50 Words or Less
The Cobra DARKSPEED hybrid is a compact, all matte black club that launches balls high and far with minimal spin. A perfect replacement for those difficult long irons.
Introduction
The biggest story coming from Cobra this year is their use of computational air movement when designing their clubs. Cobra found that through the study of high speed cars and aviation they could reconfigure shaping to reduce drag on their woods line. This lead to improved club head speeds and added distance across the board. While much of these studies and designs are done on a computer or in a lab, I was able to get one of the Cobra DARKSPEED Hybrids to review to see how well it performs in real life.
Looks
Right out of the box, I noted the Cobra DARKSPEED Hybrid is compact with a small footprint. At address, the matte black crown mirrors its DARKSPEED siblings in the driver and fairway woods with only the Cobra “C” logo as an alignment aid. The white face lines sit nicely against the ball and act as a secondary alignment tool.
In the bag, the sole sports a single replaceable weight. This interchangeable weight is not new, but its location has been moved forward for 2024. Keeping up with the rest of the DARKSPEED line, the hybrid remains all black which is underrated and brings an elevated look to the hybrid.
Sound & Feel
Cobra nailed the sound for the DARKSPEED Hybrid. Each strike elicits a solid “tick” at impact that sounds more like a perfectly struck iron than a wood. The sound was quiet and only got louder and a bit more metallic when you miss well out on the toe or heel.
The feel is just as good as the sound. Any decent strike felt like the ball bounced off the face. This is a club that is almost hard to miss with. Feedback was only evident in the worst swings as any decent contact had minimal effect through the hands.
Performance
The Cobra DARKSPEED hybrid is a true rescue club. Its shape is compact enough where I could get it through any type of rough or fescue. It is also inspiring enough where I felt confident using it off a tee or in the fairway when necessary.
While testing the 19 degree three hybrid I had no trouble holding a green. Its high launch yielded a steep landing angle that countered the low spin. This is exactly what I prefer in a hybrid: a massively high trajectory that was fun to watch and stopped a few feet after landing.
From left to right dispersion, I found the Cobra DARKSPEED hybrid to be fairly neutral. It did not favor a fade or a draw. In fact, it seemed to autocorrect my miss and deliver straight, penetrating balls almost every time. Cobra only offers the single hybrid so if you’re looking for something with more spin and workability, I would recommend looking elsewhere. The good news is that Cobra offers their hybrid in a two through six model that span 11 degrees in loft. From 17 degrees in a two hybrid all the way up to 28 degrees in the six hybrid. Each club comes in at $279 and stock with a KBS PGI shaft with weight depending on the flex stiffness of your choosing.
I also should mention that any Cobra purchase also comes with a full set of Arccos sensors [review HERE] to use to track your stats – an added value built right in.
Conclusion
The Cobra DARKSPEED hybrid blends the precision of a long iron with an easier to launch wood to fill in those awkward gaps in the bag. Add in the variety of lofts and this low spin club can be fit for even the most tricky of bag setups.
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Cobra DARKSPEED Hybrid Price & Specs
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