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The RBZ Black Rescue from TaylorMade is perhaps one of the most iconic clubs in the hybrid class.
This club is not new; there are more expensive equivalents available, but why is the RBZ Rescue still coveted as one of the most trusted rescue clubs by golfers today?
Even in 2023, the demand for this low iron replacement is very strong but does the club still perform to a high level with a big choice of other hybrids from brands like Nike, Ping and Callaway does this club still hold up to scrutiny?
To answer this and all the other questions relating to the TaylorMade rescue club, we have decided to review the RBZ.
Let’s find out what characteristics give this club an edge (for both left-handed and right-handed golfers) and why golfers are still using the hybrid as part of their golfing strategy on the fairways.
If you check online feedback, one of the most overriding problems this club solves is the ability to replace the tricky and problematic long iron shots after the initial drive.
If you can have a rescue club in your golf bag that you can trust and it costs around half the price of the leading hybrids today then it’s a no-brainer that the TaylorMade RBZ Black Rescue should be considered as either a 3, 4, or 5 iron replacement.
If you check out the supposedly more premium hybrids such as the Callaway Epic Flash Hybrid, TaylorMade Golf M6 Rescue Hybrid Club or the iRT-5 Hybrid Fairway Golf Club.
You would be right in thinking the difference in a few yards of extra distance does not warrant the extra $$$ in costs.
We are going to look at the main attributes of the club with the end goal of answering all the most popular questions, including performance, details on the clubhead, shaft and grip, design features, and what type of golfer would benefit from using the RBZ rescue club.
Hybrids are a very popular choice for seniors and lady golfers but more and more professional players are using utility clubs because they are lightweight, versatile, and generally, more forgiving than low irons.
When you factor in the low price point, reliability, build quality, and appealing design of this rescue club, you are left with very little to grumble about and mostly positive comments from our review team at Windtree Golf.
RBZ Black Rescue Features & Performance
For our in-depth breakdown of the club, we have split the sections into three areas: the clubhead, graphite shaft, and grip.
Each component relies heavily on the other two, so if there is a poor performance rating from the clubhead, then in our opinion, it doesn’t matter how flexible or responsive the shaft is or if the grip is made from high-quality rubber.
The club head is the first feature on our review list today – does the RBZ rescue hybrid have a quality clubhead that can help you get out of trouble on the fairway by offering you maximum loft and distance with minimal spin?
Clubhead
The RBZ Rescue club is available in 3 configurations that represent different loft angles and are equal to 3 iron (3 hybrid rescue, 19-degree loft), four iron (4 hybrid rescue, 22-degree loft), and five iron (5 hybrid rescue, 25-degree loft).
So, in theory, you could use all three hybrids in your golf bag.
Made from high-grade titanium, the first feature to mention about the clubhead is that it utilizes the “Speed Pocket” technology from TaylorMade.
The theory behind Speed Pocket is that most low to medium handicappers hit the ball below the center of the clubface.
With the RBZ rescue, they have shifted the sweet spot to the lower section of the club head, improving distance, height, and accuracy.
Your mis-hit shots should not result in a greater slice or hook percentage with the RBZ Rescue.
Well, these are bold claims, but if you read the independently verified reviews then you can see that this club does get a very good score with golfers.
This is a forgiving hybrid while still able to hit the golf ball a long way down the fairway and close to the green.
The head is noticeably more narrow than other iron hybrids.
This enables the clubhead to get extra close to the turf on contact – good for when you are in light rough or a bad lie.
TaylorMade calls this “improved sole geometry” we have no idea why – but it sounds fancy, doesn’t it?
In our TaylorMade RBZ Black Rescue review, you may have noticed we are starting to like this club, and you would be right.
There is even power transference from the clubface to the ball and even mis-hits were not overly being pulled to the left or right, which is a real bonus.
We also liked that the club head is not too big or cumbersome.
If you are an average height, man or woman golfer, then this club will not be too heavy to swing and contact on the ball, providing your technique is sound and will be straighter than inferior hybrids.
With every RBZ Rescue order, TaylorMade includes a headcover that fits very nicely over the clubhead and down past the top of the shaft.
Shaft
With a choice of three flex ratings (regular, senior, and stiff) and the light pickup on the Rocketfuel 65 shaft, we are confident you are going to appreciate just how responsive this club is.
For women golfers, the shaft is the lighter 55, which weighs just 53 grams.
Ladies might want to take this hybrid down the practice range first because of the higher trajectory rating of “high” compared to “medium-high” for the men’s RBZ Rescue Hybrid.
Getting back to the men’s 65-rated shafts, the torque rating is decent at 3.2, and this doesn’t change whether you choose the H3, H4, or H5.
Being made from super-lightweight graphite, the shaft has ample flex without you ever feeling like you are “over-hitting” the golf club through the air.
Senior golfers whose swing has slowed down over the years will like the mature flex rating on the H4 and H5 editions. Let’s look into the flex ratings in more detail:
Flex options on the RBZ Black Rescue: For seasoned golfers with a strong golf swing of over 90MPH, the stiff flex is ideal.
It has reduced give, and the ball flies through the air nicely with a reduced spin on medium iron shots.
Seniors, ladies, or junior golfers will probably want to select the regular or senior flex as these configurations benefit a slower swing of below 85MPH.
Shaft performance: The RocketFuel 65 Graphite shaft is a good match for this club, and TaylorMade has taken great care in matching up a light but resilient shaft with a club that will be used frequently on a normal round of golf.
With the right flex choice for your weight, height, and strength, there is no reason why you cannot be hitting some of the longest iron shots you have ever hit.
Grip
For men, the factory-shipped grip is the TM textured 0.580 and weighing 47g.
It’s strong, well made, and not too thin, which is what we recommend for iron hybrids because, more often than not, your second or third shot is from the light rough, and you need a maximum grip on the club for these difficult shots.
Ladies will have the lighter version fitted on their club, which is 10 grams lighter.
Grip performance: An attractive, hard-wearing grip made from high-quality textured rubber.
TaylorMade does not cut corners on any golf club component, and it’s reassuring that the grip is of good quality. Some golfers will want to change the grip, though, and this is down to personal preference.
Tech Specs: RBZ Black Rescue Hybrid
The RBZ Rescue is primarily built as a long iron replacement and designed to be more forgiving on the harder shots.
How do the tech specs stack up with modern rivals?
- Official Name: RBZ Black Rescue Hybrid.
- Left hand / Right hand: Yes, apart from 5H, which is right hand only.
- Clubhead 3H: 115CC Titanium head.
- Clubhead 4H: 116CC Titanium head.
- Clubhead 5H: 117CC Titanium head.
- Club Length: (3H) 40.75 inches, (4H) 40.25 inches, (5H) 39.75 inches.
- Shaft: RocketFuel 65 Graphite.
- Shaft Flex: Senior, regular and stiff.
- Grip: Black 0.580 Textured Rubber Grip weighing 47 grams.
Who’s this Club For?
We could just say everyone is done with it because this club has so much going for it but let’s look at the average golfer first.
Most of us hit bad long iron shots, and even if we use a hybrid, it’s not going magically make us into professional standard players.
But because the shaft is light and flexible, the club head is both responsive and able to “dig” deep into the turf when the going get’s tough and the way the club utilizes the low center of gravity to its advantage then this club has wide appeal.
For left or right-handed golfers, the RBZ Black Rescue Hybrid is designed to help you make better golf shots.
Seniors will like the high flex rating on the shaft whilst fast golf swingers will appreciate the responsive clubhead that gives the ball a very low trajectory on launch.
Ladies can choose the women’s version of the club, which is shorter, lighter, and lower torque.
FAQs
Question: I struggle to hit a three-iron consistently. Will the RBZ Rescue help?
Answer: This club is designed for golfers like you. Check out the 3H model and opt for the regular flex.
If your swing speed is low, then go for the senior flex. The 19-degree loft and 60-degree lie ratio are specifically designed to help golfers who struggle in this area.
Question: I’m a left-handed golfer with a fast golf swing of over 100MPH. I’m thinking of using these hybrids to help me with my erratic long iron play – will they improve my golf game?
Answer: This hybrid set might slow down if you are swinging over 100MPH.
Why? Because they have a graphite shaft with normal flex, and even the stiff flex might restrict your distances compared to using a pure three iron.
Have you considered some private lessons to try and iron out your golf swing?
Question: This golf club is under $130, and I find it very hard to believe it can compete with modern long iron hybrids; please explain.
Answer: Sometimes older models are better because they are made so well and have such good reviews that golfers keep returning to them.
Our TaylorMade RBZ Black Rescue review covers all the features that stand out in this club.
Manufacturers will always make new models yearly; otherwise, sales would dry up, but that doesn’t mean we should look past classic clubs that stand the test. The RBZ rescue hybrid has been one of the best and most highly reviewed golf clubs in the last five years.
Conclusion
This wraps up our TaylorMade RBZ Black Rescue review for the 2023 update.
Whilst we feel the club is an excellent overall choice for long iron replacement, very fast swingers of the golf ball might want to look at a premium, new pure long iron instead.
That being said, the low price point and superb build quality of the RBZ rescue make it, in our opinion, one of the best mid-range hybrids around at the moment.
A super lightweight graphite shaft that is durable and strong backed up with a high-quality titanium club head with a low center of gravity.
You can choose which hybrid fits your game best – we liked the 3H the best, but any three-model range should significantly improve any golfer’s long iron shots to the green.
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