TaylorMade Stealth Driver Review 2024 | Honest Take for Everyday Golfers

Looking for a definitive TaylorMade Stealth Driver review? Look no further. At almost $600, is the TaylorMade Stealth Driver worth it for the average golfer? How does it stack up against offerings from Titliest, Callaway, PXG and Ping? When you are paying top dollar for equipment, it is important to have considered all the information available before making a purchase.

The objective of this article is to provide an honest, and in-depth review. As always, we will aim to decrypt jargon and technical terms so the content is digestible for beginner and intermediate golfers.

Overview- What are we going to cover?

The big headline with the TaylorMade Stealth is the carbon face. What does this mean? And why does it matter?

To understand this, it is important to take a very brief history lesson (more details here).

In golf’s early days, you will no doubt be aware that drivers had wooden heads. In 1979, TaylorMade pioneered the first steel headed driver. Then in the 1990’s, golf equipment manufacturers in Japan began to produce titanium drivers with the idea that they would yield additional power and weight savings.

30 years on, and we would seem to be at another inflection point.

TaylorMade believes ‘titanium has gone as far as it can go’ and now views carbon drivers as the future. We will go into more detail about carbon later on, but the very high level selling point is that carbon is lighter and stronger than titanium, but until now manufacturers have struggled from a technical standpoint to integrate it into their clubs because it is thinner.

So now that is clarified, let’s take a quick look at what we will specifically cover.

• What are you paying the money for?
• What is the difference between the Stealth, Stealth Plus and Stealth HD models?
• Which tour pros use the TaylorMade Stealth?
• Is it forgiving for higher handicappers/ beginners?
• Should I adjust the loft, and what loft should I use if I’m a beginner/ intermediate golfer?
• Regular or stiff shafts?
• Is the carbon face durable?

For those skim readers among you who are just looking for a brief summary giving the bottom line: see below. After that, we will get into the questions above.

Do I recommend the TaylorMade Stealth Driver?

Yes. There is absolutely no doubt that the TaylorMade Stealth is one of the best drivers out there (we rate it as the overall best driver on the market).

As far as the main metrics are concerned; distance, speed, durability and sound it is comfortably as good as any of its competitors. The stats are close, but It might even be better. From an aesthetic standpoint, the red face really is beautiful to look at.

It is one of the most expensive drivers on the market, but that’s no surprise. As we will discuss below, the tech in this club is not just 20 years in the making, but as it stands, the first real flagship driver with a carbon face. You are also paying for the brand: TaylorMade’s Stealth is the driver for choice for the biggest stars in golf.

There are less expensive options that will work just as well for beginners and intermediates, but if you have disposable income and like to turn heads, then this is the driver for you.

TaylorMade Stealth Driver Snapshot: Key data

TaylorMade Stealth Driver: Pros and Cons

We will go into more depth later, but below are the main pros and cons of the Stealth driver.

Pros

• You do get added distance
• Crisp sound on impact
• Aesthetics are unmistakable and top of the line
• More feel than your typical driver

Cons

• Price is high
• Shape of head can take getting used to

TaylorMade Stealth Driver Review: Key Questions Answered

Let’s look at the main factors you should consider if you are thinking about making the Stealth Plus your new driver.

What are you paying the money for?

TaylorMade Stealth drivers are definitely not the budget choice if you are looking to add a driver to your bag. In fact, it is pretty much the most expensive driver out there right now, coming in at around the $600 mark depending on where you buy it.

So why does it cost so much?

The long and short of it is that TaylorMade have spent a whopping 20 years developing this technology, and have invested countless millions of dollars into bringing it to fruition.

TaylorMade’s engineers have developed the technology so that the lighter carbon physically handles the wear and tear of repeatedly striking golf balls. This alone took 3 to 4 years to get right, and was always seen as a huge stumbling block to implementing a carbon face.

Not only that, but they also have a team of engineers dedicated to ensuring the sound was not compromised as result of the shift from titanium. TaylorMade recognises sound on impact = feel for a lot of golfers. Attention to detail folks.

From a technical point of view, you are paying for the time, resources and skill that went into bringing this level of innovation to market.

Why go to all this effort to create a carbon face?

TaylorMade believes the next step in generating more ball speed for the golfer is by making the face of the driver as light as possible. Carbon is the material best suited, in their view, to achieving this.

So, how does a lighter face help generate ball speed and distance? Two words.

Energy transfer.

Huh?

Let me explain with a rather crude analogy.

Imagine getting hit by a car. Not a particularly appetizing thought.

But then imagine getting hit by a train. See where we are going?

The more mass an object has behind it, the more force (or energy) is transferred. The carbon face is lighter (40% in fact), so that more mass can be packed into the rear of the driver head and thus the force can be transferred into the ball.

In essence, TaylorMade is turning a car (titanium driver) into a train (carbon driver). This backloading of weight is what TaylorMade calls the ‘asymmetric inertia generator’, for those interested.

Of course, it is far more complicated than this. A lot of factors contribute, such as the matrix of 60 layers of carbon fibers that make the 60x Carbon twist face. The texture of the face. The strength/ stiffness of the carbon.

This level detail when it comes to manufacturing technicals is out of the scope of this article. However, if you are interested in the nuts and bolts of how the club came to be, hear it from the horses’ mouth in this video.

What is the difference between the Stealth, Stealth Plus and Stealth HD models?

Just to make matters slightly confusing, you will notice that there are three different TaylorMade Stealth drivers available. These types of variations are standard for drivers, but that do they mean? And how do you know which member of the stealth family is right for you?

We break it down in simple terms below. To best explain this, we will actually start with the Stealth Plus.

TaylorMade Stealth Plus Review

This is the choice of the top tour professionals and what I would recommend for low handicappers and advanced golfers seeking higher ball speed.

The Stealth Plus has a ‘sliding weight track’ on the head, which means that the golfer can adjust where the weight sits in the golf club to achieve a desired ball flight. By definition, this option will give you low spin, more distance and more flexibility.

So how do you know if this is right for you?

Essentially, if you are an advanced, low handicap golfer who has a high swing speed and wants to adjust to optimize for a certain type of ball flight, then this is the club for you. If you are a higher handicap golfer who is more focused on trying to hit fairways, then I would not recommend this iteration of the club.

While still forgiving by most standards, you are definitely sacrificing forgiveness (not hitting the sweet spot and still hitting it half decent) for distance.

TaylorMade Stealth

This is the option I would recommend for most intermediate and regular playing golfers. The Stealth does not have the sliding weight track and has been engineered for more forgiveness and stability with off-center strikes.

In addition, the Stealth produces more spin on impact– if you do not have a fast swing, this will help keep the ball in the air for longer.

So bottom line, if you know that you do not always hit the center of your driver, but you still prioritize distance, then go with the original Stealth.

TaylorMade Stealth HD Review

The Stealth HD (high draw) is the most forgiving driver out of the three and is what I would recommend for beginners/ high handicappers. Particularly for those who tend to slice their driver off the tee.

This is incredibly common– by generating side spin on the ball, right handers will see the ball curve right and vice versa for left handers.

TaylorMade have essentially set the weight distribution of the club up to be most forgiving for those that tend to slice. Don’t get me wrong, it will still be very possible to slice the ball off the tee, but this gives you the best chance of softening the curve.

Expect more spin, slightly less ball speed and the most forgiveness of the three TaylorMade Stealth drivers.

Which tour professionals use the Stealth Driver?

This is obviously something that is subject to change at any moment as professionals are regularly testing new equipment in an effort to make incremental gains over their peers.

Currently, notable tour pros with the stealth driver in their bag include:

• Tiger Woods
• Rory Mcilroy
• Dustin Johnson
• Scottie Scheffler
• Collin Morikawa
• Adam Scott
• Sergio Garcia
• Tommy Fleetwood

And lots of others.

Let’s be honest, this is essentially a who’s who of the best players in the world. If it’s good enough for world number ones, multiple major winners and the biggest stars in the sport, then it’s good enough for you and I!

Joking aside, this is certainly a contributing factor to the high price point. You can make the argument that the driver is the most important/ highest margin for error club in the bag.

If these golfers are willing to trust the carbon face in high pressure situations, with sporting immortality and millions of dollars on the line: then that’s a huge endorsement for the product.

Is the TalyorMade Stealth Driver forgiving for beginners?

Yes. The Stealth HD version of the club is the best option for beginners. The HD (high draw) is the most forgiving version of the TaylorMade Stealth Driver. It is set-up to specifically work against slices off the tee (where a golfer generates side spin). If for example you are a right handed beginner, you may notice the ball curving right off the tee.

The HD gives you maximum forgiveness, additional spin (which keeps the ball in the air for longer) and the cost of slightly less ball speed.

This is a great option for beginners who do not always hit the center of the club and want an extra layer of control.

The only caveat I would add, would be the shape of the head. If you are used to a rounded head (as nearly all drivers are) it might take a few swings to get used to it.

Should I adjust the loft, and what loft should I use if I’m a beginner/ intermediate golfer?

Each golf club in your bag will have a degree of loft, this is the angle that the club face is positioned.

Logic dictates that you will get a higher loft/ trajectory of flight with a 60 degree wedge than a 9 degree driver.

In very simple terms, as the numbers in your golf bag go up, your loft increases and your distance decreases.

So how does this relate to drivers, and what should the everyday golfer pick?

There are differing schools of thought, and a large element of it comes down to each individual’s unique swing.

With that said, you can use the following guidance and not go too far wrong.

The main two things to consider are swing speed and the height you generally generate on your drives. There is an obvious, but not foolproof correlation between these factors and whether you are a beginner, intermediate or advanced.

Height

Be honest with yourself. Relative to friends and other golfers, do you have a fast swing? Do you drive the ball high or low?

With most retailers you will get the choice between 9, 10.5 and 12 degrees of loft.

The 9 degrees is the lowest loft. This means less spin, less height and the ball will travel further if you have a faster swing. Lower handicap and advanced golfers tend to go for 9 degrees because they generate more ball speed and hit it further.

12 degrees is the highest loft. Studies have shown that if you have a slower swing, you will hit it further with a 12 degree than you would a 9. You will also generate additional height.

10.5 obviously falls in the middle of the two.

Swing speed

It’s not an exact science, but low handicappers with fast swings should usually opt for 9 degrees to optimize ball speed.

Beginners with slower swings that also struggle to get height on the ball should go for 12 degrees.

If you feel like you fit somewhere in the middle, i.e. you have an average speed swing but don’t have any issues generating height, then the 10 degree loft is probably the right option for you.

One other side note on this, that could weigh into your decision. If you are by choice or by virtue of where you live a regular links golfer (i.e. the courses are by the sea and thus very windy) then you might want to consider a lower loft. Or at least having a driver or wood in your bag that is going to limit your height and the impact of high winds.

Should I use regular or stiff shafts in my golf clubs?

Another important factor to consider. You can easily get lost in the weeds of technicalities but let’s try and keep this simple.

Ultimately, once again, this comes down to swing speed.

Stiff shafts are firmer, weigh more and bend less. These tend to be suited to lower handicappers with faster swings. If you already have a quick swing, then a light, flexible shaft can shoot round and impact quicker than you might expect, thus upsetting your rhythm and making miss-hits more common.

Similarly, if you are a beginner with a slower swing then you might be better suited to a regular flex shaft. This will allow you to generate a bit more club speed and hence, more distance.

Basically, unless you are a powerful golfer who has a mean swing, you should be fine with regular shafts.

Is the carbon face durable?

If you are still reading then you are probably feeling a little ‘carboned out’– so let’s keep this section brief.

The short answer is yes. This was the major stumbling block for TaylorMade bringing its stealth drivers to market. Carbon application is still relatively young compared to other metals, and the techniques used are still developing to this day.

4 years of trial and error to understand the physics between face impact and ball, resulted in the 60x carbon twist face. This is essentially a matrix composed of 60 micro layers of carbon fiber that has been battle tested for performance and durability.

These people know what they are doing– the carbon face on TaylorMade Stealth Drivers is plenty durable for all levels of golfer.

Pricing Breakdown

TaylorMade Stealth Drivers are at the high end of what one might expect to pay for a driver. That simply comes down to the innovation with the carbon face, the quality and the fact that TaylorMade is one of the most sought after equipment brands out there.

You will be fine with a cheaper option from a competitor, but if you like having the best in class then this is one of the finest drivers you can own. It works perfectly well for Tiger and Rory.

In the US, it retails at $579 for the Stealth and Stealth HD, $600 for the Stealth Plus.

In the UK you are looking at the £470 mark for the Stealth and Stealth HD, while the Stealth Plus comes in at around £500.

The price difference owes to the sliding weight rack.

Comparison

Comparing clubs is always somewhat of a treacherous business. Sure, if you are really into the details there are outlets that have run tests where they take drivers across the board and have compiled data that ranks drivers by ball speed, launch angle, height and carry.

But how does this help? Do I just select the club that has the best test results?

The short answer is no.

Test results are a great indication, but it should not be forgotten that often it is just one golfer hitting these clubs. It might be a controlled environment, but we all know that sometimes you just hit good and bad shots. Sometimes it’s up to the club, sometimes it’s you. This is very hard to quantify.

Even if you increase the sample size with more golfers and shots, there are still so many mitigating factors.

Oftentimes, the results often yield similar results with incremental differences. This makes sense, as these equipment manufacturers are in the hands of professionals competing for major championships. If one brand of clubs gave you that much of an advantage, all the tour players would use them

So how can we compare TaylorMade Stealth drivers to their peers?

Ultimately, the best we can really do is generalize which types of clubs suit different brackets of golfers.

Starting with the essentials, hopefully the below table gives you a hard and fast breakdown of the key features of some of the main competition.

As you can see, from a specification perspective, these clubs are all very similar. This makes sense. The USGA has specific regulations and limits that manufacturers must follow.

Perhaps more helpfully, we have listed below what we believe is the best option for each bracket of golfer.

Best Overall: TaylorMade Stealth Driver

Best for Beginners: TaylorMade Stealth HD

The Best for Intermediates: Ping G425 Max

Best for Advanced: Callaway Rogue ST MAX

Best Budget Option: PXG 0311 Gen 5

I hope you found our TaylorMade Stealth Driver review useful!