TaylorMade Mini Driver

[Steviestuboy]

13 hours ago, DaveP043 said:

This is pretty remarkable, 3 weeks ago you were a 7 handicap with 90 mph swing speed.  A great recovery!

Fair one Haha I was trying to say it's not a hackers club.  In all honesty  my friend does have a 110mph swing and he hit one up at American golf with a regular shaft and he screamed it!  I played 9 holes with it at Bridge of Allan last night which is a teeny course so it was fine for that.  Never lost any balls which is a win at that place.  (short tight,  old Tom Morris with teeny greens) 

steviestuboy shot 37 at Bridge Of Allan Golf Club

View this round on GAME GOLF

https://bnc.lt/yzOb/uOiegc93Lv

[gregsandiego]

Can we pause to say what exactly IS a "mini driver" ? Is that a driver with 2" chopped off the club length?

 

[DaveP043]

45 minutes ago, gregsandiego said:

Can we pause to say what exactly IS a "mini driver" ? Is that a driver with 2" chopped off the club length?

http://taylormadegolf.com/AeroBurner-Mini-Driver/DW-WZ256.html

This is one version, there may be more.  It appears to be just slightly shorter, with a much smaller clubhead than a typical driver.

[natureboy]

23 hours ago, colin007 said:

This is intriguing...I've seen where people say that drivers are easier to hit than 3 woods, having a larger sweet spot and all, but I do struggle with my driver so I'm willing to try anything. It just seems like mechanically there's something drastically different between my 3 wood swing and my driver.

What's the comparison in total weight between the mini-driver and a typical 460cc club?

Couple of things might be at work:

• the more compact head may make it easier to 'feel' where the CoG of the club is and place it more accurately?
• the more compact head may load the shaft differently affecting your feel for the club head?
• the smaller head may trick you into making the same smooth swing you put on irons and woods where with the big head you feel empowered to 'go after it' and magnify swing errors
• if you are teeing the mini-driver like a 3-wood (low to the ground) that may work better with your swing / AoA?
• with a regular 460 cc driver & a ball on a high tee, you may consciously be 'hitting up' and altering your impact alignments rather than relying on the different ball position to get a positive AoA (maybe less applicable if you intentionally hit down with driver)?

16 hours ago, RGoosen said:

Stenson can't hit his driver and plays a strong 3 wood off the tee almost exclusively.

I just bought a mini driver this week and have full intentions of making the switch.  I also hit my 3 wood on all but one or two holes a round.  My 3 wood goes 240-250 yds.  My driver 265 "if" is in play.  I have been told by several golf instructors that I do not make the same swing with the driver.  Maybe I have the driving yips.

My hope is I'll get another 10-15 yds with the new 12 degree mini driver compared to the rocketbalz 14.5 degree 3 wood I am hitting off the tee.

It's not so much that he can't hit it, but he struggles to work it both ways and isn't going to re-invite the driver yips by changing anything in his approach. Where he has a straight-ahead hole where he doesn't have to bend it around a corner, he'll often hit driver.

Edited August 12, 2016 by natureboy

[Kalnoky]

Padraig Harrington won the Honda Classic last year (2015) using a mini-driver. Since he is not sponsored by TM they couldn't advertise it, but it's easy enough to look up on Google.

 

[Patch]

My mini driver is a low profile, 12*, 2 metal wood. It's a component club, with one of those square, flatter looking club heads.  I have had it for a few years, and just recently made room for it in my bag. It's in almost like new condition. Looks to be about a 1/2" shorter than my driver. 

I'm still getting reaquainted with it. I needed something longer than my 3-mw, that I could hit off various lies, including off the tee.  Verdict is still out, but should know more in a month or so. 

[gregsandiego]

15 hours ago, DaveP043 said:

http://taylormadegolf.com/AeroBurner-Mini-Driver/DW-WZ256.html

This is one version, there may be more.  It appears to be just slightly shorter, with a much smaller clubhead than a typical driver.

Shorter I get, smaller head not so much.

BTW I just invented the "mini 3 iron" for those that have trouble with that club. It looks a lot like the 9 iron 

[RGoosen]

I just finished two rounds of golf this weekend with the new setup where I removed the driver and 3 wood from the bag.  My new setup was 12 degree Aeroburner "mini-driver"(2 wood) and a 16.5 Aeroburner 3HL (4 wood).

 

I now more comfortable on the course than I have ever been.  Only had one hole where my drive was in the hazard or OB.  All my tee shots were in the 250-275 range and nearly all the shots finished in the fairway or just barely in the rough.

 

I understand those that are reluctant to use this club.  I agree that it is not for everyone.  However, there are certain golfers that can hit every club in their bag well except for the driver.  I now feel confident off the tee.  It was frustrating for me to be able to hit my irons well, chip well, and putt decent...yet feel like I had to hit my 3 wood off the tee every time b/c of fear that I would pull hook or pull my driver.

 

My theory on why this works for me... 1) I am not comfortable with the ball so far forward in my stance that is required with the driver.  2) 3 wood(2 wood) heads are heavier and easier for me to feel where the head is throughout my swing. 3) I have a tendency to pick the driver up and don't transfer my weight forward like I do with my other clubs including irons and 3 wood.

 

Is it a crutch for me?  Maybe, but Kutcher uses the arm lock putter and doesn't give a crap how it looks to others while holding his olympic Bronze medal.  Stenson plays The Open Championship while hitting 3 wood off the tee 99% of the time and he doesn't care what anyone thinks while he is holding the Claret jug.

[jsgolfer]

On 8/14/2016 at 8:30 PM, RGoosen said:

I just finished two rounds of golf this weekend with the new setup where I removed the driver and 3 wood from the bag.  My new setup was 12 degree Aeroburner "mini-driver"(2 wood) and a 16.5 Aeroburner 3HL (4 wood).

 

I now more comfortable on the course than I have ever been.  Only had one hole where my drive was in the hazard or OB.  All my tee shots were in the 250-275 range and nearly all the shots finished in the fairway or just barely in the rough.

 

I understand those that are reluctant to use this club.  I agree that it is not for everyone.  However, there are certain golfers that can hit every club in their bag well except for the driver.  I now feel confident off the tee.  It was frustrating for me to be able to hit my irons well, chip well, and putt decent...yet feel like I had to hit my 3 wood off the tee every time b/c of fear that I would pull hook or pull my driver.

 

My theory on why this works for me... 1) I am not comfortable with the ball so far forward in my stance that is required with the driver.  2) 3 wood(2 wood) heads are heavier and easier for me to feel where the head is throughout my swing. 3) I have a tendency to pick the driver up and don't transfer my weight forward like I do with my other clubs including irons and 3 wood.

 

Is it a crutch for me?  Maybe, but Kutcher uses the arm lock putter and doesn't give a crap how it looks to others while holding his olympic Bronze medal.  Stenson plays The Open Championship while hitting 3 wood off the tee 99% of the time and he doesn't care what anyone thinks while he is holding the Claret jug.

I carry the mini-driver as I have a tendency to pull hook a 3 wood.  Is it a crutch, absolutely, but a crutch I hit well.  I went a long time without putting a hybrid in my bag, I get lots of looks from others about all the hybrids I carry, but as LSW notes in the forward, golf is hard, why not make it more enjoyable by hitting what you're comfortable with.      

[onthehunt526]

I have a 14° SLDR Mini. It is a magic club literally. I think the golf industry (though they've gotten a little better about it)  forgot that even with the high COR and MOI of the newer drivers a 45 or 46 inch driver still is hard to control. My personal driver is 45.5" and I grip down and inch or two to control it. With the 43.5" Mini, I am pretty straight. I thought of taking an inch off of my EX9 but that's just silly.

[pganapathy]

I have been looking at the possibility of adding a fairway wood to my bag because I currently play 9.5* driver and 22* 4h.  I need something in between and was wondering how easy a mini driver is to hit off the fairway.  Something around 14 to 15 degrees or should I be looking at a 4 wood around 17 degrees.  I do have a 19 degree 5 wood but haven't put that into my bag because it is a regular shaft and the way I load my swing doesn't always suit it.  When I play smooth it works but when I try to go after it, side spin galore

[Keysbear152]

37 minutes ago, pganapathy said:

I have been looking at the possibility of adding a fairway wood to my bag because I currently play 9.5* driver and 22* 4h.  I need something in between and was wondering how easy a mini driver is to hit off the fairway.  Something around 14 to 15 degrees or should I be looking at a 4 wood around 17 degrees.  I do have a 19 degree 5 wood but haven't put that into my bag because it is a regular shaft and the way I load my swing doesn't always suit it.  When I play smooth it works but when I try to go after it, side spin galore

I carried a TM Aeroburner 12 degree mini-driver  a few years back and I could not hit it well off the deck. I wish I had kept it because it was good off the tee but I got frustrated with it and sold it. I don't think it's as easy to hit off the deck as advertised.

[Billy Z]

Question:

Wouldn't it be more advantageous just to cut down your driver shaft length to match that of the Mini Driver? You would have the same feel as the mini driver but with a larger more forgiving clubhead.

Edited July 14, 2021 by Billy Z

[pganapathy]

1 hour ago, Billy Z said:

Question:

Wouldn't it be more advantageous just to cut down your driver shaft length to match that of the Mini Driver? You would have the same feel as the mini driver but with a larger more forgiving clubhead.

Cutting down your driver shaft without compensating for the weight loss may be an issue with balance getting affected too.  Yes, in many cases people are struggling to hit modern drivers due to their longer shafts.  Heck, even Tiger hit his driver best with a 43.75" or so shaft