Golfstead is reader-supported. When you buy through links on the site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. Our affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network and Amazon Associates.
In this review, I’ll take a look at the TaylorMade Stealth 2 Plus driver.
The Stealth 2 Plus features the same improved Carbon Twist Face and carbon-focused construction of the standard Stealth 2, but it adds a 15g sliding weight track that, along with the FCT Loft Sleeve, can be used to dial in your preferred shot shape.
The Stealth 2 Plus is designed to deliver unprecedented distance along with a penetrating flight for better players. But how does it actually perform when put to the test? How does it compare with the Stealth 2 and Stealth Plus? Is it worth putting in the bag?
Read on to find out what you need to know to make an informed purchase.
Note: Unless otherwise stated, stock shafts and stock grips are used when evaluating this club. 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 Stealth 2 Plus driver has been widely praised by critics, earning a gold medal on the 2023 Golf Digest Hot List. It currently has a 4.7/5 (87% recommended) customer score on the TaylorMade website and a 4.8/5 on PGA TOUR Superstore.
However, most agree that the improvements and changes are marginal and not as exciting as they were when the original Stealth replaced the SIM2.
What People Like
- more forgiving than the original Stealth Plus
- refined aesthetics
- very long
- looks compact at address but is not intimidating
- powerful and lively sound
- penetrating ball flight with ample adjustability
What People Don’t Like
- too similar to previous models like the Stealth and SIM2
- some have issues with the shaft or clubhead breaking
The Features
The Stealth 2 Plus driver benefits from more or less the same technologies as the Stealth 2, namely:
- New 60X Carbon Twist Face: ball speed and forgiveness on off-center strikes is improved with an enhanced version of Inverted Cone Technology (ICT), and the face is slightly lighter
- Carbon Reinforced Composite Ring: this runs around the head of the driver, allowing for weight savings that are used to shift the CG back for higher MOI
- Internal Stiffening Ribs: used to finely tune acoustics for a lively and powerful sound
- Inertia Generator: seen in previous models including the M6, SIM and SIM2, this unique sole shape increases aerodynamic club head speed and shifts the CG back for increased stability
The main differences with the Plus model, beyond the slightly altered look, are:
- it uses 75% more carbon than the previous generation rather than 100% more
- it contains a lighter back weight (15g instead of 25g)
- it adds a front sliding weight track with a 15g moveable weight for adjusting ball flight
The Stealth 2 Plus is engineered with a more forward center of mass which is intended to promote workability, less spin, and a lower launch.
Stock Info
The Stealth 2 Plus driver is available in 8°, 9°, and 10.5° standard lofts at 460CC.
Included is a loft sleeve that allows you to adjust loft, lie and face angle. There are 12 possible sleeve variations that can increase or decrease the loft and lie angle by ±2°, and the face angle by ±4°.
TaylorMade is also offering the MyStealth 2 Plus driver which allows you to select custom colours for the carbon face, composite ring and other components, as well as choose between a matte or gloss crown finish. This means you can create a Stealth 2 Plus driver that matches your unique style.
The stock shafts are the Project X HZRDUS Black (low launch, low spin) and Mitsubishi Kai’li Red (high launch, mid spin). The stock grip is the Golf Pride ZGRIP Plus2.
If you’re interested, full information on the driver, shafts, grips, their specs, and any custom options can be found here.
Below are the specs of the Stealth 2 Plus driver. Click or zoom to enlarge.
The Performance
Distance
During my testing with the 9-degree Stealth 2 Plus, I was seeing higher ball speed, higher clubhead speed, and slightly lower spin than the original Stealth Plus.
All of this added up to around 10 yards of additional carry on average and a total distance gain of around 15 yards.
All things considered, I couldn’t have asked for anything better in the distance department. The mix of speed, launch and spin offered by the Stealth 2 Plus is the trifecta that faster swingers and better players need to realize their full potential off the tee.
Forgiveness
You would think that given how much speed and distance the Stealth 2 Plus pumps out, it would have to sacrifice forgiveness in exchange. In reality, this is hardly the case.
TaylorMade lists the Plus model as having the least amount of forgiveness in the Stealth 2 family. This may be true, but not by much.
Dispersions aren’t as tight — the difference is maybe around 10 yards compared to the Stealth 2. However, ball speed preservation on mis-hits is nearly just as good, to the point where many mid and higher handicaps seeking forgiveness might opt for the Plus over the other models because of the sliding weight.
Playability/Trajectory
Typical trajectories with the Stealth 2 Plus are low-mid with a fairly flat, penetrating trajectory and shallow descent angle that enables plenty of rollout.
As expected, with the weight in the center, there is no perceptible flight bias. Sliding the weight towards the toe and heel will introduce modest fade and draw biases, respectively.
In addition to the weight track, you can further tweak your ball flight using the adjustable loft sleeve, but this does come with compromises in terms of lie angle and spin.
The Stealth 2 Plus is very workable and controllable. You only need to look at the slew of pro golfers who have put it in the bag, including Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy, to know that it can meet the demands of even the best players.
The Look
The Stealth 2 Plus driver has the same tasteful red-on-black colour scheme with white and silver detailing, glossy black crown, clean look at address, and vivid red carbon face of the standard Stealth 2.
Unlike the Stealth 2 and Stealth 2 HD models, though, it lacks the red ring around the perimeter of the crown, which should help golfers focus more on the top line and red face at setup.
You also have the slideable weight track which sits right behind the Speed Pocket.
As with anything, the look of the Stealth 2 Plus will not be everyone’s cup of tea, and that’s just the nature of the beast. I personally would have liked to see more of a compact look relative to the more forgiving models in the Stealth 2 family.
The good news is that you can get it in an array of custom colours, from blue to yellow to orange to green to magenta, through TaylorMade’s MyStealth 2 Plus offering, so the colour scheme shouldn’t be an obstacle for anyone.
The Sound & Feel
In terms of sound, the Stealth 2 Plus is very similar to the other Stealth 2 models (and the original Stealth Plus) except for the fact that I did find it to be just a touch more lower-pitched, quiet and muted. It’s very satisfying, make no mistake.
Impact produces a fairly loud, sharp “snap”, and this is maintained well in mis-hit regions which some may find surprising given that it’s the least forgiving model.
The feel is oh-so-good, especially when you catch it in the center of the face. It’s not too clicky or hollow, and it also has just the right amount of solidness and explosiveness. In fact, I would say it’s the feel that every driver should strive to emulate.
The feel in mis-hit regions isn’t too bad. It definitely lets you know when you make poor contact, but in my experience, it’s better than the Stealth Plus and not much different than the Stealth 2.
Where To Buy This Driver Online
You can order a Stealth 2 Plus driver with your choice of loft and shaft on TaylorMade’s official store. You can optionally do full customization through their Custom Shop or order a custom-colour MyStealth 2 Plus.
Another option is PGA TOUR Superstore. They offer performance guarantees, club fittings, club trade-ins, and other programs designed to make the buying experience as smooth as possible.
You can also buy the Stealth 2 Plus driver from Amazon.
Don’t forget about eBay, where you can often find unbeatable deals on new and used golf equipment.
Conclusion
TaylorMade’s second-generation Stealth 2 Plus driver does a phenomenal job of addressing the problems and shortcomings of the original Stealth Plus while maintaining or building on its strengths.
Not only is the Stealth 2 Plus faster off the face and longer, but it’s also more forgiving. Combined with lower spin and a mid launch, penetrating ball flight, workability, and sole adjustability, the driver is a super attractive option for not just low handicaps, but some mid and high handicaps as well.
Having said that, an above-average clubhead speed is still a strong recommendation for those interested in gaming the Stealth 2 Plus. Golfers who have trouble getting the ball sufficiently airborne should look at the standard or HD models instead.
Interested in the Stealth 2 Plus driver? Have you played it? What’s your experience? Let us know in the comments below.
