About this Review: This review is my honest opinion of the club which I purchased with my own money in March of 2022.

My take

A beast of a 3 wood, the Stealth Plus features everything an advanced player looks for in a fairway metal. On the ground, the clubhead is very square and almost a bit open-looking. The matte black and carbon finish looks great behind the golf ball, and I appreciate TaylorMade’s move from white accents to red/black. The shallow profile allows me to feel confident on both tee shots and shots out of the fairway. I love the low spin, high-launch configuration I have, and the acoustics are unbeatable.

About the club I own/tested

• Model: 2022 TaylorMade Stealth Plus 3 Wood
• Loft setting: 15-Degree Loft (Standard)
• Shaft type: Graphite (Diamana ZF 70x)
• Shaft flex: X-Stiff

About me

• Average score: 70
• Handicap: +2.6
• Experience: 29 years of golf
• Right/Left-Handed: Right-Handed
• Typical ball flight: Mid-High Straight, with a light fade tendency
• Golf ball used: Titleist Pro-V1
• Club swing speed: 113-118mph (Driver)

Test conditions

• When I bought the club: March 2022
• Days tested: 3 days
• Where I’ve used it: Columbia Country Club
• Weather and wind conditions: Wet and Dry, light wind conditions. 65-85 degrees in temperature

How it performs

What I was looking for

I needed to replace a long-used 3 wood, a Tour Edge Exotics Xcb2. Also, I was looking for a high launching, low spinning 3 wood with good workability and one that would get me about 280-285 off the tee (max).

Why I chose this club

I had originally replaced my 3-wood with a different TaylorMade model, but it cracked, and TaylorMade replaced that with a Stealth 3 wood. This didn’t meet my requirements, but TaylorMade had a demo/fitting day at my golf course, and I was able to work with a fitter to get my specific specs. I was looking for a lower spinning, higher launching 3 wood with a very stable, most likely extra stiff, shaft. The fitter helped me configure what I eventually purchased, and it was a no-brainer after seeing the ball flight, and having the stability in which every swing, even extra hard, felt the same, as in not flexing extra. All in all, this combination was perfect for what I was looking for.

What I love about it

• Distance: I can get 285 off the tee, which is exactly what I want to play off of on other shots/shots out of the fairway.
• Feel: It has an incredibly solid feeling, unlike some other woods, which might feel ‘hollow.’ This feels like the ball is being hit with one solid head.
• Sound: Great acoustics! A good impact has that solid ‘thud’ as opposed to a clink/clang noise. The carbon wood feature, combined with TaylorMade’s V Steel design and twist face technology, greatly contribute to this.
• Workability: It is very easy to hit it higher with more fade or work right to left. This is a must, as coming into greens with a 3 wood often requires the left to right ball spin a fade can provide.
• Shaft Feel: This club is super stable, especially at the start of the downswing. The shaft is geared to stability and a higher launch.
• Shaft Performance: Excellent. It has a super solid feeling throughout the swing, especially at the start of the downswing where it’s arguably the most important.
• Aesthetic Appeal: A matte black finish and silver shine on the shaft is an incredible look.
• Grip Feel: The Golf Pride ZGrip cord is outstanding and a true modern cord grip, designed for all-weather play.
• Launch Angle: The launch angle is high, about 13 degrees, which is what I am looking for.
• Spin: Low spin off the tee allows for some added distance with roll. This is excellent for control into the wind.

Issues I’ve encountered

• Forgiveness: This is not a game improvement club. Due to the club's low spin characteristics, this will not provide much forgiveness on mishits.

Best shot with this club

The first tee shot I hit with this was on a 295-yard par 4 with a forced carry if one wants to try and drive the green. Of course, I was going to try! I was able to tee it up just a fraction of a bit higher and launch it just a bit higher than normal, and due to the low spin characteristics, it did not spin up and lose distance. It carried about 287 and with one bounce, I was putting for eagle! Because of the low spin and high launch characteristics, I was able to keep the shot very straight and land fairly softly due to its height.

Value for the money vs. other options

This is the most expensive offering from Taylormade in terms of fairway woods. This is due to its specific low spin makeup. There are definitely other options that may have better price points, but not with the specific characteristics I am looking for. For those who want to look at other options, Titleist TSi fairway metals, and the regular Stealth can be configured properly at a possibly lower price.

Final verdict

This club and its setup are designed for low spin, high-launch bombs off the tee, and playability from the fairway. It meets all the expectations an advanced/low handicapper would want from a true 3-wood in the bag, including distance off the tee, playability out of the fairway and rough, and workability in any situation.