Golf Leap’s in-depth TaylorMade Stealth 2 Driver Review.
“Far-giveness” is the term TaylorMade invented to describe their new Stealth 2 Driver. Much like the PING G425 and G430 MAX Drivers, TaylorMade is claiming the Stealth 2 is equally as “Far” as it is “Forgiving.”
“Faster. Straighter. More Forgiving.” All of that sounds like something every golfer could benefit from, but are these claims from TaylorMade true?
We put the TaylorMade Stealth 2 Driver to the test to not only compare it to the original Stealth, but to also explain our in-depth thoughts about the latest Stealth tech advancements, how the Stealth 2 can improve your game, and what golfers we think will benefit the most from putting it in their bag!
Let’s begin!
Purchase the TAYLORMADE STEALTH Driver HERE while you still can!
TaylorMade Stealth 2 Driver Review: What To Expect Out of the Bag
9.0°, 10.5°, 12.0°, +/- 2°
Key Features
- Twice the amount of Carbon used in construction compared to the original Stealth.
- Better sound than the original Stealth.
- More weight has been added to the rear of the club head for improved forgiveness and launch consistency.
- New heel weight for added forgiveness.
- Revamped club aesthetics helps golfers more than they realize.
Best For These Golfers
- Golfers looking to maximize their distance and speed.
- Players needing straighter drives from mis-hits.
- Mid to High Handicap Golfers
Reconsider If
- You don’t love the look of a colorful/multi-colored driver head.
- You’re an absolute beginner to the game.
About the TaylorMade Stealth 2 Driver
TaylorMade heard the public’s complaints about the original Stealth driver being a little “unforgiving” on off-center strikes.
These complaints caused the company to set out with the goal of releasing the Stealth 2 with the same incredible distance and speed as the original model, just with more playability for those less skilled at hitting the dead-center with every swing.
Why consider the TaylorMade Stealth 2?
If you’re like me, your goal is to play your best every time you step on the golf course.
The TaylorMade Stealth 2 Driver provides faster club head speeds, faster ball speeds, more distance, and more forgiveness than the previous Stealth (and many competitors) thanks to its new design updates that we’ll talk about below.
This essentially means putting the Stealth 2 driver in your golf bag provides an instant advantage to your game that will ultimately lead to better drives and lower scores.
Or Check Out whether the TaylorMade Stealth 1 Driver is Still Worth it!
New Technology and Features
TaylorMade has committed to being the club-makers to usher in the wave of “CarbonWoods.” Like the original Stealth, the Stealth 2 Driver features a bright red “60X Carbon Twist Face,” but with a few new adjustments that we’re sure every player is going to love and benefit from.
For starters, the shade of red on the face is slightly brighter than the Stealth 1, and I particularly love how the white alignment lines on the club face “frame” the golf ball on the tee perfectly for faster and easier center alignment.
The revamped 60X Carbon Twist Face features an advanced version of “Inverted Cone Technology” from the original Stealth Driver to increase ball speed and distance on off-center strikes. This “Inverted Cone Technology” has actually been used by TaylorMade since the mid-2000s, and essentially makes the sweet spot much larger for more distance and forgiveness on shots missing the dead center.
Like the older TaylorMade SIM 2 Drivers, the Stealth 2 now features a red “Carbon Composite Ring” around the rear of the club head that saves weight and adds strength to the new areas made of Carbon, like the club’s sole.
All the weight saved through the use of more Carbon in the club head allowed TaylorMade to add 25 grams of Tungsten to the “Rear Inertia Generator” that not only makes the fastest part of your swing the moments before impact, but also makes shots go straighter with a higher launch more consistently.
I noticed a jump of 2-3 miles per hour when testing the Stealth 2 which amounts to 7-10 more yards off the tee. This is enough of a jump to change clubs for approach shots and truly makes life so much easier on longer holes.
Spec Check for the Stealth 2 Driver
| Loft Models | 9.0°, 10.5°, 12.0° |
| Adjustable Loft? | Yes, every option is adjustable up to 2° +/- |
| Length | 45.75” |
| Swing Weight | D3/D4 |
| Stock Shaft(s) | Mitsubishi Diamana S+ 60, Fujikura Ventus Red TR5 |
| Flex | Mitsubishi – (X,S) Fujikura – (S,R,A) |
| Size | 460cc |
| Year Released | 2023 |
Performance and Advancements
Like the original Stealth, the Twist Face is covered in a “Polyurethane Cover” that finely-tunes launch and spin to increase your total distance regardless of your course conditions.
I got to test the Stealth 2 on a particularly misty/rainy day and I never felt like a good swing wasn’t rewarded from too much moisture thanks to this “Nanotexture” cover.
TaylorMade is continuing with their “Thru-Slot Speed Pocket” (made famous by the P770 and P790 irons) that sits just behind the Twist Face that supply more flexibility for higher ball speeds and more distance, but particularly helps produce additional forgiveness on low-face strikes.
I put the Stealth 2 head-to-head against my PING G425 MAX and tried hard to hit balls low on the face. Time after time, the Stealth 2 produced more height and distance on low-hit balls than my G425.
If you watch the video above, TaylorMade challenged their sponsored athletes to a long-drive contest with the main rule being they must miss the sweet spot.
While it wasn’t easy for Tiger Woods, every other PGA TOUR player was able to miss the sweet spot and still had every drive go well-over 290 yards with only one drive missing the fairway!!! This is while trying to hit their shots with as poor contact as possible!
Personally, I think higher swing speeds are rewarded by the Stealth 2 with straighter results. If you aren’t swinging incredibly fast, you might want to focus on hitting the center more than anything else.
Sound, Look, and Feel
Impact with the Stealth 2 sounds a little “quieter” than the original Stealth Driver.
If you look back at our Stealth Driver Review, we noted that we loved the vibrational feedback from the original Stealth but didn’t like the fact each drive sounded exactly the same as the last.
We’re happy to confirm that drives hit truly “flush” and perfectly center in the club face sound and feel much more crisp than strikes missing the sweet spot. Drives that hit the toe or heel are immediately recognizable just through the feeling and sound at impact, which is a perfect feature for us “feel” golfers that love chasing the sound and satisfaction of a maximized-drive.
Besides the brighter shade of red on the Twist Face and the red “Composite Ring” on the rear, we haven’t mentioned the new “Glossy and Matte” finish that really changes the look. The Stealth 2 now has a glossy black Carbon head with a band of matte black close to the club face. TaylorMade specifically added this matte band to reduce glare and distraction to golfers when they are setting up to hit drives.
Personally, I feel like the combination of the brighter club face, the new glossy/matte finish, the red “Composite Ring” around the rear, and the taller club face profile carried over from the original Stealth made me feel more confident that I was going to hit the Stealth 2 well, and I did.
While there have been some reports of golfers having issues with the original Stealth Driver’s face losing consistency and feeling by breaking or shifting from use, we haven’t heard near as many reports of this issue with the Stealth 2. Still, it wouldn’t hurt to consider buying new rather than used to ensure you avoid this issue.
TaylorMade Stealth 2, Stealth 2 Plus, and Stealth HD: Which Model is Right For Your Game?
The Stealth 2 Plus is the most “tunable” Stealth Driver option designed for the best ball strikers. It lets players adjust the loft and lie through the hosel sleeve, and a Steel sliding weight on the sole lets players optimize their trajectory and control their spin.
We recommend the Stealth 2 Plus for the elite-level golfers with high swing speeds that are confident in their ball-striking abilities.
The Stealth 2 HD (High Draw) is for golfer’s looking for a much higher launch and a slight draw-bias to help them reduce their misses to the right. This model has the highest MOI rating (a.k.a the most forgiveness) and features excellent distance with high launch and low spin.
We recommend the Stealth 2 HD for mid to higher-handicappers or those less confident in their ability to find the sweet spot.
If you find yourself somewhere in between, you’re exactly who the “standard” Stealth 2 Driver was designed for!
2 Alternatives
- Callaway’s newest driver that also utilizes Carbon in its design.
- Very long and workable for good ball strikers.
- Extremely high price.
- Arguably the most forgiving driver on the market.
- Highly adjustable.
- Very high price.
The Verdict: Is the TaylorMade Stealth 2 Driver Worth it?
Where the original Stealth Driver made drastic changes away from Titanium and older driver model generations, the Stealth 2 sees a lot more subtle adjustments that add up to major improvements.
Honestly, I feel like the Stealth 2 Driver is just as long, if not longer than the original Stealth, just with the added confidence and forgiveness that drives missing the sweet spot won’t be too far off in distance or direction from my smashed drives.
If you’re the type of golfer that could benefit from more distance and less severity on your mis-hits, the Stealth 2 is a great driver choice.
Buy the Taylormade 2 Stealth Driver
