50 Words or Less
The Cobra DARKSPEED X driver offers a wonderful combination of speed and forgiveness. Low spin, mid-launch, and straight. Very appealing looks and rewarding sound.
Introduction
Speed and aerodynamics have been at the heart of Cobra club names for years. Last year featured the Aerojet [driver review HERE], following Radspeed, and Speedzone in recent years. So the name DARKSPEED wasn’t a surprise when I saw teaser posts on social media, but I have to admit I liked it. And I really liked the “out of this world speed” tagline. This heightened intrigue for the 2024 DARKSPEED family of golf clubs and made me anxious to test the DARKSPEED X driver, which sits in the middle of the lineup between the LS and MAX models. Did the performance match my expectations? Read on to find out.
Looks
At address, the Cobra DARKSPEED X driver has a balanced, attractive shape. The matte black finish is a winner in my book. There’s pinstriping and a Cobra logo alignment aid, but all are almost invisible in black. It wasn’t until I brought the head closer to my eyes that I noticed the faint graphite weave.
Face on, the profile is typical of most modern drivers – tall and wide – but with a taper that makes it more streamlined. A few graphics providing visual interest, and the target circles are clearly, although slightly, heel bias. In profile, the clubhead displays the aerodynamic shaping that Cobra developed working with true aerospace engineers.
The sole of the DARKSPEED X driver has a ton of eye appeal, even with the absence of bold elements Cobra has often flaunted in the past. Here the carbon weave is more exposed and contrasts nicely with the glossy front chassis. The few pops of blue are a nice finishing touch and differentiate the driver from the other models.
And before leaving this section I have to say the DARKSPEED headcover is one of the nicest stock covers I’ve encountered in recent memory. That starts with the uber soft, luxurious feeling material. The all-black color palette fits the name perfectly. There’s a plethora of Cobra branding, but it’s presented in an appealing way.
Sound & Feel
It took me a few minutes and a handful of swings to decipher the sound of the Cobra DARKSPEED X driver. The tone was a bit lower than the other drivers I could hear on the range. And I was also picking up a hint of timbre that also differentiated the sound. Good strikes were rewarded with some depth. Volume wise, I give the DARKSPEED X a medium plus.
The stability of the clubhead was noteworthy. During my “get to know you” phase, my contact was all over the face yet most every strike felt solid and powerful. I’m happy to trade tactile feedback for a broad sensational feel.
Performance
My test model Cobra DARKSPEED X driver came with the stock MCA Kai’li Blue 60 [check out Matt’s review HERE] regular flex shaft. It didn’t take too many swings to realize the shaft and I were not in sync – and the data above in the left column proved that out. Pulling up the Cobra website, my eyes quickly focused on “built to provide the stability demanded by stronger swings” in the Kai’li description. Anyone who’s played with me would never use “stronger” as a descriptor of my swing. Fortunately, the good folks at Club Champion had my gamer shaft, and I was able to evaluate the driver’s performance more fairly.
Get max forgiveness with the Cobra DARKSPEED MAX driver HERE
With both shafts, smash factor was impressive – and consistent. Modern drivers often produce 1.5 smash factors in data sets, but the DARKSPEED X driver was doing this nearly every swing. Cobra accomplishes this energy conversion with a combination of improved, A.I. assisted face design, and a repositioned PWR-BRIDGE. The suspended PWR-BRIDGE (think inverted truss) is now located inside the head at the leading edge.
That same combination of technologies was also designed to produce low spin – and delivered such per my testing. To keep the spin low while boosting forgiveness, Cobra utilized dual weights in the sole. One weight in the rear of the sole for stability and launch, and a second closer to the face for spin control. Shaping and weighting of the DARKSPEED X driver offer a neutral shot shape.
Although my swing speed was down from a punishing two days of driving to and walking the floor of the PGA Show in Orlando [check out our recap HERE], I was impressed with the playability of the Cobra DARKSPEED X driver. My gamer shaft improved my speed and launch angle and tightened up the dispersion. I wasn’t able to confirm that this is the “the fastest driver” Cobra has ever built, but I have no reason to doubt the claim.
Find lower spin with the Cobra DARKSPEED LS driver HERE
Conclusion
The Cobra DARKSPEED X driver lived up to its billing, delivering consistently strong ball speeds. And, I have to say, the DARKSPEED X driver may be the best looking and sounding Cobra driver I’ve ever hit. My issue with the stock shaft was merely a pre-launch availability circumstance, and you can discover more about the variety of shaft options on our chart below. If you’re pondering a new driver in 2024, make sure to add the DARKSPEED X to your short list.
Buy the Cobra DARKSPEED X Driver HERE
Visit Cobra Golf HERE
Cobra DARKSPEED X Driver Price & Specs
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15 Comments
Hello Matt – Thank you for the review. What is your “gamer” shaft which improved your numbers? Thanks again!
The MCA Vanquish. You can see all the writers WITB on our “About” tab – here’s mine LINK.
– Meeks
Hi Matt
Will there be a review of the Darkspeed LS?
Thanks
Yes there will Rob.
– Meeks
Hi! I’m at work surfing around your blog from my new iphone!
Just wanted to say I love reading your blog and look
forward to all your posts! Carry on the superb work!
Hi Matt, several questions: what is your handicap? What is the length of your driver shaft? Are your ball speed and Club head speed numbers for this article fairly representative of what you normally have? And, how old are you? (Just trying to compare your numbers with mine.) Jon
I’m happy to answer your questions Jon, but please note that I only compare golfers by height. Hopefully someone out there gets that reference. 12 handicap, not sure – but close to normal/standard, swing speed was on the low side during LM testing and thus the chart, and 58 y.o.
– Meeks
Great answer Ty
Wow the difference in shaft performance is eye opening. I hit the Darkspeed MAX yesterday and really liked it with Linq red.. Maybe I should look at Vanquish.
Very interesting to see the different results between shafts. Have you tested the Max version as well? I am wondering if there is a big difference in forgiveness and distance between the two.
I have not tested the Max.
– Meeks
Ok. Senior with 85-90 swing speed. Tendency to slice. Advise cobra driver and shaft please.
Joe,
Thanks for reading. The Cobra Darkspeed MAX is designed to help with a slice – that review will be posted June 10th. As for shaft, you’ll need to hit the driver to determine the best fit for you. Age is irrelevant, and speed is only part of the equation.
– Meeks
Is this driver good for 13 yrs old with 18 handicap
Rafay,
It could be. You can only know for sure with a fitting.
Best,
Matt