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Today, I’ll be reviewing the Cobra DARKSPEED X driver.
The DARKSPEED is built for unprecedented speed and distance. Designed by aerospace engineers, it packs Cobra’s latest cutting-edge tech and uses space-grade materials in its construction.
The X model, the middle model in the driver family, provides an optimal blend of distance, forgiveness and launch to appeal to a wide range of golfers.
How does the DARKSPEED X driver actually perform when put to the test? How does it compare to last year’s AEROJET? Who is it best suited for? Is it worth putting in the bag?
Here’s what will be covered in the review:
Read on to learn 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?
A gold medal winner on the 2023 Golf Digest Hot List, the DARKSPEED X driver has been received very positively by critics and consumers. It currently has a 5/5 average rating on the Cobra store.
What People Like
- great all-around performance
- competitive distance and forgiveness
- adjustable sole weighting
- balanced spin and launch
- sleek dark finish
What People Don’t Like
- largely just the AEROJET with a new coat of paint
The Features
The DARKSPEED X driver essentially builds on the key features and technologies found in last year’s AEROJET, namely:
- Aerodynamic Design: the aerodynamics have been refined in the form of a higher crown peak, raised skirt, streamlined face-to-topline radius, and reduced clubface surface area. This is designed to squeeze out as much clubhead speed as possible.
- Dual Weighting: unlike the single weight port of the AEROJET, the DARKSPEED X driver has two interchangeable back and front weights (12g and 3g) that can be used to increase forgiveness or reduce spin.
- PWRSHELL L-Cup: this variable-thickness insert is 10% larger than on the AEROJET driver. It wraps around the carbon fiber sole and maximizes face flexion at impact, resulting in better launch and more distance.
- PWR-BRIDGE: this fully suspended weight bar is positioned lower and more forward than in the AEROJET, leading to even better energy transfer, lower spin, and more ball speed.
- A.I. H.O.T Face: using machine-learned data from thousands of impact simulations, the thickness of the face is optimized in multiple locations for more consistent spin and increased ball speeds across the face. The face design has been updated for DARKSPEED for greater performance efficiency.
In addition, like any Cobra club, the purchase of a DARKSPEED X driver makes you eligible to receive free Arccos Smart Sensors and a 45-day free trial to the Arccos Caddie app.
Stock Info
The DARKSPEED X driver is available in 9°, 10.5°, and 12° standard lofts at 460 CC.
Included is a MyFly adjustable hosel that has eight loft settings: -1.5°, -1°, -1° Draw, STD, STD Draw, +1°, +1° Draw, and +1.5°.
Several premium aftermarket shafts are available with the DARKSPEED X; the stock options are the UST Mamiya LIN-Q M40X White/Blue/Red, Mitsubishi Kai’li Blue, and Project X HZRDUS Red CB. The stock grip is the Lamkin Crossline 58R. Custom options are available.
If you’re interested, full information on the driver, shafts, grips and their specs can be found here.
Below are the specs of the DARKSPEED X driver. Click or zoom to enlarge.
The Performance
Distance
Ball speed and clubhead speed are very competitive with 2024 drivers from other OEMs.
But based on my field testing, neither metric seems to have improved significantly since the AEROJET, which some will find disappointing. This is despite the improvements that Cobra claims to have made to the existing tech.
Carry, rollout and total distance numbers were also similar to the AEROJET, particularly with the heavier weight in the back. Having the weight forward helped get the spin down and squeeze out a few extra yards.
Forgiveness
I found the DARKSPEED X driver to be a little more forgiving than the AEROJET with the heavier weight in the back. Overall forgiveness is close to what you would expect from a game-improvement club.
Stability, dispersions, and ball speed retention on mis-hits are all good, but you still shouldn’t expect to be bailed out if you make a bad swing.
With the heavier weight forward, forgiveness is about the same as the AEROJET.
Playability
With the sole weight back, launch angle, trajectory, and peak height are very much comparable to the AEROJET. The ball flight is more or less neutral, with no bias either way.
In general, it’s pretty easy to get the ball up in the air if you have at least an average swing speed (around 93+ mph). Given that spin is on the low side, players with below-average swing speeds may struggle a bit and should look at the DARKSPEED MAX instead.
With the sole weight forward, you get good penetration with maybe a half a degree less launch and 100-200 RPMs less spin.
You don’t have to settle for the included 12g and 3g sole weights, though; Cobra offers various DARKSPEED weights (sold separately) such as 8g, 10g, 12g and 16g that you can use to further dial in your ball flight.
The workability of the DARKSPEED X is quite decent. Capable golfers shouldn’t have much issue hitting fades and draws.
The Look
The DARKSPEED X driver shares some aesthetic similarities with the AEROJET, but there are many differences.
The overall shape is very similar, with decent elongation from front to back, and the face pattern is circular. But unlike with the AEROJET, the DARKSPEED X opts for a matte black finish on the top and bottom; the patterned texture on the carbon fiber crown is more subtle this time around.
The biggest thing the sleek black theme does is make the ball stand out at address and minimize distractions like reflections and glare. The Cobra logo near the face blends into the black finish but is still visible enough to aid with alignment.
On the sole, you have two weight ports on the front and back, although the front weight is actually positioned more towards the middle.
While the look of the DARKSPEED X is distinctly Cobra, all-black (with a few blue accents) doesn’t necessarily speak to my personal preference. I liked the contrast of some lighter colours that the AEROJET provided.
The Sound & Feel
I don’t know what it is about the DARKSPEED X in particular, but the crisp feel at impact is tremendously satisfying — it just feels like it rockets off the face. This is accompanied by a whiplike “crack” sound.
It’s definitely one of my favourite driver feels in 2024, and I don’t typically say this for a carbon head as I usually prefer the feel of titanium more.
Despite the fact that this is the middle model in the DARKSPEED family, I still found it to feel impressively stable and consistent in mis-hit areas, although not quite as much as the DARKSPEED MAX.
Another thing that struck me was the effortless feel throughout the swing. The aerodynamics are exceptional; it feels like the clubhead is gliding through the air smooth as silk. I found that this kept me more loose and relaxed during the swing, which fed into the quality of my strikes.
Where To Buy This Driver Online
You can buy the DARKSPEED X driver directly from the Cobra store, with the ability to customize length, shaft, grip, loft and more. Financing is available.
Aside from the Cobra store, another great place to order an DARKSPEED X driver from which allows complete customization control (loft, length, shaft, grip, etc.) is this page at PGA TOUR Superstore.
Not only does PGATS accommodate custom requests for most new driver 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
The Cobra DARKSPEED X is a great driver. It’s long and forgiving with a balanced trajectory and low spin. The new dark finish will appeal to many golfers, and the feel is fantastic.
While the performance is barely distinguishable from the AEROJET, it does add an additional sole weight that makes the driver more adjustable than its predecessor.
If you already own an AEROJET driver, there’s not much of a reason to upgrade unless you’re someone who always has to have the most current model. But anyone, regardless of skill level, could have great success with the DARKSPEED X.
Are you interested in the Cobra DARKSPEED X driver? Have you tried it yet? What’s your experience? Let us know in the comments below.
