Best Cobra Golf Drivers 2024: tested with data
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What is the best Cobra driver in 2024 for golfers of different swing speeds and handicaps? We reveal the best Cobra golf driver for your game.
Cobra may not always match the likes of Callaway, Ping, and TaylorMade when it comes to sales among the best golf drivers, but they have released some excellent models in recent years that are well worth considering.
High-speed players will want to look at the Cobra Darkspeed LS driver which is undoubtedly one of the best low-spinning drivers, while those wanting the most forgiveness or draw-bias will like the Cobra Darkspeed Max. The standard Cobra Darkspeed X is a great middle-ground for those who want the best of everything.
The previous generation Cobra AeroJet drivers are still a great option and are available at a reasonable price now they’re a little older, while the Cobra Air-X drivers are very lightweight and therefore great for golfers lacking in swing speed.
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Best Cobra golf drivers – our top picks:
Best all-round Cobra driver: Cobra Darkspeed X Driver | VIEW UK OFFER | VIEW US OFFER
Best Tour-level Cobra driver: Cobra Darkspeed LS Driver | VIEW UK OFFER | VIEW US OFFER
Best draw-bias Cobra driver: Cobra Darkspeed Max Driver | VIEW UK OFFER | VIEW US OFFER
Best women’s Cobra driver: Cobra Darkspeed Max Women’s Driver | VIEW UK OFFER | VIEW US OFFER
Cobra have an excellent range of ladies’ drivers available to choose from, whether you want to play with the brand new top-of-the-range Darkspeed Max Women’s driver or the 2021 RadSpeed that year after year holds its place in Lexi Thompson’s bag.
Best Cobra Golf Drivers
Cobra's middle-of-the-road driver is brilliant for Tour players and amateur golfers
Best all-round Cobra driver
There is outstanding adjustability with the Darkspeed X thanks to the MyFly loft settings and two interchangeable weights on the sole of the club head. The superb technology packed into the Darkspeed X driver head delivers an amazing feel and excellent performance.
The dark colorway with blue accents is absolutely flawless. The club looks amazing down behind the ball and in your bag.
Read our full Cobra Darkspeed X Driver review.
Uber low-spinning driver not for the faint-hearted
Best Tour-level Cobra driver
The LS driver head is completely blacked out with no color on the club head, which I think looks absolutely fantastic - others may disagree. The LS looks good, sounds good, and performs well - what's not to like?
Read our full Cobra Darkspeed LS driver review.
The most forgiving and draw-biased Cobra Darkspeed driver
Best draw-bias Cobra driver
Rrp: $549.00
Rrp: $549.00
By moving the heavier 12g weight further back you will also increase the forgiveness as the MOI is heightened. Depending on how bad your slice is, the MyFly adjustability can produce even more draw-bias when the heavier weight is in the heel.
Read our full Cobra Darkspeed Max driver review.
Cobra's newest female-specific driver
Best women's Cobra driver
Rrp: $549.99
Rrp: $549.99
The main difference between this driver and the Max is the color scheme. the Darkspeed Max Women's isn't as blacked-out as the Max, there are more splashes of color. The cool blue accents extend beyond the sole of the club and make their way onto the crown.
Some men might prefer the looks of the Max Women's driver to the Max driver, if that's the case don't be afraid to slot this in your bag. After all, it is the same club effectively.
Read our full Cobra Darkspeed Max Women's driver review.
Save yourself some money by opting for Cobra's previous generation middle-0f-the-road driver
Best previous generation Cobra driver
Rrp: $549.99
Rrp: $549.99
A great-looking, sounding, and performing driver for a tad less than the very biggest brands. We love the more upright lie angle in the 10.5° and 12° lofts which encourage a fraction more draw bias.
Read our full Cobra AeroJet driver review.
| Lofts: | 9° / 10.5° / 12° |
| Stock shafts: | UST Helium Nanocore, Mitsubishi Kai’li Blue, Mitsubishi Kai’li White, HZRDUS Black 4G |
Brilliant value low-spinning driver
Best value Cobra driver for quick swing speeds
Rrp: $549.99
Rrp: $549.99
After TG’s driver test we that the driver will produce good numbers and will be a great option for the higher-speed players.
In the test, AeroJet LS underperformed in comparison to its low-spin competitors, most managed to produce a ball speed that was 160mph+, and the Cobra was 1.6mph short of that at 158.4mph. It was also outperformed on total carry distance by the rest of the pack averaging out at 272 yards which is 10 yards less than the Ping G430 LST.
The AeroJet LS’s saving grace is the club’s value for money, as it comes in at a cost per yard of £1.43 in comparison to the Callaway Paradym Triple Diamond which comes in at £1.98 per yard a significant £0.55p difference.
Read our full Cobra AeroJet LS driver review.
| Lofts: | 9° / 10.5° |
| Stock shafts: | UST Helium Nanocore, Mitsubishi Kai’li Blue, Mitsubishi Kai’li White, HZRDUS Black 4G |
A good substitue if you don't want to spend top dollar on Darkspeed
Best forgiving Cobra driver
Rrp: $549.99
Rrp: $549.99
The fact there are slightly more forgiving and/or more draw-biased models out there meant it very narrowly missed out on a ‘Best of 2023’ award, but it’s still a great option.
Read our full Cobra AeroJet Max driver review.
| Lofts: | 9° / 10.5° / 12° |
| Stock shafts | UST Helium Nanocore, Mitsubishi Kai’li Blue, Mitsubishi Kai’li White, Project X HZRDUS Black 4G |
Firm favorite of LPGA Tour star Lexi Thompson
Best Cobra driver according to Lexi Thompson
The RadSpeed features some of the technology Cobra still use in their newest drivers showing it does contain a winning recipe. If you're looking for a steal at the top of the bag this is definitely up there. You can pick up a RadSpeed for less than £220 / $200. Who knows it might make you hit the ball as well as Lexi.
Read our full Cobra King RadSpeed driver review.
Cobra's anti-slice driver
Best Cobra driver for slow swings
The Air-X driver comes in at just 277 grams, making it one of the lightest drivers available. That has been designed to ramp up clubhead speed for those who need a bit of assistance.
The new line is anchored by new and improved metal woods that have been re-engineered with new weight saving technologies. The AIR-X drivers now feature a lighter and thinner ply carbon crown that is 30% thinner than the previous generation (F-MAX).
The new thin-ply carbon fiber saves a total of five additional grams compared to last year’s carbon fiber construction, allowing Cobra engineers to reduce the club head weight by 2 grams (190g total) while maintaining a high MOI of 5,000 for maximum stability and forgiveness. To add to the weight-saving technologies, the driver now utilizes a standard size 37g Lamkin grip, which is 4 grams lighter than last year’s model, and a sub-50-gram ULTRALITE shaft.
Together, the lighter grip (-4g), lighter head (-2g), and lighter shaft (-2g) combine to bring the total overall weight to an unbelievably light 277 grams - 8 grams lighter than its predecessor.
In addition, the AIR-X Drivers feature heel-biased weighting and an offset hosel design to help correct a slice and make it easier to hit straighter drives down the fairway. Updated for 2023 is an offset that is increased by 20% delivering even more slice correction for those who need it. For players who prefer a traditional, square set-up at address, the AIR-X Drivers are also available in a straight-neck model.
Read our full Cobra Air-X driver review.
| Lofts: | 9.5°, 10.5° and 11.5° in right-hand and 10.5° in left for men; 11.5° (RH only) & 15° of loft (LH/RH) for women |
| Stock shafts: | ULTRALITE 40 shaft in stiff, regular and lite flex) for men; ULTRALITE 40 shaft in ladies flex |
How we tested the best Cobra drivers
The leading brands sent us their 2023 drivers in our Test Pro Neil Wain’s specs; draw models and those aimed at more moderate speeds were sent in Equipment Editor Simon Daddow’s specs.
We created an indoor test lab at Keele Golf Centre to ensure a controlled environment, which meant we could use premium Srixon Z-Star golf balls and a Foresight GC Quad launch monitor to create the most reliable data possible.
Major misses were rejected, but we recorded how shots launched, span, peaked out, and how far they flew in which direction.
See more about how TG tests golf clubs and other equipment.
How to choose the best Cobra driver for your game
Are Cobra drivers good?
Whilst Cobra aren’t as popular as the best golf drivers from brands like Callaway, TaylorMade and Ping, their performance is certainly comparable.
Which Cobra driver is the best?
This depends on you as a golfer and what you want from your driver. High-speed players will want to look at the low-spin Cobra Aerojet LS driver, while those wanting the most forgiveness will like the Cobra Aerojet Max. The standard Cobra Aerojet is a great middle-ground for those who want the best of everything.
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Simon Daddow
Today’s Golfer Equipment Editor
Simon Daddow is the Equipment Editor for Today’s Golfer. Having tested and played more than 10,000 clubs in his life, what he doesn’t know about golf clubs isn’t worth knowing.
He’s a specialist in all things metal having spent a large part of his career as a golf club maker and product development manager, and has worked in the golf industry for more than 30 years. Starting out as trainee professional at Downes Crediton GC where he learned the art of golf club making, he went onto work for Clubhaus Plc and Tony Charles Ltd as a golf club maker, and running Product Development at Benross Golf.
Simon also spent time working as a Sales Executive in Harrods’ golf department, even helping supply Sir Nick Faldo with personalized shirts in a last-minute emergency ahead of a flight to a tournament.
He joined EMAP Active (now Bauer Media) as Equipment Editor in 2006 and has worked for both Today’s Golfer and Golf World. Working alongside our test pro Neil Wain, Simon has made todays-golfer.com the most reliable source for golf club testing.
Despite his youthful looks, Simon has played golf for more than 40 years and plays to a handicap of 10. A lack of club speed means he’s short off the tee, but very handy from 125 yards and in.
He enjoys excellent relationships with the biggest names in the golf equipment industry, including PXG boss Bob Parsons and TaylorMade’s Tomo Bystedt and Adrian Rietveld.
Away from the course, Simon is a season-ticket holder at Peterborough United Football Club, attending games with his young son. He’s also a keen cyclist and enjoys working (and relaxing) at his allotment.
His favorite ever piece of golf equipment is the Callaway Warbird fairway wood and he considers the biggest technological advancement in the game to have been titanium driver heads.
Simon’s job means he plays regularly around the world, and rates Kingsbarns as his favorite course. He uses a PXG 0311 GEN6 XF driver, TaylorMade Stealth 2 HL (15º), Ping G400 (20.5º), PXG 0317 X Gen2 hybrid, PXG 0311 GEN6 P irons (6–PW), Cleveland CBX2 wedges (52°, 58°), Ping 21 Fetch putter and a TaylorMade Tour Response golf ball.
You can contact Simon via email and follow him on Twitter for loads more golf equipment insight.
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Best Cobra Golf Drivers
