Stealth 2 Plus fairway wood long-term reviews?

eric61 · August 9, 2023

Anybody been playing the Stealth 2 Plus fairway woods this year -- especially with the weight forward -- and have long-term reviews you can share?

I've heard the weight forward setting described as pretty unforgiving. Is that accurate?

I'm trying to work out a little better gapping at the long end of my bag, and demoed the Stealth 2 Plus 5 wood yesterday. I was totally blown away. (Ball speed was fast enough that I wouldn't even need a 3 wood, which doesn't solve my gapping issue, but that's a different story.) I'd like to hear others' experiences, too!

eric61 · August 9, 2023

Didn't want to bog down the first post with these rambling details because I just want people to share their own experiences. But I'll add a little more here:

Ball speed was actually a touch quicker than my 3 wood, and peak height was 120 feet -- which I'd actually want to bring down a bit. My only issue with it was it was drifting a little right (I'm a lefty). I didn't change the loft settings, but I figured if I could just deloft it and open it up a touch, it should be perfect ... and with the ball speed I was seeing, I wouldn't need a 3 wood at all.

What really struck me is how easy to hit it was. Something I've been noticing about fairway woods and hybrids is that I tend to deliver clubs with the CG a bit more forward better, and I run into some low point control issues with clubs that have CG back -- I tend to hit them thin. Which is a bummer because I want all the forgiveness I can get, but it is what it is. I've actually seen the same thing with driver. I hit the G430 LST better than the G430 Max. I actually switched from the Max to the LST this year because, weirdly, I hit the LST straighter. Maybe a club fitter can describe what swing characteristics might lead to this being the case for someone ... but it's something I've noticed pretty consistently.

However, back to the Stealth 2 Plus fairway wood: I've definitely seen some descriptions of it as unforgiving in that weight forward position. It's got me worried that I was just particularly dialed in while I was testing it. Because of the forgiveness aspect, I'd really been hoping a regular Stealth 2 5 wood would work for me. But I'm a bit flatter and tend to get hooky, and its upright lie angle just doesn't work for me. I've been on the hunt for a head from their tour department with a flatter lie, but unfortunately as a lefty it's just tougher to find one.

khalespace · September 12, 2023

Other than being 2 inches longer. Is there any difference between the adapter of a Taylormade driver and Stealth Plus 3 Wood Adapter? Can I cut my Taylormade driver shaft to use on a Stealth Plus 3 Wood?

mvvraz · September 18, 2023

On 9/12/2023 at 9:06 PM, khalespace said:

Other than being 2 inches longer. Is there any difference between the adapter of a Taylormade driver and Stealth Plus 3 Wood Adapter? Can I cut my Taylormade driver shaft to use on a Stealth Plus 3 Wood?

Yes you can. Source: I tried my Stealth 2 Plus 3 wood's shaft in my driver to see if a super short driver shaft will resolve my issues. (Spoiler: turns out it did, but not because of the shaft length but because of my setup - went back to my driver shaft and all was magically fixed)

Long term review of stealth 2+: amazing. Was extremely unforgiving with the stock shaft for me, went to a ventus Blue 6S, and the rest is history. Absolute missiles that basically go dead straight no matter what I do.

It's not very forgiving, but I just find it very easy to find the middle of the face on it. Much easier than the stealth 2+ driver for example

I use mine quite a lot, ranging from very long par 5's to short par 4's, to days where the driver simply won't cooperate. The 2+ woods go so far that I think I could drop the driver entirely and basically not notice.

They're amazing, best wood I've ever played, but the stock shafts are utter garbage.. or at least were so for me and the fitter confirmed it. Maybe he was just trying to sell me shafts, but it worked

getitdaily · September 18, 2023

I had and tried the 15 s2+. It was very good but it wanted to fall left on me. Delofted, yhe flight was just a touch too low and brought it even with my aerojet.

Much to my shagrin, TM released a 16.5 s2+ so I got one. Due to a hand injury, I have not been able to hit it outdoors yet. However...if the gcquad sessions (2) I've had with it will be indicative of on-course performance then it could overtake my aerojet.

I'm able to deloft to 16, open the face, and get peak height over 80 feet on quad. I've seen quad over-projwct peak height and it may just be the mat inflating launch and spin, but this thing is higher than my aerojet was on the same mat. But what I see is ballflight being super tight. Heel strikes are still heavily punished but centered strikes fly straight. Hit one and felt "left" on contact. Said "that's left" as I looked up at the monitor and the ball was centered and not moving sideways at all.

Now, I also have a 16.5 paradym std that shows the same peak height as the s2+ 16.5 but 3 mph more ballspeed. So there's another club waiting to get the ventus black in it for testing too.

Looks like my aerojet could become a pseudo mini driver...

Lloyd_Christmas29 · October 29, 2023

I have the 16.5* 4W and I’m indifferent. It looks and feels good and is pretty good from both the tee and the fairway. But it is so unforgiving on heel strikes I don’t completely trust it. Heel strikes can have me missing 50 yards right of the target.

Mobert19 · October 29, 2023

6 minutes ago, Lloyd_Christmas29 said:

unforgiving on heel strikes

Seems like a theme with Taylormade FWs

Lloyd_Christmas29 · October 29, 2023

11 minutes ago, Mobert19 said:

Seems like a theme with Taylormade FWs

My theory is twist face, because it reduces backspin on heel strikes, gives you more side spin. Which creates a worse result. I’d rather just have a spinny ball that comes up short than a low spin ball that goes 50 yards offline.

Mobert19 · October 29, 2023

21 minutes ago, Lloyd_Christmas29 said:

My theory is twist face, because it reduces backspin on heel strikes, gives you more side spin. Which creates a worse result. I’d rather just have a spinny ball that comes up short than a low spin ball that goes 50 yards offline.

Could be

AC168 · November 1, 2023

On 10/29/2023 at 11:39 AM, Lloyd_Christmas29 said:

I have the 16.5* 4W and I’m indifferent. It looks and feels good and is pretty good from both the tee and the fairway. But it is so unforgiving on heel strikes I don’t completely trust it. Heel strikes can have me missing 50 yards right of the target.

With mine, I feel like the sweet spot is definitely toward the toe.

Albatross Dreamer · November 2, 2023

On 10/29/2023 at 1:39 PM, Lloyd_Christmas29 said:

I have the 16.5* 4W and I’m indifferent. It looks and feels good and is pretty good from both the tee and the fairway. But it is so unforgiving on heel strikes I don’t completely trust it. Heel strikes can have me missing 50 yards right of the target.

Noticed this too with the S2+. The OG stealth plus doesn't seem to have the same issue, at least for me.

getitdaily · November 2, 2023

1 hour ago, Albatross Dreamer said:

Noticed this too with the S2+. The OG stealth plus doesn't seem to have the same issue, at least for me.

Yep. It's a big reason I quickly dismissed it.

Par 5. 260ish. Water all down the right. Into a slight breeze. Tried to smash the stealth2+ up the left side. Aimed at least 60 yards left of water. Straight heeled it and the ball never got more than 40 feet in the air and went right so hard that it hit the water about 60 yards short of the green.

That shot was on its maiden voyage. It left the bag after that round.

I did try the 16.5 but never took it on course. I found the 16.5 to be incredibly slow....4-5 mph slower than the paradym std 16.5. That one is now in my bag...thr paradym.

Albatross Dreamer · November 2, 2023

47 minutes ago, getitdaily said:

Yep. It's a big reason I quickly dismissed it.

Par 5. 260ish. Water all down the right. Into a slight breeze. Tried to smash the stealth2+ up the left side. Aimed at least 60 yards left of water. Straight heeled it and the ball never got more than 40 feet in the air and went right so hard that it hit the water about 60 yards short of the green.

That shot was on its maiden voyage. It left the bag after that round.

I did try the 16.5 but never took it on course. I found the 16.5 to be incredibly slow....4-5 mph slower than the paradym std 16.5. That one is now in my bag...thr paradym.

That sounds about right. Had a least a couple that thought the contact wasn't horrid but the result was worse than I expected. For certain people it'll be a monster though.

For me OG stealth plus beat paradym and paradym TD distance wise. Currently trying the G430 lst. Wanted something with similar distance but bit more launch and forgiveness if possible. Could unseat the stealth if I could get a bit more consistent contact with it.

Edited November 2, 2023 by Albatross Dreamer