Not for the first time, TaylorMade are referring to one of their golf clubs as a ‘cheat code’ and this time its the Stealth 2 hybrid.
It promises forgiveness, playability, optimised speed, and exceptional turf interaction for golfers at the longer end of the bag so could the Stealth 2 be the answer for those reachable par 5s and tight par 4s? Let’s find out!
Who Is It Aimed At?
The Stealth 2 hybrid is for the golfer looking for a long iron alternative, with a strong, powerful appearance whilst having a soft and forgiving strike.
Referred to by TaylorMade as a ‘cheat code’, this club is aimed at anyone wanting a little help in terms of accuracy, speed, and consistency at the longer end of the bag. So, that’s just about all of us... right?!
The Tech
Compared to the original Stealth Rescue, TaylorMade has lowered the CG position while increasing MOI through a mass pad at the back of the club. This looks to deliver optimal launch alongside forgiveness and playability for the golfer.
TaylorMade has also taken the classic Inverted Cone Technology we’ve seen around for years and tweaked it for optimal performance. Each face has been designed individually which, combined with the TaylorMade Speed Pocket, looks to deliver maximum ball speeds even with slightly off-centre strikes.
For turf interaction and versatility, TaylorMade has kept the classic V Steel Sole design we’ve seen in previous models for exceptional feel through impact.
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TaylorMade Stealth 2 Rescue Hybrid Review
Looks
The TaylorMade Stealth 2 hybrid continues what's become the classic Stealth colour scheme of red, black, and small amounts of white. Overall, I thought the design of the hybrid worked well, with the red details giving a sense of power and speed, which is something I like in the longer end of the bag - it gave me confidence in the playing position.
You only see the colours on the sole of the club however, then when having the club at address it’s very plain with only the small white TaylorMade logo acting as an alignment aid at the centre of the clubface.
In comparison to some of the other hybrids we have tested this year, such as the Ping G430 and Callaway Paradym, the Stealth 2 was much cleaner and simpler in my opinion, it wasn't at all off-putting when stood over the ball.
Behind the ball the Stealth 2 sits nice and square which really helps to inspire confidence over the shot. Personally, the detailing, size and shape of the Stealth 2 was just right for my eye.
Feel
With the addition of the speed pocket in the Stealth 2 hybrid, you’d maybe be expecting a very fast and firm feel at impact. In reality, I wasn’t getting this at all! I actually found the feel off the face was soft, while still resulting in a very powerful ball flight with some impressive speeds and distances.
Since we tested the Stealth 2 alongside a few other hybrids, it was easy to notice this club allowed for a good amount of forgiveness too. In the rankings, the Stealth 2 came in 2nd to the Ping G430 – a club that we’d all expect to have the most forgiveness, as with most Ping products.
I’d say both hybrids were about comparable in terms of feel and forgiveness, with the G430 taking the top spot from the Foresight data showing it had slightly less side spin and overall dispersion than the Stealth 2. Therefore it will be down to you in terms of what you're looking for with distance and forgiveness.
Performance
When testing out the Stealth 2 hybrids, we were putting it head-to-head against a few other hybrids, all of which were slightly lower lofts. For example, the G430 and Titleist TSR3 were both at 19 degrees compared to the TaylorMade Stealth 2 at 22 degrees. What was really impressive when we tested these clubs indoors at HUKD Bury was that the Stealth 2 got almost the same total distance and even further carry than the TRS3, this however was probably down to the lack of forgiveness I got from the TSR3.
The Stealth 2 also had the highest ball speeds out of all the hybrids we tested – proving that the speed pocket and inverted cone technology may well have just been doing the job!
I could also see from the Foresight data that the left-to-right dispersion with the Stealth 2 hybrid was strong in comparison to the other hybrids. The majority of my shots all came in with a very similar left-to-right side spin, which did mean I was hitting a different shot shape to my usual draw. However, given how consistent and reliable the shot I was getting from the Stealth 2 was, I was more than happy with it despite the new left to right shape.
As well as the strong left-to-right dispersion, all shots with the Stealth 2 hybrid were within 7-yards of each other in terms of distance front-to-back (well, removing one particularly bad shot that no amount of forgiveness could have saved… happens to us all!). For me this really ticked the box in terms of accuracy for both distance and direction, which is exactly what I’m looking for in a hybrid as I use them to hit in to a lot of greens.
TaylorMade Stealth 2 Rescue Hybrid Verdict
The distances and speed seen with the Stealth 2 was really impressive for a 22-degree hybrid. What was more impressive to me was the consistency and forgiveness seen through both the left-to-right and distance dispersions. For someone who doesn’t like using longer irons, the TaylorMade Stealth 2 is a great replacement option without sacrificing accuracy and feel.
Coming in at an RRP of £239, this was the lowest priced hybrid out of the four we tested, and so I’d put the Stealth 2 at pretty high value for money also given how well it performed in each category for me.
The only thing to consider is that there isn’t any element of adjustability with this club, which is something we tend to see in most hybrids and woods in the market today. This justifies the price decrease against its main competitors but could be a determining factor if having that loft or lie adjustability is a key feature for you.
Would I Use It?
Based on the Stealth 2 ranking so high in all categories and happening to be the exact distance to gap my longest iron and 5 wood, this hybrid has in fact gone into the bag! After using it for multiple rounds I can confirm the forgiveness and accuracy has proved itself further out on the course and has made this club the ideal option for shorter par 5s and tighter par 4s.
TaylorMade Stealth 2 Rescue Hybrid Pros & Cons
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