Is Carbon really the future?
Some folks are saying carbon is the future of drivers on the golf course. Let’s take a look at the newest carbonwood, the Taylormade Stealth, and see if that’s really true.
Before the Taylormade Stealth Driver
With it’s bright red face, the Stealth will grab your attention regardless of performance. A unique, sleek new look promises the world. Drivers have certainly come a long way. Early drivers came with a hickory shaft and a wooden head. Then came the age of steel drivers. Heads got bigger, and distances increased as well. After steel came titanium, which was a huge jump in size and distance. Another big change was the sound the club makes when it strikes the ball. But Taylormade has decided it’s time for the next big thing. The Carbonwood. While previous manufacturers have toyed around with carbon faced golf clubs, this is the first time it has gained so much traction.
The Age of Carbon
Enter the Stealth. The Taylormade Stealth has that vibrant red face we all love. It’s made up of more than 60 layers of carbon fiber layered on top of each other. This layout is designed to strip away weight from the face of the golf club so that more weight can be placed around the back of the club head. This gives the club more momentum and power going into striking the ball, which Taylormade says will result in longer drives. They’ve also added a bit of grippy, rubbery texture to the face of the club, claiming that this adjustment will result in more predictable performance in wet conditions. Taylormade also implemented twist-face on this golf club, which they claim enables the golfer to hit more fairways. After doing some testing myself, I haven’t been able to see an improvement on fairways hit between using twist face and non-twist face drivers. this may just be a marketing scheme.
Taylormade also added a technology that was found on the sim and sim 2 as well. The “asymmetric inertia generator.” The club is slightly angled which is said to maximize club head speed as you go into your downswing. This can result in higher ball speeds and, theoretically, more distance.
Models
The Taylormade Stealth comes in 3 different head model options:
- Standard: No adjustable weights.
- Stealth Plus: Comes with a sliding bar which helps with your spin adjustments.
- Stealth HD: Meant for people who are slicing the ball. The High Draw helps correct that and give the golf ball a more desirable flight.
I personally love the look of the red face, but understand that it might not be something everybody enjoys. The good news is that when you address the ball, you can barely see the red face. It won’t be too distracting when you step up to smack that drive.
Pricing
The Stealth won’t be a cheap club to pick up. Currently selling for $579.99, it’s one of the most expensive drivers on the market. It costs a pretty penny, so I would recommend going to your local golf tec or other simulator. Bring your own driver and hit a bunch of shots with your club, and then with the Stealth. Try it out with several different shafts, and try all 3 head options. Compare all the results to your current driver, and see if the club works for you, and if it is worth the $579 for you.
My Taylormade Stealth Testing
Taylormade seems to be going all in on the Carbon model golf clubs. We can expect their future club releases to follow in the Stealth’s footsteps and be made with carbon faces.
I took a Stealth out and compared it to a few other clubs. While I liked the flight of the ball, it didn’t feel like it gave me any distance or control advantage over my current Callaway driver. The plus gave me a bit of boost in distance, but also felt a little less forgiving.
On The Simulator
After hitting a few shots on the course, I took out my simluator for some comparisons. My average drive carry is 275, which is exactly how far my average carry was with the Stealth. My longest balls were a little shorter than my longest balls with my Callaway, but my shortest were a little bit longer than my shortest on the Callaway, so the Taylormade Stealth shows a smaller shot dispersion, which is great for predictability.
It’s a great golf club, and you’re not going to be disappointed with it, unless you go into it thinking this club will add 20-30 yards to your drive. It will not do that, so don’t expect it to. If you’re ready to dump a bunch of money into a new driver, the Taylormade Stealth is definitely a good option. If you’re ready to pick up your Taylormade Stealth, you can do so here.
