TaylorMade Stealth Iron Review

Published: 04 January 2022 Last updated: 09 June 2023

At a glance
TG Rating 5 out of 5
Owner Rating Not yet rated
RRP £849.00

What we say...

The TaylorMade Stealth iron offers extra Cap-Back forgiveness to distance orientated mid and high handicap golfers.

Having cornered the players’ distance iron market with the beautiful and brilliant P790 iron, one of the best golf irons around, TaylorMade are now on a mission to reinvent cavity backs in a bid to lure more mid and high-handicap club golfers to the brand. Cavity backs have been a staple in golf since the 1970’s and 80’s, when Ping Eye irons originally brought the idea to the game, but TaylorMade reckon the modern Cap Back technology in their new Stealth iron offers a significant performance and cosmetic step forward in 2022. We feel it’s one of the best mid-handicap golf irons.

If like the original P790, TaylorMade get it right and they switch a whole new audience on to the benefits of cap back technology there’s huge amounts of cash at stake. And that’s because the vast majority of golfers across the globe are mid-high handicappers. So an untapped market is crying out to be satisfied by a new, more appealing, better performing iron design than a decades old cavity back.

Over the years many have shied away from rocking the mid-high handicap iron boat too much, the thinking being based on the target golfer holding the strings of a bigger purse than any other category within the iron market. Satisfy this group with a single iron, like TaylorMade did with the P790 in the players’ distance iron category, by creating a model that sells in big numbers and the model will change TaylorMade’s iron business (like the original P790 in 2017), just as Ping’s Eye did decades ago.

If you’re a club golfer who’s swooned over the sleek lines and super clean detailing of TaylorMade’s P-Series irons before, yet you’ve begrudgingly felt the need to play cavity back irons because of a lack of ball striking ability, even though you’ve not loved their look, sound or feel, TaylorMade’s brand new Stealth iron will be right up your street. Here’s why.

What you need to know about the TaylorMade Stealth iron

Cap Back means hollow body

TaylorMade say their Cap Back design is a decent step forward over cavity back irons. The hollow head and Thru-Slot in the sole disconnect the face from the body, and with nothing bonded to, or behind the face there’s no barrier to attaining maximum flex and rebound.

The brands progressive Inverted Cone Technology (a cone shaped pattern on the back of the face) helps optimise and protect ball speed at golfers typical impact locations across the face throughout the set.

There’s no oversized high handicap model

Equipment fans will know brands generally create both mid and high handicap iron models. Last year TaylorMade’s were the SIM2 Max and SIM2 Max OS. For 2022 the two-model theory has well and truly gone out the window, as TaylorMade believe one Stealth iron, with a head optimised for the traits of both mid and high handicap players works better for both parties.

The difference in 2022 is golfers get to choose whether they play the set at standard (28° – 7 iron), stronger (up to 1°) or weaker lofts (up to 2°), which is a simple but clever idea. It means naturally stronger, faster speed players can gravitate to the standard and stronger lofts where more moderate speed players will benefit from extra loft that helps to maximise carry distance.

RELATED: Best Mid-Handicap Iron 2022

New sole and toe shape

Traditionally cavity back irons have a lot of weight located high in the toe, and that’s not an optimal location. On the Stealth TaylorMade have cleverly wrapped the Cap Back around the toe which they say removes an additional 10g of inefficient weight.

TaylorMade’s engineers have used that mass to expand the sole width by 3mm beneath the centre of the face, there’s also no trailing edge relief (on the sole). Jointly the re-jig helps improve performance from lower on the face where lots of club golfers impact shots.

The mid-handicap players’ iron

Now into their 2^nd generation TaylorMade have realised just how valuable cap-back technology can be in creating a very desirable players iron look in the bag.

Yes the Stealth have a similar blade length and hosel offset to the previous SIM2 Max but from the back they have a super sleek look that really isn’t too different from Titleist’s CNCPT irons, and they cost £500 a club!

Inside a toe rib supports the topline, it works together with an internal polymer Echo damper to tune sound and feel to the levels of a single piece forged iron. Our test pro (Neil Wain) was so impressed he reckoned he could happily play the Stealth iron himself.

Stealth vs SIM2 Max iron

TaylorMade say compared to the previous SIM2 Max the Stealth has a 0.8mm lower centre of gravity, so the mid-long irons especially will give higher launching shots without sacrificing peak height or descent angle. Even though the standard 7-iron loft (28°) is 0.5° stronger than the previous SIM2 Max approach shots will stop on a green.

WATCH: How does the TaylorMade Stealth compare to other Mid-Handicap irons?

Details: TaylorMade Stealth iron

RRP: £849 (steel) £949 (graphite)

Availability: 4 – PW, AW, SW, LW

Left hand: Yes

Stock shaft:

KBS Max MT (steel), Fujikura Ventus Red (graphite)

Stock grip: Lamkin Crossline 360

7-iron loft: 28°

Forgiveness category: 3.5 (Mid-Handicap Iron)

Handicap range: 10 and above

Where does the Stealth iron sit in TaylorMade’s 2023 line-up?

TaylorMade on the Stealth iron

“When we were thinking of the next level of Cap Back Design, we centred our thinking around the fact that the majority of golf shots happen at centre face or lower. In order to drive performance lower in the club face, we needed to drive the centre of gravity lower in the club face because where CG goes, the sweet spot follows. With the addition of toe wrap construction and the ability to move weight lower in the club, Stealth irons provide a perfect harmony of technology and design for the golfer who is looking for a performance advantage on the course.”

“Every golfer of every skill level wants an iron that looks great in the bag and delivers the performance they demand. With Stealth, the look of forgiveness has changed. Stealth delivers incredibly high launching distance and forgiveness in a players inspired, technically elegant design package.”

Matt Bovee, Product Creation, Irons

How the TaylorMade Stealth iron compares to competitor models in data

Verdict: TaylorMade Stealth iron

TaylorMade’s Stealth carbonwood has ruffled a few feathers in the driver world this year and from what we’ve seen the matching iron is right at the top of its respective tree too.

Over the last couple of years TaylorMade have been the first to talk about the benefits of using cap back technology within their irons, what it does for the Stealth is enable TaylorMade’s engineers to create a sleek and desirable head that’s forgiving too. And they’ve done such a good job in blending looks with forgiveness that our test pro reckoned he could happily put a set of Stealth into play himself.

It’s been nowhere nearly as widely reported as it should have been but TaylorMade’s decision to make the Stealth available in loft options (so golfers have the option of going up to 1 deg stronger or 2deg weaker), is seriously clever thinking as it opens the model up to a very wide audience of mid and higher handicap players. Just remember at slower speeds extra loft will help keep shots in the air longer.

All in Stealth is a very good mid handicap iron for 2022 and beyond. The heads look really attractive in the bag and sat behind the ball at address, and we love how the lighter KBS Max shaft is brilliant at flighting shots from the strong lofted heads. So don’t worry about shots not stopping on a green (so long as you have reasonable levels of speed).

In 2022 the TaylorMade Stealth iron (within our Best Mid-Handicap Iron Test) produced our pro’s 2^nd fastest ball speed (against the 1.5deg stronger lofted Cobra King LTDx) and the model tied 2^nd (with the PXG 0311 XP Gen 4 and Callaway Rogue ST Max) for longest carry distance within the category.

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TaylorMade Stealth iron specs

Other irons in the TaylorMade 2022 line-up

TaylorMade P7MB iron £1,299

Category: Blade/Muscleback

Forgiveness rating: 1

Handicap range: 4 and below

7-iron loft: 35°

A one-piece forged muscleback blade that’s designed to allow the worlds best ball strikers to shape and work shots into the tightest, tucked away pins on tour.

RELATED: Best Forged Iron 2022

TaylorMade P7MC iron £1,299

Category: Players’ Iron

Forgiveness rating: 2

Handicap range: 4 and below

7-iron loft: 34°

A one-piece forged muscle cavity players iron. Only 10% of tour players choose musclebacks, the rest opt for irons like the MC as they offer a smidge of forgiveness, whilst maintaining a compact tour size, narrow sole and reduced hosel offset.

TaylorMade P770 iron £1,299

Category: Players’ Iron

Forgiveness rating: 2/2.5

Handicap range: 8 and below

7-iron loft: 33°

A modern hollow body iron that combines the compact size decent golfers love with the benefits of faster ball speeds and extra forgiveness. The P770 has a fast, flexible and forged face (with cast body), 46g of internal tungsten weighting maximises forgiveness in what is very much a players’ iron chassis.

TaylorMade P790 iron £1,149 (steel)

Category: Players’ Distance Iron

Forgiveness rating: 2.5/3

Handicap range: 14 and below

7-iron loft: 30.5°

A modern hollow body players’ distance iron that combines the looks of a muscleback blade with the playability of a mid-handicap iron. Very much a mass market iron that can just about slip into the hands of a mid-handicap club golfer, but equally be just as at home in the hands of low single digit player.

TaylorMade Stealth iron £849 (steel) £949 (graphite)

Category: Mid-Handicap iron

Forgiveness rating: 3.5

Handicap range: 10 and above

7-iron loft: 28° (with the option to go 1° stronger and up to 2° weaker)

A brilliant cast option for club golfers who put a premium on great looking irons but don’t quite have the ball striking prowess of a single figure handicapper. TaylorMade’s longest distance iron, game improving irons never used to look, sound or feel this good.

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