Cobra · Iron set · 2024 · Previous model
Cobra DARKSPEED irons
Game improvement, 3.0 of 5 for forgiveness
Cobra's 2024 game improvement iron, built for distance: a hollow body filled with foam, 3.2 mm of offset and a strong 27° 7-iron. Cobra no longer sells the DARKSPEED new; the DS-ADAPT followed it in 2025 and the KING in 2026, and the KING MAX is the KING's more forgiving version.
3.0 of 5 forgiveness score
$470.99 used at 2nd Swing Golf
New instead: Cobra KING MAX, $999 at Cobra, 7 irons, checked 2 Nov
Choose it if
- You make decent contact and want help on the misses from a slimmer head.
- You need a left-handed club or a senior flex: both were stock builds.
Choose something else if
- For more help on thin and heavy strikes, look at Cobra's KING MAX, with more offset and weaker lofts.
- Class
- Game improvement
- 7-iron loft
- 27°Every club's loft, lie and length
- Offset (7-iron)
- 3.2 mm
- Stock flexes
- Senior to stiff
- Hands
- Left or right
- Used
- From $470.99 at 2nd Swing Golf, checked 31 Oct
What changed in the KING MAX
Cobra followed the DARKSPEED with the DS-ADAPT in 2025 and the KING in 2026. The KING keeps the DARKSPEED's lengths and lies and its 3.2 mm of offset at the 7-iron (0.1 mm more from the 8-iron to the sand wedge), and is half a degree weaker from the 4-iron to the gap wedge (a 27.5° 7-iron against 27°); we do not cover it. The KING MAX we cover is its forgiving version: 2° weaker than the KING (a 29.5° 7-iron), with 5.2 mm of offset at the 7-iron against the DARKSPEED's 3.2 mm, a 3D-printed medallion, a floating 80 g weight and a sole Cobra reshaped with more bounce at the leading edge.
Cobra no longer sells the DARKSPEED, and used sets cost about half a new KING MAX. Choose a used DARKSPEED for strong lofts and distance if you already strike your irons fairly well; choose the KING MAX for more help on thin and heavy strikes and a higher flight.
| Detail | DARKSPEED (previous) | KING MAX (current) |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Game improvement | Super game improvement |
| Forgiveness score | 3.0 of 5 | 4.5 of 5 |
| 7-iron loft | 27° | 29.5° |
| Offset at the 7-iron | 3.2 mm | 5.2 mm |
| Sole | – | Skid sole, more bounce |
| Stock flexes | Senior to stiff | Senior to extra stiff |
| Hands | Left or right | Left or right |
| Price new | No longer sold new | $999 at Cobra, 7 irons, checked 2 Nov |
| Price used | From $470.99 at 2nd Swing Golf (6 clubs (6-PW, AW), graphite, regular flex, average condition), checked 31 Oct | From $754.99 at 2nd Swing Golf (7 clubs (5-PW, GW), steel, stiff flex, mint condition), checked 31 Oct |
Head to head: Cobra DARKSPEED vs Titleist T350 (2023) irons · Cobra DARKSPEED vs DS-ADAPT irons
Loft, lie and length, club by club
| Club | Loft | Lie | Length | Offset |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4-iron | 18.5° | 62° | 39.25 in | 5.4 mm |
| 5-iron | 21° | 62.5° | 38.5 in | 4.6 mm |
| 6-iron | 24° | 63° | 37.75 in | 3.9 mm |
| 7-iron | 27° | 63.5° | 37.25 in | 3.2 mm |
| 8-iron | 31.5° | 64° | 36.75 in | 2.6 mm |
| 9-iron | 36.5° | 64.5° | 36.25 in | 2 mm |
| PW | 42° | 65° | 36 in | 1.5 mm |
| GW | 47.5° | 65° | 35.75 in | 1 mm |
| SW | 54° | 65° | 35.5 in | 1 mm |
Build a whole bag around it, or check the lofts in the bag you carry.
Use the iron finder to compare sets for your usual miss, and check the set makeup and loft gaps before ordering. Between a game improvement and a super game improvement head, this is how to tell which one your strike needs.
The Cobra DARKSPEED came in a senior (A) flex as well as regular (R): what the senior flex changes, and who it suits.
DARKSPEED: the questions buyers ask
- Is the Cobra DARKSPEED forgiving?
- Moderately. It is Cobra's game improvement iron, with 3.2 mm of offset at the 7-iron and a 27° 7-iron. It scores 3.0 of 5 on our reading of what Cobra publishes about it; the most forgiving iron sets we cover score 5.0.
- Who is the DARKSPEED for?
- It suits golfers who make decent contact and want help on the misses with a slimmer head.
- Does the DARKSPEED come in senior or ladies flex?
- Senior, yes; ladies, no. Cobra listed senior (A), regular (R) and stiff (S).
- Is the DARKSPEED sold left-handed?
- Yes: Cobra made it left- and right-handed.
- What are the DARKSPEED lofts?
- 4-iron 18.5°, 5-iron 21°, 6-iron 24°, 7-iron 27°, 8-iron 31.5°, 9-iron 36.5°, PW 42°, GW 47.5°, SW 54°, as Cobra published them. The full table with lie, length and offset is above.
- Which clubs come in a DARKSPEED set?
- 4-iron to PW (right-handed, steel) or 5-iron to GW (right- or left-handed, steel), seven clubs; the graphite set swaps the 5-iron for a 5-hybrid.
- How much does the DARKSPEED cost?
- Cobra no longer sells it new. Used from $470.99 at 2nd Swing Golf, checked 31 Oct. Prices change; the seller's page has today's.
How the 3.0 adds up
The forgiveness score is our reading of what Cobra publishes about the head, from 1 to 5. It is not a test result. How every score works.
| Part | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Head class | 3 | Game improvement: a forgiving head, slimmer than super game improvement. |
| Offset | +0 | 3.2 mm at the 7-iron, below our 4.5 mm mark. |
| Sole | +0 | Cobra doesn't publish a sole width, so the sole earns no point. |
| Forgiveness score | 3.0 | of 5 |
The score rates the head only. Hand, flex and price decide which version you buy, not how forgiving it is. Cobra does not publish a sole width.
Specification sheet
| Maker | Cobra |
|---|---|
| Model | DARKSPEED |
| Model year | 2024 |
| Type | Iron set |
| Class | Game improvement |
| Handicap range the maker states | – |
| Offset | 3.2 mm at the 7-iron (5.4 mm in the 4-iron down to 1.0 mm in the GW and SW) |
| Sole | – |
| Moment of inertia (MOI) | – |
| Face technology | PWRSHELL insert with H.O.T. Face in the 4-7 irons (L-cup); hollow body filled with foam; PWR-BRIDGE weight suspended on a single post |
| Construction | A hollow body filled with foam, a thin insert face in the 4- to 7-irons and a weight floating on a single post low in the head; Cobra called it its longest game improvement iron. |
| Set makeup | 4-iron to PW (right-handed, steel) or 5-iron to GW (right- or left-handed, steel), seven clubs; the graphite set swaps the 5-iron for a 5-hybrid. |
| Clubs in the set | 7 |
| Stock steel shafts | KBS Tour Lite 105g |
| Stock graphite shafts | KBS PGI 85, KBS PGI 75, KBS PGI 65 |
| Stock flexes | A (senior), R (regular), S (stiff) |
| 7-iron loft | 27° |
| Hands | RH, LH |
| Men's or women's | – |
| List price when new | $999 for the seven-club steel set (2024 model); not a price today |
| Price at Cobra | – |
| Set price | – |
Compare with other game improvement irons
No matching clubs. Clear the search or loosen the filters.
| Sole | Hand | Where to buy | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4.0 | Game improvement | 29° | 5.0 mm | Slightly wider | A · R · S | RH · LH | $599.99 at Tour Edge 7 irons · checked 2 Nov | ||
| 3.5 | Game improvement | 29° | not published | Wider | L · A · R · S | RH · LH | $559.99 at Tour Edge 7 irons · checked 2 Nov | ||
| 3.5 | Game improvement | 29° | 4.6 mm | not published | A · R · S · X | RH · LH | $999 at Golf Discount 7 irons (4-PW) · checked 2 Nov | ||
| 3.5 | Game improvement | 31° | 4.3 mm | Wider | L · A · R · S | RH · LH | $1,099.99 at TaylorMade 7 irons · checked 2 Nov | ||
| 3.5 | Game improvement | 29.5° | 4.6 mm | not published | PING's own lightweight flexes: Ultra Lite or Lite | RH · LH | $1,299.99 at PGA TOUR Superstore 7 irons (6-9, PW, UW, SW) · checked 2 Nov | ||
| 3.5 | Game improvement | 29.5° | 3.3 mm | Wider: 0.90 inches | R · S · X | RH · LH | $699 at Haywood 7 irons · checked 2 Nov | ||
| 3.5 | Game improvement | 28° | 4.8 mm | 22.9 mm at the 7-iron | R · S | RH · LH | $962.50 at Mizuno 7 irons · checked 2 Nov | ||
| 3.5 | Game improvement | 29° | 4.6 mm | not published | not published | RH · LH | $1,099 at Golf Discount 7 irons at $157 each · checked 2 Nov |
Order: Forgiveness score first; on a tie, the set more golfers can buy, then a set that includes the long irons, then price. Use the arrows to sort. A dash means the maker does not publish it.
See all iron sets on the most forgiving irons page, or compare this club side by side. Waiting for a sale? The Black Friday golf club deals page has the price to beat on every club we price.
Sources
The specification comes from these pages; open the maker's page before buying, because prices and shaft options change. Check the exact shaft and hand at the shop before ordering.
- Cobra's specifications, archived copy of 24 Jul 2024
- Cobra's announcement
- Cobra's page on availability (checked 15 Oct)
- Cobra's KING MAX specifications
- 2nd Swing Golf's used listings (checked 31 Oct)
- Pre-owned: seen at 2nd Swing Golf from $470.99 (checked 31 Oct)