Cobra LTDx, LTDx LS, LTDx Max drivers

Cobra is building on the ideas and technologies it unveiled last year in the new LTDx drivers.

Gear: Cobra LTDx, LTDx LS, LTDx Max drivers  
Price: $499  
Specs: 460cc titanium and carbon-fiber heads with milled faces, internal tungsten bars, moveable sole weights, and adjustable hosels. 9 and 10.5 degrees; 12-degrees available in LTDx and LTDx Max only  
Available: February 11

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Cobra has been one of the most innovative companies in golf for several years, bringing technologies such as carbon fiber to irons and 3D printing to putters. Cobra worked with Arccos to develop Cobra Connect, a system that allows golfers to track their shots on over 40,000 courses, and one-length irons to help some golfers develop more consistency.  

For 2022, Cobra is building on the ideas and technologies it unveiled last year with the RadSpeed drivers, using multiple materials and high-tech manufacturing techniques in the new LTDx drivers to boost ball speed and distance without sacrificing stability.  

A frustrated Bryson DeChambeau said his driver ‘sucks.’ Cobra, his driver maker, is not happy

Cobra’s tour operations manager on Bryson DeChambeau’s comments: “It’s just really, really painful when he says something that stupid.”

Bryson DeChambeau had a tough day at the office Thursday during the 149th British Open. Time and again, instead of hitting the fairway, the 2020 U.S. Open champion’s tee shots sailed into rough and knee-high fescue.

When it was all said done, DeChambeau signed for a 1-over 71 at Royal St. George’s Golf Club, having hit four of 14 fairways. Then he had some things to say about his equipment.

Asked if he thought he could still contend and win the tournament if he straightened out his tee shots, DeChambeau said, “If I can hit it down the middle of the fairway, that’s great, but with the driver right now, the driver sucks. It’s not a good face for me, and we’re still trying to figure out how to make it good on the mis-hits. I’m living on the razor’s edge, like I’ve told people for a long time.”

Even for a golfer who was frustrated by crosswinds and a tricky links course, the comment was surprising.

As DeChambeau uttered those words, Ben Schomin was getting ready for breakfast in Michigan. Schomin is Cobra’s tour operations manager and the man who caddied for DeChambeau two weeks ago at the Rocket Mortgage Classic after DeChambeau and his longtime caddie, Tim Tucker, parted ways. Schomin is also one of the people who designs and builds DeChambeau’s drivers and irons to very unique specifications.

“Everybody is bending over backwards. We’ve got multiple guys in R&D who are CAD’ing (computer-aided design) this and CAD-ing that, trying to get this and that into the pipeline faster. (Bryson) knows it,” Schomin said. “It’s just really, really painful when he says something that stupid.”

DeChambeau is currently using a Cobra Radspeed driver that is 46 inches long and has 5 degrees of loft. You won’t find a club like that in your local pro shop. They are all made specifically for DeChambeau.

“He has never really been happy, ever. Like, it’s very rare where he’s happy,” Schomin said. “Now he’s in a place where he’s swinging a 5-degree driver with 200 mph of ball speed. Everybody is looking for a magic bullet. Well, the magic bullet becomes harder and harder to find the faster you swing and the lower your loft gets.”

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Cobra and other manufacturers have data and detailed information about how driver heads behave under normal conditions because they have captured thousands of shots hit by recreational golfers and Tour players. However, there is almost no information on how drivers react when you get to DeChambeau’s speeds. Only a handful of people on the planet swing as fast as DeChambeau, and Cobra is in the business of selling clubs to the masses. It simply does not have a database to draw upon when creating DeChambeau’s gear. Schomin and Cobra’s R&D team are learning what works and what doesn’t in real time.

“So when he’s talking about the razor’s edge, we’re not going to be able to help that,” Schomin said. At DeChambeau’s speeds, every shortcoming in his swing or mis-hit is exponentially magnified.

In addition, manufacturing prototype driver heads for DeChambeau can take months.

“We’re trying to stay ahead of it, so we’ll place an order for 10 prototype heads and then, literally as soon as that order is placed, usually within a week or two, we might be ordering more of something else,” Schomin said.

The idea is to always have a few driver heads for Bryson that can act as a starting point when he wants to experiment or try something new. So far in 2021, Cobra has made seven prototype driver heads for DeChambeau, a number that might exceed what other star players have made for them in a decade.

“You know, it’s the longest club, with the least amount of loft that is swung the fastest,” Schomin said. “Every ingredient has been added to the difficult salad. Literally, it can’t be any more of a challenge. So it’s this constant work in progress.”

At best, a frustrated DeChambeau saying his driver sucks is unprofessional. At worst, it shows a lack of appreciation for the work and time Schomin and others at Cobra invest in making his gear.

Still, Schomin knows DeChambeau doesn’t mean it exactly the way he said it.

“It’s like an 8-year-old that gets mad at you,” he said. “They might fly off the handle and say, ‘I hate you.’ But then you go. ‘Whoa, no you don’t.’

“We know as adults that they really don’t mean that and I know that if I got him cornered right now and said, ‘What the hell did you say that for,’ he would say that he was mad. He didn’t really mean to say it that harshly. He knows how much everyone bends over backwards for him, but it’s still not cool.”

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A 4.5-degree driver? Bryson DeChambeau unleashes new weapon at the Masters

PGA Tour’s longest driver is focused on improved wedge play to set up birdies after so many long tee shots at firm Augusta National.

AUGUSTA, Ga. – Bryson DeChambeau’s state of mind and overall good health are at tiptop levels following a battery of tests.

His confidence is unwavering.

And he has a new weapon in his golf bag.

“Definitely what I’ve seen on the driving range and what I’ve seen the last week in practice, there’s some tremendous benefits to it,” DeChambeau said Tuesday at Augusta National.

What he’s been seeing will lead the reigning U.S. Open champion to more than likely go to the first tee Thursday with a new driver – the latest version of Cobra’s RadSpeed driver that hit the U.S. Golf Association’s conforming list this week. Cobra Tour rep Ben Schomin said it has a 5.5-degree face that DeChambeau will adjust to 4.5 degrees, which would provide the PGA Tour’s longest driver even more distance. DeChambeau leads the Tour in driving distance (320.8 yards) and is No. 1 in strokes gained off the tee and strokes gained tee to green.

The new driver, which DeChambeau and Cobra have worked on for several months, has a thicker face for durability – remember, DeChambeau cracked his 4-iron in the final round of the Players Championship on one swing – and a flatter toe radius which will help on mis-hits.

The new club is the latest result of another journey down a rabbit hole for DeChambeau in his search for victory. His workload intensified after he delivered a dud in the November Masters last year – the pre-tournament favorite who boasted his par at Augusta National was 67 faltered under the extreme spotlight and finished in a tie for 34th.

Since his Masters flop, DeChambeau won his eighth PGA Tour title at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and tied for third in the Players Championship. He leads the PGA Tour with a 69.43 scoring average.

Now he gets his second crack at winning a green jacket since he transformed his already large physique by adding 40-50 pounds.

Masters: TV information | PhotosOdds, predictions | Fantasy

“There are certain holes out here where length does help tremendously,” he said. “But you go up around those putting greens, and you just try to hit it into those areas of the green where the pins are, and it becomes very diabolical.

“Length is only as good as you can hit your next shot, is what I always say. And that’s the most important thing about Augusta National, is it doesn’t test just the driving. It tests your second shots, it tests the third shot, it tests making your 4-footer you’re trying to make for par.”

DeChambeau is confident he has his power dialed in, which is one reason most of his attention this week will be on the shorter same-length irons in his bag.

“I’m going to be focusing mainly on accomplishing how do I hit iron shots into greens to give myself the best chance to give myself the ability to make birdie,” he said. “There was a lot of times last year where I hit decent enough drives, but I just didn’t feel like I was hitting shots in the correct quadrants of the greens or giving myself opportunities on par 5s like I should have.”

And DeChambeau doesn’t fear the much firmer and faster conditions Augusta National presents compared to the soft and wet terrain in November. DeChambeau blasted the field and venerable Winged Foot in firm and fast conditions to win the U.S. Open in September. And Bay Hill was very firm and fast when he won the Arnold Palmer Invitational, as was the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass when he contended in the Players.

“I think that plays into my hand nicely for what I’m comfortable with,” he said. “I know that hitting it as far as I am, having wedges into greens with firm greens, I’m going to be able to stop it on the greens a lot easier.”

As of right now, DeChambeau is focused on his swing and Augusta National instead of wondering about his health. In November, he dealt with bouts of dizziness and stomach inflammation.

After the Masters, he later determined the frontal lobe of his brain was working too hard during the Masters and in turn caused some of his symptoms. He visited multiple doctors and had infection checks, multiple CT scans, measurements of the blood vessels in his neck, ultrasounds on his heart, and ear, eye and sinus tests.

“You name it, we did it,” he said.

Nothing was found. Then he had his oxygen levels checked and “something was there,” he said. New breathing exercises and a sleeping schedule were instituted. He also lost 10 pounds in light of his stomach inflammation.

“Ever since, I’ve been OK,” he said “Knock on wood.”

No matter what happens, DeChambeau will continue going down rabbit holes.

“I will not stop my pursuit of knowledge of the game, knowledge of the body, knowledge of the golf swing to give myself the best opportunity to win,” he said. “That will never happen.”

Cobra releases limited-edition Majors RadSpeed driver collection

To celebrate the Masters and the other three men’s majors, Cobra is releasing limited-edition RadSpeed drivers that feature special colors.

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With the Masters being played this week, plenty of companies are releasing limited-edition and “Masters-themed” gear, and Cobra has announced it is making special-edition RadSpeed drivers to celebrate all four men’s majors.

The King LE RadSpeed Season Opener has a white crown trimmed in green, along with green accents on the sole. It comes standard with a Project X HZRDUS Smoke Green Small Batch shaft and a custom black and green Lamkin Crossline Cobra Connect grip.

Cobra limited edition Radspeed drivers
The limited-edition Majors Cobra RadSpeed drivers. (Cobra)

The King LE RadSpeed Island driver has a cobalt blue and white colorway that pays homage to the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island Golf Resort, site of this season’s PGA Championship in May. It comes with a Project X HZRDUS RDX Smoke shaft and a custom black and blue Lamkin Crossline Cobra Connect grip.

The King LE RadSpeed “Pars & Stripes” driver features a red, white and blue colorway for the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines, while the King LE RadSpeed Season Closer has an orange color scheme inspired by the orange sunsets over the sand dunes at Royal St. George’s Golf Club, site of this year’s British Open.

All four limited-edition RadSpeed drivers will be available in the standard and RadSpeed XB versions for $549. Like the RadSpeed drivers released in December, they have an adjustable hosel, moveable weights in the sole, a CNC-milled face and a large carbon-fiber crown that wraps around the sides and into the sole of the club.

Cobra King Speedzone, King Speedzone Xtreme drivers

With a milled face, moveable weights, carbon fiber elements and adjustable hosel, the newest drivers from Cobra are packed with technology.

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Gear: Cobra King Speedzone, King Speedzone Xtreme drivers
Price: $449 with UST Helium Black, Mitsubishi CK Blue, Project X HZRDUS Smoke or Aldila Rogue Silver shaft and Lamkin Crossline Connect grip
Specs: Carbon-fiber crown and sole areas with milled titanium face, moveable weights and an adjustable hosel. Available in black/yellow or black/white
Available: Jan. 17, 2020

Veteran golfers may remember Cobra’s SZ 400 and SZ 440 drivers from the early 2000s, but while the company has brought back the Speedback name for its flagship woods for 2020, the newest models are not throwbacks. The new King Speedback and King Speedback Xtreme are packed with modern technologies to help golfers hit the ball farther and straighter.

The most unique feature of the new Speedback drivers is the CNC-milled Infinity Face. Most driver faces are forged, soldered onto the chassis and then hand-ground and polished, but the faces of the Speedback drivers are milled using computer-controlled robots. They pass a high-speed bit across the hitting area, shaving off tiny ribbons of material to ensure the face thickness that engineers want is achieved every time.

Cobra King SZ drivers
The milling of the King Speedback driver’s face extends around the toe, into the topline and under the leading edge. (Cobra Golf)

The F9 Speedzone drivers used by Rickie Fowler, Bryson DeChambeau and Lexi Thompson throughout 2019 had CNC-milled faces too, but the milled faces of the new Speedback drivers extend all the way around the face and into the leading edge, the toe and the topline. Cobra said this enlarges the sweet spot and helps protect ball speed on mis-hits more effectively.

Cobra King SZ drivers
A piece of titanium connects the front and back of the head, and carbon-fiber pieces reduce weight in the crown. (Cobra)

The chassis of the club also was redesigned. A titanium strip on the top connects the front of the club to the back section, and carbon fiber was used in two large areas on the crown and in the sole. Fifty percent of the club is now made from carbon fiber, which saved 25 grams of weight that could be redistributed to performance-enhancing areas.

Most of that was added to a 69-gram internal weight positioned at the back of the sole. It helps pull the center of gravity down and away from the hitting area, which encourages a higher launch angle and boosts stability. Cobra further enhanced stability by adding a pair of weights to the heel and toe areas behind the face. They help the club resist twisting on off-center hits.

The King Speedback comes with a pair of moveable weights: a red 14-gram weight and a black 2-gram weight. Putting the heavier weight in the forward position reduces spin and creates a lower ball flight. When the heavier weight is in the back, it boosts forgiveness and spin.

Cobra King SZ drivers
An internal weight in the back of the head lowers the center of gravity and boosts forgiveness. (Cobra Golf)

The King Speedback Xtreme shares all of the standard Speedback driver’s technologies, including the MyFly adjustable hosel that allows players and fitters to increase or decrease the club’s stated loft by as many as 1.5 degrees, but it is designed to be more forgiving. It is slightly larger from front to back and has more perimeter weighting, so it has a higher moment of inertia.

The clubs come standard with Cobra Connect, an Arccos-powered sensor embedded in the grip that links to a free smartphone app that can track drives and compile stats about performance. They also are available in standard length (45.5 inches) and Tour length (44.5 inches) with black and yellow or black and white color schemes.