TaylorMade
Stealth Plus/Stealth
Our Review:
WHAT IT DOES: If hybrids are some kind of mix of fairway wood and iron, consider the Stealth Plus to be sprinkled with iron-like aura, and the Stealth working as a fairway wood’s spirit animal. The Stealth Plus is a traditional all-steel, compact construction built for speed, workability and a flatter flight. The larger Stealth features a carbon-composite crown to relocate seven grams to the rear perimeter. This boosts the moment of inertia (stability on off-center hits) 15 percent higher than TaylorMade’s Sim Max hybrid. Both models benefit from the company’s famous slot in the sole. It helps the face deflect more at impact, especially for shots hit lower on the face.
WHY WE LIKE IT: Some hybrids are merely stripped down drivers or fairway woods, which can compromise the ground game hybrids have to play. Sure, the Stealth and Stealth Plus+ have the look of TaylorMade’s other woods, but they are all their own. The emphasis on forgiveness throughout the line is important because when a hybrid is called, dirty work is to be done. The V-shaped sole on both models contributes to this mission, keeping weight low and using heel and toe relief to allow these hybrids to power through any lie.
WHICH ONE'S FOR ME?
Stealth: The larger Stealth features a carbon-composite crown to relocate seven grams to the rear perimeter. This boosts the moment of inertia (stability on off-center hits) 15 percent higher than TaylorMade’s Sim Max hybrid. It features a more rounded, fairway-wood-like face, slightly more upright lie angles and a loft ranges that extends to 31 degrees (bonded hosel), including four lighter swingweight women's options.
Stealth Plus: This is a traditional all-steel, compact construction built for speed, workability and a flatter flight. The iron-like look address includes a more squared-off toe shape. Players can tweak lie and loft by plus/minus 1.5 degrees through the adjustable hosel.
Ratings
* Percentage of total score
Player Comments
Low-Handicapper
"It plays like a super forgiving long iron. Like it would merge into a set easily. I got especially good performance out of bare lies. A lot of balance even through unstable ground."
Mid-Handicapper
"Love the top and way smaller head on the Plus. A players hybrid. It didn't matter where on the face there was no excessive feedback in the hands. Good strikes were so good feeling with a low flight and not a ton of spin and exceptional distance."
High-Handicapper
“Everything just comes hot off the face. Maybe a higher flight than what I expected, but I didn’t lose any distance. That means a soft landing on the green. I’ll take that.”
Club Specs
Lofts
17, 19.5, 22 (Stealth Plus, adjustable); 19, 22, 25, 28, 31 (Stealth)
From the Manufacturer
Description
The Stealth Plus Rescue is a shot makers dream. A high-toe profile and compact overall footprint make it easier to control trajectory and shot shape, while maintaining added forgiveness. The ultra-strong C300 Steel face delivers powerful ball speed and is paired with Twist Face®, the corrective face curvature designed to give everyone straighter shots on mis-hits. Built from carbon DNA, the Stealth™ Rescue combines Tour-validated designs with a new carbon crown construction to elevate performance for golfers of all skills. Powered by a redesigned V Steel™ sole with precision weighting, this hybrid is engineered for high launch and forgiveness.
Surviving the Hot List Presented by Rapsodo
For the first time in the 19-year history of the Hot List, we invited a documentary-film crew to the 2022 testing summit to document the process, the people and the drama behind the most coveted assignment in golf.