by Sean Sommerville, Club Fitter
As always, distance and accuracy are the key to driving the golf ball and playing good golf. For Cobra in 2022, that means bringing back their LTD model from 2015. While recent Speedzone and Radspeed drivers were fast, they failed to offer the forgiveness that Cobra was striving for. While Bryson Dechambeau has become Cobra’s most famous tour player, most amateurs are unable to match his speeds. This metals line up will try to provide speed and forgiveness to everyone else.
With the release of the LTDx line, Cobra will offer 3 different head models, all designed to fit a different category of golfer. The LTDx LS features front-biased weighting and
a traditional shape for low spin with workability. The LTDx features balanced front and back weighting for max distance with low spin, and the LTDx MAX features a back and
a heel weight option for draw bias if needed.
Here are the key elements of this technology:
CNC Milled Infinity Face
Cobra has continued with the CNC Milled Infinity Face. It’s designed to increase the zone of maximum ball speed while providing a traditional topline for improved visual alignment.
PWR-COR Technology
A PWR-COR multi-material weighting system consisting of steel, titanium and aluminum, positions mass low and forward to combine low spin with faster ball speed for maximum distance.
H.O.T. Technology
Highly Optimized Topology Face Technology uses Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning to create 15 HOT zones with strategic thicknesses to increase smash factor and ball speed across a wider area of the face.
Multi-Material Chassis
A multi-material chassis uses a lightweight carbon crown and sole plates, and a reinforced titanium speed frame to create optimal weight distribution for maximum stability.
Let’s look at some numbers from when I tested these products. For each model, I hit 10 shots and recorded their averages in the graph below.
Drivers
Head | Ball speed | Spin Rate (RPM) | Launch (Deg) | Carry (YDS) | Total (YDS) |
LTDx LS | 167.1 | 1838 | 13.2 | 290.2 | 318.8 |
LTDx | 165.9 | 2191 | 13 | 287.1 | 310.7 |
LTDx MAX | 166.3 | 1966 | 13.4 | 289.1 | 315.3 |
The LTDx LS head is fast! It also offers movable weight technology to adjust the center of gravity. I conducted testing with the heavy 10 gram weight in the heel and 3 gram weight in the toe which definitely helped my dispersion. The LTDx was fast, forgiving, and best of all straight. Unlike its predecessor, Radspeed, it provides forgiveness with lower spin. LTDx Max is designed to draw more because of the heel weight. This reduces spin and produces slightly more roll out than the LTDx.
Now, lets take a quick look at the new fairways.
Fairways
Head | Ball speed | Spin Rate (RPM) | Launch (Deg) | Carry (YDS) | Total (YDS) |
LTDx LS | 157.3 | 3358 | 9.9 | 256 | 276.1 |
LTDx | 159.5 | 3426 | 9.5 | 258 | 278 |
LTDx MAX | 157.8 | 3337 | 10 | 256.2 | 276.5 |
The consistency these three models produced simply blew me away. While similar to what we witnessed with the drivers, these fairways are a huge improvement over Cobra’s previous fairways. They offer excellent distance combined with the forgiveness needed to play your best golf.
Overall, the new Cobra product is solid. I have confidence that when I put these clubs in our customers hands, they will perform comparably to the best new clubs of 2022. The only way to truly know is to check them out for yourself in The Cluboratory at Miles of Golf.