OT Mini drivers

[liquid0623]

I was thinking about getting a Taylormade Mini driver. Anyone ever use one? Thoughts?

 

[ILLINOISLION]

I was thinking about getting a Taylormade Mini driver. Anyone ever use one? Thoughts?

I bought one maybe two years, plays very similarly to a three wood. Very easy to hit, very easy to control.

Disclaimer: My golf bag is “different” than most: 6 woods / 2 irons / 3 wedges / 3 putters. (It’s fun at my club when I have a young caddie, they seldom have a clue as to which club I’m going to use!)

 

[eidolon21]

Flags all over the field...picture of Minnie Driver required

 

[Nittany Ziggy]

Flags all over the field...picture of Minnie Driver required

I’d hit that...

 

[KnightWhoSaysNit]

I was thinking about getting a Taylormade Mini driver. Anyone ever use one? Thoughts?

I haven't played this driver but some of its specs would suit me, and probably most golfers ...

• The shaft, at 43.75 inches, is almost 2 inches shorter than today's "standard." This means the swing plain can be more upright.
• With the shorter length and increased loft the ball can be placed slightly further back in the stance, maybe an inch or two, at a point that is easier to manage.
• The increased loft and shallow face enable the ball to be teed lower, which also enables a more upright plane. Shorter length aside, I think having the ball closer to the ground and back slightly in the stance improves the ease of repeating consistent contact. There is something about hand-eye coordination that makes it so.

I've gone to the range to compare my 45 inch driver with my 43.5 inch. Only when I made perfect contact did the 45 inch driver go further, and then only by about 5-10 yards. I make solid contact much more frequently with the 43.5 inch length.

The result now is that my golf balls get beat up long before I lose them. Instead of going out of bounds, they hit the cart path.

Casual golfers tend to get fixated on the brand and/or club head, but in my opinion, advancements in shaft quality have been much more significant than head size or design. The shafts in a lot of expensive clubs purchased off the rack are relatively poor compared to aftermarket shafts. I bought an old, beat up driver with a Matrix XCON 6 shaft (R-flex, and not of the "made for" variety). The head has long been relegated to my junk drawer. The shaft is in my 43.5 inch gamer -- a Ping G10 with hot melt to weight it up to D-4 and improve acoustics.

I've gone through many, many drivers over the years, but always with high-quality shafts. The difference, in the end, was in bucking the shaft length trend, and in making the club sound pleasing, something I would want to hit over and over again.

I am a single digit handicap. I am not saying I would never go back to a longer driver, but I'd have to have professional level repeatability in my swing for that to make sense. Probably won't happen. Food for thought.

 

[LionDeNittany]

I was thinking about getting a Taylormade Mini driver. Anyone ever use one? Thoughts?

I had a Mini Countryman S. Loved that car. Had it from ~20k to ~70k miles.
Recommend selling around then.

LdN

 

[Victor E. Bell]

I’d hit that...

Co-starred in the little-known "Owning Mahowny." One of my favorite gambling movies. Based on a true story. I was hoping to be the first to post Minnie but you're way ahead of me. I was out all day.

 

[liquid0623]

Thanks for the help!


QUOTE="KnightWhoSaysNit, post: 4140606, member: 8132"]I haven't played this driver but some of its specs would suit me, and probably most golfers ...

• The shaft, at 43.75 inches, is almost 2 inches shorter than today's "standard." This means the swing plain can be more upright.
• With the shorter length and increased loft the ball can be placed slightly further back in the stance, maybe an inch or two, at a point that is easier to manage.
• The increased loft and shallow face enable the ball to be teed lower, which also enables a more upright plane. Shorter length aside, I think having the ball closer to the ground and back slightly in the stance improves the ease of repeating consistent contact. There is something about hand-eye coordination that makes it so.

I've gone to the range to compare my 45 inch driver with my 43.5 inch. Only when I made perfect contact did the 45 inch driver go further, and then only by about 5-10 yards. I make solid contact much more frequently with the 43.5 inch length.

The result now is that my golf balls get beat up long before I lose them. Instead of going out of bounds, they hit the cart path.

Casual golfers tend to get fixated on the brand and/or club head, but in my opinion, advancements in shaft quality have been much more significant than head size or design. The shafts in a lot of expensive clubs purchased off the rack are relatively poor compared to aftermarket shafts. I bought an old, beat up driver with a Matrix XCON 6 shaft (R-flex, and not of the "made for" variety). The head has long been relegated to my junk drawer. The shaft is in my 43.5 inch gamer -- a Ping G10 with hot melt to weight it up to D-4 and improve acoustics.

I've gone through many, many drivers over the years, but always with high-quality shafts. The difference, in the end, was in bucking the shaft length trend, and in making the club sound pleasing, something I would want to hit over and over again.

I am a single digit handicap. I am not saying I would never go back to a longer driver, but I'd have to have professional level repeatability in my swing for that to make sense. Probably won't happen. Food for thought.[/QUOTE]