What you need to know about Cobra's new Darkspeed offerings

18/01/2024 19:33

Cobra have gone all out with an overhaul of their various Darkspeed ranges dropping new designs for their irons, hybrids, drivers and fairway woods.

Cobra’s new Darkspeed irons feature an all-new hollow body construction packed with feel-enhancing foam, as well as re-engineered PWR-Bridge and PWRSHELL technology, and are designed to give the best mix of speed, distance, and feel.

Darkspeed drivers

The drivers feature reworked shaping and re-engineered PWR-Bridge and weighting system, PWRSHELL, and H.O.T. Face Technologies as well as a blacked-out aesthetic that will win them some fans.

Coming in three distinct models (Darkspeed LS, Darkspeed X, Darkspeed Max) this new driver offering is intended to be the successor to the Aerojet.

Darkspeed LS is geared for high-clubhead-speed players looking for reduced spin with shot shape control.

It has the most compact profile in the range (although with a larger crown peak).

The LS is also available in an 8-degree form inspired by Kyle Berkshire, with a smaller design and improved aerodynamics.

Darkspeed X balances speed and forgiveness to be a genuine mass-market driver. The X has a larger profile at address and less flexibility than the LS.

Cobra’s draw-biased model (Max) is designed for players who require forgiveness in spades. Forgiveness can also be traded for draw-bias with the weight configuration system.

The irons

When it comes to the irons the Darkspeed range promises to continue Cobra’s strong tradition in distance irons.

"When we think about distance irons, Cobra has always been a leader in the category,” Tom Olsavsky, Vice President of Club R&D at Cobra Golf said.

“We have upped the ante with Darkspeed for out of this world speed, with even better feel. This truly is one of the best feeling irons we have ever created."

Cobra has created a revolutionary hollow body construction based on metalwood principles to provide a thinner and more responsive clubhead structure that unlocks up to 25% more face flection for quicker ball speeds and greater distance.

In addition, the hollow body of the new Darkspeed irons is infused with foam microspheres, which expand to fill the interior cavity, to improve sound and feel. The foam, once injected, maintains the weight of the PWR-Bridge while also providing vibration-dampening qualities for a pleasant feel and attractive sound.

Cobra’s PWR-Bridge weight is supported on a small single post in the new irons, allowing it to float almost totally free within the hollow clubhead. This design places the centre of gravity low in the design for optimal launch while also generating a better face and sole to aid in ball speed and launch.

The new irons include a thinner (1.6mm) and 21% bigger PWRSHELL H.O.T. Face (Highly Optimised Topology) insert that aims to increase ball speed. An L-Cup structure also has a new and enhanced H.O.T. Face pattern created with AI (advanced machine learning if you’re a stickler for accuracy) to provide a quicker and more efficient clubface. According to Cobra, the H.O.T. Face was created to offer the best variable thickness pattern for a larger sweet spot and faster speed on both centre and off-center shots.

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