It’s most likely too quickly to recommend that mini drivers are all the fad however curiosity within the class is rising – if solely as a result of most of us have by no means performed one. They’re like a fusion restaurant that serves sushi burritos. You’re fairly certain you don’t want any a part of it however you’re going to strive it anyway.
For these simply studying in regards to the mini driver class, it isn’t completely new. TaylorMade launched the SLDR mini in 2014. It adopted that with the surprisingly vowel-rich Aeroburner. Callaway entered (and rapidly exited) the class with the Big Bertha Mini 1.5. That left TaylorMade as the one critical participant within the class for the higher a part of a decade.
In 2023, TaylorMade launched the BRNR mini and whereas I can’t clarify precisely why, curiosity within the class elevated exponentially (albeit from virtually nothing to a bit little bit of one thing). Perhaps it was the copper accents and the throwback vibe. Perhaps golfers simply love gear with names that sound like courting app usernames. Regardless, golfers had been curious.
That would clarify why, final yr, the variety of huge OEM choices within the mini driver doubled. Granted, that sounds far more spectacular than it’s, provided that Callaway’s launch of the Paradym Ai Smoke Ti 340 mini gave us two choices to select from, but it surely suggests producers suppose there may be cash to be made within the class.
Mini momentum
On Tour, there’s some momentum behind the mini motion as effectively. It’s doubtless why the PXG Secret Weapon is accessible now, the Titleist GT280 is coming, COBRA may do one thing (or presumably nothing) with its mini (“Deuce” 2-wood) and why we consider Callaway and TaylorMade will improve their mini driver lineups sooner slightly than later.
When the mud settles on 2025, my hunch is golfers could have no less than a half a dozen mini choices to select from. And with that comes the million-dollar (or most likely $450) query:
Do you want a mini driver?
Earlier than we reply, it may be useful to grasp why mini drivers are gaining in reputation on the PGA Tour.
I don’t suppose it’s a secret that elite golfers are gaining distance. That’s to not recommend the positive factors are practically to the extent that the USGA claims as justification for its silly ball rollback however skilled golfers are getting longer.
The trickle-down impact of that’s that use of 3-woods on Tour has diminished considerably. There are more and more fewer conditions that require a 3-wood wherever however off the tee so the standard 3-wood and, in lots of instances, the basic 5-wood have been changed by 4- and 7-woods.
What common golfers might not perceive is that the professionals aren’t selecting the 3-wood for accuracy (knowledge means that even for elite golfers, the 3-wood provides minimal accuracy profit over a driver). It’s usually used when the driving force is an excessive amount of membership off the tee. That’s an issue most of us amateurs can relate to – about in addition to we relate to having an excessive amount of cash or being too handsome.
For the professionals, nonetheless, the mini retains a few of the management or “workability” of the 3-wood however provides extra forgiveness with a form and profile that’s way more driver-like – for no matter that’s value.
Off the deck, the bigger mini is extra unwieldy than a fairway wooden however should you by no means hit it from the green, what does that matter? In fact, if hitting “from the green” is extra of an aspirational idea than an everyday incidence for you, possibly a mini driver is the reply.
What about the remainder of us?
For many common golfers, I’d wager there are few conditions the place driver is an excessive amount of membership. Reality be advised, most occasions I see common golfers pull lower than driver off the tee, the mathematics says they’re doing it fallacious.
Let that huge canine hunt.
Fifteen-handicap golfers (Shot Scope’s benchmark for outlining the common golfer) hit barely fewer fairways with their 3-wood off the tee than with their driver. They hit extra balls OB as effectively they usually do all of it whereas giving up practically 20 yards of distance.
5-handicap golfers are barely extra correct with their 3-woods (51 p.c of fairways hit in comparison with 49 with the driving force) however the proportion of penalty strokes is similar and the 3-wood is, on common, virtually 15 yards shorter.
The information for scratch golfers is sort of similar.
The purpose is that whereas many golfers consider a 3-wood is the safer various to the driving force off the tee, the information suggests you’re giving up vital distance and never getting a lot of an accuracy profit in return.
Who’s a mini driver for?
In some sense, the mini driver motion suggests knowledgeable answer seeking an beginner drawback.
The cynic in me says they’re for nobody and but, in need of my premature loss of life, there is no such thing as a state of affairs by which a mini isn’t in my bag no less than a few of the time this season. Name me a hypocrite however no less than I’m a hypocrite with an intriguing new membership.
The rationale I’m skeptical (in probably the most hypocritical manner doable) is that the mathematics says that these of you who hit 3-wood off the tee ought to most likely do it much less typically and for golfers who already battle to hit stronger-lofted fairway woods from the green, shifting to an even bigger and deeper head isn’t more likely to make issues any simpler.
And so, I’m going to recommend that the development in direction of mini drivers represents a Tour answer being retrofitted with an beginner narrative.
With that stated, it’s essential to acknowledge that mini driver knowledge from beginner golfers is someplace between sparse and non-existent. Some golfers completely love their mini drivers as a result of, anecdotally, they’re simpler to hit (or no less than hit straight) than the driving force and are extra forgiving and longer than a fairway wooden.
For common golfers who battle to maintain their drivers in play, minis may be the stroke-saving answer to their tee shot woes.
A greater manner?
However, there’s an argument to be made that the present mini driver execution is completely fallacious for many golfers.
Factoring in all aspects of efficiency – distance, accuracy, forgiveness – most would most likely be higher served with a full-sized head and a shorter shaft. Consider the best as a good shorter model of COBRA’s Tour Size builds.
A few years in the past, an trade buddy of mine had a shorty model of a mainline driver in his bag. The Tour guys loaded it up with scorching soften, minimize the shaft down and someway made what may be probably the most automated driver I’ve ever tried.
Shorter? A bit however manner simpler to maintain between the white stakes.
For common golfers, I feel that method would make extra sense even when it would take some effort to remain inside USGA MOI limits with the elevated head weight vital to keep up swing weight with a shorter construct.
However possibly …
Given the place the mini is right now and never having the total image of what’s coming, it’s troublesome to say if a mini driver is totally proper for anybody however right here’s the best way I take a look at it.
In case you are occupied with including a mini to your bag, choosing the proper one begins with determining what it’s going to interchange.
If it’s the driving force that’s popping out of the bag, larger and with decrease loft might be higher. That’s the place the Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke TI 340 match final season.
If it’s a fairway wooden alternative, then one thing smaller – BRNR, Secret Weapon (each 300cc) or the upcoming (and smaller nonetheless) Titleist GT280 will doubtless show extra playable off the green whereas supplying you with a second possibility off the tee.
Selections, selections …
The excellent news for the mini-curious is that earlier than the yr is over (doubtless earlier than we hit the guts of summer season), you’re going to have extra choices than ever.
That is probably not a superb factor but it surely’s going to be enjoyable.
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