Taylormade SIM Max Vs. Taylormade Stealth Irons Comparison Overview
In many ways, the original SIM irons paved the way for the newer class of Taylormade irons. Over the years, Taylormade has been slowly refining their iron designs and with both the original SIM and the new Stealth irons, they focused on making an extremely playable set.
The Taylormade Stealth irons are the new kids on the block but we wanted to see if they were really a significant improvement on some of Taylormade’s older irons. Does newer really mean better in this case? Find out in the following comparison overview.
Taylormade SIM Max Irons Overview
The Taylormade SIM Max made waves in it’s day thanks to the introduction of the Speed Bridge.
The Speed Bridge is a rear brace that connects the sole and crown so that the face can float free, generating more flex. And indeed, the SIM Max irons still hold up in terms of speed. In fact, we used a launch monitor to test ball speed and the SIM Max’s were almost identical to the Taylormade Stealth irons in the ball speed category.
The SIM Max irons also have a large footprint so they were easy to hit with, even for some of our high handicap testers. However, you have to really be looking for both forgiveness and distance to get the most bang out of your buck from the SIM Max’s because they don’t do much else.
Spin control is almost non-existent and their beefy profiles make the shorter irons very difficult to rein in. Oftentimes, we found our balls sailing past the green on shots with the SIM Max 8 iron.
Taylormade Stealth Irons Overview
The Taylormade Stealth irons use a rear badge to bridge the sole and crown.
Like the SIM Max’s, that rear badge houses a layer of polymer that helps dampen harsh vibration. Before we go any further, we should mention that it was clear after our testing that both of these iron sets were designed for mid to high handicappers.
That all being said, the only thing we really don’t like about the Taylormade Stealth irons is the feel. Taylormade promises a “forged feel” iron and the Stealth’s don’t come close to forged feel.
Despite the poor feel, the Taylormade Stealth irons were more forgiving and launched higher than the SIM Max irons. Distance was almost identical and both these sets would be best for mid to high handicappers.
Taylormade Sim Max Irons
Category: Game Improvement Irons
Taylormade Stealth Irons
Category: Game Improvement Irons
Taylormade Sim Max – First Impressions
The first thing to notice about these Irons is the striking looks. The clubs have a cavity back design with more thickness towards the bottom of the design for more ball speed.
In the clubs we have a low Center of Gravity, a wide sole for a bigger sweet spot, forgiveness and echo camping technology for a nice sound even on Mishits.
The Speed Bridge, Speed Pocket and and ultra thin face all account for club head transferring into balls speed for maximum distance, accuracy and tons of forgiveness.
The Sim Max Irons have recently been upgraded to the Sim2 family for 2021.
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.
Sim Max – Selling Points
- Speed Bridge Technology
- Speed Pocket
- Echo Damping System
- Ultra Thin Face
- Progressive Inverted Cone Technology
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 Sim Max Irons For?
These Irons are going to be ideal for High and Mid Handicappers who want a perfect balance of distance and forgiveness.
The Family Of Irons
The Sim Max also comes in the following:
Sim which is going to be better for those looking for more distance and less forgiveness.
The Sim Max OS are going to be the most forgiving but be prepared to sacrifice a little bit of distance for the pleasure.
Distance: 98/100
Accuracy: 98/100
Forgiveness: 96/100
Feel And Control: 88/100
Overall Score: 97/100
Check Out More Reviews Here:
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
Check Out More Reviews Here:
