Since the Rescue11 in 2011 the R name in this genre has been in hybridnation (sorry) as TaylorMade changed branding with the Rocketballz and SLDR versions.
However, now we are back in the promised land of the R15 range, better players can rejoice as the R15 Rescue hybrid makes a comeback.
A lot has changed at TaylorMade in that time and one of the biggest changes has been the purchase of Adams Golf, who were renowned for their hybrids and the R15 Rescue is the first TaylorMade club to really show some of the Adams DNA.
Like the other R15 clubs, the Rescue has a white crown and a black face to help with alignment and that is harks back to those Rescue11 days.
There is still a small weight in the sole of the club, but unlike the other R15 clubs, it is not moveable or replaceable.
Looking at the R15 face is where you start to see the Adams' genes with a squarer looking, high toe and a slightly flatter sole than the AeroBurner Rescue, but not as flat as previous Adams hybrids.
When you put it down at address the R15 has a larger front to back and more rounded head than Adams clubs and it is almost the best of both worlds. The forgiveness of the Adams' face design blended with a slightly larger head.
On the course, this stands out as a better player’s hybrid. I do think the AeroBurner Rescue could be used by single figure handicappers, but the R15 Rescue is the real deal for this level of player. The sound and feel are a lot sharper and not as hollow as the deeper AeroBurner head.
The smaller R15 head gives you more feedback on how you have hit it and the better, heavier Fujikura Speeder Evolution shaft it puts the R15 firmly into the category one player bracket.
It was very easy to shape the ball both ways and you also had a great feeling of stability wherever you hit the ball on the face. It was good out of semi-rough lies and I was also getting some good distance when pegging it up on the tee without creating too much of a draw.
There is an adjustable hosel on the R15 that enables you to change the loft by +/- 1.5° and this had a subtle affect on the flight of the ball and did the job very well.
Unlike some other adjustable hosel hybrids, the R15 hosel blends into the set up very well so you don't notice it as much. When I altered the loft, the face angle didn't really seem to change that much and it still sat pretty square, which is another plus point.
The white top line makes it look like the face is slightly open when in fact the leading edge of the black face is square. This is an optical illusion created so that it doesn't look like the hybrid will turn over on you and snap the ball left and better players like this sort of stuff.
It's almost as if TaylorMade has taken the best bits of the Adams hybrids and blended it with the best of Rescues past to give you a more forgiving Adams club, not that the previous Adams hybrids are unforgiving, but you know what I mean.
Overall the R15 is the best R Rescue that TaylorMade has done to date and that is really because of the Adams influence. The forgiveness is very good for the size of the head, which is an Adams' trait, but the larger head and the driving iron feel will ensure that single figure golfers will get a great combination of playability, adjustability and forgiveness.