In recent years, Cobra has really upped its game in terms of producing metalwoods that compete both aesthetically and through performance with other major manufacturers. Last year we had the Aerojet range, a franchise that saw Rickie Fowler back in the winners' circle for the first time on the PGA Tour in four years, and so releasing product to improve on this was always going to be tricky. Enter stage left the new, stealthed-out, Cobra Darkspeed range.
The Cobra Darkspeed X fairway wood is the 'standard' model out of the three released by Cobra this year. The Max is the more forgiving, slightly draw-bias option and the LS is the low spinning, rocket launcher of a three-wood.
While I was actually a fan of the Aerojet fairway wood in terms of performance and visuals thanks to its color pops from the white and blue combination, there is something seriously cool about the midnight look of the new Darkspeed range. The slight changes in black and grey tones give this club some serious shelf appeal and they look equally as good when sat down behind the ball. The Darkspeed X fairway is the model created with the majority of golfers in mind, seeking a neutral ball flight and upon testing it did exactly that. Where previous Cobra fairway woods have sat a little closed to me, resulting in a shots sometimes missing left, the Darkspeed X sat flush to the ground and very square, giving me additional confidence that I could hit straighter shots.
The matte black head is a thing of beauty and is on par with some of the best fairway woods we have seen released this year, although I do often find this finish on golf clubs makes the head appear a little more compact, which not everyone likes to see one this particular type of club. On the sole of the Darkspeed X fairway wood, there is one weight port situated low and at the rear of the head, providing a low CG for ease of launch off the fairway and a high MOI for increased forgiveness.
The PWR Bridge technology and continued H.O.T Face technology means ball speeds were fairly consistent, with the average being 155mph from an average clubhead speed of 108mph. For the faster swingers of a golf club I would recommend checking out the Darkspeed LS model, however, as my spin rates where particularly high with the X model, averaging 4100rpm - which is about 1000rpm more than I would like to see.
As you can probably guess from my spin numbers, The Cobra X fairway wood produced a particularly high ball flight and one that will suit golfers looking to maximize their carry distance and stopping power into greens. The feel off the face was energetic very solid, while producing a fairly loud sound to match. Flighting the ball in the wind did prove tricky, although a change in shaft to something with more tip stiffness for myself would help, as would playing around with the adjustable MyFly hosel to create more optimum launch angles.
I would recommend the Cobra Darkspeed X to anyone who wants help producing a higher ball flight with plenty of spin from their fairway wood, using it more off the deck than from the tee. However, for an even more forgiving fairway wood option, particularly for those who tend the slice the ball, it would be worth considering the Cobra Darkspeed Max.
The full Cobra Darkspeed fairway wood line-up will be available to purchase in February 2024 and the Darkspeed X fairway wood will retail at $329.
