Taylormade Stealth 2 Vs Ping G430 Driver Comparison Overview

While Taylormade is going crazy with carbon fiber, Ping has not yet jumped on this material bandwagon.

The Taylormade Stealth 2 driver is the latest offering from the company and uses more carbon fiber in its construction than any Taylormade driver before it.

The Ping G430 driver is one of the latest offerings from Ping but it sports a more traditional design. Is the “carbonwood” age really here as Taylormade would have us believe? Or is a driver like the G430 still superior? Let’s find out.

Taylormade Stealth 2 Driver Overview

“The old Stealth driver had carbon fiber in the face; but the new Taylormade Stealth 2 has it in the crown and sole as well.”

As you can imagine, this design element is supposed to help save weight – and it does. However, Taylormade went right back and upped the weight of the inertia generator. Instead of a 16 gram steel weight, the Taylormade Stealth 2 now has a 25 gram tungsten weight.

The driver has a very unique feel and we must confess, it plays hot. Most of our testers were getting upwards of 230 yards on their drives with the Taylormade Stealth 2. Spin rates were in the acceptable 2500 RPM range; but what our testers really liked was how forgiving this driver was. It sports the inverted cone technology which expands the sweet spot. For a driver that’s already 460cc, this makes for a very forgiving combination.

Ping G430 Driver Overview

“The Ping G430 utilizes a forged titanium face insert.”

For us, there’s no beating the feel of a forged face. While the Taylormade Stealth 2 played hot, we liked the feel and response of the Ping G430 driver a bit more. The Max and LST versions of the G430 driver also include movable weights that shift the CG.

Our testers didn’t find the Ping G430 driver as forgiving as the Taylormade Stealth 2 though. The launch was a bit lower and there was more variance on off-center strikes. And while spin rates were lower, the overall distance was a bit shorter than the Taylormade Stealth 2 as well.

“The carbon design of the Taylormade Stealth 2 at least seems like it’s effective. The Taylormade Stealth 2 is definitely forgiving and yields really good distance whether you have a fast swing speed or not. It is certainly the better driver in this comparison.”

Taylormade Stealth 2 Driver – First Impressions

“The new Stealth 2 drivers have a ton of shelf appeal, three version to choose from and plenty of Carbon in the face, permieter, sole and crown.

The carbon face has 60 sheets of the ultra strong material and it is covered in a glossy finish which makes it a little less vibrant than the original Stealth.

Inside the face is the inverted cone technology, usually reserved for Taylormade irons, which adds forgiveness on off center hits.

Forgiveness, accuracy and dispersion has been the focus of the Taylormade drivers this year. The original Stealth was great for tour players who had it dialed in but it was a little bit wayward for regular golfers.

The Stealth 2 is a little bit erratic still and it’s not as long as the Callaway Paradym or Cobra Aerojet for 2023 either.

That being said, these drivers look great in the bag and there are 3 variations to choose from.

If these drivers can help you to keep the ball on the fairway then they will be a boon for any golfer, its important to get a fitting to see what works best for your game.

The inject molded Carbon reinforced ring reduces weights which is redistributed with an inertia generating tungsten weight at the back of the club . This leads to higher MOI and increased distance.

The Taylormade acoustics team has also been busy throughout the year ensuring the sound and feel are on point with the new drivers and they do feel more powerful on impact.

When you catch the drivers flush, they fly for miles, especially the plus model, but we found off-center hit to be a little bit left and right in testing.

Perhaps if we had more time to test we could have dialed them in better as there is plenty of adjustable. The + has a sliding 15g weight and the loft can be increased or decreased by 2 degrees on each club alongside the lie angle.

The top line is also a little bit straighter at the behest of tour pro, Colin Morikawa.

Taylormade Stealth 2 Family

3 versions to choose from in the Stealth 2 family.

The Stealth 2 plus will the driver used on tour by pros like Colin Morikawa and Rory Mcilroy.

The 15g adjustable sliding weight ensures you can get this one perfect for your swing.

It is also the longest and lowest spinning.

The Stealth 2 HD is the draw bias driver which will help higher handicappers who are dealing with a slice.

It is also the highest launching and highest spinning, with the least distance

The Stealth 2 is the middle ground which should be the best driver out of the box with mid launch, mid spin and mid distance.

Ping G430 Driver – First Impressions

“The Ping G430 drivers have a noticeably different design than previous Ping G drivers.”

The face has a more shallow profile yet the crown and sole have a more rounded design. Overall the Ping G430 drivers look really unique. They also have the signature “ping” sound at impact which is really satisfying and lets you know when you’ve struck the ball perfectly.

We were also impressed that all three drivers in the new line come with movable weights. This will help a wide array of players who are struggling against a draw or a fade. It’ll also help you put more power behind the area of the face that you tend to make contact with.

The adjustable loft sleeve will also help you dial these drivers in during fittings. Ping did a good job of upping the adjustability element of the new Ping G430 so that they appeal to a wider array of players. Unless you have a handicap in the 0-5 range, the new Ping G430 driver can benefit your long game in one way or another.

The Ping G430 Family

If you are a better player looking to squeeze more yards out of your drive with muted spin, the Ping G430 LST is definitely the driver for you. If you are a high handicapper, go with the Ping G430 Max. If you are struggling with accuracy off the tee, the Ping G430 SFT would benefit you most.

Taylormade Stealth 2 Selling Points

Tighter Dispersion off the tee
Improved sound and feel
Tons of customization options
Can get custom colors with My Stealth
HD version should work for a slice
More shelf appeal than the original Stealth

Ping G430 Selling Points

Adjustable CG weights
Forged faces
All three models play hot
Titanium face
Adjustable hosels

Who is the Taylormade Stealth Driver For?

“The Stealth 2 will suit every golfer from the average sunday slugger to top tour pros in the game”

The Stealth 2 has a couple of things going for it.

The price point is $100 less than the Callaway Paradym driver.

It has more shelf appeal than the original stealth and it is more forgiving, with a tighter dispersion.

The move to carbon may pay dividends for Taylormade in the future, but they are not the longest or most accurate for us at the moment.

A club fitting is going to be your best option to see what the best driver is for your game.

The HD version will suit the slicer but it may not be for every golfer.

We found the Stealth 2 to be a little bit erratic in terms of distance and accuracy, but for some golfers, it may be the best option for their game.

The Plus model is the one that will suit most golfers as it can be dialed into your exact swing with the 15g adjustable weight.

Overall, these are a step from Taylormade but there are a ton of competing drivers to take your hard-earned cash in 2023.

Distance: 93/100

Accuracy: 94/100

Forgiveness: 94/100

Feel & Control: 94/100

Overall Score: 94/100

Check Out More Reviews Here:

Who is the Ping G430 Driver for?

“With three unique models, the Ping G430 drivers will appeal to a wide variety of players.”

It would seem that the overarching goal for these drivers was to make them viable for all skill levels. For the most part, Ping succeeded at this. The only type of player that we can imagine that wouldn’t benefit from these drivers are scratch players. The Ping G430 drivers launch high and don’t allow for a whole lot of workability.

So if you are a really good player, you’re better off looking elsewhere for a new driver. That being said, the Ping G430 drivers are ideal for both mid and high handicappers looking for a good mixture of forgiveness and accuracy.

We love the new forged face design because it will help virtually any kind of player achieve better ball speeds. The Ping G430 drivers will be especially beneficial to players who need more lateral forgiveness from their driver.