The golfing world has gone mad for the new TaylorMade Stealth driver, and its carbon red face is the talk of plenty golfing towns. Stealth has already become a standout club which has tour players going crazy for its extra ball speed.
Apparently titanium is a thing of the past so I could not wait to try the new Stealth fairways.
I took the Stealth Fairway to Denton Golf Club for a few holes and to grab some numbers on the Flightscope on the practice ground.
The Tech
A 3D Carbon Crown is said to pull the mass away from the high toe area and repositions it rearward to increase forgiveness and playability.
The new and eye-catching Advanced Laser Alignment is a line which is contrasting between head and face, said to improve alignment.
The V Steel Sole design, Twist Face and Thru Slot Speed Pocket remain from the previous years' SIM and SIM2 models.
Following on from the driver, there is also a Stealth Plus Fairway Wood which has a smaller 175cc head (Stealth has 190cc), a 80g weight in its V sole plate, and a Titanium Zatech Twist Face to increase ball speed... Wait a minute, I thought Titanium was so 2021?
There are 3 options of heads available, the Titanium Stealth Plus is £70 more expensive and suits the better, quicker swinging golfer. The Stealth is like the SIM2 Max and suits many golfers, the Stealth Max D is for the players that miss right.
TaylorMade Stealth Fairway Wood Review
Looks
Where is the red face? It seems that the red carbon face is only available in the driver so maybe titanium metal isn’t a thing of the past - not in fairway woods or Stealth Rescues anyway...
In other areas away from the face it does however look like the driver with its black, moody looking crown and a touch of red on the sole.
There is one T (TaylorMade) logo on the crown to help with alignment in the middle of the face and you can see the Advanced Laser Alignment at the front of the crown, but in my opinion as the face is black it doesn’t stand out too much which may not be a bad thing.
This head looks far less busy at address when compared to the SIM2 fairway wood and I like it. This didn't stop me still wanting the red carbon face to show it off to my friends though.
Feel
I’ve always been a fan of the V-Steel Sole in different TaylorMade woods over the years, I find it makes turf interaction a lot slicker when hitting from a tee and off the deck.
Due the black head, the Stealth feels smaller than 190cc which can be seen as a good or bad thing depending on your preference, I didn't mind it.
This head felt pretty penetrating for a standard 3 wood set up and it launched that way also, it felt quick and bullet-like off the face which can only be a good thing, it felt powerful.
The Data
All data in this test was captured outdoor in temperatures of around 3-4 degrees using the Flightscope Mevo Plus+ Launch Monitor.
- Average Carry: 177 yards, longest 183
- Average Ball: speed 122.8, fastest 125
- Launch Angle: 12 degrees
- Peak Height: 60 feet
- Spin Rate: 3872 feet
Compared to the SIM2 Max Fairway Wood there was very little difference in the data. Compared to the Callaway Rogue ST Fairway Wood, which I also tried on the same day they were exactly the same in yardage, spin and ball speed - the only difference was that it launched a bit lower.
Outdoor Performance
I took these for a whack along side the Callaway Rogue ST during a head to head test. First things first, distance-wise they were side by side however the Stealth flew straighter throughout the test.
I felt really confident from the tee and off the grass with the Stealth - I didn’t hit one heavy shot and when I caught it out of the bottom of the club I didn’t lose too much distance which was great to see. I could also work the ball left to right and right to left.
When testing on a very cold winters day my tee shots carried 187 yards and my fairway shots were 175ish. All in all a solid display on the launch monitor and on the golf course, however I couldn't help thinking that it just didn't 'wow me' like the Stealth driver did.
TaylorMade Stealth Fairway Wood Verdict
The TaylorMade Stealth Fairway held up really well against the new Callaway Rogue ST in performance and I thought it looked awesome at address.
It’s not as quirky and in your face as the SIM2 Fairway with its colour schemes but the aesthetics of the Stealth are the only difference I see from last year's fairway woods.
There is something missing and that is the red face. I can't help but think that next year the carbon face will move into the fairway woods and this model will be dismissed and become redundant within the TaylorMade family. There is so little technology improvement in this head from last year's SIM2 other than a marginal weight shift and colour which TaylorMade call Advanced Laser Alignment, when really it is just a line which is a different shade of black.
Overall, I would leave this one unless you are really in desperate need of a new fairway wood or bought the driver and want a wood that’ll match in name and headcover.
If titanium is a thing of the past at TaylorMade and they’re looking beyond then they will discard this metal wood next year and make a carbon one with a coloured face, this will then leave you red faced having blown £279 on an out of date club instead of waiting a year.
Would I Use It?
In all honesty, would I buy one? Probably not as I predict it will be old news in 11 months time. If you are price conscious and not bothered about fitting in withthe crowd then get the SIM2 Max at a much discounted price.
Who Is It Aimed At?
If you have any of the SIM Fairway woods, then I don’t think changing is necessary as all you're really doing is swapping the colour of the head.
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