Carlsbad, Calif. (June 11, 2020) – COBRA® Golf, a leader in golf club innovation, unveiled today its new KING MIM Black Wedges, a fully Metal-Injection-Molded (MIM) 304 stainless steel head construction that is now offered in a glare-reducing QPQ (Quench Polish Quench) black finish. The MIM process represents a significant advancement in wedge manufacturing, delivering the most precise shape possible for truly exceptional feel and turf interaction in every wedge COBRA manufactures.
Unlike cast wedges, MIM manufacturing reduces the amount of post-process polishing, where in the past, there was a heavy reliance on skilled machinists to grind consistent wedge shapes by hand. Each wedge is created using a mixture of 304 stainless steel metal powder, which is then heated and injected into a mold. Using a sintering process, the metal is heated to a higher temperature than forging (1340°C vs. 1200°C), resulting in a smoother grain flow structure versus forged and cast wedges, and the softest feel the industry’s ever seen. The KING MIM Wedge family is the first in golf to utilize a fully robotic polishing process where the robot is pre-programmed to polish each wedge to exact specifications – a sharp contrast to the variability found in the traditional manual hand-polishing process. This fully automated process eliminates variance in head weight and thickness and creates more precise grind shapes and more repeatable bounce in each wedge.
“When we introduced MIM Wedges last year, it marked a steep change in the way wedges were manufactured. Since then, we have received requests from better players asking for the type of black finish that is preferred on Tour. The new QPQ finishing process allows us to deliver this option while maintaining soft, consistent performance for a wide variety of shots, now with a wider variety of grind options,” said Tom Olsavsky, Vice President of R&D for COBRA Golf.
In addition to the MIM process and Fully Robotic Polishing process, the new KING MIM Black Wedges are constructed with the following game boosting technologies:
- 3 TOUR-INSPIRED GRINDS: All three grinds (Versatile, WideLow, and Classic) were co-designed with our Tour Department and tested by Rickie Fowler, Lexi Thompson and Bryson DeChambeau on Tour.
- Versatile Grind: An excellent all-around grind for medium to firm course conditions. Heel and toe relief provides versatility to play shots with an open face, while a center notch keeps the leading edge closer to the ground without adding effective bounce.
- WideLow Grind: A wide, low bounce sole works its magic out of soft bunkers and turf conditions and medium rough and prevents the leading edge from digging.
- Classic Grind: A medium-width sole with high bounce and trailing edge relief works well for neutral to steeper swings and a variety of course conditions.
- Precision CNC Milled Face & Grooves – A fully CNC milled face maximizes surface roughness and delivers precise lofts and groove shapes to optimize trajectory and spin performance.
- Radial CNC Milling Pattern – The circular milling pattern helps to maximize spin on softer shots where the ball doesn’t go as deep into the grooves. In addition, the position of the radial milling pattern is intended to help golfers better identify the SWEET ZONE™ for puring their wedges.
- Progressive Spin Technology™ – Progressive groove shapes are CNC milled to optimize performance for each wedge loft. The weaker lofts feature wider, shallower grooves, and the stronger lofts feature narrower, deeper grooves to deliver consistent spin from wedge-to-wedge.
- DURABLE BLACK QPQ FINISH: QPQ delivers a tour-preferred glare-resistant finish and maximum durability to improve groove life and wear over time.
- COBRA CONNECT – The COBRA CONNECT, Powered by Arccos™ system features electronically enabled Lamkin Crossline Connect black grips that work in conjunction with the Arccos Caddie app to give users the ability to track their wedge stats, and learn their tendencies so they can practice more effectively.
The KING MIM Black Wedge is offered in 50, 52, 54, 56, 58- and 60-degree lofts, in the Versatile Grind (The 52, 56 and 60 degree wedges in Versatile grind are available in LH as well). In a WideLow Grind the MIM Black are offered in 56, 58- and 60-degree lofts. In the Classic Grind, MIM Black are available in 52, 56 and 60 degrees of loft. **KING MIM Chrome wedges are also now available in the identical grinds and lofts as above. Each KING MIM wedge features a black Lamkin Crossline CONNECT grip and an aftermarket KBS Hi-Rev 2.0 (125g) black shaft.
Delivering many of the same stroke-saving technologies as the variable length COBRA KING MIM Black Wedges, the KING MIM Black One Length Wedges, COBRA’s first-ever MIM one-length offering, is the perfect complement to COBRA’s single length irons. Available exclusively in black in 56 and 60 degrees of loft in the Versatile Grind.
The KING MIM Black Wedges will be available tomorrow, June 12, 2020 with a MAP price of $149 per wedge. For more information on the COBRA KING MIM Black wedges and all of COBRA’s innovative new products for 2020, visit www.cobragolf.com.
