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I'd love to see every company provide both the fitting options and slight overlap that Darkspeed does.
Cobra DARKSPEED Drivers Review
I couldn’t make the max head work for me. Maybe switch to a Ventus red shaft
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- #2,053
Makes a bigger statement that way anyways lolI couldn’t make the max head work for me. Maybe switch to a Ventus red shaft
Hi guys, I've been following this thread and ya'll influenced me to get the Darkspeed LS PTC driver. I previously had a TSR2 in the bag, but I was hitting a bit better the Darkspeed LS in 9 degrees with the 12g weight in the back. My only question is since I'm going the PTC Driver, it's a bit challenging because the stock PTC shaft is the gen4 hzrdus black in either stiff or xstiff 60 grams.
When I first got fit for the Darkspeed LS, I hit a couple balls well with the LinQ White 6F4 (67g stiff shaft); i.e., on good hits spin was near 2400 - 3000 with ball speed close to 150ish. Range on avg was near 255-275)
I tend to find it a bit harder to go straight but it tends to go further okay. And sometimes I'm pretty tight in dispersion (think that sometimes is due to my current inconsistency and just starting to get back into golf which I've stopped playing for about 15ish years)
I tried the HZRDUS Black Gen 4 in stiff, and the yardage was lower (near 240-260 on avg) with similar spin. But I was able to keep the fairways a bit easier. I did have a unicorn hit of 300 yrds but that was one out of countless balls on the simulator the other day. I did notice I felt the shaft flex in one of the swings, something I haven't really noticed in the LinQ.
So wasn’t sure what your alls thoughts were for keeping the HZRDUS shaft in and I could just potentially grow into it? My fitter advised against it since it would be potentially too stiff and not a good fit (but I didn't have a chance to hit that shaft side by side with my fitter at the time.
So yeah, confused if I should just swap out the shaft now for LINQ or just keep the stock shaft for the PTC (palm tree crew) design of the HZRDUS shaft.
My most recent hitting was earlier today, where I also tried the HZRDUS xstiff shaft, and I defintely had to put more effort into the swing, and seemed very stout (also had a couple heavy left hand shots into it) - but the attendant thought I was in between a stiff or a xstff in HZRDUS black if I went that route. So even more unsure now. My ballspeed was also similar to the ballspeed of the stiff shaft (near 130 -150).
So yeah now I'm in a pickle on if i go LinQ which was the shaft originally recommended by my fitter, or go the HZRDUS which seems a bit tighter in dispersion, but takes more effort to fly longer ... but it also has a sweet decal for the PTC club version.
So long story short, would appreciate any recommendations, and good grip (I selected the Tour velvet cords at the moment).
Thanks a bunch dudes, really appreciate any feedback here.
When I first got fit for the Darkspeed LS, I hit a couple balls well with the LinQ White 6F4 (67g stiff shaft); i.e., on good hits spin was near 2400 - 3000 with ball speed close to 150ish. Range on avg was near 255-275)
I tend to find it a bit harder to go straight but it tends to go further okay. And sometimes I'm pretty tight in dispersion (think that sometimes is due to my current inconsistency and just starting to get back into golf which I've stopped playing for about 15ish years)
I tried the HZRDUS Black Gen 4 in stiff, and the yardage was lower (near 240-260 on avg) with similar spin. But I was able to keep the fairways a bit easier. I did have a unicorn hit of 300 yrds but that was one out of countless balls on the simulator the other day. I did notice I felt the shaft flex in one of the swings, something I haven't really noticed in the LinQ.
So wasn’t sure what your alls thoughts were for keeping the HZRDUS shaft in and I could just potentially grow into it? My fitter advised against it since it would be potentially too stiff and not a good fit (but I didn't have a chance to hit that shaft side by side with my fitter at the time.
So yeah, confused if I should just swap out the shaft now for LINQ or just keep the stock shaft for the PTC (palm tree crew) design of the HZRDUS shaft.
My most recent hitting was earlier today, where I also tried the HZRDUS xstiff shaft, and I defintely had to put more effort into the swing, and seemed very stout (also had a couple heavy left hand shots into it) - but the attendant thought I was in between a stiff or a xstff in HZRDUS black if I went that route. So even more unsure now. My ballspeed was also similar to the ballspeed of the stiff shaft (near 130 -150).
So yeah now I'm in a pickle on if i go LinQ which was the shaft originally recommended by my fitter, or go the HZRDUS which seems a bit tighter in dispersion, but takes more effort to fly longer ... but it also has a sweet decal for the PTC club version.
So long story short, would appreciate any recommendations, and good grip (I selected the Tour velvet cords at the moment).
Thanks a bunch dudes, really appreciate any feedback here.
I would not purchase a shaft with the hope of growing into it. I think you choose what fits best at the time of purchase. The HZRDUS Black is a stout profile. For those who like a shaft that does not normally provide that sensation of kick or flex and who have good speed or fast transition, it can be a fantastic shaft. I don’t think you would grow out of the LinQ White, to be honest. If I were you, I would purchase the club with the LinQ White, even if it means going with the standard head, rather than the special release. You might be able to order the special edition head with the LinQ shaft. I have done a custom shaft in the special release clubs previously.
In my past experience with prior versions Hzrdus Black I tend to be a little more in between Stiff and X, where in the LinQ series I've found myself a little more comfortably in the X. I think I've seen some folks comment that the new version of the Hzrdus Black is a little smoother, but I haven't hit it myself. I originally ordered the LS with the LinQ 6F5 and found it to be pretty smooth to flex. All that to say I'm not surprised you found the Hzrdus X to be more work than the LinQ S. Did you only hit the X flex Hzrdus or did you hit the Stiff as well? Based on your general ball speed numbers and your fitter recommending the LinQ S, it would seem to me Hzrdus S would be better for you than Hzrdus X.
If it were me it would come down to how attached you are to the PTC version of the Hzrdus and how willing you are to spend some more money if it doesn't work out. If you really like the PTC shaft graphics and can hit the Stiff flex and get similar numbers to the LinQ it might be worth taking a flyer on, with the understanding you might end up needing to pick up the LinQ later if the Hzrdus doesn't work out. Since the LinQ White is a stock shaft in this line, it will be fairly easy to find them with Cobra adapters in the secondary market, unlike the PTC Hzrdus. If you are still seeing a big difference in yardage between the Hzrdus S and LinQ S and/or you need to get the combo right the first time, then going with your fitters recommendation would be best IMO.
Spring seems finally to be arriving in my area. I got out on an outdoor range for the first time locally with the DarkSpeed LS. This is one of the most fun drivers to hit that I can remember. It has a very satisfying feel/sound when struck well and gives extremely good feedback on misses. I have received more comments on it from others in the group or, for example, yesterday on the range. Cobra definitely brought fun to this year’s driver offerings.
Just ordered a LinQ Red TSPX 7F4 assembled to have a go on the Darkspeed X. I'm genuinely thrilled to test it out, as it should be right up my alley in terms of what I need in numbers and what I like in feel.
I agree with this. I have a LINQ White 6F4 and found it to be much less stiff feeling than the HZRDUS Black. The newer version is much, much more playable than the first version, but I still think it fees a bit stiff to flex for me. I found myself overswinging to try to get the feeling that I loaded it. I don't have that experience with the LINQ line. That said, I play the LINQ blue.
I have a LINQ White 6F4 with a Cobra tip. So if needed, you are more than welcome to it.
You guys are so rad, thank you thank thank you for the advice and candid thoughts.
I decided to go with the stock HZRDUS black in stiff to see if it will work, and I guess I was too stubborn to get away from the graphics on the PtC club after all no matter how solid the advice has been.
Guess it’s waiting and seeing till I hit the simulator again to see if I made a horrible decision and should have listened to the fitter and everyone here that has more experience than I do
Thank you @BigDill for the crazy kind gesture and happy to help pay for it if you still have it and I end up needing it
**had to just stick with decision before I cancelled the order all together and ordered the DS 8 degree driver instead due to how great that looks too
I decided to go with the stock HZRDUS black in stiff to see if it will work, and I guess I was too stubborn to get away from the graphics on the PtC club after all no matter how solid the advice has been.
Guess it’s waiting and seeing till I hit the simulator again to see if I made a horrible decision and should have listened to the fitter and everyone here that has more experience than I do
Thank you @BigDill for the crazy kind gesture and happy to help pay for it if you still have it and I end up needing it
**had to just stick with decision before I cancelled the order all together and ordered the DS 8 degree driver instead due to how great that looks too
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Many playing this is Linq Blue? Fitting place didn’t have it, only Linq White which I didn’t rly get along with. I was fit for Ventus TR Red in 6S, and have a DS X with Linq Blue 6F4 local to me on the used market I am thinking of snagging. Obviously not rly comparable to TR red, but I’m wondering how stiff the Blue plays?
Playing the DS-X in the LINQ Blue 7F4... It's a bit stout to me but I can swing it. It really is a great combo. I'd like to give it a go in a 6F4, tho.
Appreciate that. What’s your SS like? I’m around 108-110 so somewhat live in between S and X depending on profile.
From what I can discern, I’m not as worried about the profile being different, but I think TR red plays quite stiff to flex, especially in the handle, and is quite low torque. I know you can’t rly directly compare torque ratings from manufacturers, but all the Linq shafts seem to be fairly high, so I'm kinda hoping it also plays stiff to flex to atleast make it closer.
I'd say avg in the high 90's - maybe 100 and some tenths
...i can get 102 but I can't stay there 
Hey every tenth counts, especially when talking shaftsI'd say avg in the high 90's - maybe 100 and some tenths
Thanks again for the input.
I am playing the Darkspeed LS with the LINQ Blue 7F4. I don’t think it plays overly stiff at all. In fact, I would describe it as true to flex, but stable. Still has great feel in the hands. To me, it plays a bit softer in feel to the Ventus Blue TR I had. I would assume the LINQ Red would be closer to the Ventus Red TR.
For reference, I am swinging around 106 MPH these days.
I played the LINQ blue at that swing speed in 7F4 without an issue. I would definitely try it. Don’t get too caught up in the numbers. The LINQ Blue feels great but still has remarkable head control and stability based on the Q-Fiber technology.
Ya I try not to go too crazy over specs, was more so just trying to compare before pulling the trigger. It’s easy to swap shafts anyways, so I’ll likely just do it and figure it out. I have my current RDX red 6.5 waiting on the sidelines too, so can always get a Cobra tip and throw that in if needed. Thanks for the response!
I swung the X again today 5 or 6 times while at the golf store. Now that I'm almost 2 months into speed training and have added about 10mph to my driver swing interesting things are happening with the X. At the 95ish MPH I was at before speed training I did not enjoy the sound and feel at all. I described it in this thread a few times as 'harsh'. Now that cruising speed is around 102-104mph the sound and feel have completely changed. It no longer sounds 'harsh' it sounds 'crisp' it no longer feels bad it feels like the ball jumps off the face.
It's so interesting to me how sound and feel can change like that with different clubhead speed.
It's so interesting to me how sound and feel can change like that with different clubhead speed.
PuttN4Eagle
Member
Went to my local Golf Galaxy to hit some of the new stuff. The club builder made me up a Cobra Dark Speed X based on what he’d seen off my data with the other drivers I was hitting. He gave me a DS X heavy weight in the back with an LA Golf a-series low 60 xstiff. Thing was a low spin cannon. Will definitely hit the DS X again. Might make its way into my bag this year.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Got a chance to try out the Darkspeed Max and X again at a local demo day. The Cobra rep first set me up with the Max as that is what I’m currently in. After a few swings he told me I needed to be in the X. We switched it up and began hitting it and again I really enjoyed it, such a nice looking and feeling driver. He had me hitting it with the LinQ red and it was great. Such a good club.
This week I moved the heavy weight to the heel, which was mostly sim rounds until I played 18 today.
I feel like when I’m swinging or striking poorly I’m going to have higher spin in either setting.
When I’m swinging “ok” I feel like there are a few yards left on the table with the weight back and I have to work a little harder to keep the spin down in an optimal range. Arguably I should work hard to help get my swing in a better spot, but I’m trying to do that with my irons too right now, so I’d really like to just send driver as-is and keep the grinding to the iron swing.
With the weight in the heel it seems like misses are less likely to ramp up spin, and I get more of the low 2000s high toe mishits that give me more distance than I deserve based on the ball speed.
Today on the course it seemed like it validated what I saw on the sim this week. It was 50 and gloomy and I didn’t feel like I was swinging particularly fast or anything, but the distance seemed to come really easy today. Looking at my stats I’ve had a pretty steady P-avg each round this year with the weight back, and I was about 10 yards longer on both 9s I played today.
One drive in particular is sticking with me a bit. I squared the face nicely but felt it in the heel. This one took off straight and far, as if I had hit it in the center. LTDx LS, Aerojet LS, and now Darkspeed LS have had good toe forgiveness IMO, but I don’t think the previous drivers would have managed this strike as well. I played those with the heel weight as well, so I don’t think it’s that. Curious if anyone has seen this as well?
I feel like when I’m swinging or striking poorly I’m going to have higher spin in either setting.
When I’m swinging “ok” I feel like there are a few yards left on the table with the weight back and I have to work a little harder to keep the spin down in an optimal range. Arguably I should work hard to help get my swing in a better spot, but I’m trying to do that with my irons too right now, so I’d really like to just send driver as-is and keep the grinding to the iron swing.
With the weight in the heel it seems like misses are less likely to ramp up spin, and I get more of the low 2000s high toe mishits that give me more distance than I deserve based on the ball speed.
Today on the course it seemed like it validated what I saw on the sim this week. It was 50 and gloomy and I didn’t feel like I was swinging particularly fast or anything, but the distance seemed to come really easy today. Looking at my stats I’ve had a pretty steady P-avg each round this year with the weight back, and I was about 10 yards longer on both 9s I played today.
One drive in particular is sticking with me a bit. I squared the face nicely but felt it in the heel. This one took off straight and far, as if I had hit it in the center. LTDx LS, Aerojet LS, and now Darkspeed LS have had good toe forgiveness IMO, but I don’t think the previous drivers would have managed this strike as well. I played those with the heel weight as well, so I don’t think it’s that. Curious if anyone has seen this as well?
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I really like the LS but starting to get that itch to demo the X with the heavy weight forward. Any sound/feel differences between the 2? By the way, the LS is the best looking head on the market
I continue to play around with the settings a bit. Today, I had my 9* LS set at 10*, with the heavy weight in the back. This may have finally fully optimized everything for me with this head. I hit 6/9 fairways when teeing off with this driver. My average driving distance (not performance average) was 278 yards, which is super good for me. I had one drive of over 300 yards again. The driver felt so automatic today. I was 2.86 strokes gained with driver compared to a 0 handicap. I wish I could bottle it.
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