Designing the Cobra LTDx drivers using a large carbon fiber crown and carbon fiber soleplate created significant discretionary weight. (David Dusek/Golfweek)

Cobra has designed driver bodies using a blend of titanium and carbon fiber for years because both materials are light and strong. However, carbon fiber is the lighter of the two, and in the LTDx drivers, Cobra redesigned the chassis to increase the amount of carbon fiber. Instead of opting for two panels wrapped around the sides of the head from the crown to the sole, Cobra made the crown’s carbon-fiber piece larger, then added four carbon-fiber areas in the sole. The new design shaved 8 grams of weight from the head that engineers could repurpose in performance-enhancing areas.  

Cobra LTDx drivers have been designed with PWR COR behind the leading edge. (David Dusek/Golfweek)

When it comes to positioning weight inside the head of a driver, equipment makers must consider different options. Shifting weight to the back of the head increases the moment of inertia and can make a driver more stable, but it also increases spin and encourages a higher launch. Pushing the center of gravity forward increases ball speed for more distance, and it can reduce spin and lower the launch angle, but weight-forward drivers can be less forgiving.  

In the LTDx drivers, Cobra believes it has created a blend of both by adding weight to the front, and in two of the three LTDx drivers, adding extra weight to the back.  

All three LTDx drivers have the company’s new PWR-COR weight system. It is a milled steel bar in the sole of the club behind the leading edge. The bar is connected to another 14-gram bar that is metal-injection molded inside the head. The pieces are connected by two stainless steel screws. Altogether, it is 19 grams of weight low and forward to increase ball speed and reduce spin.

The milled hitting area has been optimized to broaden the sweet spot and protect ball speed on mishits. (David Dusek/Golfweek)

With last season’s RadSpeed drivers, Cobra introduced the Infinity face, a hitting area that was CNC-milled to bring to life the exact features that Cobra’s engineers designed in the R&D department. Cobra had CNC-milled driver faces before, but with the RadSpeed the entire hitting area was milled. However, after talking with some staff players, Cobra heard that a few players did not like the look of the milling marks on the topline because it gave the appearance of too much loft.

In the LTDx drivers, the milling on the topline is gone – that is the difference you can see. What you cannot see, because it is on the inner-facing portion of the hitting area, is a new 15-zone optimized surface that was designed to create more ball speed. Cobra refers to it as a H.O.T. face, which stands for Highly Optimized Topology. It was created after thousands of computer simulations were run that taught Cobra how to optimize 15 areas on the face. Some are thicker, others are thin. The idea is to get the most ball speed possible across the widest area, without making any spots too hot.  

Cobra believes the new face should provide more golfers greater distance and protect distance on off-center hits more effectively.

Moveable weights allow golfers to shift the CG location and create a draw or fade bias, or boost the stability. (David Dusek/Golfweek)

The PWR-COR system was designed to lower spin and increase ball speed, but different golfers require different things from their drivers, so Cobra fine-tuned the center of gravity and created three different LTDx drivers to suit a larger number of players.  

The LTDx LS is for players who want a low-spin, low-launch driver. It has a pair of moveable weights behind the PWR-COR bar, one that is 12 grams and one that is 3 grams. Moving those weights can create a draw or fade bias, and in either setting ball speed and the lower launch are maintained.  

The standard LTDx has a single 10-gram weight in the back of the sole, so it should produce a slightly higher launch and a little more spin than the LTDx LS, and it will be more forgiving. Cobra believes this driver is ideally suited for the largest number of golfers.  

The LTDx Max has the same 12-gram and 3-gram weights as the LTDx LS, but one weight port is in the back and the other is in the heel, so it will have a draw bias and more forgiveness. Even with the heavier weight in the back, the LTDx Max will have a slight draw bias.  

All three drivers have an adjustable hosel that allows players and fitters to increase or decrease the driver’s loft by as many as 1.5 degrees.