Mini drivers are one of the hottest club categories going right now, and it has everyone asking if they should be gaming one.
Fully Equipped’s Wadeh Maroun is a bit of a mini driver “connoisseur,” so to speak. He’s hit all four releases this year from PXG, Titleist, TaylorMade and Callaway, but he is still currently gaming last year’s TaylorMade BRNR Mini Copper with the weight in the front and Fujikura Ventus TR Red 6-X shaft.
For him, it’s a club he uses both off the tee and the deck, but that’s not always the case for the growing number of PGA Tour pros gaming a mini.
“There is a definite separation between the guys that use it as a three wood and use it as a second tee option,” said Johnny Wunder on the latest episode of GOLF’s Fully Equipped. “Si Woo Kim uses it like a — he hits it everywhere. He hit it out of the rough. He’ll hit it out of a bunker. He’s an insane person.
TaylorMade R7 Quad Custom Mini Driver
PERFORMANCE FOR THE MODERN PLAYER
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R7 QUAD WEIGHTING SYSTEM
The new quad weighting system features four movable weights (13g x2, 4g x2) that provide the ultimate in spin management and shot shape control. Forward CG creates a penetrating flight best suited for maximizing distance whereas rear CG helps prioritize control and ease of use from the deck. Shot shape can also be fine-tuned helping create the most optimal flight. Additional weights can be purchased for a wider range of adjustability.
INFINITY CARBON CROWN
A new satin Infinity Carbon Crown has been added to the R7 Quad Mini Driver chassis creating a stunning look while saving weight for better mass optimization. The cosmetic package is clean, elegant, and confidence-inspiring.
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“Then you get somebody like Tommy Fleetwood, that primarily plays it off the tee. Max Greyserman, primarily off the tee. Min Woo Lee off the tee.”
There’s a debate about whether a mini driver is actually easier to hit off the deck than a three wood, and both Wunder and Maroun fail on opposite sides of the argument. Wunder feels like the mini driver, with its added size, is harder to hit off the deck.
Maroun thinks it’s more forgiving.
“But I think a lot of it’s a confidence thing, man,” Maroun said. “I’ve got so much more confidence in that mini driver wherever I’m hitting it from, that it’s going to be successful no matter what. Where I always worry with a three wood or even with a hybrid, is this going to hook left too much for me? I find with the mini driver, the reason why I like it so much is the miss is a power fade more than anything.”
Jack Hirsh
Golf.com Editor
Jack Hirsh is the Associate Equipment Editor at GOLF. A Pennsylvania native, Jack is a 2020 graduate of Penn State University, earning degrees in broadcast journalism and political science. He was captain of his high school golf team and recently returned to the program to serve as head coach. Jack also still *tries* to remain competitive in local amateurs. Before joining GOLF, Jack spent two years working at a TV station in Bend, Oregon, primarily as a Multimedia Journalist/reporter, but also producing, anchoring and even presenting the weather. He can be reached at jack.hirsh@golf.com.