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The TaylorMade Stealth 2 Plus Rescue is a true player’s hybrid. Designed to be powerful and produce piercing ball flights that can be shaped. This is a long iron replacement that can be tweaked with an adjustable hosel as well.
Introduction
In the last few years, it seems like hybrids have been falling out of style – especially with better players. The driving iron is the traditionalist’s favorite, and more people are experimenting with 5 and even 7 woods. However, the TaylorMade Stealth 2 Plus Rescue is a weapon of a hybrid specifically designed for better players. For years, TaylorMade has used the term “Rescue” instead of hybrid because they are easier to hit than long irons. While that’s true, in my experience, this is not a club that saves the day like Superman. It’s more complicated than that.
Looks
The Stealth 2 Plus Rescue is a compact and lethal-looking modern hybrid. The color scheme is simple and traditional: black, with only a touch of red accents on the sole. One of the thinner-looking hybrid clubheads this year, it’s reminiscent of an inky teardrop that gets larger at the toe. It’s undoubtedly a design that true players will drool for, just like its predecessor [review HERE].
With no alignment line or dot, it makes for a sleek look with a thin matte top line and a slightly glossy black crown. At address, it looks a bit like you’re laying a goth Easter egg next to your ball, in the best possible way.
Even the headcover is striking. I’d go as far as to say that it’s my favorite headcover of any of the major manufacturers this year. It features a red stripe with the carbon-wood face design of the newest TaylorMade drivers that is bordered by stripes of black and white on either side. Not only does it look good, but it feels premium on the inside and outside of the cover.
Feel & Sound
For being a club that goes a long way, the TaylorMade Stealth 2 Plus Rescue is soft. It speaks to the forged nature of the Twist Face. While the feel isn’t springy, it does feel punchy. The V-steel sole makes for easy turf interaction, adding to the already smooth feel of well-struck shots. With that said, I did find thin strikes to feel significantly worse. The feeling is quite firm, as though you mishit a blade iron.
Off the face, this club tended to produce a “thwock” type sound. That sound from the impact was higher-pitched to start, but then pleasantly lowered and doesn’t linger.
Performance
This club is being heavily marketed as one that’s built for shot-shaping, and I can attest that it is very workable. Not only was I able to hit both draws and fades, I was able to hit stingers and towering shots that landed softly too. Out of the rough, it felt noticeably easier to use than my current 5-wood. That makes sense: the smaller footprint is easier to move through the turf.
The inverted cone technology was updated for this model, maximizing ball speeds around the club face. While I wouldn’t describe this as the most forgiving hybrid I’ve hit, it did make me more accurate, shrinking my dispersion compared to my gamer 3-hybrid. I also found it to be extremely powerful. Even with the same swing speeds, it had a lower launch angle and higher ball speeds while adding just a bit of spin.
Despite being easier to hit from less-than-ideal lies, it never felt like a “rescue” club. While TaylorMade’s other hybrid models do feel like they can bail you out of a sinking ship situation, the Stealth 2 Plus model is not a club that can rescue you. Instead of a “break glass in case of emergency” style of tool, it feels like a partner that you need to work with to plan and execute a clever escape.
Part of that planning comes in the form of the adjustability and customization that the TaylorMade Stealth 2 Plus Rescue offers. Unlike the Stealth 2 [review HERE] and Stealth 2 HD [review HERE] which have bonded hosels, the Plus model has a loft sleeve. Turning that sleeve can add or subtract a full degree and a half of loft. Depending on what your specific needs are, that loft can help skew the club to do one job over another. Some may want to throw the loft down for lower spin and more distance and to have it play more like a driving iron. Others may prefer to have it higher lofted for added spin and better height and land angle.
Conclusion
The TaylorMade Stealth 2 Plus Rescue is a stellar hybrid. It’s a versatile tool for better golfers who want to hit more than just one stock shot. Beyond looking good, it produces great numbers on Trackman and solid results on the course.
Visit TaylorMade Golf HERE
Drew Koch
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Nice review. I’ve been thinking about replacing my titleist 818 h2 21 degree hybrid but haven’t found anything that I’ve been comfortable with. I’ve also been thinking about going back to an iron-like 4 iron but the ease of use of a hybrid in that position in my bag is hard to beat. I’m a Taylormade fan (currently game SIM 2 driver)and I’ve looked at the stealth plus hybrid in the pro shop but the twist face looks weird on a hybrid. Kind of distracting actually. It also looks kind of weird on a fairway wood but definitely more pronounced on a hybrid. Your review was good but ignored this elephant in the room. I’m surprised there was a whole paragraph about the headcover but no mention of how the face looks at address. It’s still a nice looking club but I feel that alignment of a face that looks like this would be difficult
Why does the glossy crown look like someone used electrical or duct tape on it? That looks horrible?
Good review on hybrid
How can I order a lefthanded Stealth plus rescue wood?
Will,
Contact a TaylorMade retailer such as Club Champion.
Best,
Matt