With the release of TaylorMade’s Stealth 2 line of drivers and metal woods, the next question becomes: What about the irons?
For those who are asking, TaylorMade is keeping the current standard Stealth in line for the foreseeable future and is introducing the Stealth HD irons to go along with the matching woods and hybrids.
The Stealth HD iron is a completely new design intended to increase the likelihood of what TaylorMade calls a successful shot out on the course. The premise for the design came from a change in the testing process for the iron design team with a focus on what success means to golfers in the game-improvement category.
“In working with players in this category, we exhausted all optimization tools to determine the ideal loft for each iron in the set. Incorporating higher lofts was done purposefully and with intent. Our goal was to provide as much launch and spin as possible without sacrificing distance, and what we found was this design strategy often led to increased carry distance for the developing golfer when compared to traditional super game improvement irons with stronger lofts. By combining this totally unique construction with our existing technologies, we created a high launching, easy-to-hit iron with surprisingly exceptional feel.” -Matt Bovee, Director, Product Creation Irons
Technology
Armed with an extremely low profile, a stepped sole and capback hollow design, the Stealth HD iron is the highest launching and spinning iron in the TaylorMade iron line and it is also equipped with a slight draw bias.
The hybrid-like rounded leading edge assists with alignment and inconsistent ground contact to help keep the club moving through the turf on shots hit heavy and out of the rough — like I said, this iron is meant for maximum forgiveness!
For those who still might not think that this iron is for you, the designers at TaylorMade have acoustically tuned the hollow iron with an Echo dampening system behind the face to remove harsh vibrations at impact and provide an iron that sounds and feels as great as it preforms. So if you are a golfer that needs help holding more greens and getting height on your irons, the Stealth HD irons could be your ticket to lower scores.
Price and Availability
Stealth HD irons will be available for preorder starting today, Jan. 10, and can be found at retail on Feb. 17, 2023. The stock configuration 5-PW irons are priced at $999.00 in steel (KBS Max 85 MT) and $1,099 in graphite (FujikuraNX Red/Silver).
The Stealth HD irons are available 5-PW with AW, SW and LW available through custom order. There is also a Stealth HD Women’s iron which includes the Aldila Ascent Ladies shaft and the Lamkin Ladies Sonar grip.
Ryan Barath is GOLF Magazine and GOLF.com’s senior editor for equipment. He has an extensive club-fitting and -building background with more than 20 years of experience working with golfers of all skill levels, including PGA Tour players. Before joining the staff, he was the lead content strategist for Tour Experience Golf, in Toronto, Canada.