This is actually a pretty clear differentiation. If you're replacing your driver then the Callaway is the better club. If you're looking for more of a utility club at the top end of the bag then it's the Burner.
Recently added the Burner 11.5* to the bag in place of my TSi-2 driver. About 10-15 yards less distance on well hit shots but I don't hit my driver that well to start. I hit twice as much fairways with the mini-driver and my scores have dropped. FWIW, I'm a bogey golfer.
I have basically the same experience. Although my Burner is a few years older, it`s replaced both my driver (Sim2) and 3-wood (TS2). I`m finding loads more fairways and because it`s easier to hit, having more fun playing golf. I`m a bogey player also.
Love the mini driver reviews. My set up goes Driver (Callaway Rogue St Max set at 8 degrees, Taylormade Mini Driver set at 13 degrees and then 3 wood (Cobra Aerojet set at 16.5 degrees. I don’t hit far, driver 255, mini driver off the tee 240 off the deck 230, 3 wood 215.
Seems like Rick didn’t want to admit that the Taylormade is better than the Callaway. I hate Taylormade but it looked like Rick was swinging it better with the mini Burner.
Rick, I think a great future video would be, You vs. Guy. On a short course, or a course playing from the white tees, NO DRIVERS, Guy using TM mini, and Rick using Callaway mini! I would love to see that!!
The Burner was so much nicer shots. (One dodgy pull ruined the numbers). Making the fairway is key. I think its less flashy, but a better club for Rick
That was a Battle Royale! It was interesting that the BRNR was the same on and off a tee. Even fairways don't hit like that. I had actually thought the Callaway would shine cranked down and weight front, but it just seemed to go too high to get to 300, the BRNR beat it, which was a surprise! I wish the stores near me had both to test and compare for my swing, as I just really struggle with driver.
Been playing the Callaway for a few days, it’s been so fun to have the in bag! Shooting well with it also, the 13.5 fits perfectly between my 9 degree AI smoke Triple and my 16.5 degree AI smoke 3 wood HL!
I think for golf in windy conditions, these are better options than long irons off the tee. Weight forward, hit it like a fairway wood but teed up a centimeter and it's just so good.
Received my Callaway 11.5 yesterday. I stopped using a driver when the head sizes went to 460....I've used an original Steelhead 3+ and 4+ until last fall when I put an Apex UW17 in the bag. The first swing with the MINI in factory settings, 240ish carry, and dead straight. That trend never changed in my practice session yesterday. Since I'm so against the VW on a stick, this is my tee club, although I was able to get it airborne off the deck. Weights and loft adjusted to max now... We'll see what that does on the course tonight!
Mini Burner all day long more versatile proving more useful in the bag, love the retro looks 👌🏻 I think the AI smoke size is probably too big to be a 3 wood replacement if you still plan to carry a driver, The TM would easily sit next a driver in the bag for fairway finding and long par 5's
I was ready to buy the Taylor Made but unfortunately, none now available. I've decided to put my 4 wood shaft in the TSi1 driver head and see what the results are. Waiting for the shaft adapter to arrive and remember to correct the swing weight as it will likely be much lower with the shorter shaft. Fingers crossed I get some good results🤞
I have last years brnr mini, love it. Has replaced my driver almost completely, save for big par 5s usually. Is also a good distance filler between the 3 wood and driver
I haven't tried either and probably won't. I can't afford to give up 10-15 yards, and because I'm not a long hitter, my driver misses aren't too offline/punishing anyway. But if I was going to look at them, the Callaway is better looking but the TM seems to be more versatile. I’d go for the Burner. But then again, I've never gotten along very well with TM drivers or fairway metals. Maybe I'd go for the Callaway 😅
Please try some performance shafts. Throw the CQ or VR in both then go head to head or old faithful “orange one”. I don’t know which would suit your swing best but I’d guess CQ or DI
I hope more mini-drivers are on the way from other brands, and that they will NOT be limited volume editions like the two tested here which makes it difficult to get one even if you want it.
Really enjoyed this video. I have the 2024 Mini Brnr. I have the weight set up to the back and have it set to 13.5 degrees. Off the tee it's fantastic. It's so much straighter than my TSR3 driver. I dont think ive hit my TSR more than 3 times since ive had the Mini. I hit it anywhere from 290-330 consistently. Its such a fantastic tool to have.
@@DannyHarris-o5g I would disagree. It’s consistently in the fairway yes. The type of hole I’m playing plays a huge part. Some roll more than others. Some are uphill, some are down. Nobody on earth it’s a drive the same distance every time.
I'm truly old school I like an idea Sam Sneed had in his book on the game. A 1.5 wood or a two wood on a driver shaft can still use as a driver or hit it off the deck.
I think for sure you need to play a round with it and see if that give you more confidence than that 3 iron. I think this would carry over to the regular driver like just seeing more fairways hit
I loved the TaylorMade BNR. I hit it within 10-15 yards of my driver, but with much more consistency. The problem was I kept reaching for it rather than my driver, which brought a degree of inconsistency overall into my driving. I only hit it an average distance, so 10-15 yards is important. I ended up selling it, so that I consistently reached for my driver "without thought". I actually liked it off the deck too and set it to 15 degrees at one point. Great club though...
I have last year TaylorMade Mini driver and I really enjoy it. Use it on and off the tee. I was tempted with the Callaway mini driver just because it looks so damn good.
I have last years model of the Taylormade mini driver, It has the full carbon top and all black so it looks better than this years model. But i love this club, Super easy to hit! Favorite club in the bag!
I am a late bloomer to golf (58) and only started playing last year. So sorry if this is a silly question but, what is the advantage of a mini-driver over say your 3 wood? If so good, shouldn't everyone carry one then? Thanks and love the content Rick. 🤘😎
I just picked up a new Burner Mini-driver (3 plus+) 11.5/stiff and played 3 rounds this past weekend. I rolled off one fairway otherwise hit the rest after 2 range sessions hitting 10 drives or so before heading out to the course. Is it long? No. I was a consistent 225-230 off the box, couldn't replicate the 270s I'm seeing video's like Rick's have. Which is basically a swing speed thing I'm sure. Needless to say, having the confidence to be in the fairway and calmness in a swing is a relief. I'm wondering if the Qi10 would add 20 more yards than the burner mini with the same swing speed? Fairways and Greens boys, fairways and greens.
If you are just looking for more fairways off the tee I would explore a shorter shaft for your current driver. You might be surprised. These are easier out of the fairway so that’s a plus.
Love the retro look of the Taylormade. With Callaway basically making a smaller version of their driver, I think this is the direction the tour should go in to address distance issues. Roll back the driver size. Public can still purchase the same clubs but the professionals use smaller versions.
The Taylormade is clearly your better club. Great video tho. I have the same swing speed and can't find a reason to deviate from my 3W for something that does the same job but is harder to hit. The Nike Ignite drivers/woods are just built different!
It's good to see options for people who don't like big headed drivers. I have been playing with a cobra long Thom 2 wood for the last 10 years! Time to replace it with one of these I think, just waiting for the @rickshiels giveaway 😜
Would be very interested in some additional data on how much shorter these clubs are om average than Rick's normal 9 or 10.5 degree Driver distance. Also, what would his bag look like? Does he ditch the Driver? Or if he keeps the Driver and Mini what is the next club in his bag? An 18 degree 5W or maybe a 19 degree 3H or just his 3 iron?
Even though it is fun to see all these tests with clubs but never clubs for women are tested or shown. Maybe this could be added to make the picture complete!
losing a few yards off the tee has to be acceptable if your score is going to come down. It just means your approach irons need to be on point. Great battle of the big names! 👏👏
The looks of the clubs is truly personal opinion. I actually prefer the look of the Taylor Made. Does it affect performance, maybe but who really knows. I have to like what I see when I look down.
Would it make sense to carry a 13.5 degree 3 wood plus or one of the “max” 3 woods at 15 degrees? Seems like you get a like bigger head than your standard 3 wood so you could tee off with it but it’s easier to hit off the deck?
Which one? I have 14 different models and they are fantastic putters. The Queen B #6 is my personal favourite and I have many Hive limited editions that I’ve payed thousands for. Queen B is part of their regular run and I think I payed 450 ish.
i have been playing the tm mini for about 2 years now and I am trading it in for the callaway . The sad thing is its not based solely on performance . I use my mini as a replacement for a 3 wood so I actually prefer the size and feel of the tm mini but I hate the how when going up in loft closes the face on the taylormade. I really like taylormade products but their loft sleeve is complete trash. The Callaway is more accurate and longer for me so Callaway it is .
I just don’t get why they brought these clubs out, doesn’t seem like they’ll do well. Only difference seems to be getting it to 11.5 degrees but it’s so close to a 3 wood what’s the point in them?
Put it in the bag rick, you’re struggling with your 3w and this is the answer. Put your 3w shaft in it and play it!!! I did and it will never leave the bag!!!
i get overall look being a club deciding factor, but the colour of the bottom of the sole is pretty funny. Literally the same materials and "technology" primarily being glue weights inside and the face, but because one is a different colour it looks older lol
Burner seems a way better fit. Could replace the old bluey 3 wood. Callaway seems only good off the tee and harder to hit. You put too much emphasis on look.
I have a sim 2 titanium 3 wood which is 13.5 degree is literally like a rocket, rick I think some of you bad shots was down to you not the drivers,it's like me blaming my tools for a bad job
Rick, if I were you I'd consider replacing your driver with either of these mini drivers. You have a tendency of being a little wild off the tee, like a couple of times at Open Qualifying. While a mini driver won't give you the raw distance, at least you'll find the fairway a lot more, and if you can carry it 270 yards then you won't be losing much distance.
Numbers are basically same, forgiveness the same.. only difference is taylormade is easier to hit off the deck but he still goes with Callaway 😂.. couldn’t show that he isn’t a TMade fan
If the point of the mini driver is to give you accuracy off the tee AND get it off the ground then surely the Smokey isnt even in contention? It feels the smoke is designed for those who like the look of the smoke driver but cant hit it..........maybe just spend the money on some lessons.....
I feel like Rick always hits TaylorMade clubs better than any other brand, yet constantly choose other brands for his bag. Is he just daring to be different? Doesn’t make much sense to me.
Rick. Can you send me a set of the Kirkland Irons. My region of Costco doesn’t have any in stock 😭😭😭😭😭. And after your review that is the only club I want.
You keep doing these reviews on mini drivers and I still don't get it. Why not use your normal driver, with a larger size and larger sweet spot, with a shorter shaft? Why not just use a 15 degree 3 wood? It looks like a marketing gimmick to me.
Exactly what I was going to say. A gimmick that can be a conversation piece,….by why in the world the average golfer would go out and spend….$450?! on this club baffles me.
This entire channel is dedicated to reviewing new and sometimes interesting and uncommon golf clubs/products. Whether or not he’s actually going to use a mini driver he’s going to make a few videos about the ones coming out, especially when people are interested in hearing about them.
So many people think these are 3 wood driver hybrids when they're bigger than the average driver in the 90's. They're not fairway woods, they're drivers.
This man literally reviewed a "Big Bertha" driver from 1998 and it was 290 cubic centimetres. Both of these mini drivers are bigger than that at over 300CC each. If a mini driver is a fairway wood replacement then that means there's no difference between drivers and fairway woods.Giant driver heads only became mainstream in the 2000s. Just because a driver doesn't have a huge head doesn't mean it's not a driver.
Brnr is an absolute unicorn for me. Best club i’ve used in 30 yrs. Averaging 284 off tee which is only 5 yrds shorter than my driver but it’s insanely more accurate and forgiving. Easy to hit off fairway as well.
what would you recommend, 13.5 or 11.5? I'm not great by any means, driver is ok consistency, 13 HC. I am not sure why you would pick one over the other.
@@noskillzleague i’m a lefty so mine only came in 11.5 which is what i have it set on. I can crank down or up 2 degrees but 11.5 has been ideal. If u want a driver replacement, go 11.5
Marty Jertsen (PING VP of Fitting) talked about mini drivers on the PING Proving Grounds podcast a few times, and also in the WITB they posted on the PING YT channel. PING did some data analysis and found that players that drove the ball 300 yards or farther tended to use the 3-wood off the tee 90+ percent of the time. In this case, it makes a lot of sense to move to a mini, but also once you go mini driver and realize you're never hitting it off the deck, it makes sense to just carry a second driver like Finau did recently. Jertsen does the same - 12 degrees of loft and 2 or so inches shorter - so easy to hit. I started to do this and love the setup. Big driver goes 280, small driver goes 260.
Makes sense to me and I follow the same philosophy. I’m 305-310 with driver and never have a real need/use for a 3w. I’ve played a TM mini driver in the 3w spot for 4 years now and love it
I'm in the "2 driver camp" now for sure. G400 9.5 (45in playing length). TM Burner Mini 13.5 (down to 12). Best move I've made for my tee game in a while. Waaaaaay more fairways on tight holes with the Mini without a major distance penalty. Ditched the 3w.
Is it me or is there a missed opportunity to show us something other than a 2019 driving range. I would think it would be pretty nice to use that 20k golf software and throw up a great 425 par 4 with a tighter fairway to show us the advantage/how straight a mini driver can be with an actual par 4? Love the channel and Rick and his team do an amazing job with the videos, just saying that could take it to another level.
I know immediately id choose TM. It is a beefed up 3 Wood and significant size change where the Callaway is just a toned down driver. So there is no significant change. I watched Rory's Video hitting the Burner and it was incredible to watch. Lazer straight over n over again. For the sake of boasting who is further i would take an all around better club and shot selection options so TM wins for me... I also feel Rick is an AB-TM - Anything But - Taylor Made.
I've had both and would definitely say the Callaway has the edge. It goes a little further, and is actually the more forgiving of the two. The only thing I could see the TM winning on is hitting off the fairway, but this is something I never did or will probably ever try. I have no bias and have had both these in the bag, hope it helps 👍
I have a Titleist TSI2 3 wood turned up to 14 degrees. It goes much further than that brnr. I tasted it at PGA Tour Super store. Titleist equipment is just quietly better. Hence why the prices never drop on it.
Love my Burner 11,5 (plays 12) replaced my Radspeed. I lost like 20 yards but I’m always in play. Also easy to hit off the deck on both fairway and in the ruff! Just love it!
