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In this review, I’ll bet taking a comprehensive look at the Cobra DARKSPEED irons.
The DARKSPEED irons carry forward the key technologies of last year’s AEROJET, but with a new hollow-body construction designed to produce Cobra’s fastest ball speeds and most distance yet. This is complemented by a robust launch and fine-tuned acoustics.
How do the DARKSPEED irons compare to the AEROJET? What are its strengths and weaknesses? Who are they best suited for? Is it worth putting a set in the bag?
Here’s what will be covered in the review:
Read on to find out what you need to know to make an informed purchase.
Note: Unless otherwise stated, stock shafts and stock grips are used when evaluating this club. In most cases, the golf clubs reviewed on Golfstead are acquired temporarily for testing purposes and are not purchased. The review that follows is based on the personal experience and research of the author. Because everyone’s swing and body are different, results with a particular club may differ from person to person.
What are the reviews like?
The DARKSPEED iron won a gold medal on the 2024 Golf Digest Hot List in the game-improvement category.
What People Like
- makes some notable improvements over the AEROJET
- looks very appealing from the address position
- soft feel
- a distance machine
- very forgiving
What People Don’t Like
- approach shots can lack a bit of spin
- dark finish may not speak to everyone
The Features
Hollow Body Construction
The DARKSPEED iron has a new hollow-body construction, engineered to create a more unsupported face which leads to more face responsiveness and distance.
This construction takes inspiration from metalwood designs. It improves weight distribution and allows Cobra to optimize the center of gravity (CG) through the set. In this case, the irons become less hollow as you move from long to short.
PWR-BRIDGE
PWR-BRIDGE consists of a floating internal weight bar suspended in a soft polymer filler right above the sole.
This tech has been refined since the AEROJET model. Instead of utilizing two posts, it uses a single post which allows it to move more freely within the head, thereby increasing face flexion and ball speeds.
In addition, the polymer filler is 4g lighter than in the AEROJET, which results in around 25% more face flexion. This foam dampens vibrations at impact for a more pleasant sound and feel.
The PWR-BRIDGE specifically improves performance low on the face and in the toe area, which is a common mis-hit location.
PWRSHELL & H.O.T Face
The L-Cup PWRSHELL face insert, 1.6mm thinner and 21% larger than the previous iteration, wraps under the DARKSPEED iron’s leading edge to enhance launch and ball speeds low on the face.
Working in tandem with this is Cobra’s H.O.T (“Highly Optimized Topology”) face, the thickness of which is optimized in multiple locations using CNC machining. This face insert works to optimize spin and increase ball speeds across the entire face, not just in the sweet spot.
Arccos Sensors
The purchase of Cobra golf equipment like the DARKSPEED irons immediately makes you eligible to receive free Arccos Smart Sensors and a 45-day free trial to the Arccos Caddie app.
Arccos sensors are attached to the clubs in your bag and enable automatic shot tracking, real-time GPS yardage information adjusted for environmental conditions, caddie advice, post-round strokes gained analytics, and more.
Arccos features can be accessed through a smartphone, smart watch, or Arccos Link device. It is said that Cobra players improve by almost six strokes on average after their first year using the Arccos Caddie system.
Stock Info
There are many set configurations to choose from, from the 4-iron all the way to the sand wedge. Stock sets include 4-PW and 5-GW.
Also available are the:
- DARKSPEED ONE Length Irons: the lengths are the same at 37.25″ (the length of the 7-iron), enabling you to keep the same setup and swing throughout the set
- Women’s DARKSPEED Irons: has light blue accents and offers club lengths, shafts and grips that are tailored to women to maximize their performance
- DARKSPEED Combo Set: consists of six irons and a DARKSPEED hybrid for added forgiveness and playability
The stock shafts are the KBS TOUR Lite (steel) and KBS PGI 85, 75, 65 (graphite). The stock grip is the Lamkin Crossline 58R. Custom options are available.
If you’re interested, more information on shafts, grips and other customizations can be found here.
Below are the specs of the DARKSPEED irons. Click or zoom to enlarge. It’s worth noting that from the 5-PW, the lofts are half a degree weaker than the AEROJET.
The Performance
You may assume that because the DARKSPEED has a hollow-body construction rather than a cavity-back construction, the data would be noticeably different from the AEROJET. The reality is more nuanced.
Distance
Clubhead speed and ball speed seem to be up by a couple mph over the AEROJET, which is nice, although raw distance has never been as desirable in irons as it is in drivers, so this doesn’t make a quality iron on its own.
At the same time, launch angles are about the same while spin is slightly lower by maybe around 100 RPMs in the 7-iron.
As a result, I was seeing a distance gain of 3-6 yards during my field test, and I reckon most people should see a gain over the previous generation.
Forgiveness
The same technologies responsible for giving the DARKSPEED irons a leg up in distance over the AEROJET also make them more forgiving, both when it comes to ball speed and directional preservation.
Ball speed retention on mis-hits is some of the best I’ve seen in any OEM for 2024, with mis-hits only losing about 7-9 yards of distance compared to sweet-spot strikes.
Dispersions are also tight. During my tests, all of my shots tended towards my natural shot shape, and off-center shots seemed to hold their line just a little bit better than the AEROJET.
The improvement in overall forgiveness was most notable low on the face, where Cobra made several improvements to the PWR-BRIDGE and PWRSHELL tech.
Playability
Trajectories with the DARKSPEED irons tend to be medium with no particular flight bias either way.
The launch and apex height are no higher than the AEROJET, and in fact, they’re probably even a bit lower. I would generally consider this to be a negative, but it does translate to exceptional penetration and performance in the wind.
Stopping power coming into the greens is passable but not as good as I wanted. The relatively low spin and launch will make this iron a tough sell for some golfers who traditionally struggle with a low ball flight. Short irons are very playable, but long iron trajectories were a bit too low for me.
Similar to the AEROJET, workability is good and turf interaction is superb.
The Look
While the dark finish of the DARKSPEED irons is unusual (most irons are chrome), it’s also what makes it so aesthetically striking. A glossy back badge combined with a satin dark body and sharp design give it some serious bag appeal that will undoubtedly turn heads.
At address, the top line is fairly thick as is typical for a game-improvement club, but it’s not excessively thick like you see in some other irons. The blade is also pretty long, and the offset is basically the same as the AEROJET.
What I like about the DARKSPEED is that, thanks to the hollow-body construction you don’t see any extra bulkiness behind the club from the address position, which makes it feel a little slimmer in a way that resembles a players’ iron.
I personally prefer the look of hollow-body irons over cavity-back irons, as I just think they look slimmer and more elegant. The DARKSPEED checks all the boxes for me in this category.
The Sound & Feel
The feel of the DARKSPEED iron is very solid, but also very responsive. There is almost a metalwood-like quality to the feel. Vibrations at impact are minimal.
The sound seems to be a little more high-pitched than the AEROJET and is relatively quiet. Nevertheless, it’s similar to its predecessor in that it tends to produce a nice ‘clap’ sound that is slightly muted.
One thing that stood out to me during my field test was how consistent the responsiveness was in mis-hit regions. It seems like every technology packed into the iron contributes to a hotter face, and it shows. At the same time, feedback is below average, so it can be difficult to discern the location of the strike.
Where To Buy These Irons Online
You can buy the DARKSPEED irons directly from the Cobra store, with the ability to optionally customize loft, lie, or length, or choose custom shafts or grips. Financing is available.
The Cobra store also currently offers ONE Length irons, women’s DARKSPEED irons, and DARKSPEED combo sets.
Another great place to order DARKSPEED irons that allows complete customization control (configuration, lie, shaft, grip, etc.) is PGA TOUR Superstore.
Not only does PGATS accommodate custom requests for most new models, but they also offer financing plans, performance guarantees, and club trade-in programs to help you minimize the financial hit and maximize peace of mind.
If you want to save some money, you can find discounts on eBay. Optionally look at what’s available on Global Golf, which is one of the best used golf equipment stores online.
Final Thoughts
One thing I can confidently say about the Cobra DARKSPEED iron is that it’s faster off the face than last year’s AEROJET, which translates to more distance and forgiveness in the sweet spot and mis-hit areas. In this sense, the improvements to the internal tech really bear fruit.
In addition, the dark finish of the DARKSPEED is very attractive (although it may not be to everyone’s tastes) and the feel is exceptional.
However, launch, trajectory and spin are not higher than the AEROJET. This makes for a rather “hot” iron that lacks stopping power coming into greens. There is some, but not as much as I’d like to see in a GI iron.
I definitely recommend the DARKSPEED for higher handicappers who have a preference for distance irons and don’t demand a high degree of control and precision on their approach shots. But if you already own the AEROJET or even the LTDx, the difference in performance probably wouldn’t justify the upgrade in most cases.
Are you interested in the Cobra DARKSPEED irons? Have you tried them yet? What’s your experience? Let us know in the comments below.
