The Darkspeed Max driver shined during robotic testing.
Jonathan Wall/GOLF
The goal behind GOLF’s yearly robotic testing for ClubTest is simple: Highlight clubs doing things well for certain golfers. It’s critically important to test myriad of different drivers before making a final decision, but it’s even better if you have an idea of what the drivers are capable of doing — and the misses they can help mitigate — before stepping foot on the range (or indoor hitting bay) to take a few cracks.
This is where robotic testing takes some of the guesswork out of the equipment search.
Using Golf Laboratories’ swing robot, we tested drivers from all the major manufacturers — in every model and available loft — to determine if a standout product existed.
In the first of a series of videos recapping robotic driver testing, we put Cobra’s Darkspeed driver lineup to the test using a 9-point face mapping that analyzes impact locations on 90 percent of the face at 95 mph. After regressing back to the mean last year with Aerojet, Cobra is back in LTDx territory with the new Darkspeed.
In particular, there’s one model — and loft, if we’re getting specific — that stole the show.
In the latest insights video, the Fully Equipped crew details what makes Darkspeed a certified “unicorn driver,” especially if your misses tend to find one area of the face.
Jonathan Wall is GOLF Magazine and GOLF.com’s Managing Editor for Equipment. Prior to joining the staff at the end of 2018, he spent 6 years covering equipment for the PGA Tour. He can be reached at jonathan.wall@golf.com.