Drivers · Facts checked Sep 2026
Is the TaylorMade Qi35 LS worth replacing your DARKSPEED LS?
Cobra DARKSPEED LS TaylorMade Qi35 LS
Keep
Keep your DARKSPEED LS.
Nothing the brands publish gives the Qi35 LS something your DARKSPEED LS can't do.
Lofts you can buy Fact
Same lofts in both. Each one comes in 8°, 9°, 10.5°.
What actually changes Fact
- Hosel
- Yes, ±1.5° vs Yes, ±2°
- Standard length
- 45.5" vs 45.75" The Qi35 LS is 0.25″ longer.
- Head volume
- Not published vs 460 cc Not published for your club.
All specifications Fact
13 specs
| Spec | Cobra DARKSPEED LS (yours) | TaylorMade Qi35 LS |
|---|---|---|
| Launch priceLaunch price, not today's price. | Not available | $649.99 ↗ |
| Lofts | 8°, 9°, 10.5° ↗ | 8°, 9°, 10.5° ↗ |
| Hosel | Yes, ±1.5° ↗ | Yes, ±2° ↗ |
| Weights | Yes, movable weights ↗ | Yes, movable weights ↗ |
| Standard length | 45.5" ↗ | 45.75" ↗ |
| Spec | Cobra DARKSPEED LS | TaylorMade Qi35 LS |
|---|---|---|
| Model year | 2024 | 2025 |
| Sold as the brand's current driver | No | No |
| Hands | Right-handed and Left-handed ↗ | Right-handed and Left-handed ↗ |
| Head volume | Not available | 460 cc ↗ |
| Standard lie | 55.7° ↗ | Not available |
| MOI published by the brandWe never estimate MOI. Marketing figures for combined MOI are listed as claims, not facts. | Not available | Not available |
| Stock shafts | UST LIN-Q M40X White 6, UST LIN-Q M40X Blue 6, Project X HZRDUS Black Gen 4 60 ↗ | Mitsubishi Kai'li Blue CB Dark Wave, Mitsubishi Kai'li White Dark Wave ↗ |
| On the USGA conforming list | Not available | Not available |
Checked Sep 20, 2026 (DARKSPEED LS) and Sep 20, 2026 (Qi35 LS) on each brand's own pages. ↗ opens the official source. A newer model year is never a reason on its own.
What the brands claim Manufacturer claim
2 claims
Cobra DARKSPEED LS
- Aero-shaped low-launch, low-spin head for fast swingers chasing distance and workability. ↗
TaylorMade Qi35 LS
- Claimed to have the lowest CG projection of the Qi35 family, aimed at lowering spin. ↗
The brands' words, summarised. Not tested by us, and they never change a verdict.
Our take Our assessment (based on published specs)
2 min read
Both are low-spin models sold in the same three lofts, 8°, 9° and 10.5°, for right- and left-handers, and both have movable weights.
The published differences are small. The Qi35 LS hosel adjusts ±2° against ±1.5° on your DARKSPEED LS, and it's a quarter of an inch longer as standard, 45.75" against 45.5". Cobra lists a 55.7° lie; TaylorMade doesn't publish one for the Qi35 LS. Cobra doesn't publish the DARKSPEED LS head volume or a launch price in what we have, and neither brand publishes an MOI.
Both brands sell the same idea. Cobra calls the DARKSPEED LS an aero-shaped low-launch, low-spin head for fast swingers; TaylorMade says the Qi35 LS has the lowest CG projection of the Qi35 family, aimed at lowering spin. Neither claim comes with a number we can compare. The Qi35 LS launched at $649.99.
Switching brands is mostly a matter of fit and feel, which specs can't settle; if you want to know, hit both on a launch monitor at a fitting.
Our read: keep the DARKSPEED LS. On published specs the Qi35 LS does the same job.
Quick answers
4 questions
Should I upgrade from the Cobra DARKSPEED LS to the TaylorMade Qi35 LS?
Keep the Cobra DARKSPEED LS. On published specs the TaylorMade Qi35 LS gives you nothing the Cobra DARKSPEED LS doesn't already do; the rest is the brand's own claims about speed and feel.
What lofts do the Cobra DARKSPEED LS and the TaylorMade Qi35 LS come in?
Cobra DARKSPEED LS: 8°, 9°, 10.5°. TaylorMade Qi35 LS: 8°, 9°, 10.5°.
How do they adjust?
Cobra DARKSPEED LS — hosel: yes, ±1.5°; weights: yes, movable weights. TaylorMade Qi35 LS — hosel: yes, ±2°; weights: yes, movable weights.
What did each one cost new?
The brand doesn't publish a launch price for the Cobra DARKSPEED LS. The TaylorMade Qi35 LS launched at $649.99. These are launch prices, not what either sells for today.
Last updated 2026-09-21. The rules behind this verdict: How we rate. A verdict is not a fitting.