Analyzing the last three years of Cobra drivers with a swing robot

We receive a lot of questions about the latest gear in the marketplace. Most of them center around one specific question: "Should I switch out my current gamer for a [fill in the blank] driver?"

Understanding how the technology housed inside the head can benefit your game is important, but golfers want to see real numbers. The best way to do this is to go test them yourself. Of course, it'd be nice to have a cheatsheet that lets you know which drivers were worth testing or avoiding.

Golf Digest's new Robo Test series can be that cheat sheet. With the Golf Laboratories swing robot leading the way — the same machine used by the USGA, R&A and nearly every major equipment manufacturer for testing — we'll provide you with meaningful insights that hopefully make you smarter and better informed about the gear that's out there.

For our latest video, we pitted the last three years of Cobra drivers (DS-Adapt, Darkspeed, Aerojet) against each other to determine which models excel in key metrics, including spin rate, ball speed, carry distance and dispersion.

Should you upgrade or stick with what you have? Let's dive in.

1. Unicorn in waiting

Cobra’s DS-Adapt Max K is the only driver in the lineup that breaks the 10K MOI threshold. Without getting too far into the gear weeds, that means the driver head is ultra-stable and won’t twist nearly as much off heel and toe misses. It’s a tank.

Max forgiveness drivers usually spin more and don’t possess the speed you’d get from lower-spin models. Remember: These drivers are geared for golfers with inconsistent contact. But there’s reason to believe Max-K can live in a world where it’s both — an ultra-forgiving driver with low-spin properties.

The robot data revealed Max-K is within 200 RPMs of the LS’s lowest spin rate and topped out at 3,000 RPMs, which is lower than the LS’s highest recorded spin. Not only that, the bar chart reveals more consistent spin rates when taking into account all 9 strike locations, meaning you don’t have to be perfect with the contact to reap the benefits.

Ball speed follows a similar trend. Max-K produced the highest record ball speed of any 2025 Cobra model, with an exceptionally straight flight that seems slightly fade-biased.

And with a carry distance loss of 6.6 yards across all 8 mishit locations, this is the closest Cobra’s come to replicating the mythical LTDx Max in four years. It’s consistent, fast and low spin, which is a deadly combo for any golfer.

2. Incremental improvements

Every manufacturer promises their new driver will be longer and more forgiving than its predecessors, because it’s difficult to sell a new product if it isn’t.

In Cobra's case, the DS-Adapt is better in some areas, but the improvements over the last three years haven’t been significant, outside of the Max-K.

Spin rates have changed somewhat. We’ve seen an uptick in spin for the X model in the last year, but a slight decrease in spin for the LS. The Max-K is where you see the biggest change in spin, in an attempt to chase more distance.

Ball speed and carry distance follow suit with very similar numbers over the last three years. Yes, we’re seeing a larger concentration of faster ball speeds on the top end, but the ranges are very similar to what we’re seeing at the high and low end which you can see here.

What this shows you is how difficult it is to create meaningful improvements when you’re on a yearly cycle. That doesn’t mean DS-Adapt is a bad product. It means Darkspeed and AeroJet were strong offerings. We’re simply seeing incremental improvements during these three years.

3. Straight balls

We all want to find the fairway off the tee, and there’s reason to believe, based on our data, that DS-Adapt can help you do that more often. Digging into the offline trends, it’s easy to see from the chart that it produces plenty of straight balls. The LS, Max-K and X all ride the center line. And it’s important to note these dispersion charts take into account all 54 shots hit across the 9 strike locations. We aren’t cherry-picking shots.

Now, these numbers don’t guarantee you’ll find the fairway each time, but it does confirm even the misses are coming back to center line, which is due to gear effect. Tight dispersions and consistent carry numbers are the hallmarks of a good product.

For someone who plays a Darkspeed LS, this could be a good thing as the DS-Adapt LS doesn’t have nearly as much draw bias. The same could be said for the DS-Adapt X model which has a far less pronounced draw bias. That said if you need the draw shape found in Darkspeed X and Aerojet to straighten out a slice, stick with what you’ve got.

4. Who should upgrade

If you’re someone who’s craving ball speed but doesn’t want to sacrifice forgiveness, I think the DS-Adapt Max-K is worthy of being in the upgrade consideration. It’s lower spinning compared to other 10K drivers in the marketplace and has plenty of speed in the tank.

The only thing you need to wrap your head around is playing a longer front-to-back head shape. That could be a dealbreaker for some, but I think the numbers across the board make it a strong testing candidate.

Someone who’s looking to shed spin in pursuit of distance could benefit from the DS-Adapt LS. It was 700 RPMs lower spinning on the lowest end than Darkspeed LS, bringing it dangerously close to the edge in terms of reliable spin at 1,800. But if you can dial it in with a fitter, it’s built to hit bombs.

5. Who should not upgrade?

I think it’s difficult to make a case that any of the DS-Adapt drivers, outside of Max-K, is head and shoulders better than its predecessors. The lone exception is Max-K. If you’re playing Aerojet or Darkspeed, I think you’re good to wait another year and see what happens if you’re a Cobra loyalist.

Again, this doesn’t mean the drivers aren’t standout products. We’re merely looking for areas where there’s a noticeable edge over the previous two years at 95 mph.

If you currently fight a slice and already play an Aerojet or Darkspeed X, the straighter flight might not be for you. However, the tighter dispersion with DS-Adapt would still make me consider testing.