Who is the Mini Driver for? Average Swing Speed Testing - Taylormade Original One Mini Driver 

The elephant in the room: Shaft length. Tom Wishon states that players ought to use the longest driver they can control. The player in this video immediately noted that the shorter shaft felt better. As a hobbyist club fitter, I've experimented with multiple shafts and lengths. Now I play ProLaunch Blue A flex in a 43" Wilson Triton head (The most adjustable head ever - can be built as light as 180 gm or as heavy as 202 gm with the standard base plates and weights) at 13 degrees. I consistently hit it on the face, even on bad swings (who wants that great contact in the woods...). Most amateurs cannot control the 45+" off the shelf drivers they buy, regardless of shaft. I specifically note in the video that clubhead speed is the same or higher with the shorter shaft. That's an effect of dynamic Moment of Inertia. When your personal best MOI (NOT swing weight!) is in play, you'll have the most accuracy and swing speed. The mini-driver form factor is interesting, but isn't the panacea that it's being presented to be.

I have the same trouble with squaring up 460cc drivers, so i went to a Callaway Bertha mini 1.5 driver and i love it.

Love the testing you do with golfers with Ronnie’s swing speed. Helps the older golfers since so many are in that swing speed range. Very well done 👍

Can't wait to see the 13.5 fitted for Ronny! Great stuff guys!!

Cool test! Looking forward to more videos with the Mini.

My 2c worth, I am a 10, 11 handicapper and used to hit my 3 wood off the fairways pretty well but badly off the tee using tees and I've switched to a 14 degrees TM Mini Driver as a 3 wood replacement. It's a much larger head and I tend to rotate it less through impact which is what I used to do with my 3 wood tee-ed up - pull, hooks. I don't really need a 3 wood off the fairways much as my 2 hybrid goes 10 meters less than 3W and is adequate. So that's another reason someone would switch to these, have had it in my bag for a few years, great decision, love mine. Vinnie from New Zealand.

I loved this video! Would love to see more videos with Ron! Go through his bag and get him hitting that 7 wood! Can't wait for the 13.5 head test!!

Great guys! Ready to see Matt hit it. Curious how this could fit into many players bags. As in if they want to replace the driver, fit a certain gap because of a course, etc..

Another great video and it seems Ron has found an addition to the bag when you guys have done a proper fitting👍🏽🏌️👌🏽 Had a callaway 1.5 mini driver a few years ago but for me it didn’t stayed in the bag. Have no problem hitting driver or 3 wood and than for me the driver was longer and the 3 wood easier to hit from the deck. But I guess when you do struggle with driver but are comfortable with 5 or 3 wood than the mini driver could be your solution.....looking forward for the full fitting of Ron for the Mini Driver and hope it will help him to go to single figures👌🏽

There are a lot of comments about the benefit of the shorter shaft...but I think there is a CG story here. I have found the smaller clubheads (e.g. m1 430) easier to square up and I would be interested to see this on Gears. Looking forward to the rest of the series!! There is obviously a benefit to to higher MOI on larger drivers, but for some players increased face rotation might be more of a benefit.

The mini driver is targeting golfers tired of feeling like they're swinging a toaster at the end of the shaft.. there is a reason why all golfers are re-selecting 5 or 4 woods (metal) or hybrids as they are easy hits. Larger heads aren't easy to feel where it is on the backswing, encouraging bad strikes. I'm interested

Awesome, thanks, love the video

Love to see this with Matt

I have an Aeroburner Mini Driver I used a couple of years ago as my off the T driver when I did not play very much, maybe once a month and I had no confidence in my full size driver. Last two seasons I have been in a league and playing weekly and am able to hit my full driver well enough to put the Mini away. Sometimes when I know a non-regular golfer is joining me on the course I throw it in the bag to let them hit and generally they always enjoy it more than whatever driver they are hitting.

I use the Callaway mini driver and love it. I’ll be trying more drivers soon including the Taylormade version. Most people are surprised I’m not hitting a driver because of the distance I get with my mini. I do want to try a driver in the shorter shaft but I feel I can swing faster with this smaller CC head. Not sure if I am but it sure feels that way.

Looking forward to your mini driver series, I am a golfer like Ronny

Ron is the man!!!! Keep him on the channel!

I’ve struggled with driver since I took up golf 10 years ago. I’ve tried everything, including shorter shafts, but. Have had to hit 3 and 5 woods off the tee in order to have anything approaching consistency. I’ve just bought this TM mini in 13.5 loft and it’s immediately impressed me on the range. Longer and straighter drives from almost every shot. It’s early days, and I’ve had driver false dawns before !, but I’m excited that this could be the answer to my tee box woes ! Thanks for this video.

I don't have this club but had a play around with one today and I think I may get one as a 3. Found it very easy to hit off the deck

You gents are just really nice guys. Been working through your videos old and new and just really great guys. If only you were UK based I would pay the money to visit you 👍👍

Another great video! Do you find that the project a ball frequently spins less or is that just this scenario? Love the videos with Ron! Keep him coming back

I am super impressed with your expertise in club fitting. I do however always wonder why instruction has not helped him swing better. He has great lower body rotation but his back swing really needs help. Perhaps physically he can’t do better and of course I don’t know. If he could just complete the backswing more; with his rotation I think he could be close to 100 mph. Your fitting is great if h.e can’t improve. Truly very impressive. I hope he hits Em straight and true.

In due time im sure I will be trying this club out

Awesome video. Now let’s see Matt hit it :)

Nice video guys. Although I wonder what would happen with Ron in a Cobra F9 12 degree driver turned to 13 degree draw setting with the shorter accra shaft.

I’m late to party here, but I’d had enough of not being able to square the face of my driver. I’d been fitted in the past and bought off the shelf, no difference. I’ve never liked the look of the 460cc driver and the mini sounded like a good idea. However, my pro at the time wasn’t keen and thought I should persevere. Now, some years later and still frustrated by normal drivers and with no one to advise me otherwise, I acquired an old Taylor Made Aeroburner, mini driver, 12°, recently. I knew I was right! I can now square the face with this and really launch it out there as far, if not further than a well struck, ‘normal’ driver. Your videos convinced me that this was a good path to investigate, thanks.

Great video -- I like the RB Tour but the cover doesn't last a round. TP5/X, Pro v1/X, and Bridgestone Tour B X are the ones you should stick with!

Hi All, I have been using a TM Mini driver since they came out about 5 years ago at 14*. My course has 6 x Par 4s between 290m to 370m where a driver will get you into trouble if you are a little wayward, left or right on these hole with water and / or bunkers. The Aeroburner gets me to about 210m on a good shot, most around 200m so unless I hit a really big slice it is in most cases a #6 to SW for a second shot, and being 10% smaller than the new model is not much bigger than some of the #3 woods from a decade+ ago so can be occasionally be used off of the fairway if conditions are right....

Really looking forward to trying this out. Visually, todays modern large head drivers seem to put me off and don’t feel comfortable with the driver. I’m also keen to try it out with a driver length shaft and see if that adds a little more distance without sacrificing strike.

I've had pretty good success with a mini driver. I really think the shorter shaft and extra loft is a big help when you're swing gets out of whack. Most golf courses are easier from the fairway.

Great video. Again. Would be interested to see Ron with 13,5 mini driver and campare it with hitting a 3 wood.

would you ever put Ron in the same driver with a 44" or 43.5" shaft? If not why not?

Such an interesting concept! I really want to try it. Will you guys be doing a full review of the little dog driver?

Seems similar to the G400 3 wood stretch. Maybe not quite as much tech as the mini driver but smaller head a little more loft shorter shaft. Maybe and comparison for the fitting video. Have you ever fit anyone into that for similar situation? Also seems like draw biased driver to allow him to close the face seems like it might help.

the boys at my golf spy talk about the ball test which leads into the change to avoid the softer compression ball. love this test and using Ron much more realistic for the rest of us

When you try the 13.5 head mini driver can you also test a 460cc head driver with the same loft, short shaft but swing weight the same as the mini driver as a comparison? Because I'd be interested to see if it's the head size or shaft length that is helping with the head closing rate.

I bought the Mini driver at 11.5 degrees and I hit that 266 to 270 on average per round. The one thing that I noticed is that I don't tee the ball up as high as I did with my M3 driver. I am way more accurate with the mini driver I also switched to a chrome soft ball. I previously hit Pro V1 balls I gained more distance with the chrome soft. I wasn't happy with the M3 driver I just couldn't hit it as straight as I wanted.

Excellent video! I wonder if you would consider testing the mini against a forgiving driver with 44" shaft?

My F9 driver is being delivered next week with a 44.5" shaft and 10.5 loft. That was my thinking; better control of a sorter shaft on the fastest driver I thought I can handle. My F9 3/4 wood delivers 90+mph club head speed, so I thought, why not try a three wood length shaft on the driver. Wish me luck!

I’d love to try that driver cranked down to 9.5 with a regular length driver shaft and compare it to mine. Not sure why it is “for”high handicappers.

Guys, I have the same problem of leaving the face open with anything thats not an iron! Any tips for helping to square up? Thanks again for all you do!

Swing looks pretty good. Probably gripping super tight looks little locked up.

Great video, this club could really help many golfers. At 5' 7" do you think the shorter shaft could be more appropriate/easy to control for myself. Thanks for your efforts

Any plans to test the new Snell MTB-X? Your guys test of the black vs red turned me into a huge Snell fan

Cobra offering the f9 driver in a short length at 44.5 inches which is a great option for people who struggle with centred strike and squaring the face. Essentially the same idea as the mini driver

Also need to get him more toward the middle of the club.

Well done video. I'm still curious as to where the Mini driver will slot in, replacement for driver, 3 wood, 3 wood on steroids? Would you hit it off the deck? If anything, confirms as why you need to be fit for a ball. Can readily relate to Ronny and will be interesting to see driver fit. Will it be the mini or driver with shorter shaft that works better for him?

I love how a lot of people commenting here are better club fitters than Ian!😜

Interested in changing to a higher compression ball made that much of difference. What ball was he using at start of test. I play sixron soft feel maybe should be using different ball.

I just purchased the Mini Driver - but with the Mitsubishi Tensie Orange in the 13.5 head. I turned it down to 12 degrees and my experience with it was better ball speeds and carry than my driver with a shorter shaft. Actually it was longer and faster than my 44.5" driver shaft as well. I looked at the shot pattern on the face and they are all in the middle circle of the mini driver. Yes I probably could hit my driver with the 44.5" shaft further one out of 15 drives - but on average the mini driver is better. Background on me is driver distance in the low 90's and surprisingly with the mini driver they are very similar if not a little higher. I have always been a very good 3 wood player off the tee, and with the slowing of my swing as I age (currently 61) I have felt more confident in my 3 wood as the really bad shot is simply not in the cards with it. Also I can hit the mini driver longer than my 3 wood off the turf so it is in the bag instead of the 3 wood. I will keep the driver in the bag for down wind shots - but most tee shots will be with the Mini.

Hi boys. Late to the party, but I just bought a 13.5 Original One and tee it much lower than Ron does here. If you get the new TM mini in, please consider having tester(s) hit at different tee heights. 👍

You should test this head to head vs the Aeroburner Mini.

Do you have a range of shafts to test fit at that length? Will you be using 3 wood shafts or what?

Can you compare this club to the new Titleist TS4 Driver coming out at 430cc? Could that be a first step in trying to move away from 460cc Driver? Maybe easier to handle than 460cc but not moving to a strong 3-wood yet. Just looking for thoughts on gradually getting a smaller head Driver until something works.

Would the mini be played up in your stance like a regular driver or more like a wood?

Could you achieve something similar by using a 3 wood shaft with a driver head with some of the adjustable loft woods? For example I have a Cobra driver and 3 wood. Could I install the driver head on the 3 wood shaft and get a different weight in the driver to create something similar?

Will you guys be fitting Ronny for a new driver as well? I’d be curious to see if Ian could straighten out ball flight while still providing the benefits of a full sized driver and then comparing that to a fitted mini driver. This is definitely an interesting club! Also, could you see people replacing 3 wood with this instead of driver?

Can you tell me how just gripping the 45" down the grip an inch or so would be different than cutting the shaft down. This exact question has been raised before. What would be the answer ? I think it fits right into this topic.

sharp haircuts txg! yall look like you go to the same barber haha

What about trying him in a 460 cc driver head that comes in a 13.5 degree loft standard it would not be a closed face and the larger head would be more forgiving with a Mini driver shaft in it?

saw the same issue on another test. needs more loft and TM adjustment opens the face making making open face strikes issues even worse. If it was a titleist hozel it could work.

Loved the review. I'm exactly like Ron. Used to love my driver but not anymore. Frustrating to see mine so unpredictable all the time. Looking forward to more mini driver series.

The Taylormade rep that came to our club this club was made for faster swing speeds, what type of player is this made for?

Did you get the 13.5 head?

Hi Ian, I was wondering how the mini driver would work with a normal length driver shaft?

Look how high that Tee is for the driver!!!

Have you tried a shorter shaft in his driver?

I think the biggest problem with modern drivers is the longer shafts. The reason mini drivers work is the shorter shaft and greater loft

Im a high handicap and i hit my 3 wood 100 % better than my driver.... im wondering if i have the swing speed to ditch the driver forever for a mini driver

Hi, do you have an Original One for sale?

Replaced my M6 with the mini driver Goes just as far, with much better accuracy I’m much more confident and can swing it faster . 11.5 lofted down to 10.5 61y/o. 10 hcap

He should tee higher and hit up and relax those wrists. He’s got a good swing. Maybe try tour tempo. Swing along with it on RU-vid and speed up.

Not a fan of small drivers for soooooo many reasons. Would be more interesting to see him hit Ping SFT driver, G400 or G410, either one should do.

He had great dispersion with the driver - just needs to aim left and he'll never miss a fairway.

What I don't understand is why you wouldn't want a 460cc head on a shorter shaft? Would this not give better results than the smaller head?

See good guys do wear black. So is this trend of new category is it a mini driver or 3 wood X, so confused. If the camera effect is legit will TXG be adding them to fitting options? 🤔👍

Is he tee'ing the ball up on the Empire State bldg?

Probably because it's 10yrs old but my driver is 43.5" and I honestly don't think I could hit anything longer!

Want to come down to get a club fitting what kind of price am I looking at for Full bag

It's funny isn't it,how we used to make decent contact with a driver with a head smaller than 200 cc, when Gods dog was a puppy.. Shorter shafts with less torque on the shaft consequently????

Isn't it odd how manufacturers have been making Drivers ever bigger with ever longer shafts and then "Hey Presto" TM return to the past with a smaller headed driver with a shorter shaft and all of a sudden we hit longer straighter drives! Can we please have a Ball Fit vid with Rockin Ronny, please?????? This Ball thing is getting really interesting! Like many old hackers, I have been using low compression balls for years because everyone was telling me that "slow swingers" need to use a Soft Ball. It now appears that this advice has been erroneous. Can we please use Ronny to find out what Ball "Us Owd Uns" should be using???

Matt look a bit sad that he wasn't featured crushing the mini driver 305 today. ;)

Is it just me or does he open up the face in the first 6" of his backswing?

Ron ... you are a true warrior and can definitely put the heat on the golf ball ... IMO you are "NOT A SLOW SWINGER" I am not contesting the analysis by Matty and Ian but the analysis could be different if you freed up your swing. Your left foot is planted hard on the ground and that restricts your back swing ... anybodies swing ... and so much where you can only compensate so much. Experiment with freeing your swing ... lift up that left heel a little and free yourself ... and IMO you may 20 - 40 extra yards and a more appropriate analysis from Ian and Matty ... Even younger players on TOUR are doing the same because they look CUTE with a planted left foot back and get this romanticized praise form commentators ... BUT their lower back is telling them else wise... You can manipulate shaft, ball, etc all day long .but you want get the data you deserve until you remove the restrictions.. Your swing IMO is off "not because of you" but because of technique ... Keep up the great work and enjoy your journey!!!

What is his hight?

He’s hitting to the right because of the parallax error inherent in simulators. The target on the screen is to the right of where it would be in reality.

Great vid guys and good marketing from TM but to me the Mini should really be called a 2 wood

I know this is about the mini driver, but are you saying he can't be fit for ANY "normal"driver out there?

I wonder if using a ProV1X would give him a few more yards as well.

Test used golf balls!! 😁

Why not try his driver, or a 430cc driver in a shorter shaft? Wouldn't that address his confidence he spoke of?

I don't understand the mini driver. Why is the head smaller if the 460cc head is supposed to be more forgiving? Why don't they just make their regular drivers with more loft? Also why not just get a shorter shaft on a regular driver? This seems like a marketing gimmick for Taylormade.

First get rid of the speeder shaft. His swing speed is nothing for that shaft. Shorten length and add loft.

Finish that backswing

For the next 10 years the mini will be in. After that the 460cc head will be back.

I've always considered Mini-Drivers to be a suckers club. Usually for the price of a Mini-Driver you could just get a lesson or fitting with your current Driver and achieve better results. Every single person I know that has tried one switched back to their regular Driver within a Season.

I love the idea of this club. Tested it and was very disappointed tbh. My g400max beats it in every way, distance, dispersion and ease of hitting. I wanted to like this mini driver but it just wasn’t for me I’m afraid. Also I didn’t like the sound of it- TM woods to me feel very hard in the face. But that is purely personal preference.

It's not the club. I'm still using my 20-year old McGregor V-Foil driver, averaging 290 of the tee and straight as a soldier. And I'm 62 years old. It's never the club...

How about fitting Ron to a full size driver .....

I don't like the name "Mini Driver", it sounds demeaning. call it what it is, a 2 wood.