Cobra Darkspeed Vs Taylormade Qi10 Driver
Today we’re comparing the latest driver offerings from Cobra and Taylormade
Cobra Darkspeed Driver Overview
“The Cobra Darkspeed Max driver features forward PWR-BRIDGE weighting, HOT face design and adjustable rear/heel weighting.”
The Cobra Darkspeed Max looks very big at address. The carbon fiber crown is expansive but looks sleek behind the ball.
I liked the fact that you could put the heavier 12g weight in the back if you want more forgiveness/higher launch or in the heel for draw bias.
I also liked the weight and speed of this driver. The Cobra Darkspeed Max sells for $550.
Taylormade Qi10 Driver Overview
“The Qi10 has an infinity carbon crown, carbon Twist Face design and Thru-Slot Speed Pocket.”
I liked the blue carbon on the face and the blue/black color scheme on the head. The Qi10 isn’t quite as large as the Darkspeed Max; but somehow, it doesn’t feel as light.
As a result, my club head speed was down a bit with the Qi10. But it was still very forgiving on low-face mis-hits. The Taylormade Qi10 retails for $600.
“The speed and adjustability of the Cobra Darkspeed was more beneficial to my game than the forgiveness of the Taylormade Qi10.”
Cobra Darkspeed Driver – First Impressions
“The Cobra Darkspeed really impressed me with how low the spin figures were.”
This garnered me good carry distance and excellent rollout. The Cobra Darkspeed felt really fast right away and I was surprised at how light it felt given the relatively large footprint.
It seems that Cobra really did gain something by working with aerospace engineers because by some modern magic, they have made a large, forgiving driver that is light and doesn’t impart insane spin on the ball.
A lot of the low spin has to do with the PWR bridge weight which is positioned low and more forward in the head than any previous Cobra driver.
The forward positioning helps to mute the spin – otherwise this driver would probably produce 2600+ RPMs.
My feeling after testing was that this would be a really good driver for high handicappers who need to produce more favorable lies and get every hole started off right.
The dispersion was very tight and if you need the extra forgiveness, you can just slap the heavy weight in the rear position. So the Cobra Darkspeed Max is versatile as well.
Taylormade Qi10 Driver – First Impressions
“I liked the depth of the face and the look of the crown right away.”
I could tell that this was going to be a very “user-friendly” driver and I was right. In fact, I had to open up my stance quite a bit to get a true mis-hit out of this thing. It’s very easy to find the sweet spot and even when you miss it, you aren’t punished nearly as much as you may deserve.
While the Taylormade Qi10 driver didn’t play quite as long as say, the new Callaway Paradym Smoke Ai Max, the dispersion was tight which is, I believe, more important for beginners and high handicappers. After all, distance will always follow accuracy – the inverse of that statement is not always true.
In any case, I loved the way the Taylormade Qi10 driver helped me produce favorable lies whether I was warmed up or not.
Cobra Darkspeed Max Driver Selling Points
- AI-designed HOT face
- Low and forward POWER bridge weight
- Adjustable rear and heel weights
- Designed with aerospace engineers
- Larger PWRSHELL face
- Free Arccos smart sensors
Taylormade Qi10 Driver Selling Points
- Infinity carbon crown
- Third generation Carbon Twist Face construction
- Through Speed Pocket
- Higher MOI than previous Stealth models
- Multi-material construction
- Optimized head shape
Who is the Cobra Darkspeed Driver for?
“The Cobra Darkspeed Max driver would be a good choice for players in the 18-25 handicap range.”
With a face and sweet spot this large, it’s hard to miss which makes it a good choice for 20+ handicappers.
But the low spin rates will let more experienced players take advantage of their faster swing speeds and maximize their distance.
Plus, the adjustable weights make the Cobra Darkspeed Max so versatile that most players will be able to shape their shots for added distance and accuracy.
And of course, if you’re struggling to drive the ball straight, the Cobra Darkspeed Max would be an excellent choice.
Distance: 96/100
Accuracy: 98/100
Forgiveness: 97/100
Feel & Control: 97/100
Overall Score: 97/100
Who is the Taylormade Qi10 for?
“The standard Taylormade Qi10 driver would be a good choice for handicappers in the 18-25 range.”
More to the point, if you are having trouble staying out of the rough with your current driver, the Taylormade Qi10 would definitely be worth the upgrade. The updated carbon fiber face construction works wonders towards coaxing favorable lies out of all kinds of mis-hits.
If you tend to hit the ball heavy or are a 25+ handicapper, the Taylormade Qi10 Max version would probably be better for you. But the standard is still plenty forgiving and accurate for most high handicappers.
Even as a brand new driver, the Taylormade Qi10 utilizes some of the most successful forgiveness features from past models like the Through Speed Pocket. And while distance could be enhanced a bit, I have to agree with Taylormade’s claims that the Taylormade Qi10 is the most forgiving driver in the company’s illustrious history.
Distance: 96/100
Accuracy: 98/100
Forgiveness: 98/100
Feel & Control: 96/100
Overall Score: 97/100
