Callaway Mavrik Vs. Taylormade Stealth Irons Comparison Overview
If you have shopped for game improvement irons in 2022 then you have probably come across the Taylormade Stealth irons. The Stealth irons are Taylormade’s latest entry into their own illustrious line of game-improvement irons.
In the course of shopping, you have probably wondered if you need to spend so much money on a new set of irons. What about older sets that are more affordable? How do they stack up against the latest clubs? To help you find out, we compared the Taylormade Stealth irons to the Callaway Mavriks.
Callaway Mavrik Irons Overview
The Mavrik’s sole focus is ball speed. While the size of the head naturally lends itself to forgiveness, this is really more of an afterthought.
Forgiveness takes a backseat to ball speed in the Callaway Mavrik irons. The Flash Face technology used to make these irons emphasizes the preservation of swing energy for maximum ball speed. So how long are these irons?
Using the 4 iron in this set, our testers were able to achieve a maximum distance of 189 yards. This sounds pretty impressive and it is – just keep in mind that the slower swing speed testers in our group were averaging max distances of about 10 yards fewer with the same club.
Launch was also pretty impressive with these irons. They did a greatj ob of stopping dead even on fast greens.
Taylormade Stealth Irons Overview
The latest offering from Taylormade sees the company take new steps in the same direction.
While the redefined Cap Back design that blends in with the toe marks a new innovation for Taylormade, the purpose is the same as past irons: increase forgiveness. The Taylormade Stealth irons are game-improvement irons that like the Mavrik’s provide easy launch.
Surprisingly, this means slightly above average short-game performance when compared to most game-improvement irons. But the Taylormade Stealth irons underperformed in one of the most important arenas for game-improvement irons: distance.
On average, the 4 iron of the Taylormade Stealth set was 9 yards shorter than the same club from the Mavrik set. While the Taylormade Stealth irons are certainly more workable, the Mavrik irons were also more forgiving.
At about $200 cheaper than the Taylormade Stealth irons, the Callaway Mavrik irons are the better buy if you are in the market for a true set of game-improvement irons. Better players may actually benefit more from the Taylormade Stealth irons though.
Callaway Mavrik Irons
Category – Game Improvement/Distance Irons
Taylormade Stealth Irons
Category: Game Improvement Irons
Callaway Mavrik – First Impressions
The Callaway Mavrik Irons look amazing and deliver a ton of distance and accuracy with low dispersion between strikes.
Each Iron is crafted using Artificial Intelligence that ensures the weighting is in the optimal position and that these Irons maximize their potential.
They have 360 Face Cup technology which allows for some flex in the iron face on impact resulting in maximum ball speed and distance.
The clubs have a lot of loft, allowing you to get the ball in the air while Tungsten Weighting, keeps the center of gravity low in these irons and the Urethane Microspheres reduce vibrations on off center hits.
These are excellent Game Improvement irons from 2020 that come at an affordable price.
Taylormade Stealth First Impressions
The Taylormade Stealth irons have a striking design that we didn’t really know what to make of at first.
These are some of the most uniquely designed game improvement irons we ever tested. The cap back system that wraps around the rear toe area looks striking but it didn’t make sense to us at first.
Then we started playing with this set. One of the first things we noticed was that even with the 4 iron, it was very easy to find the sweet spot. The offset helps yes, but more than anything, that extra mass in the sole beneath the sweet spot helps to square up.
It’s like a giant target for your alignment. And since the face was designed to flex to a ridiculous degree, you don’t need a fast swing speed to get decent distance out of these irons.
With the 5 iron in the Taylormade Stealth set, our testers were able to establish an average distance of 161 yards. Of course, as game improvement irons, they suffer from the typical short-game pitfalls.
With the shorter irons, spin is very hard to control. Roll distance was a problem on short approaches and if you are playing a particularly fast green, you will need to rely on your wedges for longer shots.
Callaway Mavrik – Selling Points
- Artificial Intelligence
- Urethane Microspheres
- Tungsten Weighting For Low COG
- Large Sweet Spot With Flexible Face For Forgiveness
- 360 Cup Face For Maximum Ball Speed
Taylormade Stealth Selling Points
- They have an innovative cap back design
- They do work to soften harsh vibration to a moderate degree
- Reduced toe mass
- Increased sole mass under the center of the face
- They feature Taylormade’s inverted Cone Technology (ICT)
- 450 stainless steel face
Who Are The Mavrik Irons For
The Mavrik Irons will suit Beginners and Mid Handicappers. Almost anybody should be able to hit high, far and straight shots with these classic irons that ares till among the best in the game right now.
Mavrik Family Of Irons
The Mavrik Max are more suited to beginners, they have higher lofts and offer more forgiveness while giving up a bit of their distance.
The Mavrik Pro Irons are going to be perfect for Mid Handicappers and those that want to work the ball a bit more. Less loft and more fell in the Mavrik Pro Irons
Distance: 96/100
Accuracy: 95/100
Forgiveness: 97/100
Feel And Control: 88/100
Overall Score: 95/100
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Who are the Taylormade Stealth Irons for?
The Taylormade Stealth irons would primarily benefit high handicap players who are struggling chiefly with distance.
While they offer a moderate degree of forgiveness, it’s clear after testing these irons that most of the R&D went into improving ball speed and distance for players with slower swing speeds.
Most of the testers in our party with swing speeds under 90MPH were keeping up remarkably well with testers with faster swing speeds. Just don’t expect impeccable feel from these irons.
While Taylormade claims that the polymer cap back material gives these irons a “forged feel” we would classify this as a dubious claim at best. At the end of the day, there is simply no mistaking a forged iron and these are not forged irons.
The Taylormade Iron Family
While the Stealth irons are a stand-alone class, Taylormade makes a ton of iron sets. One of the most notable for beginners and high handicappers is the SIM2 Max irons that sport an oversized face profile so that it’s much easier to nail the sweet spot.
The SIM2 Max irons also feature the predecessor to the cap back system, the Speed Bridge. The Speed Bridge is a rear brace that connects the crown and sole, allowing the face to be disconnected from the body just like the Taylormade Stealth irons.
The result is the same: higher degree of flex and ball speed. However, the SIM2 Max irons will do more for you if you are struggling with iron accuracy. They offer comparable distance to the Taylormade Stealth irons; but with a higher emphasis on forgiveness.
Distance: 94/100
Accuracy: 92/100
Forgiveness: 93/100
Feel & Control: 89/100
Overall Score: 92/100
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