About this Review: This review is my honest opinion of the wood, which I tested from February - April of 2022.

My take

I’ve hit the TaylorMade Stealth Fairway (3 wood) quite a few times on the driving range here in Louisiana and out in Arizona. It is a super powerful, sleek-looking, forgiving fairway wood designed for all golfers looking to maximize their distance.

About the club I tested

• Model: TaylorMade Stealth 3 Fairway Wood
• Set Make up/lofts: 15 degree loft
• Shaft type: Ventus Blue 6
• Shaft flex: Regular Men’s flex

About me

• Average score: 75
• Handicap: 2
• Experience: 28 years playing golf. 25 years as a Class A LPGA professional
• Right/Left-Handed: Right-Handed
• Typical ball flight: High Draw or straight ball flight
• Golf Ball used: ProV1x
• Club swing speed: 92 mph driver, 86 mph fairway wood.

Test conditions

• When I tested this club: February–April 2022
• Days tested: 5 days
• Where I tested it: Louisiana Golf Courses (Tchefuncta CC and Beau Chene CC) Scottsdale, AZ (Talking Stick Resort)
• Weather and wind conditions: Hot conditions in Louisiana, Mild temperatures in Arizona with slightly windy conditions

How it performs

What I was looking for

I have been playing the same old Ping fairway woods for 12 years. While they are solid clubs, it’s time I bite the bullet and jump into new technology. In the recent months, I’ve tried quite a few other fairway woods from Callaway and Titleist. The new carbon face design is really what brought me to try out the Stealth woods. I’ve always liked a traditional color and look to my woods, so the Stealth 3 wood really caught my eye.

Why I chose this club

I chose the Stealth Fairway Wood on the heels of hitting the SIM2 Max Fairway Woods and noticing the distance I got from those clubs. I wasn’t a fan of the color of the SIM2 woods, so the new black/red color of the Stealth was immediately appealing to me. I was attending a demo week out in Arizona; the TaylorMade rep really explained the Twist Face technology feature and I instantly had to give this club a go. In addition, I was able to test out the club with the Ventus Blue 6 shaft — one of my favorites. Wow, the performance was outstanding. Launch, power, distance. This club has it all!

What I love about these irons

• Forgiveness: This is a very forgiving club designed for every golfer on the course. The Twist Face Technology adds to the forgiveness for all golfers, keeping the face more square at impact for straighter shots.
• Distance: This is a distance monster club! I’ve never hit a fairway wood this far in my life. I can hit my current PING 3 wood about 210-215. The stealth 3 wood, my carry distance was 210 and total distance was 220-225. My ball speed also increased significantly.
• Feel: The feel is outstanding. That carbon face is so soft. It’s amazing that it can have that feel while having the power it does.
• Launch Angle: I love a club that I can launch higher in the air. Especially in a fairway wood. When I have the opportunity to reach a par 5 but there are bunkers in my way, more carry and higher launch is definitely needed. The launch for me on the Stealth with this shaft was perfect!
• Shaft Feel: The Ventus Blue 6 that the club came with is my personal favorite shaft. The launch, weight, and feel and kick are all great.
• Grip: I always put the Golf Pride Tour Velvet grip on every one of my clubs. It’s my personal favorite and I appreciate how soft it is.
• Aesthetic Appeal: This club looks as good as it performs.
• Other: I noticed that the Stealth has a larger face and sweet spot than the SIM2. That is a huge bonus for all golfers.

Issues I’ve encountered

• Workability: It could possibly be due to my high-draw ball flight and swing, but I was not able to fade this club. Straight and high was my only ball flight — which is not a bad problem to have.

Best shot with this club

On the range in Arizona, the TaylorMade rep kept telling me “go at the ball harder,” “give it everything you’ve got,” and “you can swing faster than that.” I have a very smooth swing style. I couldn’t believe how hard I could swing and the ball never went off line. It was insane. With other clubs, if I try to increase my swing speed and generate more ball speed I will hook it left every time. But not with the Stealth. With this club, I gained seven mph ball speed and every shot was straight.

Value for the money vs. other options

The price on this club is quite high: $300+ per fairway wood. There are definitely other clubs out there on the market that will provide distance, performance, and power without such an expensive price tag, such as the SIM Max, SIM2 Max, Cobra LTDx, or the Cleveland Halo XL. However, I’m not one who buys clubs frequently. My Ping clubs are more than 12 years old. So, I plan to have my Stealth clubs for quite a long time also. I’m not a golfer who changes equipment every year. If I find something that performs perfectly for me, I will play that club until it’s time to retire it. The Stealth will be that club for me!

Final verdict

I have been playing golf a long time and when it comes to all my clubs, I am very picky. Looks, feel, distance, power, and forgiveness. I cannot wait to get the Stealth woods in my bag. They have all of the previously mentioned characteristics and I highly recommend this fairway wood to any golfer, whether low or high handicap, looking to improve their shots from the tee or into long par 4s or 5s.