what’s new? how much does it cost? And how does it work? Tom Irwin details his new Stealth 2 HD fairway wood from TaylorMade.
The Stealth 2 HD Fairway Wood is the hydro model of the new Stealth 2 fairway wood family. So how does it work? Check out our Taylormade Stealth 2 HD Fairway Wood review.
Taylormade Stealth 2 HD Fairway Wood Review: NCG Recap
Overview of NCGs
Fairway woods are one of their strengths and I am currently using SIM 2 3 woods so I was looking forward to trying this out.
There are 3 new stealth fairways. HD is the High Draw model, with the highest CC and lowest profile.
Like other products in the range, it’s a beauty and incredibly easy to use. It was hard to stop tearing up the high flying draws from the Portuguese range tees.
Strong Points
- Moderately high and easy to fly
- very tolerant
- better acoustics
- love the looks
Cons
- Discreet head not enough to inspire confidence on the tee
First impression
The TaylorMade Stealth 2 HD is the largest and easiest to use of the three models in the Stealth 2 fairway wood lineup. At 200cc, it is significantly larger than the Plus model, which is only 170cc. The Stealth 2 sits in the middle at 185cc.
Don’t mistake this for HD being unwieldy. Far from it. It shares the same sophisticated look as its siblings. The gloss black crown has been replaced by a black alignment line with the TaylorMade logo centered to form a classic headpiece.
Additional CC is used up in heel-to-toe length. This is because the head is also the lowest profile of his three Stealth 2 iterations of fairway woods. Sitting on the grass, we love how it shares the patented V-steel sole with the Stealth 2.
NCG review
Very different from previous TaylorMade fairway woods. The 200cc head is definitely bigger than we’re used to seeing, with super high MOI as opposed to low spin. A larger, thinner sole therefore helps the club hug the ground at address, making it easier to achieve high launch.
It’s fun to flick the balls one after another to keep them away. It just seems effortless. The Stealth HD has the highest MOI of any TaylorMade fairway wood, which really works off-deck and makes hitting shot after shot very easy.
I really don’t want to stop hitting this club. Very flattering. I’m a fairly competent fairway wood player, and I find this very easy to use and help people struggling with lofted woods off the deck.
It also has a slight draw bias due to internal weights. This means you can easily flip from right to left. My natural shape goes to the left, so I’m not too keen on this. However, at this range with the Trackman, it’s sensational. I feel like I was able to get HD playability without the fear of losing sight of my left.
The story is about forgiveness when you hit the limits of face tolerance, and this is certainly the case with the Stealth 2.
Contributing to this is what TaylorMade calls Advanced Inverted Cone Technology. Simply put, the variable thickness of the face allows you to distribute weight where you need it most. They all also feature a twisted his face that looks like a tailor-made metal permanent fixture. It’s always a good sign that technology works.
With this, I think HD 3 Wood brings a new player to TaylorMade. Their penchant for TaylorMade may be perceived as building super-strong, low-rev metals. There is a club here that is easier to use than anywhere else.
Data were collected from tee pegs over a grassy area using Trackman. I also took the Stealth 2 Plus out onto the course and played 3 holes. A dogleg left, a dogleg right, a straight hole from a leeward high tee. .
I’ve used all three woods in my testing to hit shots off the hanging line from about 240 yards on a soft golf course and this was by far the easiest to launch alongside the new Ping. . Sending the ball high enough to get over the critical false front that some of the low spinners lacked. This is where clubs like this are taken seriously as gamers. If you’re looking for a high flying, second shot as opposed to a penetrating tee shot from the fairway, look no further than HD.
test protocol
To test this product, we went to Westcliffe, Europe’s premier golf course, just north of Lisbon. The idea was to get some warm weather and escape the icy British courses.Of course it rained a lot and was very windy. Each test team was assigned a category for golf clubs, fairways, or specific types of drivers and irons.
Data were collected with Trackman 4 or FlightScope. We used Titleist Pro V1 for all our tests. The samples we have either fit our testers perfectly or are ordered with the expected specifications. You can then optimize performance by swapping shafts and experimenting with adjustability. As with its dry testing, all products were tested on the track in a comparative environment with other products in the same category. We recognize that no testing process is perfect, and we strive for fair treatment, process transparency, and candid feedback.
TaylorMade Stealth 2 HD Fairway Wood: Details
Available: February 17 (pre-order January 10)
Suggested retail price: 299 pounds
loft: 16°, 19°, 22°
shaft: Fujikura Speeder NX Red
For more information: tailor made website
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