For many golfers the gap between driver and irons is a tricky one to fill. For players who prefer hitting irons to fairway woods, driving irons can be a great way to round out your bag.
Ahead of the Tour links swing, TaylorMade are back with some new Stealth driving iron options. My colleague George Cooper was lucky enough to see them in person in Rome earlier this month. The line-up includes two vastly different models to suit different golfers, let’s see what he thought of them.
TaylorMade Stealth driving iron: First impressions
“The one thing that struck me with the new UDI was the minimalist look,” George explains. “The top line certainly looked thinner than previous models, which will improve workability for tour players when they bag them over the summer for links golf.
“On the other end of the spectrum, the DHY had a distinctly wider sole than previous models. As a mid-handicapper, the top edge was really appealing to look down on at address for a utility club, not too dissimilar to an original TM ‘rescue’.
“It’s obvious the brand have made a clearer distinction between the two utility options – offering high launch and forgiveness at one end, and workability and control at the other. The new super stroke grips are a nice upgrade too, helping the club feel more premium.”
TaylorMade Stealth driving iron: The technology
Both the Stealth UDI and DHY use a combination of existing and new technologies to reach maximum performance.
The club face features a 4140 steel L-Face, with inverted cone technology and a Thru-Slot Speed pocket.
The Inverted Cone Technology involves a circular pattern with numerous variations in the thickness on the back of the club face.
The central region of the club face is the fairly thin, surrounding this is a thicker raised ring shape and this pattern repeats as you move out from the centre of the club head. The thinnest part of the face is found on the periphery.
The Thru-Slot Speed pocket can be seen on the sole of both clubs. It allows the club face to flex more at impact, resulting in fast ball speeds, especially with low on the face strikes.
Inside the club head TaylorMade have used new SpeedFoam air to fine tune sound and feel. This new foam is 69% less dense than previously which allowed the designers to more precisely optimise the centre of gravity.
TaylorMade Stealth driving iron: The line-up
TaylorMade Stealth UDI
Designed to offer the ultimate blend of control and versatility. It offers a low penetrating ball flight with mid to low spin.
It has a traditional iron like shaping at address, very much designed with the tour player in mind.
The weight is placed right behind the impact zone to help bring down the ball flight and create the required spin for shot shaping.
TaylorMade Stealth DHY
Designed to offer a blend of power and forgiveness. It offers a mid to low ball flight with added distance. TaylorMade are calling this a Superior driving hybrid thanks to it’s combination of high ball speeds and launch.
At address, this has a longer blade length and wider sole and is designed to be more confidence inspiring.
Weight is positioned in the sole of the club head, lowering CG and making this easier to launch than traditional long irons.
TaylorMade Stealth driving iron: NCG verdict
Check back for our full NCG Verdict once we get our hands on these clubs for full testing!
TaylorMade Stealth driving iron: The details
Available: July 15, 2022
RRP: £219
Stock shaft: Aldila ASCENT Black (100X, 90S for UDI and 75S, 65R; 55A for DHY only)
Lofts: UDI: 18°, 20°, 23° for right-handed golfers and 18°, 20° for left-handed golfers; DHY: 17°, 19°, 22°, 25° for right-handed golfers and 19°, 22° for left-handed golfers.
Grips: Super Stroke S-Tech
More info: TaylorMade website
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