TaylorMade Rescue Hybrid
If I say I have tried and tested many hybrids, you better believe me. Over time, I have experimented with although at different times and with different models - Adams, Callaway, Cleveland, Cobra, Nickent, Ping, Srixon, TaylorMade and several others. Why the heck I do that with hybrids?
You see a long time ago some gaseous matter caused a huge explosion and long after the Earth has cooled down and while still spinning, some wise guys invented the fairway woods. While the fairway woods can be handy as a second driver off the tee on tighter fairways, it is not as easy to use off the deck. Meantime, the longer irons isn't of much help as they are longer and have less perimeter weighting for more consistent result.
While Gary Adams who founded TaylorMade was making an invention of adding metal to wood soon after some one created the golf hybrid which was meant to replace long irons but by adding perimeter weighting to the back of these clubs to be more forgiving, provide an easier launch and more accuracy. By now, some folks would have abandoned their fairway woods and just opt for a hybrid as their longest club other than a driver.
Some credited Cobra for inventing the first golf hybrid - the "Baffler"while others claimed it was TaylorMade who came out with their "Rescue" which is a hybrid. Some hybrids look more wood-like in design while others are more iron-like. Even more and more pros are using hybrids these days as the bigger head (compared to irons) creates a higher lofted shot with more backspin so that from a steeper angle landing onto the green the ball would not roll off to far from the target. This is called a parachute landing. It offers the best of both worlds.
TaylorMade Rescue (2009/2010)
TaylorMade is always at the forefront introducing new technologies in golf clubs. Their pace is frenetic. This Rescue released in 2010 has been updated numerous times since it originated. This one as you can see from the top down is handsome. It comes in a taller face but with less bulge than the Burner version. The head has a very thin wall of only about 0.6 millimetres. This is their way of saving weight which they then moved to the sole to create more CG. The TP version is even more exciting although it comes in a smaller head but it has FCT technology where you can adjust loft, lie angle and flight trajectory in 8 ways. The white line from heel to toe may be a distraction for some.
You can see the face is shallow but taller than Burner but with a lot of muscles from the toe end. Though there is no silver trimming to make it look more iron-like, it look different from other hybrids which has a tendency to be more wood-like.
Looking good alone won't get you places. You will have to perform. This club gives a consistent trajectory shot after shot and each shot is mid-high but boring. It has a very balance feel in weight which gives you the confidence to go on and destroy all that stands in your way. I found it incredibly easy to hit and even more forgiving than others that were touted to be forgiving. Even shots that were not perfect looked and felt good. It has been created with mid-spin to launch the ball higher to go longer. The sole was designed this way to reduce friction and clean contact. Swing weight differs depending on whether it is Global spec or Asian spec which are D3 and D0 respectively. The Aldila RE*AX shaft is 65g. Shaft torque is 3.3 to 3.4.
The Rescue actually has a 10% lower CG than the 08 Burner. This is possibly TaylorMade's best looking hybrid to date and I dare say the most forgiving. Now the word Rescue really seems to make a lot of sense and they have boldly proclaimed it on the head cover printed in red over a white background. I like good-looking covers but they must be functional.
They should serve the primary purpose of protection well. It should hold the head snugly and not something that can drop off or that you will have trouble removing.
Conclusion
This is the best looking, most forgiving and easy to play and your "go to" club in moments of trouble or when confidence is what you need to make a crucial shot. Experience power in your hands. Rescue is what you need if you want to make less mistakes and then to score!Fear not the weapons but the hands that wield it!
Golf as in life, play as it lies.
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