Ping G430 Vs Taylormade Stealth 2 Fairway Wood Comparison Overview

Ping G430 Vs Taylormade Stealth 2 Fairway Wood

Before we get into the comparison, it should be noted that the Taylormade Stealth 2 has three versions: the standard, the Stealth 2 Plus and the Stealth 2 HD.

The HD version has internal draw bias while the Stealth 2 Plus has an adjustable weight.

The Ping G430 comes in two versions: MAX and SFT. The only difference is that the SFT version is meant to straighten the shots of players who slice the ball.

For this comparison, we tested the standard Taylormade Stealth 2 fairway wood against the Ping G430 MAX specifically.

Ping G430 Fairway Wood Overview

“The Ping G430 fairway wood features a carbon crown panel that merges with the skirt and heel sections of the head.”

Ping combined this weight-saving feature with a C300 maraging steel face and added the “Spinsistency” architecture to make it more forgiving.

The Ping G430 MAX is available in 3W, 5W, 7W and 9W.

Overall, we found the Ping G430 to be incredibly forgiving. The maraging steel face gave it a very clean, crisp and loud sound at impact while working to tighten up shot dispersion.

Spin rates were within the average range for fairway woods, and the variable face thickness preserved distance on almost all mis-hits.

The Ping G430 fairway wood also has an adjustable loft sleeve for advanced shot-shaping.

Taylormade Stealth 2 Fairway Wood Overview

“Like the Ping G430, the Taylormade Stealth 2 fairway wood was incredibly forgiving.”

The Twist Face technology, inverted cone face architecture and Speed Pocket all work together to make an extremely forgiving fairway wood.

The Taylormade Stealth 2 is available in 15, 16.5, 18, 21, and 24 degree loft versions.

The Taylormade Stealth 2 also has a C300 maraging steel face. Remarkably, shot dispersion was even tighter with the Taylormade Stealth 2 fairway wood – almost boringly so.

The only gripe that we had against the Taylormade Stealth 2 fairway wood had to do with a lack of workability; but that shouldn’t be a serious issue for high handicap players who are seeking forgiveness above all else.

“High handicap players really can’t go wrong with either of these fairway woods. It’s when you start talking about better players that the differences arise.

Launch control and shot-shaping was much easier in the Ping G430 fairway woods whereas workability was almost non-existent in the Taylormade Stealth 2 woods.”

Ping G430 Fairway Woods

In 20 Words or Less

“Premium feel and forgiveness are combined in the Ping G430 fairway woods. Low spin rates also promote distance.”

Taylormade Stealth 2 Fairway Woods

In 20 Words or Less

“The Taylormade Stealth 2 fairway woods have a very nice feel and launch high. A solid option for high handicappers.”

Ping G430 Fairway Wood – First Impressions

“Overall we were pretty excited to get our hands on the Ping G430 fairway woods.”

We really liked the black and red color scheme and the overall aesthetic is very much in line with modern Ping clubs

We were taken with the feel of these woods almost immediately. The C300 maraging steel has an excellent resonant tone that really rewards you on pure strikes. While the Ping G430 fairway woods aren’t forged, you get feedback that is comparable to forged woods from them.

Ping G430 Fairway Wood Family

“The Ping G430 SFT and MAX models are the same in almost every way.”

The MAX model has an additional 9W option and the SFT model has a sliding weight. Both models sport the C300 maraging face and Facewrap technology. They also both have the composite carbon crown.

Taylormade Stealth 2 Fairway Woods – First Impressions

“Our first impression of the Taylormade Stealth 2 fairway woods was that they didn’t really change much from the last Stealth offering.”

And while this assessment was generally astute, we can’t fault Taylormade for it. That’s because what they did change was how forgiving the Stealth fairway woods are. Forgiveness and feel have definitely been improved since the original Stealth Fairway woods and that’s really what high handicap players will be looking for.

Taylormade Stealth 2 Fairway Wood Family

“The Standard Taylormade Stealth 2 fairway woods will be a great option for mid and high handicap players.”

The Taylormade Stealth 2 Plus fairway woods are the only ones that don’t have a C300 face construction. Instead, Taylormade used titanium, which isn;t bad; but it just doesn;t feel as responsive as the C300 steel faces that the standard and HD versions have. The HD version has the biggest head though at 200cc (3 wood).

Ping G430 Selling Points

Amazing feel and sound at impact
CG can be tweaked in the SFT model
Low spin rates across the board
Good overall distance
Very forgiving

Taylormade Stealth 2 Fairway Wood Selling Points

High launch
The face feels smooth and responsive
Very forgiving
Good carry distance
Great for high handicappers

Who is the Ping G430 Fairway Wood for?

“The Ping G430 fairway woods are a great option for anyone who needs a game improvement fairway wood; but also one that they can still use when they lower their handicap.”

The Ping G430 fairway woods are also built really well so they should last for many, many seasons. Overall they are a good investment for anyone who is serious about lowering their score and suspects that they will be a golfer for a long time to come. You get good forgiveness, distance and feel from these clubs – what more could you want?

Distance: 97/100

Forgiveness: 94/100

Forgiveness: 96/100

Feel & Control: 97/100

Overall Score: 97/100

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Who Are the Taylormade Stealth 2 Fairway Woods for?

“These are definitely great woods for your average mid to high handicapper.”

The inverted cone technology will help you keep your ball speed up even if you miss the sweet spot. The slight curvature of the faces will also help you launch the ball high on mis-hits. There is even a laser-etched alignment marker on the top of the face to help you square up on your downswing.

Everything about the new Taylormade Stealth 2 fairway woods was designed to help high handicappers get down the fairway in a hurry.