TAYLORMADE GOLF COMPANY ANNOUNCES CARBON FACE STEALTH™ FAMILY OF DRIVERS

CARLSBAD, Calif. (January 4, 2022) – TaylorMade Golf Company builds on its history of groundbreaking innovation with the introduction of the Stealth™ Plus, Stealth and Stealth HD Carbonwood™ Drivers.

Titanium has been the cornerstone of driver technology for the last 20 years, but even at the beginning of the Titanium driver era, TaylorMade engineers knew that every material had its limit. The future of driver performance begins with the one-of-one 60X Carbon Twist Face – comprised of 60 layers of carbon sheets strategically arranged to optimize energy transfer.

Over two decades of research and development, TaylorMade pushed the boundaries and now created a new era of driver technology with 60X Carbon Twist Face drivers. Welcome to the Carbonwood age.

WHY CARBON?

The goal of any new technology is to create a measurable performance improvement for TaylorMade customers. The 60 layers of carbon fiber in Stealth help do exactly that by providing more speed. The red carbon face – yes, the face is red – delivers a higher COR and more precise face geometry through a lighter, but larger face.

TaylorMade engineers took advantage of the lightweight carbon material by creating a 26g face, which is 40 percent lighter than a titanium face of equivalent size. Because of that weight savings, the face size of Stealth is 11 percent larger than SIM2 and SIM2 Max drivers and nearly 20 percent larger than the 2020 SIM driver.

The weight savings and larger face size made possible by the 60X Carbon Twist Face delivered a stunning ball speed increase during player testing when comparing Stealth Plus and Stealth to the 2021 SIM2 and SIM2 Max drivers at better player swing speeds, unlocking a whole new level of driver performance.

NANOTEXTURE FACE TECHNOLOGY

TaylorMade’s 20-year journey to change the face of golf was made possible by an innovative nanotexture cover that sits on top of the 60 layers of carbon. The nanotexture cover is made from a thin polyurethane layer that creates a strong and flexible striking surface which serves to optimize distance based on improving launch conditions in both dry and wet conditions.

This revolutionary technology creates the face texture needed to produce the ideal amount of friction between the face and the ball at impact to reduce spin at impact in dry conditions.  The nanotexture face also features full-face scorelines designed to provide improved spin performance in wet conditions.

The combination of the nanotexture cover, Twist Face® and TaylorMade’s ultra-flexible ThruSlot Speed Pocket™ was engineered to produce forgiveness on strikes across the face.

SHAPED FOR SPEED

Despite a larger face, clubhead speed does not decline with Stealth. The asymmetric Inertia Generator creates advanced aerodynamics at the most critical phase of the swing – from the downswing to the moment right before impact.

This breakthrough design optimizes clubhead speed, while also allowing additional weight to be placed at the rear of the club to encourage higher MOI, high launch and improved forgiveness.

HOW DOES IT SOUND?

Based on experience with older carbon headed clubs in the marketplace, it might expect the Stealth family of drivers to suffer from a muted and low-energy sound profile. However, through fine-tuned acoustic precision, engineers have been able to create a bright and powerful sound and feel profile that is true to the high standards of TaylorMade drivers through recent years.

The sound and feel of Stealth has had an even better average sentiment rating in player testing compared to SIM2 and Tour player feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.

THE 20-YEAR JOURNEY

TaylorMade’s engineering and research and development teams began exploring carbon faces in 2000, with the first prototype created in 2003 featuring a titanium cover. Six years later, research into a polymer cover began in hopes to improve launch conditions. Then in 2012, a small-scale composite face production facility was built to support the 2013 launch of the limited-edition Japan-only Gloire Reserve driver. It served as a sign of readiness for this design platform and the progress of TaylorMade engineering.

In 2016, new manufacturing techniques led to the first development of a 60-layer carbon face.  Work on these new Stealth models began in earnest in 2018, some 18 years after the process began.  In 2019, a state-of-the-art plant was commissioned and completed in 2021 to set the gold standard for high-volume production of composite parts. Every part of the process has been streamlined to reduce waste and increase efficiency. Simultaneously, additional facilities were constructed to bond the fully finished faces into castings.

We arrive at today, 20 years later. TaylorMade ushers in the Carbonwood age.

PERFORMANCE COMPARISON OF STEALTH PLUS, STEALTH AND STEALTH HD

STEALTH PLUS

Because of weight savings from the 60X Carbon Twist Face, engineers were able to incorporate the use of a 10g sliding weight track designed to help golfers control shot shape by shifting mass on the sole to create desired ball flight. Stealth Plus is designed to be the lowest spinning driver in the family.

STEALTH

Stealth benefits from the weight savings of the 60x Carbon Twist Face by more weight to be positioned low and deep in the head. This adds 15% more MOI when compared to Stealth Plus and is designed to provide 200-300 rpms more spin.

STEALTH HD

Often, standard draw bias designs promote a right-to-left ball flight at the expense of forgiveness. By utilizing the weight savings from the 60X Carbon Twist Face and shifting the Inertia Generator closer to the heel, we’re able to maintain draw-bias while creating the highest MOI in the Stealth family of drivers. While providing additional drawbias, the Stealth HD will have similar back-spin performance to Stealth.

STEALTH WOMEN’S

The Stealth Women’s driver combines the technology of Stealth HD in a slightly lighter head weight and with a unique colorway and aesthetic. It maintains the high MOI head design for easy, high-launch with a touch of draw.

SPECIFICATIONS, AVAILABILITY & PRICING
Stealth Plus, Stealth and Stealth HD drivers will be available for preorder on January 4 and at retail on February 4, 2022.

Stealth Plus has an MSRP of $599.99 USD and will be offered in 8°, 9° and 10.5° lofts. Shaft offerings include Project X HZRDUS Smoke RDX Red 60 and Mitsubishi’s Kai’li White 60, with numerous custom shaft options available at no additional cost. They come stock with Lamkin’s Crossline Black/Red grip (50g).

Stealth and Stealth HD have an MSRP of $579.99 USD and will be offered in 9°, 10.5° and 12° lofts. Stealth shaft offerings include Fujikura Ventus Red 5 and Aldila Ascent Red 60, with numerous custom shaft options available at no additional cost. Stealth HD shaft offerings include Fujikura Air Speeder 45, with numerous custom shaft options available at no additional cost. Both models come stock with Lamkin’s Crossline Black/Red grip.

Women’s stock offerings include the Aldila Ascent Ladies 45 shaft and the Lamkin Ladies Sonar grip. With an elevated focus on customization and club fitting, women golfers can find a full array of components in the Custom Shop at TaylorMadeGolf.com, including lightweight shafts, grips and more. The custom process allows us to build the ideal club for any golfer – it’s not women’s equipment or men’s equipment, but the right equipment.

TAYLORMADE GOLF COMPANY INTRODUCES THE STEALTH™ FAMILY OF FAIRWAYS AND HYBRIDS

TaylorMade Golf, the industry leader in innovation and technology, today announces the allnew Stealth™ Plus and Stealth fairway woods. In addition, the company unveils its expanded hybrid offerings with the Tour-inspired Stealth Plus Rescue™ and Stealth Rescue.

Carbon is the prevalent design thread across the entire Stealth product line – from drivers to fairways and hybrids. That shared DNA makes this an unmistakable family, linked by the usage of advanced multi-material construction in pursuit of faster ball speeds, high MOI performance and precision playability.

The Stealth Plus fairway relies on the proven strength of ZATECH titanium, which is made in small batches using a unique process that allows engineers to improve the strength of the face and still maintain a high level of ductility. The ultra-thin construction promotes fast ball speeds and allows TaylorMade to push the limits of face flexibility. An all-new infinity edge carbon crown creates a 12% larger carbon surface area compared to the SIM2 Titanium fairways, which allows the redistribution of more weight lower in the
clubhead. Mass from the heavy 80g V Steel™ sole has been re-engineered for forgiveness while maintaining its core purpose of improving turf interaction and versatility.

The MOI on Stealth Plus is 12% higher than SIM2 Titanium and 18% higher than the original SIM titanium fairway. Overall, the design changes resulted in a club with the lowest CG ever in an adjustable TaylorMade fairway.

With a refined 175cc profile, the Stealth Plus fairway delivers the ideal blend of playability, shot making and distance. While the address area of Stealth Plus is only 2% larger than SIM2 to maintain versatility, the face area is 12% larger to provide improved performance on off-center hits.

In the Stealth model, the all-new 3D carbon crown allowed engineers to shift weight lower and deeper in the clubhead. With a larger profile compared to Stealth Plus (190cc vs. 175cc) and a refined V Steel sole, this fairway is the ultimate combination of distance and forgiveness. Stealth fairways feature C300 Twist Face®, which delivers top of the line 3-wood speed and the V Steel Sole promotes versatility and reduced turf drag.

In both models, the trusted color contrast crown that has been a TaylorMade staple for nearly a decade has been replaced by an advanced laser alignment aid that stretches across the top of the face. The laser-etched pattern delivers a subtle, yet powerful alignment tool. It was designed using optical engineering and player testing to deliver visual cues that influence alignment at address and how the club is delivered at impact. Furthermore, moving the alignment aid onto the face of the club allowed for a clean and minimalistic aesthetic on the crown.

Thru-Slot Speed Pocket™ provides increased face flexibility, preservation of ball speed and distance, especially on low-face strikes for both Stealth Plus and Stealth fairways. Stealth fairways also come with a women’s specific offering featuring a stand-alone bright silver PVD sole and a dark silver crown. The women’s Stealth fairways also feature modified specs in the form of lighter heads and higher lofts in some cases, all designed to promote better performance for slower clubheads speeds.

SPECIFICATIONS, AVAILABILITY & PRICING  

Stealth Plus and Stealth Fairways will be available for pre-order on January 4 and at retail on February 4, 2022.

Stealth Plus has an MSRP of $429.99 USD and will be offered in Rocket 3/13.5°, 3/15° and 5/19° lofts. It will be offered in the Project X HZRDUS Smoke RDX Red 70, with numerous additional shaft options available at no additional cost. It comes stock with the Lamkin’s Crossline Black/Red Grip (50g).

Stealth has an MSRP of $329.99 USD and will be offered in lofts of 3/15°, 3HL/16.5°, 5/18°, 7/21° and 9/24°. The stock shaft offering is Fujikura Ventus Red FW 5/6, with additional custom shaft options available at no additional cost. Stealth fairways come stock with Lamkin’s Crossline Black/Red Grip (50g).

Women’s offerings include the Aldila Ascent Ladies shaft and the Lamkin Ladies Sonar grip. Loft offerings include 3HL/16.5°, 5/19°, 7/21°, 9/24°.

STEALTH PLUS & STEALTH RESCUES – REFINED TOUR PERFORMANCE

Unprecedented Tour adoption over the last two seasons sparked an evolution among TaylorMade hybrids. Feedback from the world’s best players fueled the refinements made to both Stealth™ Plus Rescue and Stealth Rescue for 2022.

Stealth Plus is a shot maker’s dream. The iron-like high-toe profile and compact overall footprint make it easier to control trajectory and shot shape, while maintaining added forgiveness compared to long irons.

A redesigned V Steel™ sole positions weight low in the club to encourage optimal launch properties and enhance turf interaction. Stealth Plus also features an adjustable loft sleeve that provides +/- 1.5° loft adjustability to optimize trajectory.

The Stealth Rescue combines Tour-validated designs with a new carbon crown construction. In the world of golf equipment, engineers know the slightest weight shifts can significantly influence performance. The new carbon crown construction allows for the relocation of a massive 7 grams, transferring it lower in the head to better position CG for easy launch, optimal forgiveness, and better stability through impact. The V Steel sole positions weight low in the club to encourage high launch and enhanced turf interaction, making this club a weapon from any lie.

In both the Stealth Plus Rescue and Stealth Rescue, a high-strength C300 steel face delivers explosive ball speeds. The proven Twist Face® design helps golfers overcome inherent mis-hit tendencies for straighter shots. The hyper-flexible Speed Pocket™ design is engineered to maximize ball speeds and produce additional forgiveness on low-face strikes.

Stealth Rescue hybrids come with the same women’s offering featuring a stand-alone bright silver PVD sole and a dark silver crown, as well as lighter heads and higher lofts for maximized performance.

SPECIFICATIONS, AVAILABILITY & PRICING

Stealth Plus and Stealth Rescues will be available for preorder on January 4 and at retail on April 1, 2022, and February 4, 2022, respectively.

Stealth Plus has an MSRP of $299.99 USD and will be offered in lofts of 2/17°, 3/19.5° and 4/22°. It will be offered in the Project X HZRDUS Smoke RDX Red HY shaft, with numerous custom shaft options available at no additional cost. It comes stock with the Lamkin Crossline Black/Red Grip (50g).

Stealth Rescue has an MSRP of $279.99 USD and will be offered in lofts of 3/19°, 4/22°, 5/25°, 6/28° and 7/31°. It will be offered in the Fujikura Ventus Red shaft, with numerous custom shaft options available at no additional cost. It comes stock with the Lamkin’s Crossline Black/Red grip (48.5g).

Women’s Stealth Rescue offerings include the Aldila Ascent Ladies shaft and the Lamkin Ladies Sonar grip (38g). Loft offerings include 4/23°, 5/26°, 6/28° and 7/31°

TAYLORMADE GOLF COMPANY ANNOUNCES STEALTH™ IRONS WITH NEXT GENERATION CAP BACK™ DESIGN AND INNOVATIVE TOE WRAP CONSTRUCTION

CARLSBAD, Calif. (January 4, 2022) – TaylorMade Golf Company, the industry leader in innovation and technology, today announced the Stealth™ game improvement irons – powered by the all-new Cap Back™ Design with toe wrap construction.

Building from the revolutionary Cap Back Design in SIM2 Max and SIM2 Max OS irons – which utilized the concept of a multi-material hollow body construction – Stealth irons are engineered to improve face flexibility and deliver fast ball speeds with a confidence-inspiring shape.

NEXT GENERATION CAP BACK™ DESIGN WITH TOE WRAP CONSTRUCTION

With SIM2 Max and SIM2 Max OS, TaylorMade engineers created the multi-material Cap Back Design by utilizing the concept of the hollow iron but replacing the steel back with a low density, polymer composite cap. This revolutionary construction improves the face’s ability to flex, delivering ball speed and forgiveness, without compromising the center of gravity (CG). Cap Back Design supports the entire topline from heel to toe with the strong, lightweight polymer material spanning the entire cavity to provide additional rigidity in the upper part of the face. Working in unison with the flexible Thru-Slot Speed Pocket™, it created a larger unsupported area of the face, translating to a larger and more intelligently positioned sweet spot.

TaylorMade engineers not only wanted to continue the momentum of Cap Back Design, but also accelerate it to continue to push the limits of game improvement irons. When the engineers explored designing more performance into a game improvement iron, one thought was at the forefront of their minds: place iron performance where the game improvement golfer needs it the most – lower.

Enter toe wrap construction. The toe wrap is an advanced engineering feat that shifts substantial mass from the extreme high toe of the head and repositions it in the low in the sole of the iron. This redistribution of mass lowers the center of gravity by up to 0.8 millimeters. The result is an increased launch angle producing a towering ball flight, long carry distances and heavy stopping power.

TIMELESS AND TECHNICAL DESIGN

Stealth irons were designed not only to continue pushing the limits of game improvement irons, but also to contemporize what a game improvement iron looks like. The aesthetic of Stealth drew inspiration from TaylorMade’s P·700 series in hopes to provide the golfer an iron that looks visually appealing in their bag and at address.

CORNERSTONE TECHNOLOGICAL FEATURES REMAIN

Stealth irons continue to feature core TaylorMade iron technologies that have been engineered to integrate seamlessly within the new-for-2022 designs.

Hidden inside the Cap Back Design, the ECHO® Damping System spans the full face from the heel to the toe and uses multiple contact points on the face to absorb unwanted vibrations, giving the Stealth iron a solid feel as the ball explodes off the club face. Each damper has been uniquely designed for each individual iron, as ribbed structures align with the contact area and Inverted Cone Technology surface featured in each club.

Progressive Inverted Cone Technology is located heel-to-toe in the 4-PW of Stealth irons. The 450 stainless steel face has an intelligently positioned sweet spot that spans the most common impact points, delivering explosive ball speeds and consistency in all the right places. The long irons are designed with slightly more draw-bias than the mid-irons, which in turn have slightly more draw-bias than the short irons. This design element is intended to provide the most accurate ball flight for all levels of golfers.

360 Undercut Technology with stiffening topline ribs in the 4-7 irons promotes face flexibility and ball speed in these core lofts while maintaining desirable sound and feel. Additionally, a fluted hosel design promotes lower and deeper CG placement for improved launch characteristics while providing a clean, confident look at address. Hosel bending notch technology is again incorporated to allow for easier lie and loft fitting, allowing every golfer to easily achieve their ideal custom set-up.

SPECIFICATIONS, AVAILABILITY & PRICING

Available for preorder on January 4, 2022 and at retail beginning April 1, the Stealth irons ($999 steel/$1,099 graphite) will be offered in 4-PW (7 pc. set with AW, SW & LW also available) and come equipped with KBS Max MT 85 steel shafts (S, R) or Fujikura’s Ventus Red graphite shafts (7S, 6R & 5A).

For women, the Stealth irons will come equipped with the Aldila Ascent Ladies shaft. Stock grips for men are Lamkin’s Crossline 360 48.5g (Black/Red) and Lamkin Ladies Sonar 38g (Grey/White).

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Matt Saternus

Founder, Editor In Chief at PluggedInGolf.com

Matt is the Founder and Editor in Chief of Plugged In Golf. He's worked in nearly every job in the golf industry from club fitting to instruction to writing and speaking. Matt lives in the northwest suburbs of Chicago with his wife and two daughters.

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