNAKEBITE Black wedges versus my old COBRA KING MIM wedges, especially out near the toe where I tend to miss.
Sound and Feel
While I can’t speak about performance (we’ll save that for our Most Wanted wedge testing later this year), I can share my subjective thoughts on sound and feel. The wedges I’m transitioning from, the MIM wedges, are generally thought of as soft. That said, I found the new COBRA wedges to feel softer. Not by much but the feel was a little better.
Let’s talk about sound. Crisp, clean contact elicited a delightful “thwack.” It was noticeably more muted and deeper than my old wedges. We’ll call that a win.
Cobra SNAKEBITE Black Wedges: Final Thoughts
Am I happy with my upgrade? Absolutely. The new COBRA SNAKEBITE Black Wedges feel and sound better than my old set. Couple that with the new full-face grooves and sleek black look … I’m all in.
As for performance, that’s for another day.
But until then, subjectively, I’m more than happy with my COBRA SNAKEBITE Black wedges.
