STEALTH2 In Depth Review and Swing Test

Introduction 

Hello Everyone! My name is Seki Kotaro, I am an expert on clubs and gear!
I studied golf in America before mastering my craft in Japan and becoming a golf coach and club fitter.

GOLF Partner has asked me to try out the new Taylormade STEALTH2, a club that everyone has been talking about! I will be trying the clubs out to see what they are like and who they are best suited for!

 

A comparison 

For comparison, we will start with last year's extremely popular, STEALTH driver. I have tried out many different drivers, but personally, this driver gives me more distance than any other driver.

Let's try it out! 

 

I didn't swing very hard for that, head speed was low, and I hit it about half a ball too close to the toe, but it still got some distance! The ball travels far but this club is more suited for those with fast head speeds and will have the opposite effect for those who have slow head speeds; It was common to hear people say that this driver was unforgiving!

Now let's try the STEALTH2 driver!

Upon first glance, I can't really see any big differences from the last model. When addressed, it looks a little rounder or a little softer. Like the last model, it has the 60x Carbon Twist Face and this face is a big feature of the STEALTH2. The previous model had a carbon crown and now, both the sole and crown are now carbon. Not only that, but the outer frame on the face is made of a Carbon Composite Ring. The previous model's face and crown were made from carbon and the sole was carbon on the Taylormade STEALTH GLOIRE (which was released before the STEALTH2), so now you have all the carbon elements into one club. 

 

Won't it break if it's not metal? 

The STEALTH GLOIRE and SIM2 had forged aluminum construction components and now those parts are carbon as well. The only metal parts on the STEALTH2 are the outer rim of the face, which is made of titanium, and the back weight. The back weight and sole weight are metal which contributes to a lot of weight and are very heavy. The newer the model, the more carbon they use! The advantage of using carbon is that they can distribute the weight more efficiently. Did you know that constructing the head out of carbon is a really difficult process? Making a carbon face that doesn't break after many uses requires advanced technology.

 

Swing test 

The shaft is TENSEI RED TM50 (S), which is the same stock shaft used for the previous STEALTH.

Let's give it a go!

The feel off the face is the same as the older model. Even though the face is carbon, the sound and feel are the same as the metal one and has a solid feel off the face; You can feel the burst of energy off the face.

Let's try another.

That felt great! As they used more carbon for the STEALTH2, they were able to add more surplus weight. The back weight of the STEALTH2 is 25 grams, comparably heavier than the previous model. With this weight, the MOI obviously becomes higher. The older STEALTH was a powerful driver that hit far, but a lot of people couldn't get used to it. With the STEALTH2, it's much more forgiving thanks to the weight distribution, which they claim to be called, "Fargiveness". They use the term "Fargiveness" because it hits far and is forgiving, which is one of its selling points! Taylormade has a good reputation with tour pros but amateurs tend to think their clubs are a little hard to use, but now they've made drivers that amateurs can use easily too!

Two different heads? 

The STEALTH2 has three different heads to choose from, just like the previous models:

The STEALTH2
The STEALTH2 PLUS
The STEALTH2 HD

We believe HD stands for "high draw" and from our understanding, it is the most forgiving model of the three. To start, we will compare the STEALTH2 HD with the previous model, the STEALTH HD.

Let's start with the STEALTH HD! The HD is for people whose head speed is a little slow or people who tend to hit slices.

Let's try it out!

It's easier to hit draw shots, but it may not be as forgiving as clubs for average players. For hard hitters and people who hit slices frequently, this is a great driver.

Next, let's try out the STEALTH 2 HD!

It feels like the COG is further away from the center! The shaft used is the same as the older model, but it moves more during the swing. Thanks to its bending, you get more head speed when compared to the older model which allows it to catch the better and send it higher. The weight on the back of the head is a big feature and the weight on the STEALTH2 HD is 30 grams! This surplus weight is concentrated in the back of the head, giving the sensation that the COG is far from the center and which is why the shaft bends more. We believe this is why the STEALTH2 HD catches the ball much better than the previous model. 

Let's give it another shot.

The launch angle is much higher!

 

That launch angle is about as high as I hit the ball with a 7-iron at my golf club!

For those who have a hard time making solid contact with the STEALTH, should use the STEALTH2 or the STEALTH2 HD. Anyone would feel comfortable hitting with these drivers and you'll be hitting as far as the tour pros.

Let's try one more.

 

That shot was really thin, and the sweet spot is quite large, much bigger than the STEALTH HD! We'd go as far as to say that the sweet spot is as big as similar drivers that are more forgiving for amateurs. Like I thought, because the back weight is so heavy, the MOI is really high.

 

A limited edition? 

Next we will try the SELECTFIT STORE limited edition driver! As we have done with the other two models, we will compare the STEALTH2 PLUS (which is more for experienced golfers) with the older version. From our experience, the older model is very difficult to use, and though a lot of tour pros use it, most amateurs don't hit very well with it. It's like putting a license plate on a supercar and selling it to a normal/unexperienced driver. There are regular stores that sell professional clubs and I think many people are shocked at how different pro clubs are from regular clubs. Clubs that are used for distance like drivers are unlike putters, that can be used by anyone. Just by having the STEALTH PLUS in hand, I can tell that this driver is made for professionals.

Now let's try it out!

I did it again and hit it too close to the toe! Compared to the other two clubs, when I hit it closer to the toe, it felt like I was losing my grip on the club. The sweet spot feels much more concentrated and you have to hit the sweet spot to really appreciate it.

Now let's try the STEALTH2 PLUS driver! This driver comes with adjustable weights, you can slide the weight to fit your playing style. Most people who choose this model also use custom shafts, so for today, the STEALTH2 PLUS we will test is paired with the SPEEDER NX GREEN 60 (S); When pairing this driver with a custom shaft, you can expect it to cost around 116,600 yen with tax (roughly $882). It is quite expensive but once you start getting better and scoring in the 80s and 70s, each shot becomes really important, so if you can shave off one or two shots by paying more, we think this is worth it.

Here I go!

That ball was low! The head speed for this shot was about 43.4 m/s and we think this is the slowest you can swing to use this club; Any slower and you won't be able to make full use of this club. If you're head speed is around 44, 45, 46, or more, you'll be able to appreciate this driver and its potential. Nowadays, commercial models are as good as the pro models so there are more forgiving models. With these difficult drivers, stronger and more athletic players with a fast head speed who are striving to become better will find this club interesting. It's a driver that gets better the more you use it. When compared to the previous model, we think that the new STEALTH2 PLUS has more leeway and the launch angle is a little shallower, so there's more room to maneuver. You can still hit straight pretty consistently, but the STEALTH2 PLUS really allows you to control the ball. In that way, I think this driver is much more like a race car. Regarding the weight, the sliding weight in the front of the sole is 15 grams and the back weight is 15 grams.

Let's try another.

The launch speed is really fast, I've been using this spot to test clubs for 18 years, so I am familiar with how long it takes to reach the net and the time it took to reach the net after impact seemed really quick. The impact was really strong and I feel that it reached the net as soon as I hit the ball. As we mentioned earlier, this is a great driver for people who hit with fast head speeds and it makes you want to practice and use it more. Compared to the previous model, it feels like the sweet spot is bigger. It also sounds really nice; A combination of metal and the ball's impact. Last year, when they started using a carbon face, people were worried it wouldn't sound that great and although this club uses more carbon and is a bit more complex than the previous model, it still sounds pretty nice. It catches the ball well, the impact is really strong, and the sound is not too loud or too soft. Some people may not like the sound, but the sound on impact seem calculated and intentional.

 

Our thoughts 

Today, we were able to test out three different versions of the new STEALTH2. The previous STEALTH was a little rough, and was really only for hard hitters; Some may even say that it was uncontrollable. With the new STEALTH2 the sole and outer frame are carbon and they added surplus weight to distribute the weight more effectively. We think more people will enjoy this driver and describe the experience with it as similar to taming a wild animal!