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In this review, I’ll be taking a comprehensive look at the TaylorMade Stealth 2 fairway wood.
The Stealth 2 is the most balanced model in the Stealth 2 line of fairway woods. It’s designed to take the performance of the original Stealth to the next level with a low CG for higher launch as well as playability, versatility, big distance, and great forgiveness.
How does the Stealth 2 perform when put to the test? How does it compare to the original Stealth? Who is it best suited for? Is it worth putting in the bag?
Read on to get the answers to these questions and learn what you need to know to make an informed purchase.
Note: Unless otherwise indicated, stock shafts and stock grips are used when evaluating clubs and the 3W is evaluated in the case of fairway woods. In most cases, the golf clubs reviewed on Golfstead are acquired temporarily for testing purposes and are not purchased. The review that follows is based on the personal experience and research of the author. Because everyone’s swing and body are different, results with a particular club may differ from person to person.
What are the reviews like?
The TaylorMade Stealth 2 fairway wood won a gold medal on the 2023 Golf Digest Hot List.
It is generally praised by critics and enjoys very high average customer ratings of 4.9/5 (98% recommended) on the TaylorMade store and 5/5 on Global Golf.
What People Like
- super long and straight
- higher loft models (5W and up) are fantastic to hit
- very versatile
- high launch with soft landings
- excellent stock shaft
What People Don’t Like
- very limited gains over original Stealth
The Features
The TaylorMade Stealth 2 fairway wood effectively builds on the technologies first found in the original Stealth fairway wood.
3D Carbon Crown
The 3D Carbon Crown is a carbon crown that wraps around the toe of the club. This shifts mass away from the high toe area to the back of the club, resulting in higher launch and forgiveness.
With the Stealth 2, TaylorMade has placed a heavy internal weight in the rear, shifting the center of gravity (CG) even lower than it was in the Stealth.
Twist Face & ICT
The Stealth 2 carries forward the Twist Face found in the Stealth, supercharged with a new and enhanced form of Inverted Cone Technology (ICT).
This tech optimizes face thickness at every point for maximum ball speed and forgiveness across the face. The face is thinnest in the sweet spot, becomes thicker in the region surrounding it, and becomes thinner again in the extreme heel and toe regions.
The Stealth 2’s face technology also improves durability and longevity of the fairway wood.
V Steel Sole
The V Steel Sole is a classic TaylorMade innovation. It unlocks the benefits of having a raised heel and toe (significantly improved turf interaction and less resistance through impact) while keeping the CG low for high launch and low spin.
Additionally, the Stealth 2 employs a more rounded leading edge to enhance versatility and playability out of a variety of lies.
The Stealth 2 fairway wood also benefits from:
- a Thru-Slot Speed Pocket that increases sole flexibility, leading to increased ball speed and forgiveness low on the face.
- a laser alignment aid that stretches across the top of the face. This visual indicator helps alignment at address, allowing the crown to stay relatively clean.
Stock Info
The Stealth 2 fairway wood is available in 3W, 3HL, 5W, 7W and 9W at lofts 15°, 16.5°, 18°, 21° and 24°, respectively.
The stock graphite shaft is the Fujikura VENTUS TR Red and the stock grip is the Golf Pride ZGRIP Plus2. Custom options are available.
If you’re interested, full information on the fairway wood, shafts, grips and their specs can be found here.
Below are the specs of the Stealth 2 fairway wood. Click or zoom to enlarge.
The Performance
Distance
I was a little underwhelmed with distance from the Stealth 2 fairway wood, as I found no noticeable difference compared to the original Stealth.
Launch is a little bit higher, while ball speed and clubhead speed seem to only have a very marginal advantage of around 1-2 MPH and 0.5 MPH, respectively. For me, this produced no perceptible distance gains.
In a way, this isn’t that surprising since a higher launch is the main focus of the Stealth 2’s marketing. And indeed, a higher launch will help many golfers pick up yards; it just didn’t in my case.
Forgiveness
Forgiveness is where I feel the Stealth 2 makes a significant improvement compared to the Stealth. I find it to be on par with any modern game-improvement wood out there such as the Callaway Paradym.
In particular, ball speed is very well-preserved in mis-hit regions, and dispersions are generally very good.
What really indicates to me the level of forgiveness of this club is the low and rearward CG placement, which increases spin and MOI. This can come with some tradeoffs, but mis-hit performance won’t be one of them.
Playability/Trajectory
Typical trajectories produced by the Stealth 2 are mid-high with a neutral flight bias. Flight apex and descent angle are healthy.
I found the spin of the original Stealth to be too low. With the Stealth 2, it’s right where I’d like it to be: not too much spin to where you experience ballooning and lose distance, but enough spin to where it’s easy to get the ball airborne even with a moderate swing speed.
Workability is good, and it should be, especially since the standard Stealth 2 model has a bonded hosel unlike the Stealth 2 Plus.
The Stealth 2 is just a very versatile and playable fairway wood — about as versatile as you can get without having any adjustability features in the sole or hosel.
The Look
The look of the Stealth 2 fairway wood is very similar to the original Stealth, particularly when looking down at the club from the address position.
One major difference is that TaylorMade has gone with a gloss finish on the crown rather than matte. The Stealth 2 also has just a touch more of a pear shape (less elongated) than the Stealth, which reinforces the fact that weight is concentrated low in the head.
The sole has an altered design, but it still retains the “Stealth” vibes that golfers have come to know and love.
And of course, you have the laser alignment aid which prominently sits across the top of the face. This provides contrast beside the dark crown and makes it easier to properly orient the face when it’s next to the ball.
The Sound & Feel
The word that comes to mind when hitting the Stealth 2 fairway wood is “responsive”.
Feel is responsive and solid, but as other reviewers have noted, it also has noticeable thickness and heft behind it. This may not be to the taste of some but I think most will love it.
When it comes to sound, the Stealth 2 produces a crisp “whoosh” through impact.
Consistent with the ICT pattern on the face, the feel gets more firm and a little more dull in the region surrounding the sweet spot, while the thinness of the face in the heel and toe regions nicely balances out the degraded feel you would typically experience in those areas.
Unsurprisingly, the turf interaction with this club is fantastic. It’s very smooth and almost effortless to take the clubhead through the majority of lies.
Where To Buy This Fairway Wood Online
You can order a Stealth 2 fairway wood with your choice of loft and shaft on TaylorMade’s official store, or you can optionally do full customization through their Custom Shop.
Another option is PGA TOUR Superstore. They offer customization, performance guarantees, club fittings, club trade-ins, and other programs designed to make the buying experience as smooth as possible.
You can alternatively check out the offers on Global Golf and Amazon.
Don’t forget about eBay, where you can often find unbeatable deals on new and used golf equipment.
Conclusion
It would have been nice to get a new, standout technology that helps differentiate TaylorMade’s Stealth 2 fairway wood from the original Stealth model.
However, the Stealth 2 can still be considered a worthy successor, with perhaps a slight edge in ball speed, better forgiveness, and a better launch.
The Stealth 2 also has great workability, spin is nicely balanced, and speed and distance can compete with the best out there. Its exceptional versatility makes it viable for golfers across the skill spectrum, but it may be especially appealing to mid handicappers.
Interested in the Stealth 2 fairway wood? Have you played it? What’s your experience? Let us know in the comments below.
