EQUIPMENT TREND
Equipment manufacturers, mostly TaylorMade, have dabbled in the mini driver game in the marketplace with limited success. Now, however, it seems almost everyone wants in. Recent intro- ductions from Callaway, PXG, Taylor- Made and Titleist (right) indicate the category might have legs. If adoption among the masses is any- thing like it is on tour, expect some of these clubs in the bags of your weekend fourball. At this year’s Players Champi- onship, 20 mini drivers were in play, with Justin Thomas and Tommy Fleet- wood among those wielding them. Being popular or trendy, however, does not always translate to usefulness. Tour pros are skilled enough to handle pretty much any stick expertly. Every- day players are different. The oversize head of a driver offers needed comfort and forgiveness. The loft of a fairway wood provides necessary launch. Is there even a need for a mini driver? Chandler Carr, manager of product creation for TaylorMade, is steadfast that there is an audience for them and good science behind it. “A smaller head allows us to do more with the mass to create an incredibly low balance point,” he says. “The cen-
tre of gravity (CG) is in a good position, so your mis-hits aren’t as penalis- ing. You can have a lower tee height; you have a smaller head size but still a relatively large effective hitting area, and then a shorter shaft. You’re kind of checking all the boxes of more repeatable contact by shrinking your driver down.”
The construction of mini drivers is quite dif- ferent from drivers and 3-woods. A driver head is typically 460 cubic centi- metres and the shaft 45.5 inches long. A 3-wood is about 180cc and 43 to 43.5 inches. As you would expect, the mini is in be- tween, at 280 to 340cc and about 43.75 inches. (See an example of relative head size, below left.) The larger face on a mini driver makes it more forgiving than a 3-wood, which is a plus for golfers dealing with contact issues, particularly low on the face. Also, opting for a larger face
Digest 100 Best Club- fitter. “However, when we explain we can make a 460cc driver at 43 inches that will help their control problems a lot more than a mini
LEANING IN Some major manufacturers are betting on the mini- driver craze this year.
makes catching a piece of the face easier on severe mis-hits. The longer shaft on the mini increases the potential for ex- tra distance, too. But beware, the lofts are stronger on minis, as low as 11 degrees and up to 13.5 degrees. For players who struggle to get shots airborne, this can be a problem. However, for those with difficulty hitting the driver high enough, it could make for a viable tee-shot op- tion, albeit with a forgiveness sacrifice. That is leaving some clubfitters wary. “A few people definitely come in looking for it,” says Woody Lashen, co-owner of Pete’s Golf, a perennial Golf HOW THEY STACK UP Here are current models ( from top to bottom ) of a Titleist 3-wood, mini driver and driver.
driver, that’s what they buy.” Lashen’s facility, however, is one of the premier club builders in the game and gets the internal weighting right. A shorter driver is not as simple as just lopping a couple of inches off the shaft. If that’s the alternative, the mini driver is the better move, Carr says. “Your moment of inertia is greater with a shorter driver, but your efficien- cy is not as good,” he says. “And your CG projection on a higher-lofted driver is higher. So now this golfer with a 43- inch shaft and a 12-degree driver head is going to be hitting it shorter than the mini driver because it’s spinning too much. The recreational golfer needs distance, and the launch and spin are more efficient in a smaller head.” Ultimately, the decision is a person- al one. Link up with a qualified fitter to understand if there’s an edge with one over another. Sound advice – whether about babies or golf clubs – always saves you headaches in the long run. – E MICHAEL JOHNSON
Made with FlippingBook interactive PDF creator