One of the most exciting annual releases to learn about, yet sometimes one of the least buzzed about, are the new Cobra irons which accompany their metalwoods in each cycle. Sure, the KING Tour and Forged Tec tend to generate the most discussion when it comes to their irons, but dating back almost a decade now, for pure performance and tech, it is hard to beat their annual main iron release.
This year, that means DARKSPEED, and Cobra appears to be turning things up even more.
Cobra DARKSPEED Irons
While you may not realize it, the Aerojet irons were not only one of the most technologically advanced sets which Cobra Golf had ever produced, but the subsequent feedback confirmed their ease and forgiveness. So, where do you go from there? You go hollow of course.
For the new DARKSPEED irons, Cobra took a closer look at their metalwood innovations for motivation, and from that came the realization that by going hollow they could open up yet another level of speed and playability.
Overall, they have created a thinner and more responsive structure by going hollow, as it allowed for the movement of weight to the perimeter as well as increasing the ability of the face to flex (face deflection) by up to 25%. That number, frankly, is staggering when you consider just how good the Aerojet were in pure game improvement performance.
That internal space, which is now created thanks to being a hollow body, meant that PWR-BRIDGE needed to be adapted as well. This year it is now suspended by a single post allowing almost the entirety of its weight to float free. For those unfamiliar, PWR-BRIDGE allows for weight to be precisely located within the heads to optimize CG while also removing anything from the body of the club which could hinder the ability of the irons face to flex.
Speaking of, PWRSHELL H.O.T Face (Highly Optimized Topology) has also been revamped with the face now thinner than ever before. Sure, that is a speaking point that we hear often, but in this case Cobra is backing it up by taking things to 1.6mm compared to the 1.9mm which Aerojet had at their thinnest point. Of course, part of PWRSHELL is H.O.T. which is that topology which optimizes face thickness for the entire set, this year utilizing A.I. to progress it.
No doubt some of you are reading this and posing the question, but what about feel? After all, not only have Cobra’s main release game improvement iron sets historically been among the best feeling year after year, but we know going hollow puts a heavy burden on sound/feel. The answer for Cobra is injecting Foam Microspheres into the cavities which according to them not only supports the PWR-BRIDGE, but also dampens sound to manage vibrational feedback and hone it in.
Additionally, while everyone has gone progressive in their iron sets these days, many forget that Cobra was on the leading edge of that dating back to the F6 irons and their introduction of TECFLO. The latest iteration is here in the DARKSPEED irons implementing a full-hollow design with PWR-BRIDGE and PWRSHELL in the 4-7 then flowing into a full-hollow 8-P without face insert, and half-hollow designs in the GW/SW.
The Details
Cobra is bringing the new DARKSPEED irons in both Variable and ONE Length orientations. Variable will be offered in 4-PW or 5-GW. The ONE Length will be set at 37.25” 7i length in 5-GW with weaker lofts and wider soles in the long irons (5-6 and in the also available 4) in order to blend the distances better.
The irons will be available for pre-order on 1/11/24 and come to retail on 1/19/24. Price for the DARKSPEED irons will be $999 for steel (KBS Tour Lite 105 – R, S) and $1,099 for graphite (KBS PGI – 55 Ladies, 65 Lite, 75R, and 85S).
