50 Words or Less
The TaylorMade Stealth Plus fairway wood keeps TM as the gold standard in maximizing distance. It is loaded with technology that keeps ball speed high on off-centered strikes and offers adjustability to dial in flight and shape.
Check out the highly adjustable TaylorMade Stealth 2 Plus Fairway Wood HERE
Introduction
As our Editor-In-Chief has shared, TaylorMade’s Stealth drivers (reviews HERE) are arguably the most interesting equipment story of the year. It may disappoint some to hear that the fairway wood doesn’t share that same carbon-face technology, but I am happy to report that the Stealth Plus fairway wood is far from lacking in any category.
Looks
Like the standard TaylorMade Stealth, the Plus model is sleek and dark. It is noticeably smaller in profile at just 175cc compared to standard Stealth at 190cc. Gone are the days with the white top lines: the Plus has a two-tone black look at address position. The first thing you’ll notice is a glossy thin line at the front of the club, followed by the rest of the matte black crown.
The bottom of the club features what is the most visible piece of tech on the club, the V Steel sole. Shiny and chromed out, it is impossible to ignore, and it’s a piece that has form and function, serving to aid in both launch and turf interaction.
Sound & Feel
In a word, this club feels punchy. My initial description of the Stealth Plus is a little rocket ship. Off of well-struck shots, it provides a prominent and extremely satisfying “thwack.” While similar in feel and sound to the standard Stealth model, that powerful feeling is lost on mis-strikes that sound higher-pitched than expected.
While I felt some mishits, I found that the Twist Face wasn’t too punishing. It offered an improved feel when I didn’t hit the ball perfectly.
Performance
The Stealth Plus is aptly named because it definitely added ball speed compared to other fairway wood heads that I’ve tried as of late, including the standard Stealth [review HERE]. It is extremely hot off of the face, perhaps due to the titanium face vs. the steel-faced Stealth. The one place that the Stealth Plus is actually a “minus” is in terms of spin. It helped create low, penetrating shots.
Consistently, this fairway wood was giving me lower spin numbers than any of the other fairway wood heads on the market. To get similar numbers in spin, carry, and total, I had to play lower-lofted clubs from other manufacturers.
Those ball speed gains lead to gains in total yards compared to my gamer. With such great ball speed, it makes sense why it’s only available in a low-lofted 3 wood, a standard 3 wood, and a 5 wood model.
While initially I found a predominant left miss, thanks to the adjustable hosel I was able to lower the loft a bit and open the club face. This produced straighter shots. With those straight shots and ball speed gains, I feel more confident than ever to go for long par 5’s in two. I also have the peace of mind to leave the driver in the bag knowing I basically have a mini-driver in the Stealth Plus FW.
Conclusion
For years I used a TaylorMade Burner 3 wood. Just last season, I switched to a Sim2 Ti. However, after this review, I’d be silly not to switch to the Stealth Plus fairway wood. It’s my new gamer. While it’s not the ultimate in forgiveness, it did give me the most distance, which is exactly what I am looking for. I would strongly suggest you try this club out for yourself. Whether you feel you need an upgrade to your woods or not, it may just surprise you.
Visit TaylorMade Golf HERE
TaylorMade Stealth Plus Fairway Wood Price & Specs
Drew Koch
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Would you consider doing a head to head comparison test of the Taylormade Stealth Plus and the Tour Edge C722? Looks like very similar launch, spin and ball speed numbers as reported in the two articles.
Jordan,
It’s very unlikely. Those kind of head-to-head comparisons tend to cut against our message that golfers need to be fit for their individual swing.
Best,
Matt
I always enjoy the reviews, thank you.
My philosophy on fitting is simple, unless you have a sound swing, fitting is a waste of time. Take that money and invest in good lessons, then you can take full advantage of a fitting experience.
And how do we define “sound swing”?
https://pluggedingolf.com/do-new-golfers-need-fitted-golf-clubs/
Thanks so much for reading and for your comment Héctor! We appreciate hearing from you.
I will respectfully disagree though. From my experience as a fitter, I will say that fitted golf clubs can absolutely make a huge improvement to your game whether you’ve got a precise repeatable swing… or are just basically just starting out.
Not sure of the sample size, but regular stealth seems to have better LM numbers?
Hey Ryan!
“Better” is about perspective. I think for many people, consistency and forgiveness would mean the Stealth may look better. For me though, I was chasing the best ball speed at the time. Comparing what was capable from one to the other, I took the bigger risk for a bigger reward by opting for Stealth Plus in my bag. — You’re right though. Looking back at this, the numbers are pretty ideal for normal Stealth. Arguably worth the ball speed drop.
Matt, great review. I also play the Sim2 TI and haven’t felt I have found a 3 wood that competes with it. What are you seeing in the stealth that your Sim2 TI isn’t giving you? Curious if I should entertain trying the stealth plus TI
Hey There Skylar,
It was actually me who wrote this review! Hi, I’m Drew – the newest Plugged In Golf writer. For me, Stealth Plus is incredibly similar to the Sim2 Ti. The defining difference is ball speed. Every mile-per-hour gain of ball speed (if everything else remains equal) equates to 2 extra yards in carry. So, simply put, if everything remains the same, but there is a gain in ball speed, then to me, it becomes worth the switch! Thanks for your comment! Hopefully, you’ve given Stealth Plus a try by now. How did it perform for you?