Written by Michael VanDerLaan
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Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Tommy Fleetwood … the list goes on of names who have tried bag setups including a new club - the mini driver - in the past couple of years. What is this club? Is it a two wood? Is it the same thing as a 1990s driver? Can you hit it off the deck? Why are TOUR players doing this? And maybe most importantly - what are the best mini drivers on the market?
I have tested all of the mini drivers available, so let’s take a look together and end the guesswork by answering all the above questions, and more, in our definitive guide to mini drivers.
Best overall
Taylormade BRNR mini driver
best for control
Callaway Elyte Mini driver
Best Looking
Taylormade R7 Quad Mini Driver
RELATED: Performance Golf SF1 Driver Review
The Complete List
What Are Mini Drivers
The maximum size club head allowed by the rules of golf is 460cc. The majority of modern drivers on the market utilize this full allowance of the law in their designs, attempting to maximize strike area and forgiveness.
True “mini drivers” are going to measure closer to 300cc’s, sometimes into the lower 200cc’s, anywhere from ½ to 2/3rds the size of a full-size driver. These clubs are reminiscent of older (early 1990s) steel head drivers in size and shape, but are manufactured to different weight specs and have a lot more advantages built into the face and offer adjustability, amongst other improvements over their historical look-alikes.
Why Use A Mini Driver?
Small-headed drivers have become “en vogue” with players increasing their club head speeds steadily and manufacturers searching for any angle they can to keep the ball on the course when met with faster and faster ball speeds.
A professional player might end up hitting their driver so far that they have a gap between their driver and their 3-wood and need something akin to a “2 wood” to play to a specific tee shot or reach an extremely long par-5 in two.
The other reason why a professional player would consider a small headed driver is because they want to play a specific ball flight. For example, a player could hit a high cut and set their driver up to only be able to hit a high cut, which is a great strategy advantage, but occasionally might play a course that forces the player to hit a draw off of the tee fairly often. Players would then set up a mini driver to hit a draw with and get through this course rather than having to trust moving their big driver all over the course for 4 straight days.
The last scenario that has seen a lot of mini-drivers end up in the bags of prominent golfers lately is because it has become the club of choice for Pro Long Drive competitors when they want to play an actual round of golf, as they can still hit a mini driver 330+ yards and helps them keep the ball in play more than hitting a longer-shafted, bigger-headed driver.
Amateur players will most likely benefit more from having the increased loft and taller face of a mini driver, as well as the shorter shaft length. It represents kind of an “easier to hit” driver that won’t lose as much distance as dropping down to a 3 wood. Think fairway finder, without a loss of distance.
Small Head Drivers vs Big Head Drivers
The name of the game with small head drivers vs big head drivers is control. The refrain you will always hear coming from somebody who is considering adding this club or switching to a smaller driver head entirely is almost always going to be somebody seeking more control or a certain shape from their driver.
Bigger heads are going to have a larger sweet-spot, but also can produce more unexpected results on off-center hits. The small headed driver with a little more loft can produce a little more spin, which for a pro player usually means they can control it more and get a more predictable pattern than absolutely maxing out.
Advantages Of A Small Head Driver
A couple of advantages of a small head driver don’t really have anything to do with the head size. It’s important to note that typically the shaft is shorter on a small headed driver and there also are a couple more degrees of loft. Both of these help create a more consistent strike and to launch the ball with less side spin and curve, which leads to better results when it comes to accuracy for most golfers.
The driver head itself being smaller is in theory counterintuitive as for years we’ve stretched the limits of making the driver heads as big as possible in order to improve performance. Even though mini drivers are significantly smaller than drivers, they are bigger than fairway woods, and present a “taller” shape normally than a fairway wood, which can help a player hit the ball when teed up high, like a driver.
Mini Driver Reviews And Recommendations
There are a number of great small head drivers on the market as people are beginning to experience the benefits of a driver/fairway wood cross. Each of these options offers unique benefits and will fulfill different needs for different golfers. Have a look at them and find out which one is the best for you!
TaylorMade BRNR Mini Driver
The TaylorMade BRNR Mini Driver is a true mini driver, coming in at 304cc. The club’s namesake, the Burner driver, was a popular line of drivers released by TaylorMade in the 1990s-2000s.
TaylorMade has kind of taken it upon themselves to really champion the mini driver movement, and the BRNR is their latest and greatest release in a series of mini drivers over the past several years.
Loft: 11.5° / 13.5°
Length: 43.75”
Head size: 304cc
What We Like
What We Don't Like
The BRNR is the best mini driver on the market right now, from the ones leading the trend (TaylorMade). This club is versatile, as it could serve as an outright driver-replacement for the long driver or a player who wants more loft and more control, or as a stop-gap between a normal driver and a fairway wood. It does what it sets out to do. Albeit a very niche club, if it suits a need in your game, this is the frontrunner to win a spot in your bag, so long as cost isn’t an issue.
While TaylorMade has been highly commended for their innovation in the Stealth line, their mini drivers are every bit as forward thinking and impressive.
Callaway Elyte Mini Driver
The Callaway Elyte Mini Driver is their “compact” release from their newest series of drivers. This club is meant to be more forgiving and easier to launch the ball than a fairway wood.
It is the ideal club off the tee for the vast majority of golfers.
I found the Elyte Mini Driver to be almost as long as my gamer driver and also longer than my three wood. I am finding myself reaching par 5s in two that I could not reach before.
Weighing in at 340cc’s, it’s only a couple of percent difference from their “MAX” offerings but this club is for the player who appreciates and needs some subtle tuning to their game.
Loft: 11.5° / 13.5°
Length: 43.75”
Head Size: 340cc
Available in both a stiff and regular, premium shaft.
What We Like
What We Don't Like
The Elyte Mini rolls out a few features that tweak their top-line offering golfers at all skill levels. This mini driver will replace both the driver and three wood in your bag, and if my experience is any indication, it is going to take strokes off your game.
RELATED: Callaway Paradym Driver Review
TaylorMade R7 Quad Mini Driver
The TaylorMade R7 series was an iconic driver design in the history of golf, and this R7 Quad Mini Driver is a throwback to those club heads. It marries modern forgiveness technologies such as Twist Face and carbon metal to redistribute weight and give a similar aesthetic to generations past with modern playability and forgiveness.
The Quad Weighting System is a game changer in spin, launch and shot shape control.
The R7 Quad is the best looking mini driver that I have tested. I found it very easy to hit off the fairway and very easy to work the ball off the tee.
It sits slightly closed, which made it very easy to hit a draw off the tee, but I could still open the face and hit a fade when needed.
Loft: 11.5° / 13.5°
Length: 43.75”
Head size: 305cc
What We Like
What We Don't Like
I love the look of this club and I truly hit it very good, but I feel most golfers will get more out of the BRNR model.
If I was going to play a Taylormade mini driver, this would be my pick, but I am a very low handicap. For most golfers that are a mid to high handicapper, the BRNR model from Taylormade would better suit them.
Titleist GT280 Mini Driver
I have played a Titleist driver for years, so I was very excited to be able to test the Titleist GT280 Mini Driver.
Yes, Titleist is getting on the mini driver bandwagon.
The first thing I noticed was the very clean look, which I liked. It also has a lot of adjustability, like the other mini drivers.
It is available in three different shaft flexes, stiff, regular, and a tour flex, which fit me pretty well.
It is only available in one loft, which is 13 degrees.
It is also considerably smaller than the other mini drivers, coming in a 280 CCs.
The new forged L-cup face wraps around to the sole of the club and produces great sound for a driver.
While I like the performance of the GT280, I feel like it is intended for top tier players and would not be the best choice for high handicappers.
Loft: 13°
Length: 43.5"
Head Size: 280cc
What We Like
What We Don't Like
Titleist has created a really good mini driver for low handicappers and professional golfers, but hey have some work to do in order to serve the vast majority of mid handicappers and high handicap golfers.
RELATED: Titleist TSR Driver Review
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a mini driver and a 3 wood?
A mini driver is going to be a slightly bigger club head (more CC’s) and be shaped to have a taller face than a 3 wood. The mini driver will also be a lower loft, typically 11-13 degrees, while a 3-wood might be 14-16 degrees. The 3-wood will be shaped better for a strike “off the deck” while the mini driver will accommodate a tee shot better, however both can be used in both situations, they just lean more towards one use than the other.
RELATED: The Lower The Loft On Your Driver, The Farther The Ball Will Go
Should High handicappers use a small head driver?
In general, head size = forgiveness, and forgiveness is the best friend of a high handicapper. So it isn’t a change that should be taken lightly. In many instances you see elite golfers either using a small head driver to control ball flights more or a mini driver to get a precise gap between their driver and fairway wood.
The clubs become useful for high handicappers if a golfer simply cannot keep their driver on the course and they feel like either aesthetically or functionally a 460-cc driver head is hard for them to manage.
RELATED: Best Driver For High Handicappers And Beginners
Are small golf drivers adjustable?
Almost all drivers released in the past few years are adjustable. That said, each manufacturer can vary in their exact setup, but almost all will have an “adjustable loft sleeve” for a few different loft/lie configurations, and many will have screw-in external weights in the club head that can be removed or repositioned to achieve different ball flights.
Is a 3 wood better than small head drivers?
It all depends on what you are using it for and what “suits your eye.” Generally these clubs are designed to be able to “do it all” but the taller face of a small head driver makes it easier to hit off of a tee and a 3 wood is easier to hit off of the fairway, so golfers tend to try to figure out how they will use it most often and choose their club accordingly.
Additionally, players with lower club head speeds such as seniors can benefit from the higher loft of some of these small head drivers. Many people find it more effective to use a small head driver and a 3 wood, foregoing a regular driver.
Do professionals and low handicap players use small head drivers?
Professionals and low handicappers use all kinds of drivers, but there is definitely a trend that most golfers will not give up any head size until they become extremely proficient. A small head driver is in theory “harder to hit” because the face and sweet spot are smaller, but there are tradeoffs in feel and control that are desirable for some better players.
Final Thoughts
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The golf world never stops turning when it comes to figuring out new ways to squeeze “new” clubs in the bag - and in this zest we often see designs that are oddly familiar. For decades, club heads were swelling and swelling and swelling, and now we have finally reached the point where people are demanding something smaller than the max!
Mini drivers are very versatile and can benefit both amateurs and professional golfers alike.
I love the fact that I can hot a mini driver off the tee and then hit the same club off the fairway.
After testing all of the mini drivers available today, I have my favorite in my bag at all times.
Here are the mini drivers that performed the best in my testing. Pick one up today and see what you have been missing!
