If picking a new driver was based on just looks alone, then in my opinion Cobra's Darkspeed would comfortably be the number one model in the market in 2024.
The new all-black design and the aerodynamic-themed story this year has been extremely well received, although when you're coming up against the likes of the TaylorMade Qi10, Callaway Paradym AI Smoke and Ping G430 Max 10K, you're going to have your work cut out.
The new Darkspeed LS Driver might just be the best looking of them all - but does the performance stack up too?
Who Is It Aimed At?
Like with most brands, Cobra's LS model offers lower spin rates which makes it more likely to be used by better players, who are looking to optimise how much distance and ball speed they can produce.
It also follows the pattern of having a slightly more compact look at address compared to the 'standard' driver in the range, as well as more of a fade-bias which is something that better players tend to prefer.
An RRP of £429 makes it comfortably the cheapest driver when compared to the likes of Ping, TaylorMade and Callaway in their 2024 launches, making it great value for money if you're looking for a top quality driver.
The Tech
Cobra are saying that the new Darkspeed drivers are the fastest that they have ever built, designed by aerospace engineers with a focus on premium materials and 'groundbreaking' aerodynamic shaping.
One of the biggest changes from last year's Aerojet range comes from the new refined aerodynamic design, which features a streamlined face to topline radius, higher crown, raised skirt and a reduced clubface surface area to maximise speed.
A new clubhead shape sees a reduced footprint at address, which is said to appeal to better players and promote more workability and control.
There's a 10% larger Pwrshell L-cup face to create more distance, while an updated HOT face design is said to provide more efficient speed and spin across the clubface.
Cobra have also moved forward their 'Pwr-Bridge' that we first saw in the Aerojet drivers, as well as moving it a little lower too, to improve energy transfer and promote higher ball speeds.
There are adjustable heel and toe weights which have now been joined by a new third back weight, which allows for more fine-tuning in order to optimise spin rates and forgiveness.
Cobra Darkspeed LS Driver Review
Looks and Feel
As I mentioned earlier I think the Darkspeed driver is the best looking of all the brands in 2024, and one of the best looking we have seen for a number of years. The LS model comes completely blacked-out, compared to the Darkspeed X and Darkspeed Max which have black or red highlights.
It looks stealthy, it looks fast and it looks premium. The headcover is fantastic quality and continues the same all-black theme as the driver design, which looks fantastic in the bag.
I loved the matte black finish on the head as well as the simple design, with just a small Cobra logo for alignment, and even though the profile at address was a little more 'stretched out' than I was expecting from an LS model, it still had the taller face profile with no offset which looked great.
Considering that this is a better players' LS driver, I was surprised by how stable the driver felt across the face - a great mixture of both fast and solid - whilst there was a really nice thudding sound at impact.
Performance
This sound and feel continued out on to the golf course, and I felt much more comfortable than I have done in the past when using a low-spin driver. I felt like this was down to a combination of the relatively friendly head shape, as well as the solid feel which still felt like you were getting decent results even when not hitting from the centre of the face.
When testing on the course I was seeing a pretty flat ball flight, which I do actually quite like seeing as it feels controlled, whilst I also achieved some pretty good distances too even on a couple of shots which were struck from the toe.
It wasn't as forgiving as you're going to see from the Darkspeed X or Darkspeed Max models, but there were a couple of shots that I caught really well and I was impressed by how far they travelled, with one drive leaving me just a gap wedge in on a hole that was close to 390 yards.
I took the Darkspeed LS down to Hukd to test it on the Foresight GC Hawk. Cobra claim that their new aerodynamic design and weighting makes this fast and low-spinning, and that's exactly what I saw.
When I hit it well the numbers produced were really good, and I loved the penetrating ball flight. If you played in windy conditions, or even on links golf, this driver could be perfect.
An average ball speed of just under 145mph is around average for me, although I did see a couple of mis-hit shots which dropped down closer to 140mph and this is one of the drawbacks of a low-spin driver if you're not a consistent ball-striker.
A launch angle of less than 11 degrees and spin rates that were just over 2000 rpm are really low, and this explained why the carry distances weren't quite as high as they could've been even if the total distance of more than 270 yards was good.
This is fine when playing in firm summer conditions but in the winter or when it's very wet, I'd probably be losing out on distance.
Cobra Darkspeed LS Driver Verdict
Cobra's Darkspeed LS Driver does exactly what the brand suggest it will do - it feels fast, looks great and produced some of the lowest spin numbers I have seen whilst driver testing.
As with pretty much all LS models, you do sacrifice a little bit in forgiveness when you don't catch it out of the middle, although the inclusion of additional weights on the sole does mean you can make things a little easier for yourself if you need to.
At £429 it's hard to truly say that it's 'good' value for money, but it's cheaper than the likes of Ping, Callaway and TaylorMade's 2024 offerings in this category and the performance is just as good, whilst you're also going to get a few admiring glances from your playing partners if you put it into the bag too.
If you're a better player looking for a compact, low-spin driver, you need to give it a go.
Would I Use It?
For me I think this driver was a little too low-spinning so I wasn't achieving my optimal numbers, even if I did love the look of it and saw some really impressive shots out on the course.
I would probably opt for the standard Darkspeed X driver as it's more likely to give me a bit more launch and spin, improving my carry distances, as well as offering more forgiveness when I mis-strike it too.
Cobra Darkspeed LS Driver Pros and Cons
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Cobra Darkspeed X Driver Review
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