Building on the popular Kalea Premier, the Kalea Gold rescue is part of TaylorMade’s new range of women’s clubs that also includes a driver, fairway woods, irons and a putter. The rescue club, or hybrid as it’s also known, is one of the most popular clubs in the bag, and with four to choose from (4, 5, 6 and 7), did it top the list as one of the best women’s hybrids on the market?
I really like the aesthetics of Kalea Gold. In my opinion, the dark navy crown that’s highlighted with silver and gold is a far more sleek colorway than Kalea Premier, and like all the clubs in this collection, it’s fitted with a SuperStroke grip that is soft and squidgy. This might not be to everyone’s liking, but I found it really comfortable.
Overall the club feels fairly lightweight with a graphite ultralight shaft, although when you first pick it up, there doesn’t feel as much flex in the shaft compared with Ping’s G Le3 and Callaway’s Paradym Ai Smoke MAX Fast hybrid, so I was keen to find out how this slightly stronger shaft would impact my performance on shots from a variety of lies.
To gain a broad opinion, I tested the 4 and 7 rescue, and what I can say about both is that they sit really neatly behind the ball, and because I also like the look of them, I felt confident that I would make decent contact and hit a good shot.
Obviously, the shot that you believe you’re going to hit, and what you actually hit can be two very different things! However, like the Kalea Gold fairway wood, I was impressed how effortless it was to get the ball airborne with a noticeable high ball flight, which is thanks to the carbon crown as it is designed with a lower centre of gravity to enhance launch and spin.
I mentioned a slightly stronger flex, but I must say that I felt completely in control, I felt that I could attack the ball, and on my best shots, they felt powerful off the face with a lovely sound.
I really enjoyed using the 4 rescue on a long par-3, and I had no trouble using it from light rough. Equally, the 7 is a versatile club, but I often struggle to hit a rescue club like an iron, so the 7 didn’t work as well for me as the 4, but that’s me, not the club!
For women that prefer using rescue clubs to irons, or if you’ve got a gapping distance in your bag, then Kalea Gold is worth considering. The best option is to book a custom fitting session to find the right makeup and create one of the best women’s golf sets.
