TaylorMade Stealth & Stealth Plus+ Rescue Review

Carbon crowns and new soles boost forgiveness in TaylorMade Stealth hybrids.

The faces of hybrids are too small to benefit from the carbon fibre face you’ll find in the new Stealth drivers, but that doesn’t mean the carbon story ends with the big sticks.

TaylorMade have developed a new carbon fibre crown, which frees up weight to create uber-forgiving and highly stable clubs.

RELATED: Everything you need to know about TaylorMade’s Stealth drivers

The last two seasons have seen more players than ever putting TaylorMade hybrids in the bag.

Originally seen as clubs to help amateur golfs who struggle with long irons, times have rapidly changed with Major champions Dustin Johnson and Rory McIlroy among those who have turned to rescue clubs.

Feedback from the world’s best players have fueled the refinements made to the new Stealth Rescue and Stealth Plus+ Rescue.

The carbon story continues into the Stealth hybrid with the new carbon-fibre crown helping to free up weight and increase forgiveness in a club that will target the majority of club golfers.

RELATED: Best Hybrids

Meanwhile Stealth Plus+ is a shot-maker’s dream that will attract better players. 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. 

Let’s take a closer look at the two models.

TaylorMade Stealth Rescue

RRP £229 | Men’s Lofts 3-19°, 4/22º, 5/25º, 6/28º, 7/31º | Women’s Lofts 4/23º, 5/26º. 6/28º, 7/31º | Adjustable No | Stock shafts Project X Hzrdus Smoke Red RDX 70 FW (7S, 6R, 5A); Aldila Ascent Ladies 45 (L) | Stock grips Lamkin Crossline Black/Red Grip 48.5g 0.600 Ribbed; Lamkin Ladies Sonar 38g 0.580 Round | Available February 4

Stealth sees a carbon crown on a hybrid for the first time and it’s had a stunning impact.

The toe-and-heel wrapped 3D carbon fibre crown weighs three grams, a seven gram saving on SIM2, which has been relocated to massively increase forgiveness. Stealth, which is uber stable and easy to launch, delivers a 7% higher MOI than SIM2 and 15% higher MOI than SIM Max.

Forgiveness is further helped by the redesigned V Steel Sole, which positions weight low in the club and improves turf interaction and versatility to make it a club for a huge variety of lies.

As with the fairways, the new laser alignment creates a clear contrast between the face and crown and makes it easy to aim to the club.

The high-strength C300 steel Twist Face, coupled with the Speed Pocket, maximises distance, encourages a straighter flight and boosts speeds from low-face strikes (a common location for amateurs).

Expect a mid-high launch, mid-low spin and neutral flight bias.

The women’s version of the Stealth Rescue features a stand-alone bright silver PVD sole and a dark silver crown, as well as lighter heads and higher lofts. 

WATCH: Best 2022 Hybrid video

TaylorMade Stealth Rescue: Key Technologies

Carbon Crown

The new carbon crown construction relocates 7 grams of mass, creating a hybrid that’s easy to launch with incredible stability. It delivers a 15% higher MOI compared to SIM Max, giving golfers the freedom to attack pins from anywhere.

Advanced Laser Alignment

Providing vital contrast between face and crown, the laser etched alignment aid is designed to highlight directional alignment for boosted confidence and accurate aim.

V Steel Sole Design

Refined weight distribution for enhanced forgiveness while maintaining optimal launch properties. It stays true to its heritage by improving turf interaction and versatility.

C300 Twist Face

High-strength C300 steel allows for a strong, fast face engineered for explosive ball speeds. The proven Twist Face® design helps golfers overcome inherent mis-hit tendencies for straighter shots.

Thru-Slot Speed Pocket

TaylorMade’s most flexible Speed Pocket design is engineered to maximise ball speeds and produce additional forgiveness on low-face strikes.

TaylorMade Stealth Rescue: Specifications

Verdict: TaylorMade Stealth Rescue Hybrid

Our Test Pro (Neil Wain) isn’t just a PGA Teaching Professional he’s big into fitting golf clubs too. And if there’s a theme he sees running through fairways and hybrids year after year, it’s how TaylorMade models are consistently fast and powerful.

The Stealth certainly didn’t let its predecessors down in our Best 2022 Hybrid Test, the model was our 2^nd longest (225 yds carry distance) of 22 hybrids tested. It’s important to understand the Stealth fairways and hybrids don’t share the same carbon fibre face as the marquee’s 2022 driver, but TaylorMade say the model has been optimised over previous models thanks to a new carbon crown.

Stealth is very much a flat-out speed and distance hybrid, with a mid-width body. If you’re the type of player who feels hybrids have the tendency to pull left of your target then the narrower body Stealth Plus will be much more up your street.

Whichever route you choose like everything else Stealth this year you really won’t be disappointed.        

RELATED: TaylorMade Stealth fairway woods reviewed

TaylorMade Stealth Plus+ Rescue

RRP £249 | Lofts 13°, 15°, 19° | Stock shaft Project X Hzrdus Smoke Red RDX 70 FW (75X, 75S, 70R) | Adjustable Yes (+/- 1.5º) | Stock grips Lamkin Crossline Black/Red Grip 50g 0.600 Round | Available April 1, 2022

There’s no carbon in the Stealth Plus+ Rescue, which has been designed to be fast and workable. A smaller, more compact shape than the Stealth gives the Plus+ a utility-iron look, feel and flight. 

The Centre of Gravity has been optimised to boost speed and forgiveness from any lie, with MOI and versatility further boosted by the redesigned V Steel Sole, which sees weight positioned low in the club..

The high-strength C300 steel Twist Face, coupled with TaylorMade’s most flexible Speed Pocket, creates explosive distance, encourages a straighter flight and boosts speeds from low-face strikes (a common location for amateurs).

Unlike the standard Stealth, the Plus+ Rescue has an adjustable hosel (+/- 1.5º), to allow better players to dial in the club, but you can expect a mid-launch, mid spin and neutral flight bias as standard.

TaylorMade Stealth Plus+ Rescue: Key Technology

Fast and Workable

A smaller, more compact shape provides added versatility for players who want iron-like flight and workability. A new optimised CG placement provides incredible speed, forgiveness and accuracy from any lie. 

V Steel Sole Design

Refined weight distribution for enhanced forgiveness while maintaining optimal launch properties. It stays true to its heritage by improving turf interaction and versatility.

C300 Twist Face

High-strength C300 steel allows for a strong, fast face engineered for explosive ball speeds. The proven Twist Face® design helps golfers overcome inherent mis-hit tendencies for straighter shots.

Thru-Slot Speed Pocket

TaylorMade’s most flexible Speed Pocket design is engineered to maximise ball speeds and produce additional forgiveness on low-face strikes.

Adjustable Loft Sleeve

Provides +/- 1.5° adjustability and personalisation to optimise trajectory and face angle. 

TaylorMade Stealth Plus+ Rescue: Specifications

What TaylorMade say about the Stealth Plus+ Rescue

“We embarked on the idea of making the Stealth Plus+ Rescue more of a lower launch club with a little more spin and more workability and really bridging the gap between a long iron and a hybrid,” Tomo Bystedt, TaylorMade’s Senior Director of Product Creation said.

“Not just making it a club to get the ball up in the air and go far, but making it more workable for the better player. It’s got a CG in a very particular spot and we did not need to use carbon to get it to that spot.”

READ NEXT: TaylorMade’s Stealth Irons Reviewed

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rob Jerram is the Digital Editor of todaysgolfer.co.uk
He has been a journalist for more than 20 years, starting his career with Johnston Press where he covered local and regional news and sport in a variety of editorial roles across ten years.
Rob joined Bauer Media in 2010 and worked as the Senior Production Editor of Today’s Golfer and Golf World magazines for ten years before moving into the Digital Editor’s role in July 2020.
He has been playing golf for almost three decades and has been a member at Greetham Valley Golf Club in Rutland for eight years, playing off 12.

      

TaylorMade Stealth Plus+ Rescue

RRP: £249

Lofts: 17° - #2 / 19.5° - #3 / 22° - #4

Stock shaft: Project X HZRDUS Smoke RDX Red

Stock grip: Lamkin Crossline 360

Adjustable hosel: Yes (+/- 1.5°)

Released: April 1, 2022

TaylorMade Stealth Rescue

RRP: £229

Men's lofts: 19° - #3 / 22° - #4 / 25° - #5 / 28° - #6 / 31° - #7

Women's lofts: 23º - #4 / 26º - #5 / 28º - #6 / 31º - #7

Stock shafts: Stock shafts Project X Hzrdus Smoke Red RDX 70 FW (7S, 6R, 5A); Aldila Ascent Ladies 45 (L)

Stock grips: Lamkin Crossline Black/Red Grip 48.5g 0.600 Ribbed; Lamkin Ladies Sonar 38g 0.580 Round

Adjustable hosel?: No

Released: February 4, 2022

Visit the TaylorMade website here