Blog, Clubs, golf clubs, Jim Mitchell

Checking in with: TaylorMade

TaylorMade Stealth Family

With so many brands releasing so many clubs it can be hard to keep up, so in this series I’m going to go through the offering brand by brand and talk a little about what I’ve seen from them in a fitting scenario. Today we’re having a look at TaylorMade.

Some of the most anticipated woods to come out this year have been TaylorMade’s offering, the Stealths. The carbon face has captured the imagination since people first saw it in Tiger Woods’ bag at the PNC Championship in December. From the early testing the Stealths seem to be very strong in ball speed across the face and achieving high launch-low spin ball flights which is a recipe for distance. It’s important to stress that this isn’t something that the Sim2 wasn’t capable of, the carbon face technology just allows the manufacturer to push the tech that little bit more to increase the amount that they can improve each year. They offer a range of wood heads to appeal to any kind of golfer that wants a Stealth in their bag too.

The Stealths will be coming out in irons as well which haven’t yet hit the shelves, but they will be a continuation of the Sim2 game improvement irons. Stronger lofted irons with more tech to launch the ball, making distance without sacrificing ball flight a more attainable goal for any level of golfer. The Stealths do look a bit sleeker than the Sim2s did in my opinion as well. Something that is staying the same is the P series irons. These are forged irons offering a huge range and a surprising level of playability in some cases. The most talked about iron in this range is obviously P790, a great looking iron with a ton of tech in it. This iron is designed to suit a better, quicker player who also wants distance. These are fairly strong irons and can be quite hot, but great for the better player looking for more distance or even a higher handicapper who is more confident looking down on something more akin to a players iron, as there is plenty of forgiveness here. If you like the P790 but need something less likely to produce a flyer then consider the P770. This thing looks incredible. The little cousin of the P790 has less offset and tends to spin a little more owing to its higher loft and higher CG. However there is still much of the tech that makes the P790 so useable such as the speedfoam and tungsten weighting, a great option for more players than people think. Moving into the skinnier irons we have the P7 MC and the P7 MB, the muscle cavity and the blade. These are certainly for more confident ball strikers, the MC being a really popular choice for the better play wanting more help than a blade may give them.

TaylorMade’s current wedges, the MG3s are following a trend that most companies are going for currently. Increasing the size of the topline which moves centre of gravity up, increasing spin retention. The come in 3 different bounces (low, standard and high bounce) depending on what you need from the wedge in terms of versatility and how you deliver it. These I’ve often found feel good for players who like a lighter head and therefore more control in your hands.

TaylorMade’s putter offering is one of the most diverse of a single manufacturer that you can find. With the much lauded Spider being a great option if you like the feel of a larger head, the great mass also gives the club a powerful feel which means on longer putts you won’t feel the need to muscle it, great for controlling lag putts. The FCG line offers the look and forgiveness of a mallet but the feel and control of a blade if you need it with its front centre of gravity. With the classic blade option being available in the hydroblast and Tour Preferred lines too, along with multiple options for different head styles to suit your alignment and feel preferences.

If you’re into your tech and want to read more about what manufacturers currently have to offer, check back in here to see what I’ve found from all of the other brands offerings!