“It took 20 years because we had to build this face from scratch”

Did you have any concerns over the durability of a carbon face?

“It was just one of a number of concerns or problems that we had to find solutions to over the 20-year design process. Durability was obviously a huge one. You can’t launch a product that isn’t going to hold up, especially given how much golfers play and how hard people are swinging these days.

“One of the ways we like to ensure durability is through worst case testing scenarios. For example, putting the club in the freezer for two days, or leaving it in the back of a hot car all day, and then hitting very hard golf balls to ensure there are no issues with durability.

“We have put in more hours on testing durability with Stealth than any other product I’ve ever been a part of by probably a factor of two or three. That’s why we’re so confident of the durability of the face.”

How much attention was paid to sound during the design process?

“We predicted that some golfers would have the perception that this driver would sound bad based on the history of carbon and the fact that it’s different from the titanium sound they are used to. What is immediately noticeable, however, is the explosive, pleasing sound with every Stealth driver at impact. 

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“This doesn’t happen by accident though. This is something that we have engineered into the club through our understanding of what parts of the club create the sound and the feel of the face.”

What was the feedback like from the pros?

“We began to bring in some of our athletes in early June of 2021, which is a bit earlier than we would traditionally get new drivers in their hands. Given how different Stealth is to anything that’s come before, we wanted feedback from the likes of Fleetwood, Morikawa and McIlroy to ensure we had nailed the design. Almost every single one of our players hit their first shot and said something along the lines of ‘wow, this thing sounds fantastic.’

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“We also had fewer objections than we expected on the look of the red face. In general, tour players are more conservative, more traditionalist and more set in their ways in terms of what they like than most golfers. It can be hard sometimes to shift them out of a product they love.

“Having said that, they’re also a pragmatic bunch. If it performs better, they’re going to play it. We have already seen that with the numbers of players switching to Stealth.”

What can everyday golfers expect from the new Stealth drivers?

“I think first and foremost they are going to be drawn in by the unique look of these drivers. They’re going to be desperate to try it for themselves. Then, after only a few shots the sound and feel is going to be one of the first things they’ll really connect with. How it launches, how it spins and the strong ball flight are also going to be very noticeable

“The real truth, however, is going to come when they have a launch monitor and can see numbers. Whether they’re testing against their old club or other clubs on the market, they can expect to see incredible ball speed numbers. Also, the consistency on off centre hits, which is so important for the average golfer, will be abundantly clear.

“The consistency, speed and accuracy of the Stealth drivers is thanks to so many different technologies that we put in the head, all working together to give you more distance and make your misses much better.”