Cobra Darkspeed LS Driver

Last season marked the return of a Cobra Golf driver in my bag. I had a lot of success with the ultra aerodynamic Aerojet LS driver once I got it totally dialed in. My control was consistent and there seemed to be a little extra power packed into that head. Well, the new for 2024 Cobra Darkspeed LS driver might just exceed its predecessor’s high bar. Featuring an even more aerodynamic shape and updated technologies, including a new face and more adjustable weighting, the Darkspeed LS delivers a more efficient and playable driver for players with fast swing speeds. The new Darkspeed drivers look incredible, but the performance from my testing made it really stand out to me.

The Looks

In some ways, the Cobra Darkspeed drivers return to a more “traditional contemporary driver” appearance. Of course, in plenty of other ways, the Darkspeed aesthetic is super modern and sleek. Frankly, I love it. From address, the Cobra Darkspeed LS has a matte black carbon fiber crown with a pretty classic shape. It’s worth noting that the carbon crown is 30% thinner which means it’s lighter and more weight can be strategically located throughout the head. More on that later. Additionally, you will find a carbon fiber plate on the sole for improved weight management. This, paired with the adjustable weights and power bridge makes for a pretty menacing appearance.

As the “faster swing” option of the Darkspeed driver family, the LS has a more compact profile in its “advanced aero shaping”. The more compact profile results in the highest the crown peak and “rear skirt” height of the driver family. Personally, I feel the Darkspeed LS really has a “player’s” profile behind the ball and I love how it sets up. It’s clean, smooth, and modest. I also find the seamless blend into the face to be a really nice change in this generation of Cobra drivers.

How Does it Feel?

In my opinion, feel is one of the biggest improvements in the Cobra Darkspeed LS driver. Let me be clear, I thought the Aerojet LS felt great, but I found the Darkspeed LS to feel much better overall. The new 10% larger PWRSHELL face was more precise and provided better feedback at impact. Once again, Cobra used AI modeling for their “Highly Optimized Topology” in the face. The H.O.T. face has varying thicknesses based on machine learning for optimal performance and feel all while staying within legal parameters. The end result is a super responsive face that had a lot of jump across a good portion of the surface. This also greatly benefits mishits both in feel and minimizing distance loss.

I also felt the balance of the Darkspeed LS driver was greatly improved. By implementing a lighter crown, Cobra was able to add more weight lower and forward in the head courtesy of the suspended PWR-BRIDGE, but they were also able to add an adjustable weight in the rear of the sole. The Aerojet LS didn’t have this weight and it made a huge difference for me. During my testing, I put the heavier 12-gram weight in this position and it totally unlocked the driver for me. This change elevates the MOI a bit in the head so it felt much more controlled throughout the swing.

How Does it Sound?

There’s a lot of carbon fiber in the Cobra Darkspeed LS driver. That carbon fiber combines with the rigidity of the titanium frame for a confident, but controlled “crack” at impact. Shots off of the sweet spot have have a little more clarity and “snap” to them that makes it unmistakable that you just flushed your shot. As you stray from the ideal hitting areas, the tone firms up and loses some of its distinct character.

I’d be very interested to see is how the tone differs across the three different driver heads. I imagine they have a lot of similarities being they’re all made of the same materials, but the differences in their aero shapes should have an impact in how sound waves vibrate throughout the head. I guess there’s only one way to find out!

On-Course Performance

When Cobra says the Darkspeed LS driver is low launch, low spin, they aren’t lying! Let me be clear out of the gate, the Darkspeed LS is very much for players with faster swing speeds. I’m not saying there aren’t exceptions, but I felt like I needed all of my swing speed to realize the benefits of this driver. When I started my testing with the heavier weight in one of the forward positions, I was hitting low bullets with sub-2000 spin. I’m talking like 8º of launch and in the 1900s for spin. The club definitely worked as advertised, but once I swapped the 12-gram weight to the rear position, everything changed. The relocation of center of gravity (CG) really helped bring my shot up and put my spin into a good place.

What really caught my attention  was that I didn’t feel like I was losing the advantages of the LS driver with this weight positioning. This adjustment in any drivers would typically result in adding too much launch and spin with my swing speed. My spin with the Darkspeed LS driver stayed considerably low, but my launch hit a more ideal window. By design, the suspended PWR-BRIDGE puts enough weight low and forward in the head to keep spin under control. Once I made that weight change, I was much better carry yardage. The biggest gain, however, was that I also found much more control. My stock shot now had a piercing straight trajectory and my dispersion tightened right up. It was really nice to be able to make this CG adjustment without sacrificing the power that the Darkspeed LS driver has to offer a player with faster swing speed.

Final Thoughts – Cobra Darkspeed LS Driver

It’s important to point out that Cobra offers three different models of Darkspeed drivers for three different types of players. Players looking for the most forgiveness and draw bias should check out the Darkspeed MAX. The majority of players will be best suited for the Darkspeed X which has a strong combination of high ball speeds and forgiveness. It’s the “Goldilocks” option, if you will.

For players with faster swing speeds that are really looking for low launch and spin numbers, the Darkspeed LS driver is the way to go. It looks great, does everything well, and is very playable. Overall, I feel like the Darkspeed LS has everything you expect out of a low/low driver, but it’s far less punishing than drivers in this category tend to be. I believe this opens the Darkspeed LS driver up to more players than it might otherwise, but having the swing speed for it will still be important. Based on my early testing, the Cobra Darkspeed LS driver will receive further attention in the coming months as the new golf season ramps up.

Stock Cobra Darkspeed LS Driver Specs

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