When Cobra told us the new Darkspeed X driver was designed with the help of aerospace engineers, we were expecting something impressive.
With claims to deliver golfers ‘out of this world’ speed through ground-breaking aerodynamics and lower spin rates than the previous Aerojet model, I couldn’t wait to put the new Darkspeed X driver to the test!
Who Is It Aimed At?
The Dark Speed X driver is Cobra’s most versatile club in the Dark Speed collection, aimed at the widest range of players. Combining exceptional ball speed and forgiveness, the Dark Speed X looks to be the all-round performer for a fast, reliable driver.
Tech
Avid readers of the site will know that Cobra love their tech stories and this year is no different! There are three main technologies seen in the Darkspeed drivers, each being something we’ve seen before, but now claiming small improvements from last year’s Aerojet.
First up we have extreme Aero Technology, which gives specific shaping for the head of the club allowing for ultimate aerodynamics. The Darkspeed X driver features a higher crown, flush weighting and a much lower toe that’s said to have been inspired by the design of bullets and plane wings.
It also features Cobra’s Pwrshell Hot Face, which this year stretches even further to wrap more around the face, helping to improve face flex and provide more robust launch conditions.
Finally, we see the use of Pwr-Bridge Technology, which uses AI to provide an even thinner bridge, closer to the face on the inside of the club and curving closer to the sole to lower the CG and move it further forward.
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Cobra Darkspeed X Driver Review
Looks
If you watched our Best of Drivers of 2023 video, you might remember that I really wasn’t too keen on the looks of the Aerojet driver. The crown was extremely reflective, more so than any other driver I tested, and I felt as though I couldn’t set the club face up straight at address - for me it was just far too busy.
This year, the Darkspeed X driver fits its name, with a matte black finish over the entire clubhead that I think is a huge improvement from what we saw last year. The overall modern, blacked-out finish of the driver very much plays up to that dark, aerospace theme. To me, this helps add a sense of speed and power behind the ball, which I feel is exactly what Cobra were going for in this new range. It so much cleaner and just looks great.
There are some very small colour details seen on the Darkspeed X model, with subtle blue colouring across the base of the club, to distinguish it from the other models in the range: the Max uses red and the LS version is just all black. This simple system is a nice idea from Cobra to help differentiate the different models which can be very confusing sometimes!
I think every driver in this range looks great and there’s very little I’d look to change visually here. Comparing back to the Aerojet driver, the Darkspeed X is more compact and deeper, but still has a 457cc head.
Feel
When I first stood over the ball with the Darkspeed X, I was a little apprehensive because something about it felt slightly off, even though I really liked the look of the driver overall. The new head shape took me a bit of getting used to, but surprisingly even from the first shot, and with that apprehension, I loved the ball flight seen with this driver.
The club feels very powerful, which I think is helped by the overall design and the matte black finish giving it that aggressive feel. Despite the extra power and speed that I was feeling, the club was still incredibly easy to hit. It not only felt fast, but it felt stable too.
Something I loved about using this driver out on the course, is that I felt as though I could really swing at it and produce some speed, without risking the ball being sent high and right which can sometimes be my bad shot off the tee when I get too aggressive.
On-Course Performance
Something I loved about using this driver out on the course, is that I felt as though I could really swing at it and produce some speed, without risking the ball being sent high and right which can sometimes be my bad shot off the tee when I get too aggressive.
On the course I couldn’t fault the performance of this driver. It was so consistent and reliable, always seeming to give me the shot I wanted either down the fairway or slightly drawing over to the left-hand side.
The worst-case scenario with this driver seemed to be finishing up just on the left of the semi rough, which I was really happy with given how much speed I felt I was swinging with. There certainly seemed to be a lot of stability and forgiveness behind the Darkspeed X, and I was excited to see if that speed was translating into distance gains when we took the driver indoors onto Foresight.
The Data
With testing the Aerojet driver earlier on in the year, I was able to see if there were any real changes from the previous model. The first thing I was looking out for was the spin rates, as Cobra were claiming the new Dark Speed drivers would see golfers lowering spin for additional distance. Comparing my averages between both drivers backed up this claim, with the Darkspeed X coming in at 250rpm less spin than the Aerojet on average.
Looking at ball speeds, I was surprised to see a 3mph reduction with the Darkspeed X compared to last year’s Aerojet. With an average ball speed of 128mph, the Darkspeed X was carrying an average of 209 yards and a total of 234, roughly 5 yards behind the Aerojet.
I found this odd, given how I was feeling with the driver out on the course. Interestingly though, if we look at individual shots, the Darkspeed X came out on top. With a maximum distance of 248 yards at a 132mph ball speed, the Darkspeed X driver allowed me to really push the boundaries of distance up towards that 250-yard mark.
Given the Aerojet was seeing a total distance of 241 yards at only 1mph more ball speed, I thought this distance increase was impressive with the Darkspeed X. The main downside to this was that I wasn’t seeing huge amounts of consistency within the distances. The potential 10 yards difference in the carry with this driver could also make it tricky to play with out on the course in terms of avoiding hazards, making carries, and choosing certain landing spots, especially on tight holes.
Cobra Darkspeed X Driver Verdict
Cobra have produced another good driver with the Darkspeed X - there's a lot to like about it. It looks great, feels fast, comes with a nice all-black boxing glove headcover and the overall design seems to have really been thought about by Cobra.
I found the Darkspeed X very easy to use out on the course, and had some real fun testing it after my initial apprehension getting used to the shape.
At a price of £429, true to form this driver sits lower in price point than other drivers we have seen released this year. It's over £100 less expensive than the Paradym Ai Smoke Max, over £150 cheaper than the Ping G430 Max 10K and around £70 less than the TaylorMade Qi10, which is something you really have to applaud Cobra for.
Taking everything into account, apart from the lack of consistent distance I could find, the Darkspeed X is a near-perfect driver and may be an early favourite for this year's 2024 driver of the year award!
Would I Use It?
If I could get to a point where those speeds and distances were more consistent, maybe through a custom fitting session, I’d be more than happy playing with this driver out on the course.
Cobra Darkspeed X Driver Pros and Cons
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