Tips on hitting the 14 degree SLDR Mini Driver from the Deck

[MattM]

So two days ago I got my SLDR Mini Driver in and was pretty excited to see it.  I got this as a 3wood replacement because on game golf I am averaging only 227 yards with my rbz 3 wood.  Since I average over 240 yards with my Driver (if you take the 20yd duckhooks out of my average it's more like 265) I wanted a 3 wood that I could hit further to reach par 5s in two.

This mini is a 14 degree with the speeder 57 stiff shaft.  It was hard for me to tell on distances because on occasion at the range I've hit what I thought were perfect shots with it and the ball will get up and look like it's moving well and then just die at the 205 yd marker.  Some if I catch it correctly will carry 240 plus.  Part of my lack of confidence with it stems from teh fact that when you hit the RBZ 3 wood it feels and sounds like you destroy the ball.  With this club it doesn't.

I have two questions.  One is since the mini feels so much lighter than my rbz stiff 15 degree 3wood but has a much bigger head to it should I be hitting it much further off the deck than my 3 wood?

How should I set up and hit this thing off the deck?  Obviously, I have to concentrate on hitting it higher up the club face which may be difficult since it's really deep, but should I put it in the front of my stance and catch it on the upswing?  Should I try to sweep it like my current three wood?  Should I put it in the middle of my stance and swing down on it and take a divot?

I'm just lost on the setup and swing for this thing since it has such a different feel than my RBZs do.

[SavvySwede]

Same setup as hitting any other 3 wood off the deck. Just a lot less margin for error.

[MikeLowry5]

Assuming 12 for you is correct be VERY selective off of the lie you use it on.  I had one for a few months and liked hitting it off the deck on some long straight Par 5's at my old course which were about 570yds each.  I needed it to be sitting up on the first cut like it was on a tee or I had to make sure it was not above or below my feet on the fairway so I could increase my margin for error.

3 woods to me should be designed to do what you want them to do.  Some people NEVER hit a 3w off the deck and it's a 2nd driver.  I'd say the mini's are ok for that.  Some never hit it off the tee, but use it a few times a round off the deck.  This would not be a good club for that.

As your peer I'd tell you that you want something that is versatile since they only give you 14 tools to work with.

[MattM]

Ok.....I have a few rounds in with it and the data I am getting from Game Golf is definitely encouraging!  I've take 6 shots in two rounds with it and once I figured out that I have to play it more in the center of my stance and I need keep it slightly open from my point of view the club definitely hits straight, gets the ball up in the air, and has shown more carry that my RBZ 3 wood with less effort.

Yesterday I had one shot that I basically topped, but it still had a huge amount of speed going about 2 feed above the ground and wound up going 215 yards.  I had another one that I hit on a down slope over a gorge into an upslope that flew 237 yards and stayed there.

Today, I had one shot into a 20 mph wind that got up nice and high and went straight to the flag.  According to game golf if went 235.  So far I'm definitely pretty happy with this club!  Even more so considering I only paid $99 for it off of ebay brand new!  The only thing I wish they would have done was not cut down the shaft to make it a 3 wood length.....  I wish it was driver shaft length and then I know I would have the additional club head speed.

All in all though.....I'm definitely pretty happy with this club...

[MattM]

It's absolutely killing me that i've only got a few looks with this thing so far!  I can't wait to get some additional data with it!  I feel as though I don't have to out and out kill it to get the distance I am looking for, but the two full on swings I've put into it were from a down slope that went 237 with no roll back onto the upslope and from a fairway lie that was right into the wind that went 236 with no roll.  While these are certainly in my case good numbers they are still well within the realm of a full on strike with my three wood.

I'll just have to keep plugging away at it I guess.  My initial thought is to just take my 4 iron out of my back since my 9 wood is versatile enough to cover the 4 iron's distances (200 yards) and keep playing both.  If my 3 wood remains a usual 225 yard club I'll keep it in the back and have a 9 wood (200-215) 3 wood (215-235) and mini (235-?) I'm really hoping this meaning can slot in there for me because with my swing speed and length off the tee I should be hitting a much higher amount of greens in two than I am......