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

My take

The Taylormade Stealth 2 HD Driver is great for players with slower swing speeds who need maximum launch and forgiveness to hit more fairways. This club also promotes a high draw to help players who struggle with launch and slices.

About the club I own

• Model: 2023 Taylormade Stealth 2 HD
• Loft setting: 9 degrees
• Shaft type: Ventus Black 6x
• 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: 120mph

Test conditions

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

How it performs

What I was looking for

I wanted to test the Stealth 2 HD to see how effective the high draw variation was. I typically hit a fade off the tee and wanted to see if this driver would help me eliminate the push or occasional slice miss.

Why I chose this club

I chose this club because the high draw option was helpful for me to maximize launch off the tee as well as forgiveness to help me hit more fairways. I also loved the sound and feel as well as looks of this club that provided added confidence standing over the ball.

What I love about it

• Forgiveness: I think this is the most forgiving driver on the market this year. This club helps me hit way more fairways; and when I hit the ball off the toe or heel, it still finds the fairway frequently. This is the most forgiving Stealth 2 model, and I also believe even more forgiving than Callaway and Titleist’s newest drivers.
• Feel: This club feels extremely bouncy. The ball just springs off the face, which makes the club feel very powerful and fast while still having a soft, compression-like feel.
• Sound: A firm, explosive sound off the club face. This club makes a very solid sound, which makes it feel very fast to provide me with optimal launch off the tee.
• Adjustability: This driver has an adjustable loft sleeve which allows players to change the loft and lie as well as easily change the shaft of the club if needed.
• Shaft Feel: This shaft feels extremely stiff with a very firm tip section. I personally love this because I feel I can swing as fast as I want and the shaft will get the club head in the right position to hit the center of the face.
• Shaft Performance: The Ventus Black shaft is my favorite driver shaft on the market. It feels stiff as a board with a very firm tip section to minimize torque and face bend. This club also is low launching with low spin to help hit the ball as far as possible.
• Grip Feel: I had the Golf Pride Tour Velvet cord grip and loved it. The cord provides me with additional grip and feel to swing as hard as possible and feel that I am connected to the club. The cord technology helps to repel moisture, making it great for all conditions.
• Launch Angle: The Stealth 2 HD is the highest-launching model from this year's Stealth 2 lineup. This driver feels effortless to get a really high launch to maximize distance and time in the air for the golf ball. This club will be perfect for players who struggle to launch their drivers high.

Issues I’ve encountered

• Distance: This driver is great for distance for many golfers who prioritize hitting fairways and maximum forgiveness. However, I find this driver spins too much due to the high launch factor, which ends up sacrificing potential distance.
• Workability: This driver is quite difficult to shape shots with. Due to the forgiving factors of this head, creating lateral spin to hit fades and draws is very hard to do. Additionally, since one of the main features of this club is to hit high draws, it is extremely difficult to hit lower-launching shots to stay out of the wind.
• Aesthetic Appeal: This driver has a very beautiful look with the all black head and red face. I think that looks very good, however I feel this driver head looks too big, and I prefer the look of a smaller club-head shape. Although, the larger size will provide players with added confidence on the forgiveness and accuracy of this driver.
• Spin: I found even with the low-launch, low-spin driver shaft that this club spins too much for me. I often see ball marks in the fairway, and the ball sometimes even spins back on moderately soft greens. This is a key indicator that a driver is spinning too much and losing distance.

Best shot with this club

The best shot I hit with this club was on a par 5 that was a dog leg left. The hole turned to the left with some trees blocking the corner of the turn. I decided I wanted to hit a draw right over the top of the trees to get the ball as close to the green as possible. I hit the shot perfectly, starting right at the tree with a high launch that had a baby draw, and turning to the left, leaving me roughly 200 yards to the green.

Value for the money vs. other options

The Callaway Paradym X is a similar model that is great for players looking for a high-launching, draw-bias driver. The Stealth 2 HD and Paradym X are the top models in this category and have very similar performance and price. Ultimately, that means the decision will come down to design and looks. I think the Stealth 2 HD is the better-looking model, and therefore is the best value for a high-launch driver.

Final verdict

The Taylormade Stealth 2 HD driver is perfect for players who struggle with launching the golf ball as well as who hit a slice as their typical miss. Additionally, this driver maximizes launch and forgiveness to help players hit more fairways.