New wedges

Cobra Snakebite wedges: What you need to know

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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: Cobra’s latest iteration of its Snakebite wedges come in three models: Snakebite, Snakebite One Length and SnakebiteX. The grooves are produced using a CNC milling process and feature a new face blast to help improve performance in wet conditions. Also new is a progressive notch design based off the old Phil Rodgers notch design of Cobra wedges in the past that were well-received by players.

PRICE/AVAILABILITY: $160 per wedge, available now.

Cobra Snakebite
$160 | Golf Galaxy
4.0
GD SCORE GD HOT LIST SCORE
Hot List Silver
$160

Cobra knows golfers have issues generating as much spin as they would like. This wedge revs up the golf-ball revolutions per minute by having narrow, deeper grooves for the 48- to 54-degree wedges and full-face grooves that stretch across the entire face on the higher lofts. A face-mill blast is applied after the chrome finish to reduce the loss of spin in wet conditions. For those seeking a tour-pro shape, a new raw finish is available through custom order.

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THE DEEP DIVE: We’ll get to the three versions in a bit, but wedges are nothing without spin and versatility. To address the former, Cobra is employing a groove design that produces sharper edges to allow for more grab on short shots.

The wedges also feature narrow, deeper grooves for the 48- to 54-degree wedges while providing full-face grooves that stretch across the entire face on the higher lofts and are narrower and deeper. What’s new, however, is a face-mill blast that is applied after the chrome finish has been added to the head. Doing so helps mitigate the loss of spin in wet conditions.

For versatility, Cobra went back in time and updated the popular “notch” grinds in the high-lofted wedges based off the old designs produced by short-game guru Phil Rodgers. The progressive notch design allows the contact area in the heel to glide through faster when opening the blade on the 58- and 60-degree models.

The Snakebite model is available in two finishes (satin and black) and three grinds: Versatile featuring toe, heel and trailing edge relief; Classic with a progressive sole width from heel-to-toe, with trailing edge relief, for neutral to steeper swings, and Widelow boasting a low bounce sole that works well out of soft bunkers and lush turf conditions while preventing the leading edge from digging.

The Snakebite wedges again offer a single-length option to go with the company’s single-length iron sets. The new Snakebite One Length wedges (37.5 inches) feature the same grooves and notch technologies are the standard version, but with a flatter lie angle. The One Length is offered in 48-, 52-, 54-, 56- and 60-degree lofts with the Versatile grind.

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For those needing a little more game-improvement in their short game, the SnakebiteX features a hollow cavity-back design with a thermoplastic urethane insert. The X version has an oversize shape with teardrop grind and offers the full-face groove design on all lofts (48, 52, 56 and 60 degrees) and boasts a satin chrome finish.

All Snakebite wedges come with a black Lamkin Crossline grip. The standard Snakebite and One Length models come with an aftermarket KBS Hi-Rev 2.0 (125 grams) steel shaft. The SnakebiteX has a KBS Max 85 (102 grams) steel shaft.

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