Equipment

Dustin Johnson on the new TaylorMade Stealth Plus driver and the important area where it excels

Published

4 years ago

Jan 25, 2022

In 2021, Dustin Johnson didn’t have the easiest time switching into TaylorMade’s SIM2 driver family. While he played most of the year with a new SIM2 Max 3-wood, he mostly stayed with his familiar 2020 SIM driver. For whatever reason, the man who historically switches into new drivers fairly easily struggled to find comfort with the SIM2’s driver performance.

This year’s new TaylorMade Stealth driver family, however, appears to be a different story.

When Johnson showed up on Monday to the 2022 Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines, he had two drivers in the bag that he was testing. Both were 10.5-degree TaylorMade Stealth Plus drivers equipped with LA Golf DJ-Series prototype shafts.

Dustin Johnson’s LA Golf DJ-Series prototype shaft

On Tuesday ahead of the event, GolfWRX caught up with Johnson to see what’s in the bag for 2022, and to get his thoughts on the new red-faced Stealth Plus “Carbonwood” driver.

Most notably, Johnson spoke on the increase in forgiveness and ball speed numbers on mishits.

“Speed-wise, it’s similar [to my previous driver], Johnson told GolfWRX. “I’ve seen my spin rates are more consistent, and I’m getting consistently faster numbers. For me, the mishits have been much better. I love the new driver. It’s great.”

When I asked about the all-new carbon face – which uses 60 layers of carbon in place of titanium – Johnson spoke highly of the sound and feel.

“The feel is great,” Johnson said. “It doesn’t feel like it’s – it still feels like it’s titanium. Feel is funny, because feel is all sound, so as long as the sound is good, it’s gonna feel right. They did a really good job with the sound, and I think it sounds really good. It sounds solid when you hit in the middle. Obviously, I can feel if I hit it off the heel or the toe, so I’m getting really good feedback from it, so I really like that. Then, like I said, the numbers have been really good, consistent, and that’s all I’m looking for.”

In 2021, Johnson ranked 18th on the PGA Tour in ball speed, averaging 179.36 mph. Being that he’s picking up more speed on mishits with the Stealth Plus, it seems likely that Johnson will eclipse 180 mph for 2022. It’s the accuracy stat that could use the biggest boost, though, since he ranked 136th in driving accuracy in 2021, hitting just 57.87 percent of fairways.

Fairway wood switch, too?

Based on our photos of his bag on Tuesday at Torrey Pines, it seems Johnson is switching out more than the driver. He had a new Stealth 3HL 16.5-degree 3-wood, a 21-degree Stealth 7-wood, and a Stealth 22-degree Rescue in the bag, as well as a Spider GT Rollback putter that he tested out on Tuesday.

Knowing Johnson, his bag setup could look different as the event progresses, but for now it seems DJ has made big equipment changes for 2022.

Click here for more photos of Dustin Johnson’s 2022 WITB at Torrey Pines.

Related Topics:Dustin Johnson featured recommended TaylorMade

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Andrew Tursky

He played on the Hawaii Pacific University Men's Golf team and earned a Masters degree in Communications. He also played college golf at Rutgers University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism.

6 Comments

Pingback: Tour Report: Bryson’s new 5-degree driver, a $4,000 wedge, and a righty wedge in a lefty’s bag?! – GolfWRX
Chris

Jan 28, 2022 at 1:00 am

I got fit for a stealth yesterday and should have it in a few weeks (hopefully). Stealth+ 10.5 (set at 9 deg) on stiff Hazardous 60g shaft. For whatever it’s worth I’m a 98-100mph swing guy and my current driver (cobra sz) averages 137-139mph…maybe the stealth demos are hot but everything I hit was 144-146mph, even the (numerous) mishits, I was pleasantly shocked by that. Feel was fine and sounded like a driver to me. Cheers

Reply Report comment
bobbyg

Jan 26, 2022 at 5:25 pm

Back to Nike Red and Black color scheme. Wonder who may have influenced that?

Reply Report comment
Kelly Gallagher

Jan 26, 2022 at 3:46 pm

What else is the pro that gets paid to play TM stuff going to say. Just more smoke and mirrors from Taylor Made.

Reply Report comment
- Mark fitzpatrick
  
  Jan 27, 2022 at 6:45 am
  
  True.maybe they should share the wealth to grass roots players. The people that actualy keep the game going.after all its a have and have not game…cmon big companies share youre wealth..give people like me who hit more misses that hits a chance to shine…
  
  Reply Report comment
- James
  
  Jan 27, 2022 at 4:42 pm
  
  Sort of. I mean, from the pros on staff you’re absolutely right. For us in fittings at the shop I work at the results have been interestingly mixed. The fairways and hybrids are fantastic, but the drivers are split into two camps – people that hit it better, and people that actually get less ball speed on middled strikes.
  
  And we can’t work that one out
  
  Reply Report comment

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Whats in the Bag

Christiaan Maas WITB 2026 (June)

Published

47 mins ago

Jun 11, 2026

GolfWRX Staff

Driver: TaylorMade Qi4D LS (8 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 6 X

3-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 9 TX

Irons: TaylorMade P770 (3), TaylorMade P7CB (4), TaylorMade P7TW (5-PW)
Shafts: Fujikura Ventus Black HB 10 X, True Temper Dynamic Gold X100

Wedges: TaylorMade Prototype (50-SB09), TaylorMade MG5 (56-HB12, 60-LV07)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold S400

Putter: TaylorMade TP Juno

Ball: Titleist Pro V1x

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord

Check out more in-hand photos of Christiaan Maas’ clubs here.

Equipment

TaylorMade MySpider Tour and Tour X: More customizable build options now available

Published

55 mins ago

Jun 11, 2026

Alistair Cameron

TaylorMade Golf’s MySpider program underwent a substantial overhaul over the last month. Firstly, the company launched the option to customize the Spider ZT model, and now the program has returned with the MySpider Tour and MySpider Tour X.

The revamped page now gives golfers complete control over every visual and functional detail of their putter on the popular Tour and Tour X head, with every cosmetic idea thought of. In MySpider Tour, golfers can choose from four head finishes, 16 paint fill colors, nine Surlyn face insert colors, three aluminum insert options, six sightline configurations, and four hosel options — L-neck, small slant, double bend, center shaft. Six sightline options are available in MySpider Tour, including the optically engineered True Path alignment system. MySpider Tour X gives builders the option of four head finishes, four hosel configurations, and five sightline options, also including True Path alignment.

One of the more interesting features of the new MySpider program is the availability of three distinct face insert options. Along with the usual Surlyn Pure Roll insert trusted by Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy, which can be customized from nine colors, golfers can now also select firmer options. Two are offered with the black aluminum Pure Roll insert, slightly firmer than the traditional insert, or for the firmest feel, golfers can choose from two colors of milled aluminum inserts.

Another fun addition to the MySpider Tour is the ability to use the “Tommy Sightline.” The custom alignment aid design, which was first drawn onto Tommy Fleetwood’s putter by PGA Tour Rep James Holley, is based on the milled sightline on his Spider ZT head. There are five shorter lines on the left and right of a longer central line serving as the traditional short line alignment aid.

See below for the full specifications sheet for MySpider Tour and Tour X:

MySpider Tour

MySpider Tour X

Equipment

Then and now: Comparing Rory McIlroy’s current setup to his record-breaking 2019 Canadian Open victory

Published

4 hours ago

Jun 11, 2026

Alistair Cameron

In Rory McIlroy’s first appearance at the 2019 RBC Canadian Open, he crushed the record books to earn his 16th PGA Tour title in dominating fashion, winning by seven shots over Shane Lowry and Webb Simpson.

McIlroy’s score of 22-under-par 258 is the lowest 72-hole score to date at the Canadian Open, and his closing 61 is also the best final-round score in the history of one of golf’s oldest tournaments. Finally, with his win in 2019, McIlroy became only the sixth player to win the career Triple Crown, adding to his victories at the U.S. Open in 2011 and The Open Championship in 2014, joining Tommy Armour, Walter Hagen, Arnold Palmer, Lee Trevino and Tiger Woods in a coveted list.

So, with that, why not compare his current setup to the clubs he used to break all the records?

Driver

2019: TaylorMade M5 (9 degrees), Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro White 70 TX
2026: TaylorMade Qi4D (9 degrees @8), Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 7X (45 5/8 inches)

McIroy led the Tour in Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee in 2019; he’s doing the same in 2026. Between now and then, McIlroy has switched from the Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro White 70 TX (a shaft with slightly more feeling in the tip) to the original Fujikura Ventus Black 7X, having just made the change to the heavier version from playing the 60X.

What’s interesting about McIlroy’s 2019 setup is that the weighting on his driver is actually set in the high-draw setting, using the T-Track weighting system, whereas in the Qi4D, he’s currently using a heavily rear-weighted setup. (Two 13-gram weights in the rear and only two 4-gram front weights.)

The TaylorMade M5 driver he played in during his Canadian Open win was the company’s first head that they claimed to design to initially exceed the USGA’s COR limit, and then injected with tuning resin to bring it back in bounds.

Fairway woods

2019: TaylorMade M6 3-wood (15 degrees), Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro White 80 TX; TaylorMade M5 5-wood (19 degrees), Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro White 90 TX
2026: TaylorMade Qi4D 3-wood (15 degrees), Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 8X; TaylorMade Qi4D 5-wood (18 degrees), Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 9X

The TaylorMade M6 fairway wood that McIlroy was using during the 2019 season is still in the bag of some of the best golfers on Tour in 2026. Just check out Justin Rose’s winning setup from the Farmers Insurance Open earlier this year. This year, though, McIlroy has still been searching for his top-end-of-the-bag setup, having played both the new Qi4D and the Qi10, which he won the Masters with.

The same shaft swap can be seen in the fairway woods as the driver, along with slightly less loft on the 5-wood.

Irons

2019: TaylorMade P750 (4) Buy here, TaylorMade P730 (5-9), Shafts: Project X 7.0
2026: TaylorMade P760 (4), TaylorMade Rors Proto (5-9), Shafts: Project X 7.0

The biggest difference between McIlroy’s custom set and the stock P730s is the groove design. While the P730s were constructed with 14 MX-9 grooves on their milled faces, McIlroy’s proto heads instead use the higher-spinning, 16-groove layout of the TW2 grooves. Other big differences between the sets are that McIlroy’s 7- and 8-irons have thinner toplines, are 1 degree stronger in loft, and are 1/4 inch longer than the original P730 builds.

With McIlroy’s 4-iron, the switch from P750 to P760 sees a transition to a two-piece construction with Speed Foam in it, which allows McIlroy to launch the ball slightly higher, with more workability.

Wedges

2019: TaylorMade Milled Grind (48-09SB), TaylorMade MG Hi-Toe (52-09SB, 56-09SB, 60-LB09), Shafts: Project X Rifle 6.5
2026: TaylorMade MG5 (46-09SB, 50-09SB, 54-11SB, 60-08LB @61), Shafts: Project X 6.5 (46-54), Project X 6.5 Wedge (60)

Between 2019 and 2026, McIlroy’s focus on his short game has been much more apparent. It was the reason why he switched back to the TP5 golf ball, to help with launch, spin and control with his wedges leading up to his career Grand Slam victory in 2025. The most apparent changes to McIlroy’s wedge setup are his lofts and bounce. He’s slowly delofted his pitching to a sand wedge, but has increased the loft on the lob wedge, bending his current 60-degree to 61. With that, adding more loft to his lob wedge also slightly increases the bounce and leading-edge sit point, so, as a result, he plays a lower-bounce lob wedge compared to 2019. The MG5 wedges are also softer than the first Milled Grind option from 2019. McIlroy also no longer plays the full-face grooves found on the Hi-Toe.

Putter

2019: TaylorMade Spider X
2026: TaylorMade Spider Tour X

Notice anything similar. Yes, the copper finish on Rory McIlroy’s Spider X putter in 2019 is a slightly more reflective finish than the recently released torched PVD finish. McIlroy was using the True Path alignment system, but now uses only a single white sightline.

Ball

2019: 2019 TaylorMade TP5 (#22)
2026: 2025 TaylorMade TP5 (RORS)

As mentioned above, McIlroy had transitioned from the TP5 to TP5x golf ball since his victory in Canada in 2019, but now is black with the same style of golf ball as his victory at Hamilton Golf & Country Club.

Grips

2019: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord
2026: Golf Pride MCC

Interesting, McIlroy actually used Golf Pride’s Tour Velvet Cord grips during his victory in 2019 (it was during a 2+ year switch to the corded TV) as opposed to his usual MCC grips, which he has played for most of his career.