Cobra Darkspeed X Driver Review

I review the Cobra Darkspeed X driver and question whether Cobra have been able to unlock out-of-this-world speed and astronomical distance with their brand new 2024 range.

Cobra have been at the forefront of golf club manufacturing for more than 50 years and they have enjoyed incredible success with some of the best golf drivers the game has ever seen. Not only have Cobra been the brand behind some amazing and innovative golf drivers, but they’ve also had some of the best drivers of the golf ball playing with their clubs, most notably Bryson Dechambeau, Jon Daly, and Lexi Thompson.

The California-based golf giants continuously strive to create quality equipment loved by Tour players and amateur golfers alike. At a time when most of the biggest golf club manufacturers are finding ways to increase MOI and improve forgiveness, Cobra are heading down a different avenue, searching for ways to boost speed and distance – but does this mean forgiveness is forgotten and lost?

Cobra proudly manufactures some of the best forgiving golf drivers on the market and their Darkspeed Max driver is surely going to be a challenger for 2024 and the Darkspeed X could also be a competitor. Although forgiveness isn’t the major selling point for the Darkspeed X it performs admirably in delivering tight dispersion and fantastic distance.

By no means was last year’s Cobra AeroJet a bad driver, but 2023 was a tough season for Cobra, only having one victor across all professional Tours playing with a Cobra driver – Rickie Fowler at the Rocket Mortgage Classic. Cobra will be hoping for a better season in 2024 and Darkspeed could help them to succeed.

The background

Where did the design inspiration come from?

Before tackling the technology packed into the Darkspeed driver, let’s start by discussing the aesthetics. Cobra took inspiration from fighter jets and spaceships, primarily to create the angular and aerodynamic speed found in the driver, but also to develop the appearance of the club.

They aren’t the only brand to adopt a very dark and monochromatic color scheme which differs from previous models. Compared to the previous model Cobra AeroJet driver, the Darskpeed is much meaner and more fierce in the new sleek black colorway.

People on social media have had their say on the aesthetics of the Darkspeed, and it’s been really positive. One person commented, “Nailed the look!”, with another of the opinion that “Black on black is fire.” Perhaps the most positive feedback from social media is that it has been likened to the Batmobile – something I can’t disagree with and now can’t unsee.

It’s not only the aesthetics of this driver that’s impressive. By engineering all three Darkspeed driver heads with a multi-material chassis, consisting of lightweight carbon crown and sole plates and a reinforced titanium frame, Cobra have been able to create optimal weight distribution and maximize stability.

The satin frost carbon fiber crown is 30% thinner than last year’s Aerojet crown which has allowed more weight to be pushed forward and lower into the PWR Bridge structure.

Stratospheric speed

The sole purpose of a driver is to hit the ball as far as possible, and Cobra have gone to town with this mindset of gaining distance. With Darskpeed they have put their foot on the gas and created a driver that generates more speed and distance than previous models.

A strong indication that Darkspeed is already popular among Tour players is that Brand Ambassador, Rickie Fowler, had the Darkspeed in play at the Netflix Cup which was played in November, and the 2023 Hero World Challenge in December. It’ll be interesting to see if it will be a hit with Lexi Thompson and replace her 2021 Radspeed driver.

Advanced aero shaping has enabled Cobra to generate speed and distance across all three driver heads (the Darkspeed Max and Darkspeed Women’s Max are identical with regard to technology). Cobra found the best way to balance speed and forgiveness with each head is to use progressive aerodynamics meaning the Darkspeed LS is the most aerodynamic, the Darkspeed Max (and Darkspeed Max Women’s) is the least aerodynamic, and the Darkspeed X falls in the middle.

The advanced aerodynamics of the Darkspeed X come from the medium skirt height, a slightly slimmed and streamlined Xtreme shape, soft blends, and crown curvature. This allows Tour players and amateurs to unlock speed and distance while not comprising forgiveness.

Mike Yagley, Vice President of Innovation, Cobra Golf, said “The aerodynamic package in the new Darkspeed family of drivers is our most advanced to date. 

“We continue to push aerodynamic shaping, mass properties, and resilience to drive technology and innovation, providing golfers the most advanced and high-performance clubs possible.”

Everything you need to know about the technology found in the Cobra Darkspeed X driver

Larger PWRSHELL with A.I. designed H.O.T. Face

Cobra aren’t the only brand to depend on AI to assist them in manufacturing equipment. Callaway have continued using AI in their 2024 Paradym Ai-Smoke drivers and in their Odyssey Ai-One Putters.

The A.I. designed H.O.T. Face is found in every Darkspeed driver head to help deliver more efficient speed and spin across the clubface thanks to the 15 different hot spots situated across the face. Incorporated with the H.O.T. Face is the 13% larger PWRSHELL L-cup face which improves the flexibility of the face to deliver more robust launch conditions. This larger face has been achieved by laser welding.

Improved PWR Bridge

Cobra introduced the PWR Bridge in last year’s Aerojet driver and they have drastically improved this feature in the Darkspeed driver. For 2024, the PWR Bridge sits closer to the face, lower in the head, and is unsupported, bringing the CG forward and unleashing quicker ball speeds.

Trajectory Tuning

Each driver head can be tuned in different ways. Every head has the ability to be lofted up or down by one and a half degrees with the MyFly adjustability. However, you can then alter the flight and launch differently on each head thanks to the trajectory tuning ability presented by the interchangeable weights on the sole of the club.

The Darkspeed X comes with two interchangeable weights – 3g and 12g. You can either position the heavier 12g weight in the back of the club for a higher ball flight or in the front of the club for a more neutral ball flight. Moving the weights and playing the MyFly adjustability affects launch, ball flight, spin, and forgiveness.

Everything you need to know about the Cobra Darkspeed X driver

Cobra Darkspeed X driver

RRP: £429.00 / $549.00

Lofts: 9° / 10.5° / 12°

If you want to get your hands on a Cobra Darkspeed X driver, or any other club from the Darkspeed range, you can do so from January 11 when pre-sale begins, you only have to wait a further eight days until January 19 when they’ll be available at retailers and online.

Where previously Cobra haven’t attached any other word, number, or letter to their standard driver, this year they’ve decided to go with an X – resulting in Darkspeed X being the replacement for last year’s AeroJet driver. With that logic, the X is the most neutral driver available in the Darkspeed range. It will be challenging the most forgiving drivers and the longest drivers in 2024. It’s designed for Tour players and amateurs to enjoy, and it’s expected to be the best-selling model in the range. With the adjustability from the MyFly adjustable settings (eight different loft settings) and weight positions on the sole of the club, golfers of all standards can tune the driver to help them hit the desired shot shape.

Compared to the previous AeroJet driver the PWRSHELL H.O.T. Face is 13% larger (as it is with all four Darkspeed drivers). The emphasis of this driver is on speed and distance, to achieve this Cobra have made the Darkspeed X more aerodynamically advanced and positioned the PWR Bridge further forward and lower in the club head.

Video: How does the Cobra Darkspeed X compare to other forgiving drivers?

Verdict: Cobra Darkspeed X driver

Ever since the brilliant F9 Cobra have legitimately dined at the top table of driver performance. Ok, they don’t account for nearly as much market share or a gazillion sales as Ping, Callaway, and TaylorMade do. But, we like a lot of golfers have enjoyed how they usually combine some cracking technology, with decent sound and looks and get their drivers to market for a little less than the major competition. The Cobra Darkspeed X just builds on this reputation.

Looks and aero

Aerodynamics is a huge story behind Cobra drivers, and while super sleek curved edges might be more efficient they do give this driver a very soft silhouette as there’s no angular edges outlining the head shape and profile. My experience says too the additional aero only really becomes noticeable at above average swing speeds. So essentially speed rich golfers get richer, whereas more average speed players won’t see much added benefit at all.

I love the sleek murdered-out black-on-black finish and graphics, there’s also nothing across the entire head to draw or unsettle the eye, which means the X will be attractive to a wide audience of golfers. At address the head sits beautifully square, plus there’s a good amount of loft, lie, and face angle versatility available through the adjustable hosel.

The D setting which is a little upright encourages a little draw bias which will for many be a great setting for this head.      

Performance

Our test pro hit the X with its 12g weight in both the front and back ports. While there weren’t huge gains or losses in carry distance between the two (just 2 yards in favor of the front weight position) ball flight and dispersion were noticeably different.

As our data chart below shows the front weight position produced a faster ball speed (0.6mph), launched lower (0.2deg), span less (214 RPM), and flighted shots lower so balls will hit the ground and run further. Dispersion though was also 80% wider (remember that’s longest to shortest and furthest left to furthest right) with the weight in the less forgiving front position. To me, that sounds like a lot to give up just for a couple of yards extra carry distance.

If you’re stuck on the line between the Darkspeed X and Darkspeed Max our data shows how the X is a better option for players that have speed, while the Max is the right choice for players that don’t. The Max launches and flights shots higher which will help more average speed players maximise carry distance, it was also our 3^rd most accurate forgiving driver we tested this year.

And finally…

In the big scheme of things the Darkspeed X with weight positioned in the front port was just 2 yards back from our very longest forgiving driver of 2024 (using a stock shaft). That’s a healthy performance from a driver that costs £429 in the UK –  a decent chunk less than the major competition. With virtually nothing to dislike about the model, I believe the X is a very strong driver option for above average speed players in 2024.     

Data comparison: How does the Cobra Darkspeed X driver compare to competitor models?

Driver	Ball Speed	Launch Angle	Backspin	Height	Descent Angle	Carry Distance	Shot Area
Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Max (Ventus Blue S)	161 MPH	11.9º	2246 RPM	34 YDS	38.6º	275 YDS (1)	406.8 SQYDS
Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Max (Tensei S)	161.5 MPH	11.4º	2212 RPM	32 YDS	37.9º	272 YDS (T2)	210.6 SQ YDS (1)
Cleveland Launcher XL 2	162.6 MPH	9.3º	2033 RPM	25 YDS	31.4º	272 YDS (T2)	384 SQ YDS
Ping G430 Max	162.8 MPH	10.2º	2397 RPM	31 YDS	37.4º	271 YDS	509 SQ YDS
Titleist TSR 2 (10º Tensei Blue S)	161.1 MPH	10.3º	2266 RPM	29 YDS	35.7º	271 YDS	792.3 SQ YDS
TaylorMade Qi10 Max (8.5º Diamana X)	162.4 MPH	9.6º	2201 RPM	27 YDS	34º	270 YDS	337.5 SQ YDS (2)
Ping G430 Max 10K (9º)	163.1 MPH	9º	1993 RPM	23 YDS	30.1º	270 YDS	542.4 SQ YDS
Cobra Darkspeed X (Front Weight)	161.6 MPH	9.7º	2161 RPM	27 YDS	33.7º	270 YDS	667.5 SQ YDS
Ping G430 Max 10K	161.2 MPH	11º	2556 RPM	34 YDS	34º	268 YDS	506 SQ YDS
Cobra Darkspeed X (Back Weight)	161 MPH	9.9º	2375 RPM	29 YDS	36.2º	268 YDS	370.8 SQ YDS
TaylorMade Qi10	159.2 MPH	10.6º	2338 RPM	30 YDS	36.8º	267 YDS	385 SQ YDS
PXG 0311 XF GEN6	160 MPH	9.9º	2226 RPM	27 YDS	34.5º	267 YDS	564.2 SQ YDS
PXG 0211	160.6 MPH	9.9º	2185 RPM	27 YDS	34.2º	267 YDS	953.7 SQ YDS
TaylorMade Qi10 Max (8.5º Tensei S)	161.9 MPH	8.6º	2215 RPM	24 YDS	31.7º	266 YDS	630.5 SQ YDS
Wilson DynaPWR Ti	161 MPH	10.7º	2532 RPM	32 YDS	39.1º	266 YDS	1001.3 SQ YDS
Cobra Darkspeed Max (Mid Launch Shaft)	159.4 MPH	11.5º	2372 RPM	33 YDS	39.1º	265 YDS	342 SQ YDS (3)
Srixon ZX5 MK II	158.2 MPH	10.9º	2300 RPM	30 YDS	37º	264 YDS	669.2 SQ YDS
TaylorMade Qi10 Max (Tensei S)	161.2 MPH	9.8º	2823 RPM	32 YDS	39.5º	263 YDS	404 SQ YDS
Mizuno ST Z	157.8 MPH	9.6º	1954 RPM	23 YDS	30.5º	262 YDS	750.5 SQ YDS
Mizuno ST X	160 MPH	8.6º	1956 RPM	26 YDS	28.4º	262 YDS	609.6 SQ YDS
AVERAGE	160.9 MPH	10.1º	2267 RPM	28.8 YDS	35.3º	267.8 YDS	551.8 SQ YDS

*All lofts at 10.5º unless otherwise stated.

Which Darkspeed driver will suit you the most?

Cobra are offering four different driver models to cater to the vast majority of golfers. The four Darkspeed driver heads you can choose from are Darkspeed LS, Darkspeed X, Darkspeed Max, and Darkspeed Max Women’s. Depending on your ability, needs, and preferences finding the right driver head for you is massively important, and choosing the correct driver head can have a major positive impact on your game. However, on the (dreaded) flipside, picking the wrong driver head could seriously hinder your game.

To help you figure out which Darkspeed driver head is best for you we’ve compiled a a brief overview of each head so let’s take a look at the options and what they have to offer…

Darkspeed X

Being the middle-of-the-road driver in Cobra’s Darkspeed line-up, it’s expected that the Darkspeed X will sell best to amateur golfers, and we also think it will find its way into the bags of Tour players. The X is available in typical driver lofts (9°, 10.5°, and 12°) which makes this a suitable option for the vast majority of golfers whether you combat a slice or hit 300-yard bombs down the middle of the fairway (even if it is in your dreams).

Progressive aerodynamic technology exhibited by Cobra makes the X not as aerodynamic as the LS but more aerodynamic than the Max, which only adds to this driver heads versatility, offering speed and forgiveness. I was blown away by how effortlessly this driver head was able to deliver distance and accuracy – especially when taking advantage of the interchangeable weights and eight MyFly loft settings.

Darkspeed LS

Cobra’s low-spinning driver head differs most from the other three driver heads in many ways – most notably being that there’s no 12° head available, instead, there’s an 8° head. Being inspired by the prototype head used by Long Drive Champion, Kyle Berkshire, doesn’t mean the 8° head is only suitable for that caliber of golfer. It might come as a surprise, but I’m miles off driving a ball to the same standard as Kyle Berkshire, but the 8° is the one that worked best for me.

Being an intentionally low-spinning head it does make sense to offer the Darkspeed LS in lower lofted options (8°, 9°, and 10.5°), but it’s unlikely the 8° LS will be flying off the shelves as frequently as a 10.5° Darkspeed X. The LS is tailored to Tour players and elite amateur golfers because of the head profile, but if you struggle from high spin it could be worth giving the LS a try. The LS is the most aerodynamic head of all Darkspeed drivers and the progressive aerodynamic technology has been fully utilized to make the 8° head more aerodynamic than any other club head, releasing increased speed and distance (when struck properly).

The LS won’t be for everyone, but if you can get away with it it’s an absolute rocket!

Read our full Cobra Darkspeed LS driver review.

Darkspeed Max

As is the case with so many brands, the Max option refers to the most forgiving driver in their line-ups. While certain brands are on a quest for 10,000 MOI Cobra’s Darkspeed Max isn’t quite as forgiving as that but it’s certainly the easiest driver head to hit in the Darkspeed range. Despite being forgiving, speed and distance hasn’t been thrown out of the window, this club delivers competitive distance while ensuring you find more fairways and stop the ball leaking out to the right (or left if you’re left-handed).

The Darkspeed Max will be challenging the most forgiving drivers on the market in 2024 – even though it doesn’t have an MOI touching five figures. If you’re a golfer playing with a predominant fade or slice then it could be a smart move turning to the Max head which has two interchangeable weights that can be moved to generate a higher ball flight or a more draw-biased flight shape.

Read our full Cobra Darkspeed Max review.

Darkspeed Max Women’s

The Darkspeed Max Women’s is exactly the same head as the Darkspeed Max, except for the colorway. Cobra haven’t decided to create a vibrant club head for women, but they have added a splash of light cool blue on the club head to make it more appealing to female golfers – and possibly some male golfers. With it being the same head as the most forgiving “men’s” it’s not unlikely that you may find this club in any golfers bag.

Being the same as the Darkspeed Max this driver is draw-biased so if you are a female golfer who doesn’t need help in straightening a fade or slice then you’ll want to be looking at either the Darkspeed X or LS.

Another factor to consider when choosing heads is that this is the only head with color on the top of the crown. It might only be a trim around the back of the club but it could be enough to put you off and choose the fully blacked-out Max head instead. Similarly, if you like having a bit of color in your sight at address then it could be worth giving the Max Women’s head a hit.

Read our full Cobra Darkspeed Max Women’s driver review.

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About the author

James Hogg – Golf Equipment Writer

James has a degree in English Language from Newcastle University and an MA in Journalism from Kingston University.

He spent seven years working for American Golf as part of the sales and fitting team alongside his studies and is a specialist in putters, golf balls, and apparel.

James took up golf as a teenager and, thanks largely to his length and consistency off the tee, he plays off a handicap of 4.7 at Cleveland Golf Club.

You can contact James via email for loads more golf equipment insight.

Cobra Darkspeed X Driver

RRP: £429.00 | VIEW UK OFFER | $549.00 | VIEW US OFFER

Lofts: 9° / 10.5° /12°

Stock shaft: Mitsubishi Kai’li Blue, UST Mamiya Lin-Q Blue, Project X HZRDUS Limited Edition Matte Black Gen 4 

Stock grip: Lamkin Crossline Black

Adjustable hosel: +/-1.5°

Flight bias: Adjustable

Lie angle: 56.20° (9°) | 57.20° (10.5° & 12°)

Shaft length: 45.50”