Cobra's LTDx Max is said to be their most forgiving fairway wood on offer, with specific weighting aimed at fighting the slice.
Over the last few years, Cobra woods have been gaining more and more popularity in the golfing world as testing proves that they perform just as well as the 'Big Four' of TaylorMade, Titleist, Callaway and Ping, but at more reasonable prices.
Our reviewer Sophie Walker recently named the Cobra LTDx as her favourite driver of 2022 so far, thanks to its combination of distance, forgiveness and value for money.
So can the fairway wood follow suit? I put the new Max model to the test at Bingley St Ives Golf Club to find out.
The Tech
The LTD Max is one of three fairways available in Cobra's latest range and it is the most forgiving model, complete with adjustable weights for added draw bias and a number of the same technologies used in the LTDx Drivers.
The addition of the new Pwr-Cor weight - a combination of both aluminium and tungsten - pushes weight low and forward in the head for faster ball speeds with reduced spin.
There's also adjustable 3g and 12g weights which can be placed in either the heel or the back of the club head, which Cobra say creates 'extreme forgiveness' with added draw bias or to promote easier launch.
The new H.O.T Face Technology uses machine learning over thousands of different simulations to create multiple zones of different thicknesses across the face, increasing ball speed across a larger part of the face.
A lighter carbon crown has also been used, which saves weight to be redistributed lower and further forward in the head and maximise stability whilst also assisting with faster club head speeds.
The LTDx Max is available in 3, 5 and 7 Wood models, with a number of premium aftermarket shafts on offer too.
Cobra LTDx Max Fairway Review
Looks and Feel
The LTDx Max reminds me of both the Ping G400 and the new Callaway Rogue ST at address, with the combination of orange touches and the carbon-effect crown as well as the turbulator-style fins on the crown.
It's a smart overall look which is an improvement on last year's Radspeed range in my opinion, and I'm glad that Cobra have gone back to the matte finish on their woods rather than the glossy one.
The club sits nicely down by the ball with a head size that is friendly without being oversized, and I was pleased to see that Cobra haven't added much/if any offset even though this is a fairway which is designed to help stop your slice. They're happy to let the heel weights do that job instead which I think is a good decision, because there are plenty of golfers who don't like the offset look.
There are no baffler rails in the 3W version and Cobra say that this is because the golf swing swing is more sweeping with this club, but they reappear in the 5 and 7 Wood where you're more likely to interact with the turf and so are more likely to need the help of the rails.
I've been impressed with the feel of Cobra woods for a few years now and the LTDx Max was no different, with plenty of fizz from the face and a solid, satisfying sound.
The Data
The main thing I really want to see with fairway woods is decent distance with consistency in spin rates and ball speed, and the LTDx Max was pretty impressive based on my testing with the Flightscope Mevo+ Launch Monitor.
Distance-wise, the fairway sat right where I'd expect really at around 215 yards carry. I have had hotter 3 woods creep up past 220 yards carry but it's not the be all and end all.
You still need to know that it goes a reliable distance when laying up off the tee or hitting longer approach shots, rather than the odd hot one that comes out like a bullet and goes as far as your driver.
The height of my shots was quite variable but I'd say that's more due to my variation in strike rather than the club itself. I was testing this fairway from the deck so it's easy to catch the ball a little low on the face which causes a different ball flight. When struck well the ball flew at a nice height and with a soft draw.
I was surprised and impressed by just how consistent the spin levels were, particularly considering there were a few mis-strikes as mentioned.
On-Course Performance
I tested this fairway on a windy day at Bingley St Ives GC and whilst I was impressed with the overall forgiveness of the club, the ball did tend to spin up on a couple of occasions which meant that I lost out on distance.
Hitting from the fairway felt easy to strike the ball and even on one occasion where I didn't strike it brilliantly the club still performed in getting the ball safely down the fairway, leaving me with a short iron in to the par 5 green.
I also found that launching the ball high was really easy, and this is something that lots of amateur golfers can find tricky when it comes to hitting woods (particularly off the deck).
The best way to describe it is that I didn't really have to think about striking or launching the ball when standing over it, I was more focused on the actual shot itself, which is a much better situation to be in.
Despite the neutral position at address, the heel weighting did encourage more of a natural draw shape on the golf course and I had to work a little harder to try and get a fade going.
Of course you can always switch the weights around to put the heavier weight at the back of the head, although this will promote a higher ball flight again so that is worth bearing in mind. As ever, I would advise consulting your fitter on this before switching.
Cobra LTDx Max Fairway Verdict
Cobra's LTDx Max is a fairway which is easy to use and provides you with the distance and forgiveness you need to step up and strike the ball with confidence on long par 4s and 5s.
I'm glad that Cobra have decided to use weights rather than offset to help golfers fight the slice, as I think it will help it to appeal to a wider audience. Better players struggle with a slice too but that doesn't mean they want a shut club face!
Cobra woods have been excellent for a while now and this is yet another great option. There is very little difference between the standard LTDx and the LTDx Max at address so unless you need the added launch and anti-slice characteristics then the standard model is worth testing too, because it is also very good.
At an RRP of £249 the LTDx Max is cheaper than the Stealth (£279) and Rogue ST (£299) and so is well worth considering if you want to take your wood game to the max.
Who Is It Aimed At?
I could imagine anyone from single figure handicappers right up to beginner golfers using this fairway, as it is forgiving and easy to use and all in a great looking package.
Would I Use It?
I'm not sure I would go for the Max version of this fairway as I don't think the weight setup is quite right for my game, but I enjoyed using it nonetheless and would definitely be happy to give the standard model a go.
If you enjoyed this, you may also like:
Callaway Rogue ST Max Fairway Wood Review
Cobra King LTDx Drivers Review