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TaylorMade's Stealth 2 Teams Edition drivers are Ryder Cup-ready

Jonathan Wall — Fri, 15 Sep 2023 11:19:24 +0000

With the Ryder Cup less than a week away, TaylorMade is prepping for the biennial matches with two custom Stealth 2 Teams Edition drivers (9 and 10.5 degrees). One features a red, white and blue colorway for Team USA, while the other sports blue and gold accents for Team Europe.

Each driver comes equipped with a special headcover and either a Fujikura Ventus Red (Team USA) or Fujikura Ventus Blue (Team Europe) shaft. Special Golf Pride MCC USA (red/blue) and Golf Pride MCC Europe (gold/blue) grips were added as well to complement the overall color scheme.

Outside of the color changes, the tech inside the Stealth 2 remains the same. The standout feature of the Stealth 2 line is a Nano textured 60X Carbon Twist Face which has a newly optimized profile off the back of the face that incorporates TaylorMade’s famous Inverted Cone Technology (ICT) to better maintain ball speeds on shots hit away from center.

This is achieved by moving around layers that run through the face structure to produce thicker and thinner areas, with the byproduct being a face that is 2g lighter than the original (24 grams vs. the original 26 grams) yet stronger than before.

The gold and blue pops on TaylorMade’s Stealth 2 Teams Edition Team Europe driver. TaylorMade

The final part of the carbon puzzle for TaylorMade is a rear ring that connects the components of the driver. Rather than using aluminum as TaylorMade has in the past with the Sim2 and the original Stealth, the Stealth 2’s rear ring is composed of a lighter and stronger carbon fiber reinforced composite.

This lighter ring has allowed engineers to free up more discretionary mass to place in the inertia generator weight in the rear of the driver, and in the case of the Stealth 2 Plus freed up five more grams to place in the sliding adjustable track (15 grams total) for more ball flight control.

A look at the sole graphics on the Stealth 2 Teams Edition Team USA driver. TaylorMade

Add in these new features with the existing aerodynamically tuned shape, hosel adjustability and through slot speed pocket, and you have a finely tuned carbon driving machine that’s Ryder Cup-ready.

It’s unlikely any of TaylorMade’s staffers will switch to the driver the week of the matches in Rome, but it’s still a great way for weekend golfers to stand out on the course and show their allegiance to Team USA or Team Europe.

Want to overhaul your bag for 2023? Find a fitting location near you at True Spec Golf.

The post TaylorMade’s Stealth 2 Teams Edition drivers are Ryder Cup-ready appeared first on Golf.

4 areas where TaylorMade's Stealth 2 drivers excel, according to our robot

Jonathan Wall — Tue, 10 Jan 2023 13:34:56 +0000

For the 2023 edition of GOLF’s ClubTest, we once again teamed up with Golf Laboratories for robotic driver testing. With the help of their swing robot, we’re able to get a better picture of how each driver performs at the same speed (95 mph), delivery and attack angle in a 9-point face mapping test. The result is an unbiased (and extremely detailed) look at where each driver model excels.

Here are robotic insights on TaylorMade’s all-new Stealth 2, Stealth 2 Plus and Stealth 2 HD drivers. The TaylorMade line will be available for preorder on Jan. 10, and in retail stores on Feb. 17. Pick up all your new gear at Fairway Jockey.

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1. More speed

The 60-layer Carbon Fiber Twist Face ushered in a new level of speed for TaylorMade’s Stealth drivers. By reducing the weight in the face, TaylorMade was able to reposition extra mass behind the hitting area for a more efficient transfer of energy at impact. Pros were seeing anywhere from 3-5 mph of additional ball speed during testing last year — an impressive number that made many in the industry take notice.

But if there was a knock on the initial version of Carbon Fiber Twist Face, it was that ball speed numbers dropped off on key mishit locations. Namely, the low heel and high toe.

The latest face structure attached to Stealth 2 is designed to retain ball speed on those common misses and based on what we observed during robotic testing, it more than lives up to the hype.

Gear

How TaylorMade's new Stealth 2 drivers offer even more forgiveness, speed

By: Ryan Barath

For starters, TaylorMade’s Stealth 2 and Stealth 2 Plus were the fastest driver models we tested on the Golf Laboratories robot. In some cases, Stealth 2 beat some competitors by 3-4 mph, which is somewhere in the neighborhood of 10 yards.

What makes those numbers even more impressive is the fact that it’s an average of all 9 points on the face. Comparing geometric center ball speeds, Stealth and Stealth 2 produced almost identical numbers. Where Stealth 2 starts to distance itself from Stealth is in the mishit department. When averaging the other 8 points on the face, Stealth 2 was 1.4 mph faster than Stealth.

What this tells us is that Stealth 2 is faster where weekend golfers need it the most — on off-center strikes.

TaylorMade Stealth 2 driver

Click through to purchase a TaylorMade Stealth 2 driver from Fairway Jockey.

2. Big bombers

The Stealth 2 Plus is an intriguing option for those who require low launch and spin characteristics. With the lowest launch (10 degrees) of any driver tested — and an equally low spin rate — this model isn’t for the golfers who struggle to get the ball airborne.

In fact, a look at the launch and spin numbers for Stealth Plus and Stealth 2 Plus confirm TaylorMade is trying to decrease both characteristics in a big way. According to the robot, Stealth 2 launched one degree lower with 300-plus RPMs less spin than the Stealth.

With the ball speed to back up the launch and spin changes, Stealth 2 Plus is the epitome of a bomber club.

TaylorMade Stealth 2 Plus Driver

Click through to purchase a TaylorMade Stealth 2 Plus driver from Fairway Jockey.

TaylorMade Stealth2 Plus+ driver. Jonathan Wall/GOLF

3. Shedding spin

Speaking of spin rates, RPMs dropped across the board for all three models. On average, the Stealth 2 and Stealth 2 HD were roughly 300 RPMs lower spinning than their predecessors. The launch angle for Stealth 2 also decreased by a degree but remained unchanged for Stealth 2 HD.

TaylorMade’s first crack at Carbon Fiber Twist Face produced some impressive numbers, but as you’d expect from the second go-around, they’re making noticeable improvements to areas that should lead to more ball speed and better downrange dispersion.

TaylorMade Stealth 2 HD Driver

Click through to purchase a TaylorMade Stealth 2 HD driver from Fairway Jockey.

4. Aim small

The draw-biased weighting on Stealth 2 HD is designed to eviscerate a penalizing slice. But according to the robot, golfers should also expect to see equally strong carry distance numbers, regardless of where the ball impacts the face.

Gear

How TaylorMade's Stealth 2 and P-Series irons helped this 4-handicap | ClubTest 2023

By: Ryan Barath

One of only four drivers to record a single-digit carry distance delta — a number that looks at geometric center contact compared to the other 8 impact locations — the HD model doesn’t penalize inconsistent contact.

Killing a slice is nice, but having a driver that also retains ball speed across the entire face structure is even better. The result is a noticeably tight dispersion that keeps even the most penalizing miss on the map.

Want to overhaul your bag for 2023? Find a fitting location near you at GOLF’s affiliate company True Spec Golf.

The post 4 areas where TaylorMade’s Stealth 2 drivers excel, according to our robot appeared first on Golf.

How TaylorMade's new Stealth 2 Plus driver can improve your game

Tue, 10 Jan 2023 13:05:27 +0000

GOLF’s Senior Editor of Equipment Ryan Barath recently visited TaylorMade to test out the benefits of adding their new Stealth 2 Plus driver to your bag.

The post How TaylorMade’s new Stealth 2 Plus driver can improve your game appeared first on Golf.

Breaking down the benefits of TaylorMade's new Stealth 2 Plus fairway woods

Tue, 10 Jan 2023 13:03:32 +0000

GOLF’s Senior Editor for Equipment Ryan Barath recently traveled to The Kingdom at TaylorMade to check out the adjustability offered by their new Stealth 2 Plus fairway woods.

The post Breaking down the benefits of TaylorMade’s new Stealth 2 Plus fairway woods appeared first on Golf.

Did TaylorMade's Stealth 2 driver live up to the hype during our RoboTest?

Tue, 10 Jan 2023 13:01:02 +0000

GOLF’s Jonathan Wall and Ryan Barath are joined by Golf Laboratories Gene Parente (and his robot) to see if our RoboTest data backed up the hype surrounding TaylorMade’s new Stealth 2 driver line. All RoboTest data powered by Foresight Sports.

The post Did TaylorMade’s Stealth 2 driver live up to the hype during our RoboTest? appeared first on Golf.