The Rogue ST Max is a worthy follow up to its predecessors, as it delivers high levels of stability and consistency while maintaining competitive distance. The overall look is more premium while the performance will appeal to a range of player types.
For
- Premium, elegant look
- Great sound and feel
- Produces a very stable ball flight
Against
- Clock-style graphic on the crown are unnecessary
The Cobra LTDx driver builds on the brand’s impressive reputation for delivering modern looks and high-quality all-round performance at a reasonable price. Thanks to cleaner looks, it is still the driver to get if you want a premium performer that won't break the bank.
For
- Smart, modern, aspirational aesthetics
- Improved sound and feel
- Good value for money
Against
- Limited performance gains over previous generation
Callaway Rogue ST Max vs Cobra LTDx Driver: Read Our Head-To-Head Verdict
When it comes to picking out a new driver for your golf bag you really are spoilt for choice. There are a number of options available and, in this comparison piece, we are taking a look at two of the best golf drivers on the market.
Callaway and Cobra are used by the world's elite, with the companies knowing a thing or two about creating a driver that will improve your game. From Tour player models, all the way to the most forgiving drivers and high handicap models, there is something for everyone in modern golf.
In this piece though, we are looking at their top models, specifically the Callaway Rogue ST Max and the Cobra LTDx, drivers that also feature in our Editor's Choice Awards for 2022.
Both are phenomenal performers, but which one is best for your golf game? After extensive testing, we take you through the differences and find out which one will improve your game out on the course.
Technology
Both drivers are crammed with technology, with both offering forgiveness and distance in abundance. We begin with the Rogue ST Max, which has a number of new factors introduced for 2022, including an all-new A.I. Designed face that provides lower spin and forgiveness.
Like a number of the best Callaway drivers, the Rogue ST Max features the brand's patented A.I. designed Jailbreak Speed Frame, which provides stability throughout the swing and impact, as well as speed across the face.
Cobra, on the other hand, has introduced H.O.T Face Technology which, thanks to data from thousands of impact simulations, has thickness in multiple areas of the clubface. This gives maximum ball speed over an array of areas.
The other noticeable difference is the positioning of weight. The Callaway has a semi draw bias built in, making it one of the best drivers for slicers, as well as an 11.5g tungsten weight positioned at the very rear of the clubhead, which improves spin and ball speed consistency.
As for the LTDx, Cobra's PWR-COR Technology sees the weight low and forward, with a 14g machined steel internal weight and a 5g exterior aluminum weight positioned right behind the strike zone. There is also the addition of a 15g back weight, which should generate lower spin and higher launch and forgiveness.
Looks
Down at address, the Callaway Rogue ST Max has a new matte crown which we really liked, although we didn’t care much for the clock-style graphics at the rear. The face looks flatter and is lighter in color, making it more visible and therefore easier to align. There are four drivers in the Rogue ST range, with the Max having the longest profile from front to back to inspire maximum confidence, while the Rogue ST LS and Triple Diamond LS have taller faces.
Both these drivers feature matte black crowns, but it is the larger foot-print of the Cobra that we think will inspire more confidence at address among regular golfers. For 2022, the aesthetics of the LTDx have become more refined and, although it features a very similar-looking matte black carbon crown to last year’s Radspeed (why change it - for us it was one of the best looking drivers of 2021), it looks a bit more generous at address.
Feel
There's nothing better than the sound of a sweetly struck drive and these two options are no exception, as both deliver a powerful sounding strike off the face of the driver.
During the testing, we noticed a quieter, more dense ‘thud’ sound from the Rogue ST Max versus the louder, more metallic acoustics of the previous Callaway Epic Max and we really liked this change.
It's a similar story with the Cobra LTDx, which has a lower-pitched impact sound. We also loved the powerful feel through impact which was perhaps the biggest improvement over the previous generation Cobra Radspeed driver. For some slower swingers, this duller impact sound could make the Cobra feel a little harder to launch.
Performance
Both models offer premium level performance with the forgiveness and consistency factor making it hard to separate the two when tested. We start with the LTDx this time, with its forgiveness really standing out on the golf course. In testing the difference between our best and worst strikes (and there were a couple of very poor contacts in there!) was just 18 yards. The ball flight was fairly high but clearly low-spinning.
Observing the ball flight, the Rogue ST Max had a far more neutral trajectory. Also, thanks to the semi-draw bias, the ball flight was much more stable and seemed to curve offline less when we missed the middle.
The ball-flights on both were very high trajectories with a low spin flight resulting in plenty of distance across the board. One of the things that impressed us most about both drivers was how the distance was hardly compromised at all on the odd off-centre hit.
Distance
In the distance category there wasn't much to choose between the two, with both performing admirably when it comes to eking out the most length from your tee shots. What's more, both have a lot of adaptability, which means you can tinker with the loft and shape to maximize your distance.
Which one should you choose?
Choose the Callaway Rogue ST Max if…
- You are want a driver that is easy to align
- You are a slicer of the ball and want a driver with draw bias built in
- You want a forgiving driver with plenty of adaptability
Choose the Cobra LTDx if...
- You want a more penetrating ball flight
- You are looking for confidence at set up
- You are after a premium performing driver that won't break the bank
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