GEAR TEST TAYLORMADE STEALTH 2.0 THE DISTANCE

BY ALEX GALLEMORE

This time last year the buzz was the TaylorMade Stealth driver. All their staff players such as Woods, McIlroy and Morikawa put it straight in the bag and it wasn’t hard to miss. That bright red 60 layer carbon face stood out like Patrick Reed’s did during the Dubai Desert Classic ‘teegate’ scandal.

All that attention resulted in huge demand and it was one of the best-selling drivers in 2022, so what is new for 2023?

I remember my first club test for Worldwide Golf being the TaylorMade R580 driver and it was the first time they managed to break the 400cc head size. My lasting impression was it was long and forgiving. Ever since then TaylorMade have managed to produce some of the longest drivers but where they have been inconsistent is in the forgiveness department. Their 2014 SLDR driver was all the rage on Tour but miss the centre and you were punished as the drop off was huge. Then two years later they release their iconic M1 and M2 drivers that many people still have in their bags today. Last year the Stealth was giving the pros distance gains and it was the longest driver I tested. With a swing speed average of 106mph my ball speed with the Stealth was 3mph faster than any other driver. So why didn’t I put it in the bag?

Like most amateur golfers I tend to spray it over the face and I found that the Stealth didn’t provide enough consistency. There was no arguing it performed but it didn’t help when I was having an off day. This was something TaylorMade were hearing throughout 2022 and, given their history, it wasn’t the first time a new driver needed tweaking in this way.

Compared to the original Carbonwood, Stealth 2 features nearly twice the amount of carbon. It is constructed using a new Carbon Reinforced Composite Ring and collectively utilizes more of the lightweight material than any driver in TaylorMade history. All this carbon weight saving allows for the redistribution of mass for more forgiveness and stability.

FORGIVENESS: HIGH

LAUNCH: MID

SPIN: LOW

FLIGHT: NEUTRAL BIAS

HEAD SIZE: 460 cc

LOFTS: RH: 8 – RH/LH: 9, 10.5

FORGIVENESS: HIGHEST

LAUNCH: MID - HIGH

SPIN: MID - LOW

FLIGHT: NEUTRAL BIAS

HEAD SIZE: 460 cc

LOFTS: RH: 12 – RH/LH: 9, 10.5

It was already fast. Now, TaylorMade claim to have made it more forgiving. Building on the speed producing success of the original 60X Carbon Twist Face™, the new design features an enhanced version of Inverted Cone Technology to help maintain ball speed on off-centre strikes and increase forgiveness.

FORGIVENESS: HIGHEST

LAUNCH: HIGH

SPIN: MID

FLIGHT: DRAW BIAS

HEAD SIZE: 460 cc

LOFTS: RH: 12 – RH/LH: 9, 10.5

The is no denying that the Stealth 2.0 is a great looking driver, though I would have preferred if they had not glossed the crown. The matt finish of the 2022 model was ideal for the bright light in the Middle East. From the short test we carried out on the range the dispersion was tighter than the original Stealth though that low heel face strike was getting punished. Just as I was starting to lose heart, the following drive carried 288 yards and I didn’t flush it. TaylorMade has kindly allowed me to use the Stealth 2.0 for a long term test I can sense already it’s going to be a love hate relationship.

Driver: Srixon ZX5 MKII LS prototype (10.5 degrees)

3-wood: TaylorMade SIM2 Titanium (15 degrees)

5-wood: Cobra King RadSpeed

Irons: Srixon Z-Forged (4-9 iron)

Wedges: Cleveland RTX Forged Prototype (46, 52, 56 and 60 degrees)

Putter: Scotty Cameron Newport 2 GSS

Ball: Srixon Z-Star XV

BY ALEX GALLEMORE