Equipment

Jason Dufner speaks on unreleased Cobra LTDx driver (and his nearly decade-old 7 wood)

Published

4 years ago

Jan 18, 2022

When Jason Dufner showed up to the 2022 American Express for his Monday practice round session, he came with a new club in the bag: an unreleased Cobra LTDx driver.

Recently, three new Cobra “LTDx” drivers popped up on the USGA Conforming List, including a Cobra LTDx, an LTDx Max and an LTDx LS. With so many driver options hitting the list, it seems inevitable that a new family of drivers is coming soon to replace the company’s RadSpeed drivers from last year. Yet, that remains to be confirmed.

At the 2022 Sentry Tournament of Champions, Bryson DeChambeau was photographed using what appears to be the LTDx LS model, based on the sole weights. Being that GolfWRX didn’t have boots on the ground in Maui, however, we weren’t able to capture in-hand photos of the new driver design.

Thanks to Dufner’s driver of choice this week in Palm Desert, though, we’re now able to catch our first in-hand glance at an LTDx driver.

Based on a sticker that Dufner has near the hosel, his Cobra LTDx driver measures 8 degrees of actual loft.

Check out more in-hand photos here.

In addition to the photos, I was also able to catch up with Dufner on Monday about his personal experience with the new driver design, even though Cobra hasn’t yet revealed any details about the technology.

“One thing I have been seeing is the strikes have been really consistent off the middle of the face,” Dufner told GolfWRX. “People don’t believe this, but sometimes the driver can droop in different ways. The last couple models I had, I felt like I had been making good swings but was catching it on the toe a little bit. So these have been really consistent off the middle. I’ve seen really good launch windows to my eye, good spin windows to my eye, but I haven’t tested it on Trackman yet.”

Based on the photos, Cobra is going with a weight-back design in the LTDx head, likely to move center of gravity (CG) rearward into a more forgiving position. That could be why Dufner is able to find the center of the face more consistently.

As Dufner explains further below, the last few driver models he used in recent years had a more weight-forward design that were intended to lower spin. The back-weighted design of the LTDx, however, has allowed Dufner to find better windows, find the center of the face more often, and have better overall control.

“They’ve got three different heads now, so it gives me more options…my particular model has the weight is back, and we put a little more weight in the back so it changes the CG a little bit for me,” Dufner said. “It makes it launch a little bit higher and spin a little more, which is kind of what I need. I want to have a certain amount of loft so I can get more ball speed. The more loft you have, the less ball speed you’ll have, because it’s not as flat a surface. So I should see some speed gains…I like it so far. It feels great. I just played 9 holes and didn’t miss a fairway.”

Even though Dufner says he hasn’t captured his performance with the LTDx yet on a launch monitor, the driver is checking all the right boxes in terms of ball flight.

“For me, with a driver, the most important thing is that when I feel like I make a good swing and hit it off the center, does it do what I want it to do? And I’ve seen that very consistently through the 4-5 days that I’ve had it,” Dufner said. “I don’t worry about the mishits as much, because the mishits are mishits. But if you can tighten dispersion a little bit with those, great. It gets a little weird for us when we make a good swing and it goes off the center and it’s left or right or whatever. So I’ve been happy with it and I plan on playing with it. We’ll see how it goes.”

Although it seems set in stone based on his comments, it’s not yet certain that Dufner will use the LTDx come competition time on Thursday. What’s absolutely guaranteed, though, is that he will have his longtime Titleist 915F 7-wood in the bag.

Dufner has used the 915F 21-degree fairway wood since 2014 when the club first launched, and it’s not leaving the bag anytime soon.

“That’s not going anywhere until it breaks,” Dufner told GolfWRX.

Even if something drastic happens in the meantime (knock on wood), Dufner has a backup.

“I have that head, which is the original, and I’ve got another head that I haven’t hit yet,” Dufner said. “So I’ve got at least six more years if this one goes.”

When I asked Dufner if he’s tested any other 7-woods recently to capitalize on newer technologies, Dufner’s answer was simple and matter-of-fact: “No.”

It’s safe to say Dufner isn’t changing out that 915F 7-wood, which is smart, because it looks like he’s missed the center of the face with it no more than two or three times in the last eight years.

To see the rest of the clubs that Dufner has in the bag for 2022, check out the forum link here.

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Most interesting photos from Monday at the 2022 American Express

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Andrew Tursky

He played on the Hawaii Pacific University Men's Golf team and earned a Masters degree in Communications. He also played college golf at Rutgers University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism.

9 Comments

Pingback: Top-30 equipment photos from the 2021-2022 PGA Tour season – GolfWRX
Divot Diggler

Jan 18, 2022 at 8:22 pm

I love Cobra products ……..My bag has 12/14 Cobra clubs in it …. It is going to be a hard launch for any driver manufacturer in 2022 with the new TM Stealth being recently released.

Reply Report comment
- John
  
  Jan 19, 2022 at 11:50 am
  
  Its all total marketing hype, come on man, u believe that stuff, really?…
  
  Reply Report comment
- Siggy Biscuit
  
  Feb 20, 2022 at 11:42 am
  
  Idk I feel like Cobras futuristic yet classy look will sell. Especially with the new breed of Smashers. I think they stand out a little more than the Rogue at least.
  
  Reply Report comment
Divot Diggler

Jan 18, 2022 at 8:20 pm

I love Cobra products ……..My bag has 12/14 Cobra clubs in it …. It is going to be a hard launch for any driver manufacturer in 2022 with the new TM Stealth being recently released. ?

Reply Report comment
Brandon

Jan 18, 2022 at 7:51 pm

Would it kill you to take a picture of the top of the driver? Ya know, the part you actually look at when you address a golf ball?

Reply Report comment
- John
  
  Jan 19, 2022 at 11:51 am
  
  Instead of whining like a 2yo, try using a thing called GOOGLE.
  LMFAO
  
  Reply Report comment
joe

Jan 18, 2022 at 10:57 am

Cobra needs a LOT of help in the industrial design and marketing department. This looks like a cross between a driver you’d buy at Sam’s Club and something from the toy aisle at Walmart.

Reply Report comment
- John
  
  Jan 19, 2022 at 11:52 am
  
  says you..
  
  Reply Report comment

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Whats in the Bag

Christiaan Maas WITB 2026 (June)

Published

4 hours ago

Jun 11, 2026

GolfWRX Staff

Driver: TaylorMade Qi4D LS (8 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 6 X

3-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 9 TX

Irons: TaylorMade P770 (3), TaylorMade P7CB (4), TaylorMade P7TW (5-PW)
Shafts: Fujikura Ventus Black HB 10 X, True Temper Dynamic Gold X100

Wedges: TaylorMade Prototype (50-SB09), TaylorMade MG5 (56-HB12, 60-LV07)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold S400

Putter: TaylorMade TP Juno

Ball: Titleist Pro V1x

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord

Check out more in-hand photos of Christiaan Maas’ clubs here.

Equipment

TaylorMade MySpider Tour and Tour X: More customizable build options now available

Published

4 hours ago

Jun 11, 2026

Alistair Cameron

TaylorMade Golf’s MySpider program underwent a substantial overhaul over the last month. Firstly, the company launched the option to customize the Spider ZT model, and now the program has returned with the MySpider Tour and MySpider Tour X.

The revamped page now gives golfers complete control over every visual and functional detail of their putter on the popular Tour and Tour X head, with every cosmetic idea thought of. In MySpider Tour, golfers can choose from four head finishes, 16 paint fill colors, nine Surlyn face insert colors, three aluminum insert options, six sightline configurations, and four hosel options — L-neck, small slant, double bend, center shaft. Six sightline options are available in MySpider Tour, including the optically engineered True Path alignment system. MySpider Tour X gives builders the option of four head finishes, four hosel configurations, and five sightline options, also including True Path alignment.

One of the more interesting features of the new MySpider program is the availability of three distinct face insert options. Along with the usual Surlyn Pure Roll insert trusted by Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy, which can be customized from nine colors, golfers can now also select firmer options. Two are offered with the black aluminum Pure Roll insert, slightly firmer than the traditional insert, or for the firmest feel, golfers can choose from two colors of milled aluminum inserts.

Another fun addition to the MySpider Tour is the ability to use the “Tommy Sightline.” The custom alignment aid design, which was first drawn onto Tommy Fleetwood’s putter by PGA Tour Rep James Holley, is based on the milled sightline on his Spider ZT head. There are five shorter lines on the left and right of a longer central line serving as the traditional short line alignment aid.

See below for the full specifications sheet for MySpider Tour and Tour X:

MySpider Tour

MySpider Tour X

Equipment

Then and now: Comparing Rory McIlroy’s current setup to his record-breaking 2019 Canadian Open victory

Published

7 hours ago

Jun 11, 2026

Alistair Cameron

In Rory McIlroy’s first appearance at the 2019 RBC Canadian Open, he crushed the record books to earn his 16th PGA Tour title in dominating fashion, winning by seven shots over Shane Lowry and Webb Simpson.

McIlroy’s score of 22-under-par 258 is the lowest 72-hole score to date at the Canadian Open, and his closing 61 is also the best final-round score in the history of one of golf’s oldest tournaments. Finally, with his win in 2019, McIlroy became only the sixth player to win the career Triple Crown, adding to his victories at the U.S. Open in 2011 and The Open Championship in 2014, joining Tommy Armour, Walter Hagen, Arnold Palmer, Lee Trevino and Tiger Woods in a coveted list.

So, with that, why not compare his current setup to the clubs he used to break all the records?

Driver

2019: TaylorMade M5 (9 degrees), Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro White 70 TX
2026: TaylorMade Qi4D (9 degrees @8), Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 7X (45 5/8 inches)

McIroy led the Tour in Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee in 2019; he’s doing the same in 2026. Between now and then, McIlroy has switched from the Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro White 70 TX (a shaft with slightly more feeling in the tip) to the original Fujikura Ventus Black 7X, having just made the change to the heavier version from playing the 60X.

What’s interesting about McIlroy’s 2019 setup is that the weighting on his driver is actually set in the high-draw setting, using the T-Track weighting system, whereas in the Qi4D, he’s currently using a heavily rear-weighted setup. (Two 13-gram weights in the rear and only two 4-gram front weights.)

The TaylorMade M5 driver he played in during his Canadian Open win was the company’s first head that they claimed to design to initially exceed the USGA’s COR limit, and then injected with tuning resin to bring it back in bounds.

Fairway woods

2019: TaylorMade M6 3-wood (15 degrees), Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro White 80 TX; TaylorMade M5 5-wood (19 degrees), Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro White 90 TX
2026: TaylorMade Qi4D 3-wood (15 degrees), Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 8X; TaylorMade Qi4D 5-wood (18 degrees), Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 9X

The TaylorMade M6 fairway wood that McIlroy was using during the 2019 season is still in the bag of some of the best golfers on Tour in 2026. Just check out Justin Rose’s winning setup from the Farmers Insurance Open earlier this year. This year, though, McIlroy has still been searching for his top-end-of-the-bag setup, having played both the new Qi4D and the Qi10, which he won the Masters with.

The same shaft swap can be seen in the fairway woods as the driver, along with slightly less loft on the 5-wood.

Irons

2019: TaylorMade P750 (4) Buy here, TaylorMade P730 (5-9), Shafts: Project X 7.0
2026: TaylorMade P760 (4), TaylorMade Rors Proto (5-9), Shafts: Project X 7.0

The biggest difference between McIlroy’s custom set and the stock P730s is the groove design. While the P730s were constructed with 14 MX-9 grooves on their milled faces, McIlroy’s proto heads instead use the higher-spinning, 16-groove layout of the TW2 grooves. Other big differences between the sets are that McIlroy’s 7- and 8-irons have thinner toplines, are 1 degree stronger in loft, and are 1/4 inch longer than the original P730 builds.

With McIlroy’s 4-iron, the switch from P750 to P760 sees a transition to a two-piece construction with Speed Foam in it, which allows McIlroy to launch the ball slightly higher, with more workability.

Wedges

2019: TaylorMade Milled Grind (48-09SB), TaylorMade MG Hi-Toe (52-09SB, 56-09SB, 60-LB09), Shafts: Project X Rifle 6.5
2026: TaylorMade MG5 (46-09SB, 50-09SB, 54-11SB, 60-08LB @61), Shafts: Project X 6.5 (46-54), Project X 6.5 Wedge (60)

Between 2019 and 2026, McIlroy’s focus on his short game has been much more apparent. It was the reason why he switched back to the TP5 golf ball, to help with launch, spin and control with his wedges leading up to his career Grand Slam victory in 2025. The most apparent changes to McIlroy’s wedge setup are his lofts and bounce. He’s slowly delofted his pitching to a sand wedge, but has increased the loft on the lob wedge, bending his current 60-degree to 61. With that, adding more loft to his lob wedge also slightly increases the bounce and leading-edge sit point, so, as a result, he plays a lower-bounce lob wedge compared to 2019. The MG5 wedges are also softer than the first Milled Grind option from 2019. McIlroy also no longer plays the full-face grooves found on the Hi-Toe.

Putter

2019: TaylorMade Spider X
2026: TaylorMade Spider Tour X

Notice anything similar. Yes, the copper finish on Rory McIlroy’s Spider X putter in 2019 is a slightly more reflective finish than the recently released torched PVD finish. McIlroy was using the True Path alignment system, but now uses only a single white sightline.

Ball

2019: 2019 TaylorMade TP5 (#22)
2026: 2025 TaylorMade TP5 (RORS)

As mentioned above, McIlroy had transitioned from the TP5 to TP5x golf ball since his victory in Canada in 2019, but now is black with the same style of golf ball as his victory at Hamilton Golf & Country Club.

Grips

2019: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord
2026: Golf Pride MCC

Interesting, McIlroy actually used Golf Pride’s Tour Velvet Cord grips during his victory in 2019 (it was during a 2+ year switch to the corded TV) as opposed to his usual MCC grips, which he has played for most of his career.