I just got the TaylorMade Mini Driver and I think it has some promise.
I think this is a move in the right direction. Shorter shaft for more control, smaller head for less wind resistance. Appears to be set up much flatter than most modern drivers. Would be interested on your thoughts about driving distance… if there is some loss or not. I would imagine it would be a much more accurate driver than what is being promoted to the general golfing public.
I used a mini driver for a while. It was great and a good option for some players. I don’t have it anymore. Usually prefer to play laminate/persimmon drivers.
If you hit a normal driver really well, these don’t have much spot in the bag, but some people will hit these nearly as far as a normal driver and/or more accurately.
I use a different model Taylormade mini driver with an X steel shaft.
What adjustment is on that model shown Jesse? Might be a better opinion.
Neil
I’ve got an 80 X shaft Graphite Design. I have it opened up 2 deg which also flattens it a bit. Swing weight is D7 and overall weight is 13.3 ounces. Total length is 43.75 in. I’ve got a Golf Pride align with 2 extra wraps on the left hand and 4 on the right…
The effective loft is at 11.5 degrees. This little pea shooter is an absolute beat stick. I’ll measure it against my Callaway Mavrik and see if I even hit it shorter. I CAN tell you this. I’ve played 27 holes with the mini driver thus far and have not missed a fairway. I’m gonna just leave this one in the bag for the rest of the year…
Jesse
Very interesting feedback from the front lines…
I think in regards to the mini driver, I’ll stick with it for a while. It seems to SUPPORT our drilling in the modules vs what’s out there. I cannot use two different swings. A modern day driver swing which absolutely promotes me to throw the shit out of it at the top, leaving club face control to chance. OR, the mini driver that SUPPORTS gradual acceleration and all of the good module work. Cheers
Update on the mini driver…
I played 36 holes yesterday and drove it beautifully !! I wasn’t too far behind my playing partners modern frying pans. In fact, I kept it up with them a few times !
Also, I hit it off the deck and flushed it as if it were a 3 wood ! I’m loving this thing ! Cheers
What adjustments do you have on that model Jesse?
Neil, it’s the same one. Graphite Design XC 80 gram weight X flex. The static weight is 13.2 ounces. Swing weight at D7. I took a couple of pieces of led tape off from the last post to not have too much shaft droop. The length is 43.75. My grip is a Golf Pride MCC +4. I love the uniform feel of these grips. Minimal taper. It now seems to be a great fit for me. As I said before, this setup is way more in alignment with the rest of the set as opposed to my modern drivers. I’m hardly losing distance compared to my modern driver and significantly less angst when I this thing in my hands. Prior to the drivers getting way out of hand, driving the ball in play was a big strength for me. Now it seems to be the case again. Cheers
You could try adding weight into the grip to get the overall weight up. I do that with my blades and persimmons to get them up to spec weight.
Think of a sword and having a heavy hilt.
Thx for the recommendation Les. I have another mini driver coming and I’ll definitely consider putting some weight in the handle. Cheers
I use heavier grips (67 grams) and it helps counter the weight I add to the heads to get more normal swing weights (D3-D7).
I think it’s a good suggestion, I like heavy grips and heavy heads.
