Long Term Review of the TaylorMade Stealth 3 Wood

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TaylorMade officially graduated from its SIM and SIM2 club lines, which were first revealed in 2020, and brought a new Stealth lineup to the market for 2022. While the Stealth driver has taken the market by storm, and for a good reason, the Stealth lineup of fairway woods deserves its own moment in the spotlight. It offers forgiveness, incredible distance, and an appearance that makes even the most elementary ball strikers thirsty for more.

I have had my Stealth 3 wood for three months, replacing a Callaway Big Bertha Steelhead given to me when I started playing several years ago. The Big Bertha is nearly 30 years old, according to my research. It was the best club in my bag for a long time; I was most consistent and felt that it was made for me in a way. However, the time came when I questioned whether I should stick with the old faithful Big Bertha or try the new kid on the block. I made the switch, and I could not be happier.

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Right out of the bag, the TaylorMade Stealth Fairway Woods lacks the red, 60x Carbon Twist Face equipped on the Driver. Instead, it features a C300 Steel face with TaylorMade's Twist Face Technology, which helps to correct off-center impacts with a specially designed curvature. It is still a great-looking club, not overly intimidating, but compared to old 3 Woods, like the one I came from, it is definitely something to get used to.

I got mine with the Golf Pride Align Grips and a Fujikura Ventus Red Shaft. Typically, I have used the Align Grips on all of my Fairway Woods, Hybrids, and Long Irons, which is what feels most comfortable to me. It also came about an inch longer than my Big Bertha is, so I was sure to have it cut down when it got here.

One of the first things I noticed about the Stealth 3 Wood was how confident I felt over the ball. 3 woods have always been my strength. Early in my playing days, I actually didn't use a driver and focused on fairway woods and long irons to find more fairways. My days of pulling out my hybrid or a long iron off the tee are relatively void after hitting the Stealth 3 Wood. I never lack confidence while over the ball, and I credit that to the appearance.

Coming with a 190cc club head, there is plenty of size to not shy away from taking on a tougher shot. Even hitting balls off of tight fairways when you want to push to get on that short Par 5 in two shots, or the long Par 4 in regulation, isn't too tall of a task.

One of my favorite features is the matte-finished head crown. On the Titleist TSi2 Hybrid, the glossy face is definitely a distraction, especially on Sunny days. While it all comes down to personal preference, the matte finish is much cleaner and less distracting than other options.

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Going from a Steelhead 3 wood to one predominantly comprised of carbon fiber and steel, the first huge difference is the weight. Even friends who have fairway woods from the past two or three years feel the weight difference in the Stealth compared to their clubs. The lack of weight still provides a striking bit of stability through the backswing and downswing, helping create better consistency from shot to shot.

Contact results are fed by not only the lack of weight, but also the enhanced V Steel design TaylorMade equipped on the Stealth. It is extremely rare that fat or chunked shots occur with this club, even with tight or difficult lies.

The solid sound of the Stealth Fairway Wood won't turn any heads, but it is a solid and compact noise that reminds me of visiting tour events. We all hit clubs that are used on tour but rarely does the sound that pros produce come from an amateur's club. The Stealth will definitely add a bit of swagger to your game based on the sound alone. The forgiveness offered by the Twist Face will also help those who hear the solid sound of a ball strike see what will likely be a strong shot.

My Big Bertha used to get me around 225 in the air and somewhere around 240 total in ideal conditions. One of the first rounds on my Stealth 3 Wood, I had about 270 to the pin on a Par 5, water to the right on an elevated green. Laying up didn't seem to be in the cards for this shot, especially because I wanted to test what the Stealth could do. I managed to carry this shot dead straight at 245, bouncing up onto the green after colliding with a sharp uphill preceding the putting surface. 262 yards later, I was just over 20 feet for eagle (Spoiler: I settled for a birdie).

New stealth 3 wood👌⛳️ pic.twitter.com/FhyHjZIyur

— R W COLSH (@RColsh) February 4, 2022

This is where everyone's budget and how much they play really comes into question. For the routine player who is out on the range on getting a quick 9 in after work, preparing for a foursome with friends on a weekend, the Stealth Fairway is a pleasant option. I would personally not be able to justify the smaller, less forgiving Stealth+ because it is more challenging to hit, and it's $100 more than the regular Stealth.

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But even for the casual player, the Stealth Fairway is definitely worth the extra price. While the tag alone is perhaps the only con I can think of when reviewing the club, it still isn't terrible compared to similar designs. The technology, confidence, and appearance alone were enough for me to justify giving it a shot.

After a few range sessions and a couple rounds to test its versatility, the Stealth Three Wood is a club I would personally recommend to anyone looking to improve distance, performance, and ball striking through its incredible forgiveness. The sound and appearance are just add-ons, but they’re supplemental support for an already amazing club.

Cover Image Via TaylorMade

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Joey has been a journalist for over three years, covering various topics in the automotive and sports industries. He has been a passionate golfer for around six years, but has been a fan of the game for much longer. His earliest memories of golf are watching The Masters and learning the game with friends at courses local to him in Pennsylvania, which, despite the challenging climate, he plays year-round. He has attended several golf tournaments, including the BMW Championship in 2021 and 2022, and has been denied (what should be) a record 12 times for The Masters' annual ticket lottery.In his bag, Joey currently plays the TaylorMade Stealth Driver and 3 Wood, TSi2 19° Hybrid, Titleist T300 irons, Callaway Mack Daddy and Tommy Armour Wedges, and a TaylorMade Spider Putter. He plays TP5x or ProV1x.

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I’d like to start this out by being completely transparent with you: I am a spiked shoe golfer.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy wearing spikeless shoes, largely because they can be more comfortable and lighter. But when there's money (or bragging rights) on the line, I will always reach for a pair of spiked golf shoes.

But with the ZG23, adidas Golf has finally developed a spiked shoe that lets me have my (ice cream) cake and eat it too.

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The ZG23 is the next evolution of adidas’ incredibly successful ZG21 shoe, which, likewise, focused on creating the perfect lightweight, spiked golf shoe.

The ZG23 takes it five steps further than its predecessor, with the incorporation of LIGHSTRIKE and LIGHTSTRIKE PRO cushioning systems.

These two technologies come together and bring athletic technologies found in adidas’ running and basketball shoes, meaning you can swing more aggressively while remaining comfortable, even when you’re walking the rolling hills of Bethpage's Black Course.

I want to be clear: the cushioning systems do not make the ZG23 marshmallow soft. Instead, the material can be best described as "reactive," as it is comfortably soft when walking but also firm enough that you can feel a pressure change as you load up into your rear leg during the backswing.

To make sure you can enjoy this comfortable, lightweight package in even the worst conditions, the ZG23's upper section features SPRINTSKIN, a 4-layer waterproof upper section that remains committed to the shoe's lightweight ethos.

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It is worth noting that the ZG23's are also environmentally friendly; the upper section of the ZG23 contains a minimum of 50% recycled materials, building on adidas’ mission to end plastic waste.

The ZG23 have allowed me to get my golf season started with confidence. After not wearing golf shoes for several months, I’d be hesitant to wear even broken-in shoes to golf lessons or simulator sessions for fear of getting blisters. The ZG23's, however, were worn straight out of the box and have provided footwear euphoria ever since.

Indeed, regardless if it's been an early, dew-filled spring morning or blistering, 90° heat June day, the ZG23s have let me enjoy every step of my round. Indeed, I found myself reaching for the ZG23's even when I’m not playing—like speed training in the garage.

As for styling, the ZG23s come in five different colorways (each pictured below) (along with two extra wide options) that range from the more conservative Cloud White / Dark Silver Metallic / Silver Metallic to the more vibrant, eye-catching Cloud White / Core Black / Semi Solar Red. What this means is the ZG23 can be paired with every personality and golf look you can dream of: from the outlandish bachelor party look to the strict-dress code country club.

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With Father's Day fast approaching, the ZG23's should be near the top of the list, especially now that adidas has released the summer-friendly Vent version—featuring a breathable mesh upper. Because I can promise you this: when the club championship season rolls around, I can assure you the ZG23s will be on my feet from qualifying to the (hopeful) championship round.

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Titleist sent me the StaDry 4 Stand Bag several weeks ago to test and review, and I was more than impressed with it during a way-too-early review that basically highlighted what there was to offer at face value. Coming from last year's model, I was impressed: the look was better, the space was more plentiful, and the size was sleek and maneuverable for a cart or for a walk. I tested the latter today during a walk on nine of the most hilly and uneven courses in my area: Bridgewater Golf Club.

A little background on BGC: I played there roughly six years ago for the first time when it was called Springwood Golf Course. It was 18 holes of tight fairways, thick rough, and some of the most interesting layouts for a course I’ve played, even to this day. I can vividly remember hitting holes on the back nine and thinking: am I even in Pennsylvania anymore?

Fast forward to 2020, and it was Bridgewater Golf Club. It was the height of the pandemic, and a lot had changed. The attached restaurant was different, the owner was a PGA Professional who had a great personality, and it was trimmed down to nine of the most locally-located holes as the rest of the course was bought by a commercial real estate developer (something that is all too well known in my area now, unfortunately). The owner had put two flags on each green, so when you made the turn, you had a different pin location to go after. You also played from a different tee box the second time around.

Since 2020, the course has been owned by three different people, and the current ones have it in the best shape it has been in for a while. I filmed a significant portion of the round and tried to get my thoughts about the bag out as best as I could, and while the course may not look like much, it is pretty crazy to see how much it has changed, and there is no doubt in my mind it will continue to get better.

Now, Bridgewater is nine holes, nine pins, and in the best shape it has been in since 2020. It is hilly, it is tiring, and it is a tough place to play, especially when you’re walking, which is exactly why I picked it for this review.

I wanted to see how light this bag really was when it was a full bag of 14 clubs, balls, range finders, and water to drink, as the day I chose to do the review, it was 88 degrees outside, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky.

In the first review, I did my best to highlight what the new bag encompassed: more storage, a better look, obvious waterproofing, and slightly different Titleist branding. My main focus for this review was the walking, and this is how I feel about it now.

According to my Whoop, I walked 3.4 miles and burned 1,010 calories. My Strain Score (for the Whoop users reading this article) was 14.6.

And although this was my first bit of golf walking, it will certainly not be my last, and the biggest part of it was this bag for sure. It was light, agile, and not overly strenuous to carry. There were parts of my walk on the Bridgewater 9 that were long, hilly, uneven, and hot. However, I never thought that the nine-hole stretch was something I wouldn't do again.

It really was an ideal choice, and I could not imagine doing this with my Titleist 14 Cart Bag, which is huge, bulky, and obviously not suitable for this type of thing.

If I had to complain about something, it would be the shoulder straps, and I would just like a tad more padding on them, but I think I could get over it. In fact, I’m somewhat convinced it was more of the "not used to walking" and not the comfort level or quality of the straps themselves.

The Titleist StaDry 4 Carry Bag is $295 on Titleist's website. It comes in a variety of colors, so there's a little something for everyone there. I highly recommend it, and I think it is something I will absolutely use for my future walking rounds, even if they will likely be few and far between.

Cover Image Via Joey Klender

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Padraig Harrington has been vigilantly reinventing himself, and one of the things he can attribute to the resurgence is SuperSpeed Golf. So it's not too surprising that the two have formally teamed up—SuperSpeed Golf is excited to announce the signing of a worldwide and multi-year brand ambassador agreement with Padraig Harrington.

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Harrington has won three Major Championships, including the 2007 and 2008 Open Championships and the 2008 PGA Championship, as well as the 2022 US Senior Open. In total, Harrington has amassed 35 professional victories, reached a highest Official World Golf Ranking of No. 3, and was named a 2024 World Golf Hall of Fame Inductee.

In recent years, Harrington has made speed training and overall strength a priority for his continued improvement. At 51 years of age, he has reached the fastest swing speed of his professional career and is leading PGA TOUR Champions in driving distance by reaching ball speeds above 180 mph on a regular basis.

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Padraig's partnership will include social media engagement with the SuperSpeed community, which will center on why speed is so important in the modern game, how it's possible to gain speed as you age, how biomechanics and technology have improved the ability to know exactly how best to train for speed, and why SuperSpeed is the easiest and most effective speed training system on the market.

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Harrington said:

"I am excited to officially work with SuperSpeed as I want to continue to create more easy speed with my swing. A lot of people think it's all about speed which is very important but what it is really about is having speed in your comfort zone while playing. SuperSpeed has been in this game the longest, they’ve built these programs, they have the experience, and they’ve done the research. If you don't have speed, you are behind the 8- ball and giving up a lot."

SuperSpeed also supports several other players and influencers including LPGA Tour players Nanna Koerstz-Madsen and Cheyenne Night, Korn Ferry Tour player Cody Blick, and top amateur Maxwell Moldovan.

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The SuperSpeed Golf Training System includes three specifically weighted training clubs and access to over a year's worth of complimentary online training. Designed around the concept of Overspeed Training, the research is clear showing 5% swing speed gains in approximately six weeks of regular practice with gains continuing with subsequent use.

The SuperSpeed Training System has helped hundreds of thousands of golfers increase their swing speed and create more powerful, consistent golf swings. Used by over 700 touring professionals, SuperSpeed is available in over 40 countries.

Mike Napoleon, President of SuperSpeed Golf, said:

"All of us here at SuperSpeed are very excited to have a player like Padraig not only as an ambassador for SuperSpeed, but proof of the impact our system can have. When we decided to start our Tour ambassador program, he was the first player we thought of. Padraig has been working with our equipment as long as our company has existed and has enjoyed great results. He is a perfect example of how fully integrating speed training can have long-term positive effects for a player. We hope that having him on the team helps bring this message to many more golfers all around the world."

Cover Image Via Instagram

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