TaylorMade Stealth 2, Stealth 2 Plus and Stealth 2 HD Fairway Woods Review

Replacing the most popular fairway woods on tour sees TaylorMade deliver subtle but important tweaks that may make the Stealth 2 the best fairway woods in the world.

TaylorMade have produced some of the best fairway woods since the brand introduced the Rocketballz back in 2012.

Back then, Speed Pocket technology was new and different in fairway woods. Adams might have originally invented the idea, but after buying Adams, it was TaylorMade who introduced the benefits of that technology to the golfing masses. A speed pocket allows the lower face to flex, which improves ball speed. TaylorMade claimed it added up to 17 yards to fairway wood shots.

Things have come a long way since, and the original TaylorMade Stealth fairway woods were amongst the best fairway woods available. They were also incredibly popular on tour, being used by the likes of Rory McIlroy, Collin Morikawa, Tiger Woods, as well as many players not contracted to use TaylorMade equipment. In fact, fairway woods is the category where TaylorMade see their highest tour usage.

Before developing the Stealth 2 fairway woods, TaylorMade sought input from their tour stars. The response was a resounding: “don’t screw up what you’ve already got, it’s just as we like it”.

Building on the success, performance and popularity of the previous model, the TaylorMade Stealth 2 fairway woods come in three models, just like the three Stealth 2 drivers.

The Stealth 2 Plus features a new titanium chassis which provides lots of adjustability. The Stealth 2 is more forgiving than ever before. And the Stealth 2 HD is easier to launch, with the ‘HD’ standing for “high draw”, a dream for golfers who struggle to get fairway woods into the air and/or battle a slice.

TaylorMade Stealth 2 Fairway Woods: How the models differ

TaylorMade Stealth 2 Plus Fairway Wood

RRP: £379 / $449.99 | VIEW UK OFFER | VIEW US OFFER

Lofts: 3W – 15° / 5W – 18°

Stock shaft: Mitsubishi Kai’li Red

Head size: 3W – 170cc / 5W – 150cc

Adjustable hosel: Yes +/- 2°

TaylorMade have made titanium fairway woods since the M5 in 2019, yet the company say they still see a 50/50 split between them and steel chassis models out on tour.

Titanium is 45% lighter than steel, which in a compact fairway wood (just like a driver) frees up weight to better influence launch, spin and forgiveness. If you want the most efficient fairways, titanium is the way to go, so long as the model is designed to complement your ability, but prices are expensive.

Thanks to a 50g sliding sole weight, TaylorMade say the Stealth 2 Plus can be three different fairway woods within a single head. With weight forward and closest to the face, the 15° Stealth Plus effectively becomes a Rocket 3 setting, which produces the fastest ball speeds and lowest levels of spin (expect 200 RPM less spin). With the weight positioned at the back, golfers can expect a 3 HL (16.5° loft) set-up with 10% more MOI and a 550 RPM spin difference from the low spin set-up), while a mid-weight position makes the club an excellent all-rounder.

TaylorMade say while the 50g sliding weight isn’t quite the brand’s largest ever (the M5 had a moveable 80g sole weight), the new set-up affects spin more than the previous Stealth Plus fairway wood.   

Following feedback from a Team TaylorMade marketing shoot in November 2022, TaylorMade expect the Plus to be a very popular choice out on tour. In part the decision will come down to the model’s adjustability, which lets players dial in the exact ball flight they’re after.

So where TaylorMade say Tommy Fleetwood has the loft dialed down (it can be switched from 13° – 17°), in the same set-up Collin Morikawa’s shots went too far, as shots span 250 RPM less than his gamer. Consequently, Morikawa dialed up loft to get more spin, to enable him to cover off the distance gaps usually expected from his 3-wood.  

TaylorMade Stealth 2 Fairway Wood

RRP: £299 / $349.99 | VIEW UK OFFER | VIEW US OFFER

Lofts: 3W – 15° / 3W HL – 16.5° / 5W – 18° / 7W – 21° / 9W – 24°

Stock shaft: Fujikura Ventus Red TR

Head size: 3W + 3W HL – 185cc / 5W + 7W– 170cc / 9W – 155cc

Adjustable hosel: No

TaylorMade say very low CG fairway woods are difficult to create but the new Stealth 2 and Stealth HD take the idea further than the brand previously thought possible.

Thanks to lowering the center of gravity inside the Stealth 2 head, the high CT area is more aligned with where golfers impact shots when hitting from the turf. The idea is simple but it means shots are easier to flight, with additional speed. TaylorMade have achieved it by reducing face and crown height by 2mm and positioning sizeable internal mass towards the rear of the head.

The Stealth 2 fairway woods are an excellent fit for most reasonable speed club golfers.

TaylorMade like to refer to them as their cheat code, so long as you don’t find launching modern fairways from the deck a challenge, they’ll be one of the longest and most forgiving fairway woods available in 2023.    

TaylorMade Stealth 2 HD Fairway Wood

RRP: £299 / $349.99 | VIEW UK OFFER | VIEW US OFFER

Lofts: 3W – 16° / 5W – 19° / 7W – 22°

Stock shaft: Fujikura Speeder NX Red

Head size: 3W – 200cc / 5W – 185cc / 7W – 170cc

Adjustable hosel: No

Thanks to its new low profile and stretched head shape the Stealth 2 HD has the highest MOI of any fairway wood TaylorMade have ever produced. They say the model is 4mm wider from face to back and the crown is 2mm lower which, when combined with 27% more back weight than the previous model, makes the HD a super playable fairway wood irrespective of swing speed.

HD stands for High Draw, which means the model is draw-biased, but TaylorMade reckon, thanks to flighting shots with a steeper landing angle and more stopping power, it’s highly likely the HD’s turf-hugging shape will find its way into the hands of more decent players than previous HD models.

If your swing speed is below average with a driver (that’s 93mph) the HD is likely to make a brilliant fairway wood option.

TaylorMade Stealth 2 fairway woods: The tech

It’s really easy to just focus on the story behind new products but it’s worth remembering TaylorMade fairway woods are built on a suite of proven game-enhancing technologies. No matter which Stealth 2 fairway wood you own you’re buying into these key technologies.

V-Steel Sole

It’s much less pronounced than the original V-Steel fairway woods but careful sole shaping ensures turf interaction doesn’t result in lost speed, whilst ensuring maximum versatility.   

Thru-Slot Speed Pocket

Low-face impacts used to cost golfers ball speed. Today Thru-Slot Speed Pockets allow the face to flex and preserve whatever speed you can muster, a feature that can be particularly useful when making crucial carries over hazards.   

Advanced laser Alignment

It’s just a laser-etched line along the top of the face but the idea provides visual contrast to help directional aim.   

3D carbon fiber crown

Carbon crowns are great for removing inefficient weight high up in a head, they’re also great for muting and tuning sound to the levels that golfers like to hear.   

Inverted Cone Tech with TwistFace

A cone-type shape on the back of each fairway wood face helps position the sweetspot, and ensures the highest portion of each face is at the hottest possible level. By gently changing the roll and bulge radius of each head TwistFace ups consistency on shots hit across the face. 

TaylorMade Stealth 2 Fairway Woods: What the brand say

“We anticipate the forward setting being popular on Tour, particularly among players like Collin Morikawa who have historically used our 13.5° Rocket 3-wood for increased distance and a low spin/low launch,” says Tomo Bystedt, TaylorMade’s Senior Director of Product Creation.

“The versatility of Stealth 2 Plus will allow for this type of “rocket” setting but ultimately its versatility is its greatest appeal. Adjusting the movable weight creates noticeable performance differences in terms of launch, spin and distance, allowing golfers to dial in the preferred flight characteristics that their game, course and conditions require.”

“Advanced ICT takes a proven TaylorMade concept and pushes it to the next level,” adds Matt Johnson, Principal Engineer, Advanced Design.

“We’ve now optimized variable face thickness for each individual club, so that every face on a Stealth 2fairway or Rescue has been specifically engineered for that club. This design feat is a testament to our team’s relentless drive to improve on every aspect of our products year after year.”

READ NEXT

– Everything you need to know about the TaylorMade Stealth 2 Rescue Hybrids
– TaylorMade Stealth HD iron reviewed

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TaylorMade Stealth 2 Plus Fairway Wood

RRP: £379 / $449.99 | VIEW UK OFFER | VIEW US OFFER

Lofts: 3W - 15° / 5W - 18°

Stock shaft: Mitsubishi Kai’li Red

Head size: 3W - 170cc / 5W – 150cc

Adjustable hosel: Yes +/- 2°

TaylorMade Stealth 2 Fairway Wood

RRP: £299 / $349.99 | VIEW UK OFFER | VIEW US OFFER

Lofts: 3W - 15° / 3W HL - 16.5° / 5W - 18° / 7W - 21° / 9W - 24°

Stock shaft: Fujikura Ventus Red TR

Head size: 3W + 3W HL - 185cc / 5W + 7W– 170cc / 9W - 155cc

Adjustable hosel: No

TaylorMade Stealth 2 HD Fairway Wood

RRP: £299 / $349.99 | VIEW UK OFFER | VIEW US OFFER

Lofts: 3W - 16° / 5W - 19° / 7W - 22°

Stock shaft: Fujikura Speeder NX Red

Head size: 3W - 200cc / 5W – 185cc / 7W – 170cc

Adjustable hosel: No