Cobra Darkspeed Women’s Irons Review

I review the new Cobra Darkspeed Women’s Irons to discover whether they have the ultimate flexibility club face to produce astronomical ball speeds compared to previous models

Cobra’s previous model AeroJet Women’s irons were a real hit, so they needed to pull out all the stops to better 2023s range. For Cobra to produce one of the best golf iron sets with their 2024 Darkspeed Women’s irons and have them compete with the finest women’s golf irons this year they’ve made some considerable changes to the technology and manufacturing process.

Darkspeed irons are aimed at amateur golfers and we expect them to be one of the best iron sets for mid to high handicappers. Although, that’s not to say better amateur golfers can’t play with them. They might not make their way into any Tour player’s golf bags, but Cobra have definitely improved their iron sets in recent years. Even players such as Justin Rose have had Cobra irons in the bag despite not being contractually obliged to use them.

The golfers’ Cobra are going to be appealing to with Darkspeed irons are very similar to the ones they were targeting with their AeroJet irons. It’s players seeking distance that Darkspeed irons will attract most because of how strongly lofted they are (although not as strong as AeroJet were – 27° compared to 26.5°). Despite being strong lofted, Cobra still believes these irons can generate enough height and spin to challenge the best high-launch irons that have much weaker lofts.

Tom Olsavsky, Vice President of Club R&D at Cobra Golf, has high praise for the irons Cobra take to market for 2024, saying “When we think about distance irons, Cobra has always been a leader in the category. 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.”

Everything you need to know about the Cobra Darkspeed Women’s irons

Feeling H.O.T., H.O.T., H.O.T.

The PWRSHELL H.O.T. Face has become a regular component of Cobra golf clubs over recent years, but it’s never the same as it was the previous year. 2024 sees Cobra introduce their thinnest H.O.T. Face in Darkspeed, it’s 21% thinner than it was in AeroJet (1.5mm at its thinnest compared to 1.9mm in last year’s irons). Thinning the face and making an L-cup insert makes the clubface more flexible, creating increased ball speed and leading to more distance.

Despite the face being unsupported the launch is much more robust thanks to the larger thinner face which has created a larger high-stress region. With the Darkspeed irons you can achieve explosive ball speed and launch to challenge some of the longest irons in 2024.

Chasing distance can sometimes compromise performance, especially in longer irons, but to combat this Cobra have increased the size of the CNC Milled Grooves in the longer irons (4 iron to 7 iron) and introduced a larger PWRSHELL insert in the same irons (plus the 8 iron). The PWRSHELL insert extends beyond the topline of the club and wraps around the toe area of the Darkspeed clubface which promotes flexibility and speed.

You might be thinking, it’s all fine and well a club increasing distance and feeling good, but will it help me when I’m going pin-seeking? The answer is yes! The dispersion of the Darkspeed irons is very impressive for a club engineered with the purpose of helping golfers hit the ball farther. Having a larger sweet spot helps to deliver more efficient spin and means even the mishits aren’t massively punishing.

Suspended weight bridge

Cobra have been taking inspiration from Da Vinci’s self-supporting bridge for a number of years, and they’re constantly striving to improve the PWR Bridge technology based on the work of the Italian polymath. This technology is a feature of every club in the Darkspeed range – and it’s no surprise considering the advancements they’ve made with this technology.

The PWR Bridge is only a feature of the 4-7 irons which have the 17-4 face insert. The purpose of the suspended weight bridge is to lower CG and improve flexibility – not much has changed there. However, the PWR Bridge has been modified for 2024 by having only one weld post (compared to two in the AeroJet iron head). This ensures that the entire body structure is more fluid and allows the face to flex more, increasing the elastic rebound effect which delivers more speed, distance, and launch.

Hollow body construction

Hollow body construction is becoming more and more popular in iron sets. Cobra’s first hollow body irons were their T-Rail hybrid-irons, but they’ve now implemented the construction into their game-improvement irons. It’s definitely a welcomed addition to Darkspeed. The 431-SS body offers an excellent feel and when partnered with the hollow body it offers incredible distance and performance.

Featuring a TECFLO construction, the hollow body construction changes throughout the set in order to optimize performance. The irons with a full-hollow body are 4-PW while the GW and SW are half-hollow bodies. The 4-7 irons are full-hollow and fit with the suspended PWR Bridge, whereas the 8-PW full-hollow construction is without the PWR Bridge.

The hollow body isn’t completely empty, it’s filled with 3g 924D foam microspheres which creates a more elastic rebound and 25% more face deflection resulting in increased distance by reducing spin from longer face interaction time. Although Cobra have built their Darkspeed irons with a more metalwood-like construction they don’t feel, sound, or perform in the same vain as metalwoods do. They are a joy to hit and definitely a contender for the best forgiving irons of 2024.

Sweet sound

What are the first things you look for when purchasing a new set of irons? First is likely to be aesthetics, following this, it’s probably sound and feel. Cobra have done all they can to make Darkspeed sound as appealing as it looks. They’ve done this by replacing the 7g polymer filling in the AeroJet iron with 924D foam microspheres weighing 3g. The weight saved here has been added to the PWR Bridge to lower CG and improve sound and feel.

To achieve a better sound and feel over last year’s AeroJet irons the foam filling isn’t the only factor. The improved sound and feel comes from all of the components working in unison to deliver a nicer experience when playing with Darkspeed irons – from the increased distance to the dampened vibrations on off-center hits.

Everything you need to know about the Cobra Darkspeed Women’s irons

Cobra Darkspeed Women’s irons

RRP: £7299.00 (S) / $859.00 (S) / £819.00 (G) / $859.00 (G)

Pre-sale for Cobra Darkspeed irons begins on January 11, as it does for all clubs in the Darkspedd range. Eight days after this on January 19, you’ll be able to purchase the full range from retailers and online.

Cobra are behind some of the best irons on the market, and it’ll be no surprise to see their Darkspeed Women’s irons fighting it out to be named one of the best women’s iron sets of 2024. They’re aimed more toward amateur golfers thanks to their stronger lofts and forgiving features. If you’re in the market for a more refined set of irons used by Tour pros then you’re best looking at Cobra’s King range. Depending on how many irons you wish to carry, Darkspeed Women’s irons are available from 5-iron through to sand wedge. Stock sets will run from 6-iron to sand wedge.

Having achieved much success with the previous Aerojet Women’s irons, Cobra have continued to use AI to assist them in designing the H.O.T. Face which has been improved for 2024. The emphasis of these irons is on speed, sound, and efficiency. To achieve this Cobra have filled the hollow body with foam, increased the size of the PWRSHELL H.O.T. Face, and improved the PWR Bridge construction. The deeper body and high bounce leading edge make this club extremely versatile and a go-to no matter where you’re balls sitting.

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About the author

James Hogg – Golf Equipment Writer

James has a degree in English Language from Newcastle University and an MA in Journalism from Kingston University.

He spent seven years working for American Golf as part of the sales and fitting team alongside his studies and is a specialist in putters, golf balls, and apparel.

James took up golf as a teenager and, thanks largely to his length and consistency off the tee, he plays off a handicap of 4.7 at Cleveland Golf Club.

You can contact James via email for loads more golf equipment insight.

Cobra Darkspeed Women's Irons

RRP: £819.00 (G) | VIEW UK OFFER | $859.00 (G) | VIEW US OFFER

Construction: Cast hollow body

Category: Mid-Handicap Iron

Forgiveness rating: 4/5

7-iron loft: 27°

Stock shafts: KBS PGI (graphite)

Stock grip: Lamkin Crossline Black Undersize