Gear: TaylorMade Stealth 2, Stealth 2 Plus, Stealth 2 HD rescue clubs
Price: $279 (Stealth 2, Stealth 2 HD) with Fujikura Ventus TR Red shafts or Fujikura Speeder NX Red shaft and Golf Pride Z-Grip grips. $299 (Stealth 2 Plus) with Mitsubishi Kai’li Red shaft.
Specs: Carbon fiber crown with variable-thickness face and stainless steel design for the Stealth 2 and Stealth 2 HD; Carbon fiber crown with titanium body and face, and adjustable hosel for the Stealth 2 Plus. Lofts: 19, 22, 25, 28, 31 degrees for Stealth 2; 20, 23, 27, 31 degrees for Stealth 2 HD; 17, 19.5, 22 degrees for Stealth 2 Plus.
Available: Feb. 17
Who They’re For: Golfers who want more distance and height than with long irons.
The Skinny: With three different shapes and sizes, the Stealth 2 rescue clubs were designed to create different shot shapes and offer different levels of shot-shaping ability for golfers who want a long-iron replacement option.
The Deep Dive: When it comes to long-iron replacements, golfers have been split by manufacturers into two groups: players who want a compact, iron-like hybrid and golfers who prefer a miniature fairway wood. With the release of the Stealth 2 rescue clubs, TaylorMade has those options covered and is adding a third option that maximizes forgiveness.
What they have in common
All the Stealth 2 rescue clubs were designed with a new, extended top that TaylorMade refers to as an Infinity Carbon Fiber Crown. It is larger and wraps over the back edge, reducing weight in the top of the club and helping lower the center of gravity.
All the Stealth 2 rescue clubs also were designed with an updated variable-thickness stainless steel face that features TaylorMade’s Inverted Cone technology. The faces feature an extremely thin center area surrounded by a thicker area that gradually becomes thin again toward the perimeter to broaden the sweet spot and protect ball speed on off-center hits.
The hitting area was designed with Twist Face, a shot-shaping technology that first appeared in TaylorMade’s M3 and M4 drivers.
All three Stealth 2 rescue clubs also have an internal weight pad in the back of the sole that helps pull the center of gravity down and back, away from the hitting area, to boost the moment of inertia and stability.
All three clubs have a Speed Pocket slot in the sole behind the leading edge that allows the face to flex more efficiently on low, thin-struck shots.
Stealth 2 Plus
The Stealth 2 Plus was designed to appeal to accomplished golfers who might prefer using irons but want slightly more ball speed, height and forgiveness than long irons can offer. It is the most compact of the three Stealth 2 rescues and has a high, square-toe shape.
The Stealth 2 Plus is the only of the three models with an adjustable hosel to allow players and fitters to increase or decrease the loft by as many as 2 degrees.
This club creates the lowest ball flight and spin rates.
Stealth 2
The standard Stealth 2 rescue has a slightly larger, more rounded shape than the Stealth 2 Plus. While it lacks an adjustable hosel, it is offered in five lofts. The Stealth 2 produces a mid-launch shot with slightly more spin than the Stealth 2 Plus, and its larger shape helps make it more forgiving.
Stealth 2 HD
The new Stealth 2 HD has a very low-profile shape and is the largest of these rescue clubs from front to back. Its size and shape help make it the most forgiving of the three TaylorMade offerings, as well as the most stable. The Stealth 2 HD creates the highest-flying shots and the most spin, so it should appeal to players who struggle to hit long irons high enough to land softly on greens.
