About this Review: This review is my honest opinion of the golf club, which I purchased with my own money in January of 2023.

My take

The TaylorMade Stealth 2 Rescue Hybrid is perfect for players who want to fill a gap between their long irons and fairway woods. This club helps produce higher ball flight and ball speed to hit it longer and straighter.

About the club I own

• Model: 2023 TaylorMade Stealth 2 Rescue Hybrid
• Loft setting: 19°
• Shaft type: Ventus Black
• Shaft flex: X-Stiff

About me

• Average score: 70
• Handicap: +2
• Experience: 5 years of golf
• Right/Left-Handed: Right-Handed
• Typical ball flight: Mid-High
• Golf ball used: TaylorMade TP5x
• Club swing speed: ~100mph

Test conditions

• When I bought the club: January 2023
• Days tested: 40+
• Where I’ve used it: TrackMan and GC4 simulators and various golf courses.
• Weather and wind conditions: Wind, rain, warm, cold, and dry conditions.

How it performs

What I was looking for

I was looking for a club to help fit the distance gap between my fairway woods and 4 iron. I mainly needed this club for approach shots on par 5s, long par 3 tee shots, and narrow par 4 tee shots.

Why I chose this club

I chose the Stealth 2 Rescue club because it was the longest-performing hybrid of the models that were released this year. This club out performed the Callaway Paradym and Titleist TSR hybrids. It also sounded and looked the best to me with minimal offset to prevent the “closed” looking clubface. This club also launches the ball much higher than a driving iron would.

What I love about it

• Distance: This club goes very far due to TaylorMade's inverted cone technology to help maximize ball speed. This hybrid is great because it goes long enough to hit it off the tee on narrow par 4s to increase my chances of hitting the fairway. I also find no problem hitting it shorter by choking down on the grip or swinging shorter if I do not need the full distance.
• Forgiveness: This club has TaylorMade’s amazing twist face technology, which helps maximize forgiveness across the whole clubface. I have hit many shots off the toe and heel of this club, and it has stayed very true to my intended line.
• Feel: This club has a great feel. The face feels very soft yet firm at the same time. It provides a spring-like feeling allowing the ball to jump off the clubface. I love the feel of this club, and it feels great from all lies, sand, rough, fairway, and off a tee.
• Sound: The Stealth 2 hybrid sounds amazing. It has a crisp tour-like sound, making me feel like a professional golfer every time I hit the golf ball. The sound is not loud and pingy or dull like other hybrids. It has a strong sound to provide confidence in my golf shots.
• Shaft Feel: The Ventus Black golf shafts feel amazing. They are extremely stiff, allowing me to feel where the clubhead is at all times. However, at impact, it provides a strong, powerful feeling that gives me confidence in the power that is being released into the golf ball.
• Shaft Performance: The shaft has been amazing for me. It is a low spin and low launch shaft to provide me with the optimal numbers to maximize distance without sacrificing spin and control. This allows me to hit this club with confidence that it will go far enough but still spin and hold the green.
• Aesthetic Appeal: This is my favorite-looking hybrid currently on the market. The top is a sleek black carbon with a black crown to help with alignment. This club has a very traditional shape with very little offset to help keep the face from looking closed.
• Launch Angle: This club launches better than any hybrid I have ever tested. The Stealth 2 helps provide lots of height and launch to help get the ball in the air, allowing for a steeper descent angle to help the ball stay on the green. This club launches surprisingly well out of the rough, which is perfect for me on par 5s and longer par 4s.
• Spin: This club has a lot of spin, which was one of the things I was looking for when purchasing a hybrid. I wanted increased spin to help the ball stay on the green rather than skip through. I have even been able to spin the ball back on soft greens.

Issues I’ve encountered

• Workability: Due to the increased spin on this model compared to the Stealth Plus+ 2 model, I find it difficult to shape shots because this club wants to stay extremely straight from the twist face technology.
• Adjustability: There is no adjustability on this model of the TaylorMade Stealth 2 Hybrid. Personally, I like adjustable golf clubs because they allow me to change the shaft or loft if needed to get the perfect fit for my golf game.
• Grip Feel: This club came with the Golf Pride Tour Velvet grip. Although the grip felt great when I first got it, I have found this grip wears out very quickly, and within 20-30 rounds, the grip starts to wear away and becomes very slick.

Best shot with this club

The best shot I hit with this club was on a par 5 at my home course. I hit a good drive of about 300 yards, and it landed in the fairway. I was left with 255 yards to the pin and decided to hit this club, starting at the left side of the green and cutting it back toward the pin. I hit the shot exactly how I wanted, and because of the launch and spin, the ball landed just on the front of the green and rolled a touch back to the pin. I was left with a 15-foot putt which I unfortunately missed.

Value for the money vs. other options

The TaylorMade Stealth 2 Hybrid is the best-performing hybrid compared to its competitors in its 2023 releases. This club costs roughly $279.99, while the Titleist TSR 2 and Callaway Paradym cost slightly more. Therefore, the Stealth 2 hybrid is the best value and performance of the newest hybrids. However, a cheaper alternative would be last year's model, the TaylorMade Stealth Hybrid or the Sim2 Hybrid.

Final verdict

The TaylorMade Stealth 2 Rescue Hybrid is perfect for golfers of all skill levels looking to fill a gap between fairway woods and long irons. This club provides lots of clubhead speed for maximum distance while having high launch angles to help hold the green.

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