A Thorough Review of The New TaylorMade STEALTH GLOIRE

What are we reviewing today?

 

This is Mark Kanai again with a new club by Taylormade! We're going straight into it and show you the club right away! Some of you may have seen this before, it's Taylormade's new driver, the STEALTH GLOIRE! We will be taking some swing tests so that you readers at home can get a feel for what this club is like.

As you know, Taylormade targets average golfers and golfers with less power. The GLOIRE series is specifically for this type of player. I myself have the first generation of the GLOIRE, the SIM GLOIRE, which is based on the SIM model. This new GLOIRE is based on the STEALTH model and as you may have guessed, this means it has a carbon face. You can tell Taylormade incorporates the latest technology into every model they produce. Want to see a comparison? Here is the previous model, the SIM GLOIRE alongside the STEALTH GLOIRE.

 

 

A characteristic that the GLOIRE models share is that they have a white head and the crown has been carbon since the release of the SIM GLOIRE. 

 

Technology

 

Let's talk about the technology they used! When the STEALTH GLOIRE was released, the first thing to pop into my head was the Stealth club. The Stealth club was actually released after the SIM2, and if you think about the timeline of things, it's a bit strange. To better understand, let's look at the SIM 2 MAX D, the model released right before the Stealth. This club, is revolutionary. Golf clubs are metal which means they are welded together, but this club went with adhesion rather than welding and the sole is made of carbon. When the Stealth came out, the sole was made of titanium. This was strange to me as I expected after the SIM 2, the Stealth's sole would be carbon, but in reality, the Stealth was based on the SIM. Stealth's design was a reworking of the SIM's design and the SIM had a metal sole.

 

This new STEALTH GLOIRE, has a carbon sole like the SIM2, and the staff at Taylormade may not like me saying this, but I felt as though they held back with the technology when they made the STEALTH. In my opinion, like the SIM2, if you're talking about the latest technology, it'd be best to create a lighter club by using less metal. I suspected that they were holding back until the release of the Stealth 2, but it looks as though they were saving that for the GLOIRE! A lot of carbon was used when designing the GLOIRE and taking all of that into account, I'm most interested in the STEALTH GLOIRE. 

 

First Look

Now, I'd like to test it out alongside the previous model, the SIM GLOIRE. I will also test to see how it differs from the Stealth and SIM2. Throughout this test, I will be paying close attention so that I can share with you, how the STEALTH GLOIRE performs! The first thing I do is hold the club like so:

 

 

I'm acting as a scale to check how light it is. The GLOIRE has always been a club that has been popular amongst the older generation of golfers. This GLOIRE focuses on the importance of being light and easy to swing and when holding this STEALTH GLOIRE, it's obvious to me that it weighs below 300 grams, about 270 grams when weighed earlier.

 

To give you some perspective on how light this club is, it weighs about as much as women's clubs that were used 20 years ago. This lighter weight club is not a good match for everybody, but at this weight, the head speed increases. Another way they shaved off some weight and improved head movement is by using a light grip! This grip is extremely light! This design can help veteran golfers who have lost some of their strength to get more distance! 

 

The Shaft

 

With the influence that pro tours bring, a trend we are seeing nowadays is brand recognition placed on the shaft. The Fujikura Speeder and Ventus series have been popular, and a new Ventus Speeder NX has been released! This black shaft has the NX logo, which is an original Taylormade shaft and because it has the NX logo on it, you know it contains NX technology. The head of the club is appealing but seeing the NX shaft will raise expectations, which is probably what the designers were hoping for. 

 

 

Now to Test!

 

Let's give this a light swing! The shaft is a SR and the loft is 10.5 degrees. Just like the SIM GLOIRE, this part of the regular model is very smooth and there's no dial because the hosel is not adjustable. There are some adjustable models but I believe they are limited. It's so light and I'm excited to see how my first swing will go; this is my first time using this club.

 

 

The sound is rather quiet and for a light swing, that felt great! Let's try once more.

 

I meant to swing at 40 m/s but it's so light that I went up to 42 m/s! To best describe this club, it's extremely light! One more shot.

 

 

The face was a bit open but that looked great! I got 43 m/s on the Trackman which I rarely get. The initial velocity was close to 63 m/s and I got 250 yards! I can't stress enough how light this is, and when clubs are light, it's difficult to get the timing correct but thumbs up to Fujikura for this NX shaft. It lets you early get the timing right as you turn during your swing. Simply reducing the weight of a club makes things difficult but by balancing the weight with how flexible it is, you get a club that is easy to use.

 

For those asking if the ball will fly higher when you hit it faster, it depends on the golfer, but I believe a head speed of 43 m/s would work very well for this club. It's very easy to swing! With this SR, rather than swinging as hard as you can, it would be best to hit at a speed of 43 m/s. It's important to remember that having good TrackMan numbers doesn't equate to distance on the course, you need to get 210 yards of carry with the appropriate spin and high launch angle to get ideal trajectory on the course. With that said, you can use this club within the 40 m/s and 43 m/s range with this shaft.

 

I may be a little biased, but the face feels as though it has been upgraded even more from the Stealth. The face is carbon and it sticks longer just like the Stealth, but the rebound off the face is a bit stronger on the STEALTH GLOIRE. It's not quite like a titanium face, but when you compare it to the Stealth, the ball bounces more off the face. So for golfers with low head speed, the ball will travel further than you expect. Now let's compare to see if this is true!

 

A Comparison

 

Let's go with the previous model first, the SIM GLOIRE. This model has the Air Speeder shaft and is extremely light and refined. You can see that it has similar features such as the crown! Here I go!

 

As expected, it's a great club! As new clubs are being rolled out, my expectations are higher, but this club has shocked me yet again. Look at the TrackMan after a light swing, I hit 250 yards! If I'm completely honest, if you're looking for a great, cheap club and you don't need the latest model, I recommend this. As new models roll out, this one will only get cheaper and if you're looking for a light club, this is the one for you. If you're looking for something heavier, don't rush to get this club and go for the SIM2 or Stealth, which we will try now! They are different clubs so they are made of different materials. If you prefer a nice sound, regardless of the club's age, you would want a titanium face. The sound varies depending on the material used and we highly recommend the SIM GLOIRE if that's what you prefer. When it comes to the shaft, I personally prefer the flexibility of the new NX, but if you are searching for a lighter feel, the Air Speeder shaft is extremely compatible with golfers looking for lightweight clubs. 

 

The Stealth

 

Next up is the Stealth, and I can tell just by holding it. It's not a model for athletes but it's noticeably heavier than the GLOIRE. This suits a broad range of golfers and there are three different versions to choose from. This one I have in my hand is the HD, which catches the ball well. The GLOIRE clubs we tried earlier do not catch the ball enough to hook it, but they catch the ball just enough thanks to its light weight. The Stealth isn't especially focused on how well it catches the ball but the HD is the closest to the GLOIRE among the three.

 

The shaft on the Stealth HD we have today is the Mitsubishi TENSEI. Hardness is SR and due to this, the weight feels different and noticeably firm when waggling. The shaft feels less flexible when compared to the GLOIRE. Let's try a shot! 

 

 

I didn't manage that well and lost my balance at the end.. One more shot!

 

The swing feels completely different due to the weight difference; this club is about 10 or 20 grams heavier. It's not exactly heavy but when compared to the GLOIRE, I would say it's pretty heavy.

 

That's the sound of the Stealth! And I thought I did well but... one more shot!

 

For golfers who prefer more weight, the Stealth will be an obvious choice.

 

Finally some speed! The launch angle was low so let's try one more shot.

 

I'd say the first shot was best! 

 

For those looking for more weight, this club is on the heavier side and will make timing easier for you, but more than anything, it sounds great! Without breaking the rules, these clubs were made so that they would hit the ball as far as possible. It all comes down to preference as the impression you get when hitting with this feels very different compared to the STEALTH GLOIRE. 

 

The SIM2

 

This is a club that I requested to bring and as stated earlier, it has a carbon sole and titanium face, which is the technology that came out before the STEALTH GLOIRE. The shaft I have on here is my personal Speeder NX. Now let's compare this nostalgic club to the others! It's not an older club yet but hearing the name SIM takes me back! 

 

 

This really does feel nostalgic! Let's try another shot.

 

I hit towards the bottom and I can't manage this weight! I'm starting to get tired!

 

This carbon face feels great. Thanks to the light weight of carbon, there is more freedom when it comes to designing clubs, but the sound of titanium is more appealing. It is difficult to capture the exhilarating feeling of hitting the ball and expectations for distance with one material; Taylormade seems to be on the offensive by using carbon faces, and the STEALTH GLOIRE is its final form. For those who prefer sound, carbon is not bad, but it comes down to preference.

 

 

Final Thoughts?

 

The STEALTH GLOIRE is a true compilation of technology. They implemented carbon all over the club like in the crown and face but the frame is metal; They added weights in the back face to achieve a higher MOI. This is a high-tech carbon composite driver and although they used quite a bit of carbon in its design, they brilliantly turned it into a selling point. It takes some courage to try a carbon face, but when you do, you'll feel how it differs from the Stealth. If you're curious, why not try it out?