Cobra Darkspeed LS Driver Review

The Aerojet range from Cobra was a huge success both on tour and in the consumer market, and following on from that franchise, Cobra is now presenting us with the Darkspeed Family. In this review, I am taking a look at the low spin model, the Cobra Darkspeed LS Driver.

Straight off the bat, I love the look of the Darkspeed LS. Whilst it may not necessarily stand out on the shelves with the all matte black colorway, I personally think it’s a masterstroke. A colleague of mine on the gear team at Golf Monthly described the Darkspeed range as “if Bruce Wayne designed golf clubs” and with the premium, modern looks, these would not look out of place in the trunk of the Batmobile. 

The LS is slightly more compact in profile than the Darkspeed X and the Max versions, and sits neatly behind the ball. The slightly conical shape that was synonymous with the Aerojet LS remains as part of the aerodynamic tech story, and the head is exceptionally clean with only a subtle Cobra logo and carbon highlights breaking up the simplicity somewhat. I am always a big fan of clubs not trying too hard to impress with fussy logos and colors, and the Darkspeed range epitomises that ethos.

In terms of performance, I remained impressed. My data was collated indoors on a Trackman 4 launch monitor with Titleist Pro V1x golf balls. The ball flight was suitably aggressive with a mid-to-low launch angle and good, low spin numbers comparable with any of the best golf drivers on the market. This produced a seriously penetrating flight which was never in any danger of climbing or being adversely affected by the wind. 

I did experiment with lofting up a touch, and whilst this did raise my launch angle, spin remained steadfastly low. The R&D team really have nailed the brief in terms of producing another low-spin bomber.

The COR of drivers has been limited for the best part of a decade now, so the days of serious jumps in ball speed are behind us, which means manufacturers have to look for other areas of improvement. 

For me, in the case of the Darkspeed LS, the only discernible improvement from its predecessor is the more sophisticated visual. Ball speed, launch characteristics, forgiveness, sound and feel all remain very similar to the Aerojet LS. This is by no means a criticism, however, as the Aerojet LS is an excellent driver with lots of tour validation.

For me personally, the Darkspeed LS produced a slight fade bias which I enjoyed, and allowed me to eliminate the left side of the golf course almost entirely off the tee.

An honorable mention must go to the headcover too. This is a bold claim, and obviously these things are subjective, but I don’t know if I have ever seen a better looking headcover on a golf club. The black theme and premium feel continue, with some beautifully embossed logos. These things will smarten up even the scruffiest of golf bags.

The Darkspeed LS is an excellent driver that delivers exactly what it promises - low spin rockets. The quality of the Aerojet range may have limited the available improvements, which is no fault of the Darkspeed LS, but I do think the overall aesthetic is fantastic. I fully expect this driver to be a huge success at retail amongst high speed and high spin players, and also on tour.