Cobra's fairway woods and hybrids, complete with iconic Bafller rails, have been among the best in the business for golfers for a number of years now.
The new LTDx range of metals are designed to provide the longest total distance (hence the name LTD) and whilst hybrids are designed to fit within a specific gap in your bag, Cobra are promising plenty of distance mixed with forgiveness in their new models.
The Tech
Cobra say that the LTDx is their most versatile and forgiving hybrid, designed for every player type.
Having produced some of the brand's fastest face designs over the last few years, the Pwrshell technology is back again in the LTDx with a new L-cup face which is forged from thin, strong stainless steel.
It promotes up to 17% more flex in the face, resulting in faster ball speeds and a higher launch right across the hitting area.
Two baffler rails on the sole of the club are designed to help keep the head moving through the turf out of tight lies, thick rough and even bunkers.
New for this year in the LTDx range is the Pwr-Cor technology, consisting of a multi-material weighting system which pushes as much weight and forward in the head as possible.
A tungsten internal weight and an aluminium external weight are placed right behind the hitting zone to help transfer maximum ball speed to the ball at impact, whilst reducing spin rates.
An 8g back weight is there to balance out the low spin with a higher launch and extra forgiveness, a recipe which generates plenty of distance.
The use of machine learning, which has become a popular tool in club design for many manufacturers in recent years, creates a new variable thickness pattern in the face which Cobra call H.O.T Face Technology.
H.O.T stands for Highly Opitimised Topology and features 15 different zones of thickness across the face to maximise ball speed right across the hitting area.
The LTDx Hybrid is available from a 17° 2H all the way up to a 28° 6H, with the option of a One Length variant also available.
Cobra LTDx Hybrid Review
Looks and Feel
The LTDx Hybrid is said to be versatile and forgiving, as mentioned earlier, and as such it has a large and friendly-looking footprint down by the ball.
It's not quite oversized but you certainly shouldn't have any worries about striking this from different lies, although it may take a bit of getting used to if you're making the switch from a long iron or more of a baffler-shaped hybrid.
I did like the matte finish though which is a constant throughout the LTDx metals range. It's smart and is probably more practical as it's easier to keep clean and less likely to be affected by any glare if you play in the sun.
The LTDx did produce a pretty loud ping off the face which in some ways sounds more like a driver or fairway than a hybrid. It didn't bother me too much but it may come as a bit of surprise for some golfers to begin with.
The Data
The first thing that I felt when hitting this hybrid indoors on the Trackman was that the ball seemed to spring off the face and launch high, and this was proven in the numbers as it was higher than the TaylorMade Stealth which I had tested earlier in the year and which is currently in my bag.
The average carry distance was just a shade under 200 yards which is pretty much what I'd expect for a 21 degree hybrid, whilst the launch angle of 15.6 degrees was a little on the high side but nothing to really worry about.
I was pretty impressed with the overall consistency of the numbers, including the spin rates which remained in the mid 3000s on all but a couple of shots which were struck slightly from the toe.
For me hybrids are more about reliability than all-out distance so I don't really want to see the odd shot going 10-15 yards further than the rest because I want to be able to trust the yardage.
On-Course Performance
This club's large footprint definitely gives you plenty of confidence out on the course where you're faced with a variety of different lies and situations.
Hybrids are used in so many different scenarios- off the tee, out of thick rough, from tight lies on the fairway - that you want to be able to step up to the ball and trust the club that you have in your hand, and this hybrid certainly helped with that.
Just like I saw from my indoor testing, there was a notably high ball flight out on the golf course and it felt extremely easy to launch the ball even when hitting from the rough. The 8g back weight was clearly doing it's part in getting the ball up and going without any more effort than normal, which was great.
If I had one real criticism of the hybrid I would say that it was perhaps a little one-dimensional. It's not really offset although it felt slightly more draw-biased than completely neutral, and so I felt that it seemed to produce a very similar ball flight every time I struck it.
For many people this is reassuring, especially as hybrids can be used as that trustworthy go-to club that you pull when you need to hit a fairway or get yourself out of trouble. For me, being a long iron replacement, I'd maybe want something that I can do a little bit more with - if I was playing into a strong wind and wanted to hit it a little lower, for example.
Cobra LTDx Hybrid Verdict
I'm not sure how many 'better players' you'll see with this club in the bag as I feel like this hybrid is geared more towards friendly forgiveness for mid-handicappers.
That's not to say you can't use it, but like TaylorMade have the Stealth Plus and Callaway have the Rogue ST Pro Hybrids which have a compact, iron-like shape which is more workable, Cobra have the King Tec.
Having said that, the LTDx will provide everything that most golfers want from a hybrid - it looks friendly, launches high and travels a long way with ease, and it's nice and forgiving from a variety of different lies.
At £200 I'd also say it's pretty decent value for money too, particularly when you compare that to the likes of the TaylorMade Stealth and Callaway Rogue ST.
Who Is It Aimed At?
Whilst I think pretty much any golfer could use and find benefits from this hybrid as an easy launching, forgiving golf club, I think you'll find that low single figure golfers will tend to sway more towards the King Tec hybrid and the LTDx is probably better suited to mid handicappers and higher.
Would I Use It?
Absolutely, the hybrid looks great and just felt so easy to use. It might not feel or sound brilliant, and perhaps doesn't have the workability of a slightly sleeker hybrid model, but if you just want something reliable and forgiving then the LTDx is ideal.
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TaylorMade Stealth Rescue Hybrid Review
Cobra King LTDx Drivers Review