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Today I’ll be reviewing the TaylorMade Stealth 2 rescue.
The Stealth 2 is the most balanced model in the Stealth 2 line of rescues, delivering a healthy mix of high launch, optimal spin, high MOI, forgiveness, playability, and versatility. A new iteration of ICT further improves ball speeds across the face.
How does the Stealth 2 hybrid perform when put to the test? How does it compare to the original Stealth rescue? 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 4H is evaluated in the case of hybrids. 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 rescue won a gold medal on the 2023 Golf Digest Hot List, and MyGolfSpy ranks it #1 in the distance category.
It is generally praised by critics and enjoys a high average customer rating of 4.9/5 (96% recommended) on the TaylorMade store.
What People Like
- incredible distance
- easy to launch
- solid forgiveness
- explosive yet soft feel
- sleek looks
What People Don’t Like
- no adjustability
- not as playable out of hairy lies as other hybrids
The Features
The TaylorMade Stealth 2 rescue builds on the technologies found in the original Stealth rescue and adds some enhancements designed to deliver even better performance.
- Carbon Crown: shifts mass towards the low end of the club — lower than the original Stealth. Combined with a mass pad located in the back of the head, this results in a more centered CG position, delivering a high launch with balanced spin, playability, and MOI for forgiving contact.
- Twist Face & 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.
- V Steel Sole: a classic TaylorMade innovation that 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.
- Thru-Slot Speed Pocket: increases sole flexibility, leading to increased ball speed and forgiveness low on the face.
- Laser Alignment Aid: stretching 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 rescue is available in 3R, 4R, 5R, 6R and 7R at lofts 19°, 22°, 25°, 28° and 31°, respectively.
The stock graphite shaft is the Fujikura VENTUS TR Red IH and the stock grip is the Lamkin Crossline Black/Red. Custom options are available.
If you’re interested, full information on the hybrid, shafts, grips and their specs can be found here.
Below are the specs of the Stealth 2 rescue. Click or zoom to enlarge.
The Performance
Distance
Many users and critics have remarked about how incredibly long the Stealth 2 rescue is, and I’d have to agree based on what I saw during my session.
I found ball speed (and smash factor) to have a significant advantage over the original Stealth rescue — ball speed sometimes saw a jump of 4-5 mph or more. I can’t say what the exact reason for it is, but the Twist Face and ICT probably make a big difference.
When you combine this with a mid-low spin and high launch, it’s not a stretch to say that the Stealth 2 is set up for big distance, and it is. I can’t recall any other hybrid I’ve tested that has matched its length.
Forgiveness
TaylorMade classifies the Stealth 2 rescue as having high forgiveness comparable to the Stealth 2 HD. I generally find this to be true, particularly when it comes to preservation of ball speed in mis-hit regions.
You might find that even impacts in the heel and toe regions will see total distance that is within ten yards or so of center contact.
Dispersions, on the other hand, aren’t as good. Lower-spin clubs can often stray pretty far off-line, and with the Stealth 2, your worst swings are not immune to some pretty nasty slices or hooks. It’s certainly not the worst I’ve seen, but I would consider directional forgiveness to be average.
Playability/Trajectory
Typical trajectories produced by the Stealth 2 rescue are high. TaylorMade states that the flight bias is neutral, but like other testers, I seemed to notice a very slight draw bias.
Spin is on the low side. However, shots hit with the Stealth 2 tend to achieve a nice, high apex and healthy descent angle, so even with the low-ish spin, you should be able to hold greens without much trouble. There’s certainly more stopping power than what you would experience from an equivalent iron.
Getting the ball up in the air with the Stealth 2 rescue is almost effortless, and the club is playable out of a variety of lies.
Workability is average, so seasoned golfers who want more of an ability to shape shots should look at the Plus model.
The Look
Despite not being as compact and pear-shaped as the Stealth 2 Plus rescue, I still very much like the shape of the Stealth 2 compared to other hybrids; in fact, I prefer the look to something like the Callaway Paradym. Its sleek aesthetic really lives up to the Stealth name.
One thing I appreciate is how the Stealth 2 sets up more or less square at address, which is in contrast to many other hybrids having a slightly closed look at address, particularly for higher-lofted variants.
The Stealth 2 rescue has no external sole weight or adjustable hosel. While the lack of adjustability is notable, it also adds to the sleekness of the design. This is further enhanced by a gloss crown and dark colour scheme with red accents.
Consistent with other clubs in the Stealth 2 family, the rescue benefits from a 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 Stealth 2 rescue feels very solid and responsive at impact. Making contact in the center of the face is one of the most pleasant experiences you’ll have hitting a hybrid.
As you move away from the sweet spot towards mis-hit regions, the feel becomes less sharp and a little more dull and reverberating. Consistency of feel across the face is somewhere between the Stealth 2 Plus (most compact) and Stealth 2 HD (most forgiving) rescues.
The sound at impact can be described as a somewhat metallic, tight “whack” with a medium-high pitch. It very much appeals to me personally.
In spite of the fact that this hybrid has TaylorMade’s famous V Steel Sole, the turf interaction was a little disappointing. It can get out of hairy lies fine, but I was expecting it to be as effortless as it was with the Stealth 2 fairway woods, which it wasn’t.
Where To Buy This Hybrid Online
You can order a Stealth 2 rescue 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.
Final Thoughts
When it comes to what most golfers want out of a hybrid, the TaylorMade Stealth 2 checks nearly all of the boxes.
The speed and distance are just insane, but more than that, it delivers superb forgiveness, an easy, high launch with enough spin to hold greens, some workability, and playability out of a variety of lies. This makes it a wonderful long iron replacement for mid and high handicappers.
With the rescue in particular, the Stealth 2 either matches or outclasses the performance of the original Stealth in every category. Its only real shortcoming is a lack of any adjustability; for that, your best bet is the Stealth 2 Plus.
Interested in the Stealth 2 rescue? Have you played it? What’s your experience? Let us know in the comments below.
