Golf Leap’s in-depth TaylorMade Stealth Driver Review.
As someone that’s been paying close attention to the golf equipment space for the better part of the last two decades, it never ceases to amaze me how equipment manufacturers are able to create new technology that gives us golfers more forgiveness and distance at the same time.
The Stealth Driver and TaylorMade as its manufacturer, have completely captivated the golfing world by introducing the “CarbonWood Age” to golf with the bright and unique “60X Carbon Twist Face” every Stealth driver has
TaylorMade says it took them over 20 years to create this technology, but the question remains, is it any good? Below, we’ll explain our in-depth thoughts about every aspect of the CarbonWood TaylorMade Stealth, how we think it can improve your game, and what type of golfer we believe it will benefit the most! There’s also a slight worry we have with this driver, and it’s ironically with the stealth driver’s famous red carbon face (more on this later)
Let’s begin!
Purchase the TAYLORMADE STEALTH Driver HERE while you still can!
TaylorMade Stealth Driver Review: What To Expect Out of The Bag
Key Features
- First driver face made of lightweight Carbon layers.
- We picked up club head speed from the “Asymmetric Inertia Generator” design and club head shaping.
- The Stealth sounds like you’re hitting it far because you will be hitting it far.
- Multiple club heads are available in the Stealth line (Stealth, Stealth Plus, and Stealth HD) based on golfers’ wants and skill level.
Best For These Golfers
- Players seeking more forgiveness and consistency.
- Players that love to tinker with their driver settings.
- Mid-handicaps all the way to elite golfers.
Reconsider If
- You don’t like brightly-colored drivers or woods
- You’re an absolute beginner or high handicap golfer
- You want to buy this club second handed (more on this later)
About the TaylorMade Stealth Driver
Golf clubs were originally constructed out of Wood. From there, club manufacturers moved to Steel. To save weight and maintain strength, club makers moved from Steel to Titanium. And just now, after 20 years of experimenting and waiting for technological breakthroughs, TaylorMade is moving on from Titanium to Carbon club face drivers.
Why Consider the TaylorMade Stealth Driver?
“Why Carbon?” you might be wondering. It’s because Carbon as a material is exponentially lighter than Titanium, and when used strategically, like in the Stealth, it can be stronger and more flexible too!
TaylorMade club designers use Carbon to save weight in the face to have more mass to reposition in other areas of the Stealth driver head that increase forgiveness and create more consistent and repeatable launch conditions for higher and straighter drives.
Or Check Out the Brand New Taylormade Stealth 2 Driver Released in 2023!
Performance and Features
The club face of the Stealth driver is the ultimate “star of the show.” The name “60X Carbon Twist” comes from the fact TaylorMade club engineers cleverly use 60 layers of crisscrossing Carbon fiber when creating the Stealth face.
That weaving of Carbon fiber wasn’t strong enough on its own, so it’s helped by being coated in a polyurethane material that increases the material’s strength and also finely tunes launch and spin in wet or dry playing conditions for increased consistency off the tee. I personally haven’t got to test the Stealth on a wet and rainy day, but talking to friends that have, they reported ZERO lost accuracy which I can’t say is true for my PING G425 MAX.
TaylorMade says an entirely new “nanotexture” makes the Carbon face possible. Besides the obvious bright red face color (unless you custom build a Stealth with whatever colors you want for a fee), you’ll immediately notice the slight texture by either look or touch. This texture creates the proper amount of friction on the golf ball at impact for improved accuracy and a better vibrational feel to your hands.
The Stealth face also has a slight “bulge” to it, adding to the already unique appearance. This slight rounding of the driver’s face high on the toe and low on the heel helps mis-hit drives result in straighter shots that hit more fairways. Upon using the Stealth for the first time, I immediately noticed misses higher on the face (my most common miss with the driver) lost little to no yardage.
But the new and upgraded technology in the Stealth doesn’t stop there. The Carbon club face design saves so much head weight that TaylorMade increased the Stealth face’s overall surface area by 11%, meaning the club face looks absolutely massive behind the golf ball compared to other drivers. We love how large the bright red face looks at address because it makes the sweet spot and center of the face look even bigger, which inspired us to believe would hit bombs!
The mass that was saved in the face design was moved into the new “Internal Ribbing Structure” (we’ll talk more about that in the “Sound and Feel” section) and one vital place, the back of the Stealth head.
The “Inertia Generator” is how TaylorMade describes the weight they placed as low and deep in the rear of the club head as possible (very similar to the G425 MAX). This weight positioning and overall head shaping creates a more aerodynamic driver that helps players create faster swing speeds specifically on the downswing. This means the quickest part of your swing will be the moments leading into impact.
Lastly, TaylorMade has transferred their famous “Thru-Slot Speed Pocket” to the sole of the Stealth head. This “Speed Pocket” is a hollow flexible area that sits just behind the club face to create greater face flexion for faster ball speeds and enhance forgiveness on drives hit lower on the face. (It’s even more flexible than the thru-slot on the TaylorMade P770 irons too! If you’re looking for a TaylorMade Iron that will suit this driver, check out the difference between the P770 and P790)
I typically swing the driver at 116mph, and I saw club head speeds closer to 119mph with the Stealth, meaning I picked up nearly 10 yards instantly. (1mph of club head speed equals 2-3 yards of distance gained.) This is a dramatic jump in distance that I didn’t know was possible until trying the Stealth.
Driver Category: Perfect for those looking for more forgiveness, more distance, and a bigger sweet spot.
Sound and Feel
TaylorMade believes a lot of how a club feels to a player is dictated by its sound at impact. TaylorMade club designers are even quoted saying, “Sound is “feel” to a golfer.” Speaking from experience, my PING G425 MAX took some time to adjust to because it sounds so hollow even on proper strikes.
TaylorMade has a team of 12+ “sound engineers” who were specifically tasked with making sure the Stealth driver sounds crisp and pleasing to the ears at impact. TaylorMade added a new “Internal Ribbing Structure” inside the Stealth head that not only vibrates to produce the sharp, bright sound we all want at impact but also enhances the vibrational feel players receive from great strikes.
I’ve noticed playing around with the Stealth that it almost always sounds the same regardless of where you make contact. That can be a plus for some players, but I found it to be a negative since I am such a “feel” type golfer and enjoy chasing the sound of a truly “flushed shot.”
Its Carbon Face and Striking Design
“Red,” “explosive,” and “new” were the first words that popped into my head when I held the Stealth for the first time.
As we mentioned earlier, the larger club face inspired us to believe we were going to make center contact more often. The Stealth also has a small TaylorMade logo on the top of the driver’s head to signal where the center of the face is.
This logo, combined with the larger face, undoubtedly increased our teebox confidence. The body of the Stealth (although not made of Carbon fiber) continues the Carbon fiber look (we would personally prefer this to be a solid color, but that’s entirely preference-based).
The ‘Catch’ With the Stealth 1 Driver
So from the very start, I said that it’s best to buy this driver brand new rather than pre-owned. But why?
It’s no rumor anymore, but the Stealth driver has had a serious issue with faces falling off/ popping off. To more accurately determine what’s going on. I went to a professional golf fitter who fitted over 30 stealth drivers in 2022. Specifically, I asked if the 2022 Stealth driver had an issue with the face falling off and he responded with the following:
“Out of roughly 30 Stealth fittings, I’ve experienced 1 client coming back in with a shifted face. I did hear that this was only related to Stealth drivers released within the first 2 to 3 months of its release. I don’t know the exact situation, but personally, it wasn’t that frequent.”
Now, I can’t promise if he was just trying to sell me the Stealth driver, though I already had one. But, I would say that after a whole year, my Stealth’s face is still fine and well snugged with the rest of the head. However, I do notice some golf stores that are selling their demo Stealth drivers or pre-owned ones with a slight indented face. Just to clarify, the face doesn’t dent, but the whole face shifts inwards towards the driver. Yikes!
2 Alternatives to the Stealth 1 Driver
- Forgiving without sacrificing distance.
- Truly stunning appearance with the combination of “Carbon-Black” and Gold accents.
- Biggest Rival in 2022 to the Stealth 1 Drivers
- Incredibly forgiving driver that’s also long, called a “Unicorn Club” by competing club makers.
- Since it’s a generation older now, its price has dropped significantly.
All Other Stealth Models (Stealth Plus and Stealth HD)
While our piece focused on the Stealth, we have to mention there are two other versions of the Stealth driver head, the Stealth HD and the Stealth Plus.
The Stealth HD, or “High Draw” model, was specifically built for golfers that are looking to reduce their misses to the right (for right-handers). It offers the highest MOI (forgiveness rating) of the entire Stealth family of drivers.
The Stealth Plus is the lowest spinning driver in the Stealth family and has an adjustable 10-gram sliding weight on its sole to help the better golfer dial-in a particular shot shape or avoid a miss.
We personally recommend the Stealth HD for the higher handicap or newer golfer and the Stealth Plus for the better ball-striker or more experienced player.
The Verdict: Is the TaylorMade Stealth Driver Worth it?
If you’re looking for increased forgiveness, more distance, and help to avoid the right trees, the TaylorMade Stealth could be perfect for you.
We immediately noticed a jump in club head speed, straighter shots resulting from strikes missing the center, and an easier time finding the sweetspot of the face since it’s so much larger than what we’re used to looking at.
That said, if you’re buying it brand new or a pre-owned version that’s closer to mid 2022 or later, than yes its worth it!
Buy the Taylormade Stealth Driver
