Cobra · Fairway wood · 2024 · Previous model
Cobra DARKSPEED MAX fairway wood
Maximum forgiveness, 4.0 of 5
Cobra's most forgiving fairway wood of 2024, a slightly oversized, low-profile head with weights that move between the back and the heel to tune a draw, in three lofts from 15.5° to 21.5°. Cobra's own store still sold it new on 16 Oct 2026, in one build; the DS-ADAPT MAX replaced it, and the OPTM MAX replaced the DS-ADAPT MAX.
4.0 of 5 forgiveness score
$199 at Cobra
Used from $125.99 at 2nd Swing Golf
In average condition or better: from $179.99
New instead: Cobra OPTM MAX, $269 at Cobra, checked 2 Nov
Choose it if
- You find a fairway wood hard to get airborne.
- You slice: the adjustable weight has a draw setting.
- You need a softer shaft: a senior flex is a standard build, but none was in stock on 16 Oct.
- You want to spend less: $199 is in the cheapest third of the 9 we price.
- Class
- Maximum forgiveness
- Stock lofts
- 15.5° (3-wood) · 18.5° (5-wood) · 21.5° (7-wood)
- Slice help
- Draw setting on the adjustable weight
- Stock flexes
- Senior to stiff
- Hands
- Left or right; left-handed: the 3-wood in stock; the 5- and 7-woods to order.
- Price
- $199 at Cobra, left-handed, checked 2 Nov
What changed in the OPTM MAX
Both are Cobra's most forgiving fairway wood of their year, with weights that move between the back and the heel to tune a draw. The OPTM MAX keeps the 15.5°, 18.5° and 21.5° lofts and adds a 24.5° 9-wood; its 3-wood is a quarter of an inch longer (43.25 in against 43 in), and its standard lies are 0.8° to 1.8° more upright. Its FutureFit33 hosel has 33 loft and lie settings, 2° either way, against the DARKSPEED MAX's eight, 1.5° either way; the DS-ADAPT MAX between them made that change. The DARKSPEED MAX came on UST's LIN-Q M40X shafts and the OPTM MAX on MCA's Kai'li Dark Waves Red 50, both in stiff, regular and senior flex in the 3- and 5-woods and regular and senior in the 7-wood as stock.
Cobra still sells the DARKSPEED MAX new for a little over half the OPTM MAX's price, but on 16 Oct only as a left-handed 3-wood in regular flex; used ones cost less again. It suits a golfer who wants a forgiving, draw-tuned Cobra fairway wood for little money; choose the OPTM MAX for a new club in another loft, flex or hand, a 9-wood, or the wider hosel settings.
| Detail | DARKSPEED MAX (previous) | OPTM MAX (current) |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Maximum forgiveness | Maximum forgiveness |
| Forgiveness score | 4.0 of 5 | 4.0 of 5 |
| Stock lofts | 15.5° · 18.5° · 21.5° | 15.5° · 18.5° · 21.5° · 24.5° |
| Slice help | Draw setting on the adjustable weight | Draw setting on the adjustable weight |
| Stock flexes | Senior to stiff | Senior to stiff |
| Hands | Left or right; left-handed: the 3-wood in stock; the 5- and 7-woods to order | Left or right; left-handed in the 3-, 5- and 7-woods (15.5°, 18.5° and 21.5°) only |
| Price new | $199 at Cobra, left-handed, checked 2 Nov | $269 at Cobra, checked 2 Nov |
| Price used | From $125.99 at 2nd Swing Golf (3-wood (15.5°), senior flex, below average condition), checked 31 Oct | From $139.99 at 2nd Swing Golf (3-wood (15.5°), regular flex, below average condition), checked 31 Oct |
Build a whole bag around it, or check the lofts in the bag you carry.
The Cobra DARKSPEED MAX is sold in a senior (A) flex as well as regular (R): what the senior flex changes, and who it suits.
DARKSPEED MAX: the questions buyers ask
- Is the Cobra DARKSPEED MAX forgiving?
- Yes. It is Cobra's maximum forgiveness fairway wood, with lofts up to 21.5°. It scores 4.0 of 5 on our reading of what Cobra publishes about it, the top score among the fairway woods we cover.
- Who is the DARKSPEED MAX for?
- It suits golfers who find a fairway wood hard to get airborne.
- Does the DARKSPEED MAX come in senior or ladies flex?
- Senior, yes; ladies, no. Cobra lists senior (A), regular (R) and stiff (S).
- Is the DARKSPEED MAX sold left-handed?
- Left-handed: the 3-wood in stock; the 5- and 7-woods to order.
- How much does the DARKSPEED MAX cost?
- $199 at Cobra, left-handed, checked 2 Nov. Used from $125.99 at 2nd Swing Golf, checked 31 Oct. In average condition or better, from $179.99. Prices change; the seller's page has today's.
How the 4.0 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 | 4 | A maximum-forgiveness fairway wood head, the most forgiving kind Cobra made. |
| Forgiveness score | 4.0 | of 5 |
Draw help, lofts, flex and hand don't change the score. They decide which version fits you, and the picks for a slice or a slow swing use them.
Specification sheet
| Maker | Cobra |
|---|---|
| Model | DARKSPEED MAX |
| Model year | 2024 |
| Type | Fairway wood |
| Class | Maximum forgiveness |
| Handicap range the maker states | – |
| Offset | – |
| Sole | – |
| Moment of inertia (MOI) | – |
| Face technology | AI-designed H.O.T. Face with a variable-thickness pattern |
| Construction | A slightly oversized, low-profile head Cobra calls its most forgiving and its highest in MOI, with back and heel weight positions to tune a draw, a face insert of varying thickness, and a hosel with eight loft and lie settings, 1.5° either way. |
| Stock steel shafts | – |
| Stock graphite shafts | UST LIN-Q M40X Red 5, UST LIN-Q M40X Blue 6 |
| Stock flexes | A (senior), R (regular), S (stiff) |
| Stock lofts | 15.5° (3-wood) · 18.5° (5-wood) · 21.5° (7-wood) |
| Hands | Left or right; left-handed: the 3-wood in stock; the 5- and 7-woods to order. |
| Men's or women's | Men's |
| List price when new | $329 (2024 model); not a price today |
| Price at Cobra | $199 · checked 2 Nov |
| What the price buys | In stock on 16 Oct: left-handed 3-wood (15.5°), regular flex |
Compare with other maximum forgiveness fairway woods
No matching clubs. Clear the search or loosen the filters.
| Lofts | Slice help | Hand | Where to buy | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4.0 | Maximum forgiveness | 16° (3-wood) · 20° (5-wood) · 23° (7-wood) · 25° (9-wood) · 27° (11-wood) | Draw-biased head, built to reduce a slice | A · R · S | RH · LH | $179.99 at Tour Edge checked 2 Nov | ||
Cobra OPTM MAX (2026) | 4.0 | Maximum forgiveness | 15.5° (3-wood) · 18.5° (5-wood) · 21.5° (7-wood) · 24.5° (9-wood) | Draw setting on the adjustable weight | A · R · S | RH · LH | $269 at Cobra checked 2 Nov | |
| 4.0 | Maximum forgiveness | 15° (3-wood) · 17° (4-wood) · 19° (5-wood) · 21° (7-wood) · 24° (9-wood) | – | A · R · S · X | RH · LH | $297 at Golf Discount checked 2 Nov | ||
| 4.0 | Maximum forgiveness | 16° (3-wood) · 19° (5-wood) · 22° (7-wood) | Draw-biased head, built to reduce a slice | A · R · S · X | RH · LH | $297 at Golf Discount checked 2 Nov | ||
| 4.0 | Maximum forgiveness | 15° (3-wood) · 18° (5-wood) · 21° (7-wood) · 24° (9-wood) | – | L · A · R · S | RH · LH | $379.99 at TaylorMade checked 2 Nov | ||
| 4.0 | Maximum forgiveness | 13.5° · 15.0° · 16.5° · 18.0° · 21.0° | – | A · R · S · X | RH · LH | $399 at Golf Discount checked 2 Nov | ||
Callaway Quantum Max D (2026) | 4.0 | Maximum forgiveness | 15° (3W) · 16.5° (3HL) · 18° (5W) · 21.5° (7W) | Draw-biased head, built to reduce a slice | R · S | RH · LH | $399.99 at Golf Discount checked 2 Nov |
Order: Most forgiving in this class first, then price. Use the arrows to sort. A dash means the maker does not publish it.
See all fairway woods on the most forgiving fairway woods 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 4 Mar 2024
- Cobra's specifications (price checked 2 Nov)
- 2nd Swing Golf's used listings (checked 31 Oct)
- Pre-owned: seen at 2nd Swing Golf from $125.99 (checked 31 Oct)