Had the Taylor Made mini driver for a week. Gives me much more confidence off the tee than standard driver and getting good results off the fairway too. So am now carrying this and a 5 wood.
Just got the Callaway mini driver because I struggle with hitting fairways with my driver. I don’t have a 3 wood in my bag because I hit my 5 wood better (see 99% of player don’t need this club video). In the last 2 years I have learned to put away my ego and play clubs that help me and not make the game harder.
Exactly! It is confidence. I replaced my driver with the Callaway mini and dropped a 3 wood in favour of a 16.5. I added a 7 wood as well. I'm 68 and prior to the changes was a 15 hdcp. 2 months and 15 rounds later I am 10. I have not found any difference in yardage from mini to my old driver. It's a confidence inspiring look that is working extremely well...for me!
Great, great video. I echo other comments that this is what we need when trying to figure out a new club purchase. I now play a 12 degree driver with a 45.5" shaft. I choke up 3/4" or so and I hit it straight and far. I have an 18 degree 5 wood. However, I also have a 19 degree hybrid which I hit over the 5 wood (the 5 wood now stays home). I think quality of contact and accuracy are super important. My set up gives me both. Nonetheless, the mini driver seems worth looking into. I agree the three clubs you hit should not all be in the same bag. Not enough gap between them to keep them all. Thanks for this video. Perfect time for it.
I played 9 holes with my BRNR Mini Driver yesterday. On the 7 holes I used it on I hit 5 fairways and the 2 misses were slight left with easy second shots on to the green, I averaged 246 meters (268 yards) in distance. I don’t know why I would bother using the a full sized driver again…….🤷♂️
Great video Andy personally would only buy a mini driver if I was struggling with my driver bearing in mind that the 13yds means an extra club with your next shot my 3 wood does more or less same as the mini driver keeping my £350 or so in my pocket 😉
This is exactly the video I have been waiting for. For a few extra yards over my 3-wood off the tee, and perhaps a few more fairways compared to my driver, I don’t see this as a replacement for either club in my bag (based on my distances). Thanks!
I've replaced my driver and 3 wood with a ti340 and don't regret it at all. I could hit my 3 wood well off the tee, but was no better with it from the fairway than I am with a 5 wood. Whereas I'm a lot more consistent with the mini than a full driver off the tee, which is what I bought it for
Timely video Andy! I have a mini driver being delivered today. I'll take it to the range tomorrow and after my next round on Tuesday I will send an update.
I’m going with the mini burner 13.5 loft as a tight fairway finder and super 3 wood. I’ve not had my old 3 wood in the bag for over a year. Picking up my order next week. Not an easy club to get your hands on here in Australia. The major local golf retailer in my area is only getting 2 of each loft and said that it would be a struggle to get more. I don’t get it. If you’re going to create the hype supply the excitement. I’m looking forward to testing and playing around with the settings. I like the idea of the larger club face.
Thought this was perhaps your best video. You did a great job explaining how these clubs perform and whether or not they have a place in the bag. Very helpful!
A great overview of the options and great points to consider when making a buying decision but sadly the mini driver is sold out on the Callaway website and is no longer an option.
Another solid video Andy. I actually bought one of these on a whim, and it worked to great effect. I used it today in place of a driver on some holes and 3 wood on others. It’s most certainly longer than the three wood (I have the 11.5 version) and just a bit shorter than my driver. (15 - 20 yards) Driving lately has been excellent, but the mini put me in some great spots with confidence - albeit shorter. Looking at its uses, as Andy suggests, off the deck is quite hard work, so I’d likely plan to use it off the tee on shorter / tighter courses. I do carry a strong callaway UW which would serve as the three wood alternative. Overall it’s a great option to have if you’re fortunate enough to be able to get one.
I've had a similar experience. I've got a AI Smoke Max driver in 12 degrees and a 13.5 degree BRNR Mini both with a Proforce v2 HL shaft, which I love. I just demoed the Max 3HL with the 50g Cyper 2 shaft but didn't get on with it. I've got a 10 year old Tour Edge Exotics XCG5 4 Wood (16.5 degrees) that refuses to be replaced...LOL! I, too, hit the AI Smoke Max about 15 yards farther than the BRNR and if my driver swing is working, that is what I will bag. However, I tried the BRNR Mini off the deck earlier this week and I was surprised how well it did. I'm gonna practice some more with the BRNR off the deck, so who knows. I considered the Taylor mini, but I don't think I'd want to play anything bigger than the BRNR off the deck. Really enjoy your videos, perspective and insights. Cheers.
Great shaft. I have that same shaft in my srixon driver, 3 wood, 7 wood and 9 wood. It's anti right and turns long clubs into attack clubs. Tempo is key with that shaft but it's great. :)
Another great detailed video. I have pre ordered my Callaway mini driver. I do feel the bag line up would be different with this purchase ie mini driver 5 fairway wood and 22 deg hybrid possibly. A good summer set up.
Is the mini just the modern updated version of the 2 Wood we all used to carry back in the 60s when I had my Spalding Bobby Jones persimmon head woods? It obviously has more tech or it would fly lower than the 3 wood.
Got rid of my 3 wood because I just didn’t use it very much, mostly on a few narrow fairways off the tee. Not sure I would use the mini any differently. A 5 is my fairway wood.
Burner mini is a unicorn. I have it at 11.5. Hit it about 275. So same distance as my driver but WAY easier to hit and more consistent. Plus the feel is spectacular. Plus it’s easy to hit off fairways. So I bagged the driver and added a fifth wedge.
brnr mini 11.5* with a 5 wood lenght shaft, replaced my 3 wood...don't use it off the ground, much but love it off the tee...my driver loft is 7.5* ... I can get a hybrid or utility iron close enough to my 3 wood length off the ground to not miss it
Hi Andy, see if you can get your hands on a used 16 degree Callaway Super Hybrid. I just picked up one used online for $200 Cdn and it has such a huge head and face for a hybrid, but a titanium face like a driver, that I'm thinking it could be the poor man's mini driver. I have the same club in 24 degrees and the face is ridiculously hot, I'm an average swinger and I can rip that thing 200 yards off the deck, it's silly. I will only be able to launch this 2 hybrid off a tee, but it should be a 230 yard fairway finder and $400 less than this mini driver offering from Cally (but it looks like a georgeous club, lol). Now that they are a few seasons old, the Super hybrids are going for a bargain in the 2nd hand market. It's a $500+ cdn club when new.
I’ve got the new brnr mini and just had the Callaway mini delivered, not hit it yet! I think it’s a shame in the left hand brnr is only in 11.5 and the Callaway is 13.5 as the other way round, given their sizes, would have been perfect!
Completely different for me , I carry the new taylormade mini and a stealth 2 hd in my bag , set same loft , mini has lower ball flight and runs a country mile No difference in distance , struggle in a comp yesterday with drive , off to the left, out comes mini and all good 😁 Tend to use the mini on a links or when the wind gets up
Not shocking at all at the speed with which you swing. great lesson here and backed by data. if you don't swing 100+ once you get past about 15 degrees of loft and 43 inches in length, there is very little in it. Looking at your swing, your optimal set up would be Mini Driver, 5 wood, 21 4H 5H and after that whatever you feel after that. Could probably be fine with 13 clubs and a chipper. (since you didn't hit a single fairway with the Driver, ditch it.) the bay data is therefore not worthwhile because dispersion was the key. Thanks for the test.
Thats exactly what I have in the bag. I'm nothing special as a player, but ditching the 'normal' driver and 3 wood has certainly made me more consistent.
Yes, it's all about confidence. I have no confidence with a shallow face 3 wood on a tee. Feel like I will pop it up. I have a lot of confidence with the same club off the fairway. I use 3 wood from tee 99% of the time, so a mini driver gives me so much more confidence with the deeper face.
Would have been great to have seen this test including a 5W…. Seems like for the average golfer…. If you wanted to go for a limited set of clubs in the bag a mini and a 5W is the way to go…
I'm a short 5'-6" senior golfer who's had a hip, shoulder, and knee replacement. To me this is a waste of money. I choke down 1/2" on my driver and have no issues keeping it in play. Typical driver distance is 200 to 210. I hit the 3 wood off the deck too with little issues at all. I choke down 1/2" on all my clubs. To each his own.
@TheAverageGolfer If you were to get 11.5 degrees lofted mini TI and lower the loft to 10.5 degrees. It would more closely represent the driver option. I would go as far as putting in a 44.5 inch shaft and test it like that. For me it is the looks as well as performance. I just simply don’t like the modern driver ballooned heads.
Yeah the swingspeed explains alot. If you're swinging at 90mph with a driver-length shaft, there really wont be any difference for you with the big sticks. Just like slow swingspeed people trying to use 5,4,3 irons getting the same distance.
I don't care if Rick Shiels "get it" or not about Mini Drivers. Since last year the only woods in my bag are: Mini Driver, 5 and 7 wood. My Driver, 3 wood and 5 hybrid are out for good.
Mini Taylormade BNRN as a 3 wood set at 14.25 degrees and the Callaway Mini Driver as main driver set at 12 degrees... seeing no loss in distance whatsoever
You've been doing this a LONG time. Your over-the-top move is one of the worst I've seen and could be fixed in 10 minutes. Stop taking the club so inside. Fix it. Care. Don't be lazy.
![Hunxho - Ball Forever [Official Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/nki9ZTF9Uls/mqdefault.jpg)
Had the Taylor Made mini driver for a week. Gives me much more confidence off the tee than standard driver and getting good results off the fairway too. So am now carrying this and a 5 wood.
Just got the Callaway mini driver because I struggle with hitting fairways with my driver. I don’t have a 3 wood in my bag because I hit my 5 wood better (see 99% of player don’t need this club video). In the last 2 years I have learned to put away my ego and play clubs that help me and not make the game harder.
Exactly! It is confidence. I replaced my driver with the Callaway mini and dropped a 3 wood in favour of a 16.5. I added a 7 wood as well. I'm 68 and prior to the changes was a 15 hdcp. 2 months and 15 rounds later I am 10. I have not found any difference in yardage from mini to my old driver. It's a confidence inspiring look that is working extremely well...for me!
Great, great video. I echo other comments that this is what we need when trying to figure out a new club purchase. I now play a 12 degree driver with a 45.5" shaft. I choke up 3/4" or so and I hit it straight and far. I have an 18 degree 5 wood. However, I also have a 19 degree hybrid which I hit over the 5 wood (the 5 wood now stays home). I think quality of contact and accuracy are super important. My set up gives me both. Nonetheless, the mini driver seems worth looking into. I agree the three clubs you hit should not all be in the same bag. Not enough gap between them to keep them all. Thanks for this video. Perfect time for it.
I played 9 holes with my BRNR Mini Driver yesterday. On the 7 holes I used it on I hit 5 fairways and the 2 misses were slight left with easy second shots on to the green, I averaged 246 meters (268 yards) in distance. I don’t know why I would bother using the a full sized driver again…….🤷♂️
Just got my TAYLOR MADE BRNR mini , accuracy is the key to a good round
Great video Andy
personally would only buy a mini driver if I was struggling with my driver bearing in mind that the 13yds means an extra club with your next shot my 3 wood does more or less same as the mini driver keeping my £350 or so in my pocket 😉
I have the 13.5. Hit it too high wish I had the 11.5.
This is exactly the video I have been waiting for. For a few extra yards over my 3-wood off the tee, and perhaps a few more fairways compared to my driver, I don’t see this as a replacement for either club in my bag (based on my distances). Thanks!
I've replaced my driver and 3 wood with a ti340 and don't regret it at all. I could hit my 3 wood well off the tee, but was no better with it from the fairway than I am with a 5 wood. Whereas I'm a lot more consistent with the mini than a full driver off the tee, which is what I bought it for
Well done! This is exactly the kind of video that we all need in considering new clubs to help strengthen our weak spots and round out our bag.
Timely video Andy!
I have a mini driver being delivered today.
I'll take it to the range tomorrow and after my next round on Tuesday I will send an update.
I’m going with the mini burner 13.5 loft as a tight fairway finder and super 3 wood. I’ve not had my old 3 wood in the bag for over a year. Picking up my order next week. Not an easy club to get your hands on here in Australia. The major local golf retailer in my area is only getting 2 of each loft and said that it would be a struggle to get more. I don’t get it. If you’re going to create the hype supply the excitement. I’m looking forward to testing and playing around with the settings. I like the idea of the larger club face.
Thought this was perhaps your best video. You did a great job explaining how these clubs perform and whether or not they have a place in the bag. Very helpful!
A great overview of the options and great points to consider when making a buying decision but sadly the mini driver is sold out on the Callaway website and is no longer an option.
I’ve the old TM SLDR Mini Driver. 12 degrees. Still works great. My HCI is 4.4 ⛳️👍
Another solid video Andy.
I actually bought one of these on a whim, and it worked to great effect.
I used it today in place of a driver on some holes and 3 wood on others.
It’s most certainly longer than the three wood (I have the 11.5 version) and just a bit shorter than my driver. (15 - 20 yards)
Driving lately has been excellent, but the mini put me in some great spots with confidence - albeit shorter.
Looking at its uses, as Andy suggests, off the deck is quite hard work, so I’d likely plan to use it off the tee on shorter / tighter courses. I do carry a strong callaway UW which would serve as the three wood alternative. Overall it’s a great option to have if you’re fortunate enough to be able to get one.
I've had a similar experience. I've got a AI Smoke Max driver in 12 degrees and a 13.5 degree BRNR Mini both with a Proforce v2 HL shaft, which I love. I just demoed the Max 3HL with the 50g Cyper 2 shaft but didn't get on with it. I've got a 10 year old Tour Edge Exotics XCG5 4 Wood (16.5 degrees) that refuses to be replaced...LOL! I, too, hit the AI Smoke Max about 15 yards farther than the BRNR and if my driver swing is working, that is what I will bag. However, I tried the BRNR Mini off the deck earlier this week and I was surprised how well it did. I'm gonna practice some more with the BRNR off the deck, so who knows. I considered the Taylor mini, but I don't think I'd want to play anything bigger than the BRNR off the deck. Really enjoy your videos, perspective and insights. Cheers.
Great shaft. I have that same shaft in my srixon driver, 3 wood, 7 wood and 9 wood. It's anti right and turns long clubs into attack clubs. Tempo is key with that shaft but it's great. :)
Thanks Andy, you just addressed my comments on your last mini driver video! Could not agree more with your conclusion.
Carry a Krank driver,brnr mini,Tsi 4 wood now for our links course all allow me to hit the shots required weather/conditions depending.🎉😊
Another great detailed video. I have pre ordered my Callaway mini driver. I do feel the bag line up would be different with this purchase ie mini driver 5 fairway wood and 22 deg hybrid possibly. A good summer set up.
Is the mini just the modern updated version of the 2 Wood we all used to carry back in the 60s when I had my Spalding Bobby Jones persimmon head woods? It obviously has more tech or it would fly lower than the 3 wood.
Got rid of my 3 wood because I just didn’t use it very much, mostly on a few narrow fairways off the tee. Not sure I would use the mini any differently. A 5 is my fairway wood.
Burner mini is a unicorn. I have it at 11.5. Hit it about 275. So same distance as my driver but WAY easier to hit and more consistent. Plus the feel is spectacular. Plus it’s easy to hit off fairways. So I bagged the driver and added a fifth wedge.
What about testing your driver with a shorter shaft? Mine is 44 3/4” and I am glad I ordered it that way!
brnr mini 11.5* with a 5 wood lenght shaft, replaced my 3 wood...don't use it off the ground, much but love it off the tee...my driver loft is 7.5* ... I can get a hybrid or utility iron close enough to my 3 wood length off the ground to not miss it
Love those four legged caddies on the course
Hi Andy, see if you can get your hands on a used 16 degree Callaway Super Hybrid. I just picked up one used online for $200 Cdn and it has such a huge head and face for a hybrid, but a titanium face like a driver, that I'm thinking it could be the poor man's mini driver. I have the same club in 24 degrees and the face is ridiculously hot, I'm an average swinger and I can rip that thing 200 yards off the deck, it's silly. I will only be able to launch this 2 hybrid off a tee, but it should be a 230 yard fairway finder and $400 less than this mini driver offering from Cally (but it looks like a georgeous club, lol). Now that they are a few seasons old, the Super hybrids are going for a bargain in the 2nd hand market. It's a $500+ cdn club when new.
I’ve got the new brnr mini and just had the Callaway mini delivered, not hit it yet! I think it’s a shame in the left hand brnr is only in 11.5 and the Callaway is 13.5 as the other way round, given their sizes, would have been perfect!
Completely different for me , I carry the new taylormade mini and a stealth 2 hd in my bag , set same loft , mini has lower ball flight and runs a country mile
No difference in distance , struggle in a comp yesterday with drive , off to the left, out comes mini and all good 😁
Tend to use the mini on a links or when the wind gets up
Well done Andy great vid that...Im confident with my driver and enjoy it I'll be sticking with it mate
Not shocking at all at the speed with which you swing. great lesson here and backed by data. if you don't swing 100+ once you get past about 15 degrees of loft and 43 inches in length, there is very little in it. Looking at your swing, your optimal set up would be Mini Driver, 5 wood, 21 4H 5H and after that whatever you feel after that. Could probably be fine with 13 clubs and a chipper. (since you didn't hit a single fairway with the Driver, ditch it.) the bay data is therefore not worthwhile because dispersion was the key. Thanks for the test.
Sounds like there’s a good argument for a mini driver & 5 wood combination.
Thats exactly what I have in the bag. I'm nothing special as a player, but ditching the 'normal' driver and 3 wood has certainly made me more consistent.
It’s an excellent combo
Yes, it's all about confidence. I have no confidence with a shallow face 3 wood on a tee. Feel like I will pop it up. I have a lot of confidence with the same club off the fairway. I use 3 wood from tee 99% of the time, so a mini driver gives me so much more confidence with the deeper face.
Can wait to try the callaway mini. The triple diamond max is also very easy to hit.
Would have been great to have seen this test including a 5W…. Seems like for the average golfer…. If you wanted to go for a limited set of clubs in the bag a mini and a 5W is the way to go…
I'm a short 5'-6" senior golfer who's had a hip, shoulder, and knee replacement. To me this is a waste of money. I choke down 1/2" on my driver and have no issues keeping it in play. Typical driver distance is 200 to 210. I hit the 3 wood off the deck too with little issues at all. I choke down 1/2" on all my clubs. To each his own.
@TheAverageGolfer
If you were to get 11.5 degrees lofted mini TI and lower the loft to 10.5 degrees. It would more closely represent the driver option.
I would go as far as putting in a 44.5 inch shaft and test it like that.
For me it is the looks as well as performance. I just simply don’t like the modern driver ballooned heads.
My 3 wood is 13.5 degrees so should be close to the mini driver
300 mini for me is a fairway finder. No Driver. 3+Hywood has replaced my G425 3w.
Which mini driver would you go for? Taylor Made or Callaway?
One of your best reviews
Im quite tempted by a mini driver. Id rather be 10 yards shorter but in the fairway.
Great video. Thanks for your insights
Interesting video Andy. Thanks.
Thank you great presentation .
On tight golf courses I’m sticking with my driving iron.
Yeah the swingspeed explains alot. If you're swinging at 90mph with a driver-length shaft, there really wont be any difference for you with the big sticks. Just like slow swingspeed people trying to use 5,4,3 irons getting the same distance.
Can't wait until mine ships!
Guess I'll wait for the Titleist to turn up. No surprise there then....
I don't care if Rick Shiels "get it" or not about Mini Drivers.
Since last year the only woods in my bag are: Mini Driver, 5 and 7 wood.
My Driver, 3 wood and 5 hybrid are out for good.
Mini Taylormade BNRN as a 3 wood set at 14.25 degrees and the Callaway Mini Driver as main driver set at 12 degrees... seeing no loss in distance whatsoever
How does one get that much dirt a weight track in the back of a driver? 😅😅😅
It’s a talent
Lol maybe it’s an always thing. I found the Ai smoke Max weight track to get some dirt in it when I played with it myself!
Mini drivers are unicorns
Mini-driver = 2 wood.
Looking forward to testing the Mini - i find the driver just too unreliable
Buy a mini ..whack in a 7 wood good to go
I don't feel confident in a dress. What does that have to do with golf?
Nice review, I might try out mini driver looks very interesting
You don't know til you try. Bottom line... whatever lowers the score.
You've been doing this a LONG time. Your over-the-top move is one of the worst I've seen and could be fixed in 10 minutes. Stop taking the club so inside. Fix it. Care. Don't be lazy.
Smash factors are mad 1.50 .1.51s Andy 🤷 with the mini mate 🧉