The vast majority of irons for both accomplished players and intermediate golfers come in a silvery-chrome finish. However, starting about a decade ago, manufacturers began to release some irons in darker tones, often applying a PVD finish (physical vapor deposition) on top of the steel to give it a black or nearly-black look. Apparel companies have known for years that black is slimming, and golf equipment companies realized that many players prefer the look of black irons because they are not only unique, but black finishes make clubs look smaller in the address position.
In April, TaylorMade dropped the P•790 Black irons and the clubs were a hit on social media.
Now TaylorMade is releasing the Stealth Black irons, a dark-finished version of the game-improvement clubs the company released last season.
Like the P•790 Black irons, the Stealth Black irons have been given a PVD finish that the company claims is strong and durable, but with play steady usage and play, it can wear down and fade over time in the hitting area and on the sole.
The Stealth Black has a polymer black piece on the back that saves weight. (TaylorMade)
From a performance standpoint, the Stealth Black irons are identical to the standard Stealth irons. TaylorMade designed the hollow-bodied head to have 450 stainless steel faces to flex efficiently at impact for increased ball speed. But instead of making the back of the head using steel, TaylorMade gave the Stealth Black irons a polymer cap that covers the back section. It’s strong and supportive, but lighter, so more of the head’s overall weight is lower in the club. That helps to drop the center of gravity location and encourage higher-flying shots.
The 4-iron though 8-iron have a Speed Pocket slot to allow the lower portion of the face to flex more easily on thin shots, and an internal polymer piece that TaylorMade calls an Echo Dampening system reduces excessive vibrations to improve sound and feel.
The hitting area of the TaylorMade Stealth Black is slightly less dark, to help golfers frame the ball more easily at address. (TaylorMade)
The TaylorMade Stealth Black irons come standard with black KBS Max MT shafts and black Lamkin Crossline 360 grips. They are available in 4-iron through Attack Wedge (49 degrees) and a set of seven clubs will cost $1,199.99 in stores and on taylormadegolf.com.