Mini driver revival ?

[moogie]

The question running around my mind is, have they launched this because the carbon faces on the driver keep popping out when people hit them off the deck?!

I'd say they've launched it because every other version of the taylormade mini driver has sold like hotcakes.
Most shops stock sells out as soon as it arrives
Very popular club

Still golfers out there that
A) don't like the 460cc heads
B) can't handle the longer length driver shafts

This club eliminates both of these issues

 

[Lord Tyrion]

The shorter shaft, but still decent sized head, is attractive to a lot of golfers. The greater surprise is that more mfrs don't offer them.

 

[Backsticks]

A 460cc weapon, with its loft cranked up to 14° or therabouts, its shaft shortened several inches, and its head aweighted up, is a superior weapon in the hand if the typical golfer, either as a fairway finder or a shorter than full driver distance driver, in every respect. A jumbo 3 wood as it were.
Unless one needs a from the fairway play option, a mini driver is the inferior.

 

[Voyager EMH]

I'd say they've launched it because every other version of the taylormade mini driver has sold like hotcakes.
Most shops stock sells out as soon as it arrives
Very popular club

Still golfers out there that
A) don't like the 460cc heads
B) can't handle the longer length driver shafts

This club eliminates both of these issues

A and B so very true.

50 years ago I saw lots of chaps who had a 2-wood and 4-wood in the bag and no other woods. This was a popular option.
My older brother did exactly this.
This mini-driver-thing is really nothing new at all. It merely seems to be so because we dropped the even numbers for woods some time ago.

 

[Backsticks]

A and B so very true.

50 years ago I saw lots of chaps who had a 2-wood and 4-wood in the bag and no other woods. This was a popular option.
My older brother did exactly this.
This mini-driver-thing is really nothing new at all. It merely seems to be so because we dropped the even numbers for woods some time ago.

Adjustable loft shaft adaptors made them redundant.

 

[Voyager EMH]

Adjustable loft shaft adaptors made them redundant.

No.
The dropping of the numbers 2 and 4 for woods happened long before that. It coincided with the change to metal woods.

 

[Springveldt]

What is the difference between "colour" and "colour way?"

Must be the same as price and price point!

It’s the Americanisation of everything. My daughter just passed her driving test and she told me that there is a clutch, brake and gas pedal in the car. Same with her part time job when she was looking forward to her next pay cheque.

Told her it was an accelerator and she should be looking forward to getting her wages and I just got a blank look. I think she may have actually asked what wages were.

 

[Voyager EMH]

It’s the Americanisation of everything. My daughter just passed her driving test and she told me that there is a clutch, brake and gas pedal in the car. Same with her part time job when she was looking forward to her next pay cheque.

Told her it was an accelerator and she should be looking forward to getting her wages and I just got a blank look. I think she may have actually asked what wages were.

Get real.
Show her the word "lieutenant" and get her to pronounce it.

 

[garyinderry]

A 460cc weapon, with its loft cranked up to 14° or therabouts, its shaft shortened several inches, and its head aweighted up, is a superior weapon in the hand if the typical golfer, either as a fairway finder or a shorter than full driver distance driver, in every respect. A jumbo 3 wood as it were.
Unless one needs a from the fairway play option, a mini driver is the inferior.

A 14 degree driver would be useless to me. Anything over 10.5 usually spins like crazy.

 

[Backsticks]

No.
The dropping of the numbers 2 and 4 for woods happened long before that. It coincided with the change to metal woods.

Maybe. Do game a trusty Taylormade R11 with 17° which is labelled a 4 wood. Its adjustable. Have the 5 wood of it as well which has 19°. They are at least 10 years old.

 

[Burnsey]

What I don't get is the production numbers. Sells out within days and never seems to come back into stock. Sells on eBay and the likes for more than retail, so the demand is there.

I have version one and yes, like it as I've mentioned a few times, which I bought new. Would I buy V2 - well, I tried.

 

[nickjdavis]

Callaway now apparently have a Mini Driver in the pipeline...

Is Callaway The Latest Manufacturer To Jump On The Mini-Driver Bandwagon?

There seems to be a growing trend of major OEMs producing their own “Mini-Drivers”...

www.golfmonthly.com

Though the article is incorrect when it says that this is Callaway's first official dive into the Mini Driver world. Callaway released the Bertha 1.5 Mini Driver back in 2015.

 

[harpo_72]

I have been using a 3 wood mainly off the tee and it’s been fine. I have wondered about the mini driver and what was making them so acceptable. I was thinking I may set my 3 wood to these settings but brutally honest I think the Ping G425 I have is a different animal, it’s a shallow faced 3 wood and it’s pretty damn forgiving - it’s a good one.
So I went through my spares ( or stuff I haven’t given away or traded in!) and pulled out a Mizuno MP titanium 15degree 3 wood and a Cleveland classic xl 14.5 degree 3 wood.. long story short Cleveland I was hitting cleanly so I will try out. It is also deep faced and low spin, so I think possibly quite comparable to a mini driver at highest loft?
I actually prefer small headed woods and I really struggle with these big drivers 260cc is plenty big enough in my mind

 

[Voyager EMH]

Got a game with 3 other forumers in two weeks time.
I'm thinking about using Wilson Walter Hagen 2 and 4 woods and a full set 1-SW Petron irons. These woods have aluminium shafts and I've not hit them yet.
Or I might go with Confidence Visa Mark2 woods, One-and-a-half, 3 and 5 and a 2-SW set of irons.



Are these mini-drivers?

 

[Ye Olde Boomer]

I have the 11.5 degree BRNR and only use it off the tee, for tight fairways, or when a 240 shot suits the hole. Otherwise I use driver.

Can't hit a 3 wood well off the deck, so it replaces that, with room for all other clubs I need. In truth, it probably gets used for 4 tee shots, but maybe I'll hit my 8 iron once, so the argument of seldom used is beaten by great when used.

Most others find it an odd choice to carry alongside a driver, but it works for me and my biggest issue at the minute is having nothing in my bag for anything over a 200 yard fairway shot, which is my next goal to work on.

At 300+ cc, I don't even know why TaylorMade calls the BRNR a "mini-driver."
It doesn't look small to me.

How the USGA / R&A ever let the OEMs go all the way up to 460 cc is way beyond me.

I'd by fine with deeper grooves.
I'd be fine with 15 or 16 clubs.
The modern driver, however, still looks cartoon-like to an old grump liker myself.

 

[Burnsey]

At 300+ cc, I don't even know why TaylorMade calls the BRNR a "mini-driver."
It doesn't look small to me.

How the USGA / R&A ever let the OEMs go all the way up to 460 cc is way beyond me.

I'd by fine with deeper grooves.
I'd be fine with 15 or 16 clubs.
The modern driver, however, still looks cartoon-like to an old grump liker myself.

Not too bothered how I look stood over the ball, it's all about taking as many steps in a straight line afterwards, so grump away

 

[nickjdavis]

The mini drivers of ten years or so ago were all around 200cc...just enlarged 3 woods with slightly deeper faces and stronger lofts....nice and easy to hit off the tee with scope to also be used off the fairway.

Modern mini drivers appear to be three woods on steroids without the versatility to hit off the floor. They dont appeal to me at all...I will stick with my Ping Rapture until something comes along which is versatile enough so that it has other uses than jut off the tee.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Can't the roots of these be traced back further. My old man had a 2 wood which was obviously inbetween drive and 3 wood but gave him a tad more help with a few degrees more loft and an inch or so shorter

 

[spongebob59]

The mini drivers of ten years or so ago were all around 200cc...just enlarged 3 woods with slightly deeper faces and stronger lofts....nice and easy to hit off the tee with scope to also be used off the fairway.

Modern mini drivers appear to be three woods on steroids without the versatility to hit off the floor. They dont appeal to me at all...I will stick with my Ping Rapture until something comes along which is versatile enough so that it has other uses than jut off the tee.

The Titleist TSR2+, 13* 3 wood is awesome

 

[harpo_72]

Can't the roots of these be traced back further. My old man had a 2 wood which was obviously inbetween drive and 3 wood but gave him a tad more help with a few degrees more loft and an inch or so shorter

Spoons were a popular option, I have a vintage set of clubs but I will be honest the 3 wood is perfect off the tee, the driver with a modern ball just delivers knuckle balls - I suspect with a balata it would still be a handful and too much side spin. I think the issue is converting the side spin to back spin but finding that compromise .. so in the end and I am sure loads of folks will correct me, there is a limit to the minimum amount of loft you can have. The club speed /ball speed determine the level of spin you require for optimum flight.
The mini driver is just pushing the amateur back to where they really should be, but not overly damaging their fragile egos … of course you can just out drive your partners with a 3 wood and tell them every time to preserve and maintain and inflate your ego. The latter works for me