A hugely impressive, all-round performer. The standout gain was in the consistency of ball flight and distance, especially on shots struck away from the sweetspot. The red face, matte black crown combination might put some off but we loved the striking, premium aesthetics
For
- Impressive overall performance
- Strong ball flight
- Outstanding shelf appeal
Against
- Less confidence-inspiring model
The Rogue ST Max is a worthy follow up to impressive original Rogue and Mavrik, seemingly delivering high levels of stability and consistency while maintaining competitive distance. The overall look is more premium while the performance will appeal to a range of player types.
For
- Premium, elegant look
- Better sound and feel than Mavrik
- Very stable ball flight
Against
- Orange will divide opinion
- Clock style graphic unnecessary
TaylorMade Stealth vs Callaway Rogue ST Max Driver: Read our head to head verdict
With so many top-quality golf drivers available on the market, it can be difficult to find the right one for you. Looking on the internet or in your local pro shop, there are many options that aim to eke out the most distance and forgiveness within your game.
So, where do you start? Well, if your budget allows, you can’t go wrong with two of the most recognised brands in the business, with TaylorMade and Callaway releasing new drivers for 2022 that have already made an appearance in our Editor’s Choice awards.
The TaylorMade Stealth and Callaway Rogue ST Max are ranked as some of the best golf drivers money can buy, with both being rigorously tested by Golf Monthly. However, which one is more suited to your game? We look at the performance head-to-head.
Technology
Brands are finding more ways of cramming their drivers with the latest technology and, with these two models, it is no exception as both have introduced new tech to eke the most distance and forgiveness out of your game.
With the Stealth, TaylorMade has introduced golfers to the 'Carbonwood Age.' This refers to a new face design featuring 60 layers of lightweight carbon fibre, enclosed by a polyurethane and nanotexture cover to hone in launch and spin. Along with this new aspect, we see the company's Twist Face design, which reduces the effect of off-centre shots.
As for Callaway, it still sits by its A.I. designed Jailbreak Speed Frame, which provides stability as well as speed across the face. The company claim to be the industry leader in Artificial Intelligence and, with its Rogue ST driver range, it has introduced a new A.I. designed face which should again lower spin and increase forgiveness.
The other noticeable difference is the positioning of weight. For the standard Stealth model, TaylorMade has said goodbye to the Sliding Weight Track, with weight instead being added low and deep in the head (there is a sliding weight track in the Stealth Plus driver to help the golfer dial in a certain shot shape). Callaway, on the other hand, has introduced a new Tungsten Speed Cartridge structure that places up to 26 grams low and deep in the driver head. Again, this increases MOI, making the Rogue ST one of the most forgiving drivers on the market
The tungsten weight of the Rogue ST Max
Looks
Both have somewhat eye-catching looks, however, it is the Stealth which stands out more, with its red clubface providing an exciting and modern look that isn’t distracting behind the ball at set-up. We understand that the red aspect won’t be to everyone’s taste, but we really like it as it’s not too recessive or over the top.
There's a lot to like about the Rogue ST as well. In particular, we loved how the matte crown contrasts the lighter color of the clubface, making the loft nicely visible at address. When you combine this with the larger footprint (the Callaway looks bigger behind the ball than the more compact-looking TaylorMade), we thought the Rogue ST looked a little more inviting and confidence-inspiring at address.
However, we felt as if the Callaway lacked the same shelf appeal of the Stealth. In terms of aspirational aesthetics, the latter sets the benchmark this year.
Feel
Make no mistake - these are two of the best feeling drivers of 2022. Clearly, engineers working for both companies understand how to create drivers that sound powerful and provide a very solid feel through impact. Both drivers are excellent performers in this category.
As the TaylorMade Stealth has a carbon fibre face instead of titanium, you might be worried it would feel a little lifeless. That however, is not the case. The pitch is slightly higher than previous models, but still extremely powerful and satisfying. We thought it was very well balanced.
The Rogue ST Max is very different to the pervious generation Epic Max. It has a duller, less high-pitched impact sound that we absolutely loved. Wherever you hit this driver on the face, it feels extremely solid.
Performance
Both of these models are among the top performers of 2022, and the data from our testing in the chart below highlights that. In truth, there was very little to choose between them in terms of performance. The launch, flight and overall distance were remarkably similar. However, there were are few differences in performance that we have noticed.
The Rogue ST Max has a slight draw bias built in. This was noticeable during our testing and for those golfers who tend to miss the target with the odd slice, this might be a key feature.
We also loved how stable the Rogue ST Max felt. We can only think that the 11.5g tungsten weight, positioned at the very rear of the clubhead, works well to improve the overall consistency of performance.
The Stealth, with its more compact look and neutral set up, felt easy to shape offering excellent control over both the flight and trajectory.
Interestingly, both drivers delivered very solid, low spin performance (given our clubhead speed of around 112 mph). They are also very consistent in terms of spin. Both drivers delivered similar ball speeds and spin rates, even when we failed to hit the ball from the centre of the clubface.
Lastly, both the Stealth and Rogue ST Max provide a lot of adaptability, with both offering several shaft and lie options for you to experiment with to find the right balance and set-up for your game.
Which One Should You Choose
Choose the TaylorMade Stealth if…
- You are looking for a more compact appearance at address
- You want a driver with a lively yet powerful feel
- You are after something that stands out in the bag and behind the ball
Should you decide to buy from the TaylorMade range, take a look at our handpicked TaylorMade coupon codes.
Choose the Callaway Rogue ST Max if...
- You are after a slight draw bias
- You are looking for confidence at set up
- You want something that sounds powerful through impact
If you decide to buy from the Callaway golf range, check out our Callaway coupon codes.
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