Are you a player who wants to ensure they have the most technology possible in their bag while keeping costs in check?
If you answered yes, the TaylorMade Stealth Plus fairway wood may be the one for you.
Equipped with an adjustable loft sleeve, refined V-steel sole, and a ZATECH titanium face, the Stealth Plus offers it all. The best part about it that we found is that you get all of this for a discounted price since these fairway woods are initially from 2022.
The Stealth Plus is for the better player who is looking for maximum adjustability, technology, and distance. It is for a high-speed player who wants a low launch and low spin profile while still getting some forgiveness on mishits.
In this article, we will go over what our team thought about the Stealth Plus Fairway wood head through their extensive testing.
We will discuss features such as sound, look, feel, forgiveness, and distance. Also, we will dive into stock shaft options, pros and cons, and at the end will give our final recommendation.
TaylorMade Stealth Plus Fairway Woods
Unveiled in 2022, the TaylorMade Stealth plus fairway woods came out as part of the Stealth family of products.
Unlike the driver, they do not feature a carbon face but TaylorMade did make the crown entirely out of carbon which allowed developers to move weight lower and farther back, increasing MOI.
The Stealth fairway wood is available in right handed for lofts of 13 degrees (3-wood rocket), 15-degrees (3-wood), and 19 degree (5-wood).
The left-handed version offers the same lofts except for the rocket three wood option.
The stock swing weight for all options is D3 and the heads range in size from 175cc with the three wood all the way down to 150cc with the five wood.
TaylorMade also offers the Stealth Plus fairway woods in a regular Stealth option which promotes a higher ball flight and offers a larger 190cc head.
The regular Stealth is also offered in a woman’s head which is essentially the same club with additional shaft options.
Sounds, Look and Feel
Our team was really impressed by the aesthetics of the Stealth Plus fairway woods.
These clubs sport a sleek matt black carbon crown that’s distinctly set apart from the black steel face by a precisely etched line, done with a laser.
The club’s position behind the golf ball is perfectly neutral and setting up consistently becomes a breeze each time. The sole of the clubhead also adds to its appeal.
Equally important, the sound and feel of these fairway woods hit the mark. Thanks to the ZATECH titanium face they employ, these clubs deliver a highly responsive sound and feel that resonates with our entire team.
A well-executed shot feels satisfying, while a poorly executed-one doesn’t go unnoticed either.
We found these fairway woods to be deeply rooted in tradition, which aligns with our preferences.
Forgiveness
The standout feature that sets these clubs apart is their forgiveness. TaylorMade has equipped these clubs with clever weight distribution that allows them to shift the weight lower and farther back in the clubhead.
This, in turn, increases the Moment of Inertia (MOI), making the clubs more forgiving for off-center hits. The clubface is also 12% larger compared to the SIM2, enhancing the ease of play and shot versatility, all while maintaining an attractive appearance.
Adding to this weight distribution strategy, the Stealth Plus heads also include TaylorMade’s patented Twist Face technology. This innovative feature helps correct shots that aren’t hit perfectly in the center, keeping them more on target.
Another noteworthy addition is the 80-gram V-steel weight on the sole, which boosts stability, interaction with the turf, and MOI.
Putting all these impressive aspects together, these clubs perform remarkably well. After extensive testing by our team, it’s clear that the Stealth Plus fairway woods rank among the most forgiving options available. These qualities truly make these clubs stand out in the market.
We will say, however, that the Stealth Plus is not as forgiving as the regular Stealth so if you are looking for maximum forgiveness, this is not the head for you.
Distance
The combination of a thru-slot speed pocket and ZATECH titanium twist face enabled TaylorMade to increase ball speed and distance big time with this head. The ZATECH titanium is extremely strong which allows for the face to be made very thin without the worry of cracking or breaking.
Due to these great features paired with its low launch and low spin profile, our team members with fast swing speeds (greater than 100 mph) benefited greatly from this head, picking up 5-8 yards each.
Other members of our team with slower swing speeds did not pick up any distance as they struggled to get the ball into the air.
TaylorMade Stealth Plus Key Technologies
Advanced Laser Alignment
To help separate the matt black crown from the black steel face, TaylorMade has implemented an advanced laser-etched line to ensure a consistent and seamless setup for players.
80 Gram V-Steel Sole
The 80 gramV-Steel sole is one of the timeless features that TaylorMade uses on nearly all of their fairway woods; why fix something that isn’t broken?
This sole not only pulls weight lower and further back to increase forgiveness but also improves turf interaction and versatility.
Thru-Slot Speed Pocket
This speed pocket is meant to preserve ball speeds on off-center hits.
Just like the driver, this is a small pocket positioned directly behind the face that aids in face flexion.
Twist Face
Starting in 2018, TaylorMade’s twist face has become another one of the staples on their fairway woods and drivers.
The twist face is made to ensure off-center hits curve back to the target, making it easier to keep the ball in play.
ZATECH Titanium Face
This revolutionary face design is surprisingly strong which allows TaylorMade to also make it very thin.
A thin face equals fast ball speed while a strong face ensures you will be able to play this club for years to come.
TaylorMade Stealth Plus Specifications
The Stealth Plus head is available in just three lofts as it is built for the better player who typically would not play any club in their bag over a five wood.
Just like the regular stealth, the club head gets slightly smaller from the three to the five wood and the length gets slightly shorter as well.
Stock Shaft Options
- Project X HZRDUS Smoke Red RXD 65 FW
- Project X HZRDUS Smoke Red RXD 75 FW
Pros
- Very traditional sounds, look, and feel.
- Great turf interaction from the V-Steel sole
- Fast ball speeds due to the increased face size and ZATECH titanium
- Available in 13 degrees which is great for teeing off
Cons
- Only available in three and five wood lofts
- Could be too unforgiving for high handicap players
- Too low launching and low spinning for slower swing speeds.
Recommendation
As our team always does with TaylorMade products, we really enjoyed the Stealth Plus fairway woods.
Unlike the regular Stealth that everyone on the team likes, we did get a little bit of mixed reviews with the Stealth Plus as it is truly geared for the better player who doesn’t need help getting the ball into the air. We found that players with slower swing speeds had a harder time hitting the Stealth Plus compared to the regular Stealth option.
If you are a player that is looking for maximum forgiveness, this is not the head for you and you need to look elsewhere. However, if you are a better player that is looking for maximum distance and versatility, this head is for you. The larger club face paired with the smaller head really pops and the good players on our team hit it well.
Before making a purchasing decision here, make sure to check out our Stealth Fairway review as well as all of the other great content on our website.
