Original One Mini Driver

[Joelsim]

Would you expect anything else?

[TinkerGolfMan]

Not sold on it, but club ad address looks good.

[chris975d]

> @airjammer said:

> > @ASN21 said:

> > Youtube review is up:

> >

>

> So far it sounds just like every mini driver that has been released...spins more and goes about 15-20 yards shorter than a well fitted bigger headed and longer shafted driver head.

>

> I didn’t hit my kzg pft 300 that great off the deck way back when so I don’t suspect I will hit this slightly smaller head any better even with a speed slot

 

You didn't really expect it to be LONGER than a larger headed, lower lofted, longer shafted driver, did you? A "mini driver" is basically a 2-wood. Some will have a use for that, others won't.

[airjammer]

> @chris975d said:

> > @airjammer said:

> > > @ASN21 said:

> > > Youtube review is up:

> > >

> >

> > So far it sounds just like every mini driver that has been released...spins more and goes about 15-20 yards shorter than a well fitted bigger headed and longer shafted driver head.

> >

> > I didn’t hit my kzg pft 300 that great off the deck way back when so I don’t suspect I will hit this slightly smaller head any better even with a speed slot

>

> You didn't really expect it to be LONGER than a larger headed, lower lofted, longer shafted driver, did you? A "mini driver" is basically a 2-wood. Some will have a use for that, others won't.

 

No, I didn’t...Maybe I missed what Taylormade was claiming made this one special or worth producing??‍♂️ Because sure as hell better be special for $400

 

 

[chris975d]

> @airjammer said:

> > @chris975d said:

> > > @airjammer said:

> > > > @ASN21 said:

> > > > Youtube review is up:

> > > >

> > >

> > > So far it sounds just like every mini driver that has been released...spins more and goes about 15-20 yards shorter than a well fitted bigger headed and longer shafted driver head.

> > >

> > > I didn’t hit my kzg pft 300 that great off the deck way back when so I don’t suspect I will hit this slightly smaller head any better even with a speed slot

> >

> > You didn't really expect it to be LONGER than a larger headed, lower lofted, longer shafted driver, did you? A "mini driver" is basically a 2-wood. Some will have a use for that, others won't.

>

> No, I didn’t...Maybe I missed what Taylormade was claiming made this one special or worth producing??‍♂️ Because sure as **** better be special for $400

>

>

 

It's the same price as the titanium M5 fairway woods that are selling quite well. This is just a specialized fairway wood/driver hybrid type of club.

[Nicodimas]

I wonder how it will down cranked down on loft

And

The correct shaft for his swing

 

11.5 vs 9.5 degrees is what distance yards difference. A lower launching shaft ?

[Z1ggy16]

> @dcmidnight said:

> Boy was I dead wrong about the pricing here. I was talking about this last weekend with my group and we thought it would be in the $199 - $249 range. $399 for a specialty club is really something. I had the mini SLDR driver in the back back in the day because I was terrible off the tee. But then I spent 6 months and a handful of lessons correcting my driver issues.

>

> I just dont see this at this price point. And FWIW I'm a complete TM mark as my signature shows.

>

> But if you're going to spend $399 and crank this down to 9.5* - why not just buy a new M3 for $349 or even less used - and chop it down. Bigger head, bigger face, more forgiveness. And $50 left over for a driver lesson.

>

> Man I was just way off here.

 

This is a very good point and my only thought here would be the mini could require less tinkering for somebody who wants to play a shortened tee club. I only looked at it online for about 10 seconds, but I assume the head comes in a little heavier than a stock M3 driver and all the stock shafts or any shaft really, would come tipped appropriately.

 

If you cut your stock 45.5'' driver down to 43.75'' like the mini, you have to/usually add a bunch of weight to the head to bring your SW back up. This then in turn generally will cause the shaft to feel & play less stiff than before, so you may need an entirely different shaft (heavier) and/or to tip the current one a bit. The mini would just come ready to go whereas cutting down a stock 460 would require some work and club building knowledge or a little bit of time & money to have somebody work on it for you.

[MaineMariner]

 

I like the idea of a mini driver because I've always struggled with hitting up on a regular driver. There's something about the face being tall and the ball being teed up high that throws my brain for a loop. In theory you should be able to swing the mini driver more like a 3 wood off the tee, which to me is a more natural feeling swing (even if I'm still actually hitting up on the ball, or neutral).

 

I've written before about how I didn't care for the Callaway Bertha Mini 1.5 back in the day. I'm going to give it a go with a different loft and shaft setup this time. I'm going to compare it with my regular setup, which isn't working terribly for me but probably is leaving distance on the table in the interest of hitting fairways (Callaway BB Fusion at 13.5 degrees with a 44-inch shaft. I tee it low and hit high bombs).

[airjammer]

> @chris975d said:

> > @airjammer said:

> > > @chris975d said:

> > > > @airjammer said:

> > > > > @ASN21 said:

> > > > > Youtube review is up:

> > > > >

> > > >

> > > > So far it sounds just like every mini driver that has been released...spins more and goes about 15-20 yards shorter than a well fitted bigger headed and longer shafted driver head.

> > > >

> > > > I didn’t hit my kzg pft 300 that great off the deck way back when so I don’t suspect I will hit this slightly smaller head any better even with a speed slot

> > >

> > > You didn't really expect it to be LONGER than a larger headed, lower lofted, longer shafted driver, did you? A "mini driver" is basically a 2-wood. Some will have a use for that, others won't.

> >

> > No, I didn’t...Maybe I missed what Taylormade was claiming made this one special or worth producing??‍♂️ Because sure as **** better be special for $400

> >

> >

>

> It's the same price as the titanium M5 fairway woods that are selling quite well. This is just a specialized fairway wood/driver hybrid type of club.

 

Absolutely,I understand that I’m just waiting for the proof that using titanium and carbon fiber makes a big enough difference to justify using that material and in turn the price. Obviously you can get max cor with steel so I’m just waiting on the benefits and just solely based of this off the tee review there wasn’t anything that wasn’t achievable with the old version.

 

Really they should remake the 510tp (390cc) with a speedslot and call it a 2 wood as well. Guaranteed to sell like crazy.

 

[chris975d]

> @airjammer said:

> > @chris975d said:

> > > @airjammer said:

> > > > @chris975d said:

> > > > > @airjammer said:

> > > > > > @ASN21 said:

> > > > > > Youtube review is up:

> > > > > >

> > > > >

> > > > > So far it sounds just like every mini driver that has been released...spins more and goes about 15-20 yards shorter than a well fitted bigger headed and longer shafted driver head.

> > > > >

> > > > > I didn’t hit my kzg pft 300 that great off the deck way back when so I don’t suspect I will hit this slightly smaller head any better even with a speed slot

> > > >

> > > > You didn't really expect it to be LONGER than a larger headed, lower lofted, longer shafted driver, did you? A "mini driver" is basically a 2-wood. Some will have a use for that, others won't.

> > >

> > > No, I didn’t...Maybe I missed what Taylormade was claiming made this one special or worth producing??‍♂️ Because sure as **** better be special for $400

> > >

> > >

> >

> > It's the same price as the titanium M5 fairway woods that are selling quite well. This is just a specialized fairway wood/driver hybrid type of club.

>

> Absolutely,I understand that I’m just waiting for the proof that using titanium and carbon fiber makes a big enough difference to justify using that material and in turn the price. Obviously you can get max cor with steel so I’m just waiting on the benefits and just solely based of this off the tee review there wasn’t anything that wasn’t achievable with the old version.

>

> Really they should remake the 510tp (390cc) with a speedslot and call it a 2 wood as well. Guaranteed to sell like crazy.

>

 

Well I think it depends on application. I'm not sure if you could make a steel bodied wood this size (275cc) and it not be too heavy. With the M5 fairways, the titanium body construction is light enough that it allowed them to create the super heavy 65g weight along the sole. You couldn't get that kind of weight distribution down low if the entire body was heavy steel...a third of the weight of those clubheads is in the sole because of that. Something similar is happening with this mini driver with its 50 gram sole plate.

[bubbagump]

 

I feel like some people are misunderstanding the point here. Mini drivers, are mainly catering to folks who forego a big driver for whatever reason because they are more consistent with the smaller headed mini. So regardless if you cut down, swing slower, swing backwards, close your eyes or whatever people are suggesting with a regular driver its still moot to the majority of the population who would prefer a mini driver.

[The Couv]

I want to hit one of these a lot, take the 11.5* and crank it down closer to 10* and pair it with a 75-85 gram low spin shaft just to see how close I could get it to an optimized driver. I don't think it would be too far off as I play my best with modern drivers no longer than 44.5".

[radiman]

Really interested in demoing this bad boy. Get 11.5 and crank it down. Play it at 44" and see what happens. May lose a little bit of yards, probably spin the ball more, but I'd like to see the flight of the ball.

[Joelsim]

> @bubbagump said:

>

> I feel like some people are misunderstanding the point here. Mini drivers, are mainly catering to folks who forego a big driver for whatever reason because they are more consistent with the smaller headed mini. So regardless if you cut down, swing slower, swing backwards, close your eyes or whatever people are suggesting with a regular driver its still moot to the majority of the population who would prefer a mini driver.

 

 

Not necessarily. I’ve ordered one as I wanted a slightly shorter club off the tee as an option.

 

There are a lot of ditches at my club running across the fairways at around the point I carry my driver in certain conditions. For instance, hole 4. In winter I can use a driver safe in the knowledge that I won’t get enough roll to reach the ditch, in summer however I do, so I’ll use the Mini there. Likewise windy conditions may require the shorter club. There are a number of holes like this that depend a bit on where the tees are positioned, and there’s also a 220-240y par 3 which it’ll suit much of the year.

 

Plus across the two courses there are four or five 300-340y par 4s where this would be a better option than a driver to 50/60y away, leaving a full wedge in.

 

And I find 3 woods too shallow on the face as a tee club.

 

[bubbagump]

> @Joelsim said:

 

> Not necessarily. I’ve ordered one as I wanted a slightly shorter club off the tee as an option.

>

> There are a lot of ditches at my club running across the fairways at around the point I carry my driver in certain conditions. For instance, hole 4. In winter I can use a driver safe in the knowledge that I won’t get enough roll to reach the ditch, in summer however I do, so I’ll use the Mini there. Likewise windy conditions may require the shorter club. There are a number of holes like this that depend a bit on where the tees are positioned, and there’s also a 220-240y par 3 which it’ll suit much of the year.

>

> Plus across the two courses there are four or five 300-340y par 4s where this would be a better option than a driver to 50/60y away, leaving a full wedge in.

>

> And I find 3 woods too shallow on the face as a tee club.

>

 

I get they have other uses/purposes, and I use mine in that manner......but for the most part the basic premise of them was a driver substitute/replacement for those that struggle with drivers. So the comments about cutting normal drivers down etc and being the same thing, are kind of moot to the target audience.

 

I carry one and have since the SLDR mini came out, and use it as my 3 wood, frequently off the tee and off the deck on par 5s as well. Its much easier to rely on then my driver sometimes, and length is solid so its been very valuable to me.

[mason82]

Not sure about this. I don't like large drivers, And hit my 3 wood well off the tee. If this gave me 15 extra yards from my 3 wood, I'll buy it.

[cliffhanger]

i had a look at one today... it was the wrong hand but it looks amazing. knowing the specs and how good it looks, this will surely be a winner for some guys.

[chinaski]

The sldr mini is a 5 year old club. That's not "back in the day".

 

I have a 14˚ Mini. It's a great club. I'm excited for the new version. Especially the adjustability.

 

These are basically 2 woods. Sure, they are designed for the tee, but you can hit them off the deck the same as any tall-faced 3 wood. I still carry mine from time to time and they are great for courses where accuracy off the tee is vital or if you are having issues with driver. Also perfect for a 7 club bag. Sure, my standard 3W is easier to hit off the deck and my driver is longer, but I am definitely more accurate with the mini over both driver and 3 wood. It's a niche club, but it has its place.

 

 

[ws6]

When the tour issue ones at lower lofts hit ebay, I'll buy one. My very first new driver was an Original One in 1985. It was $50.

[Nicodimas]

Bought one as it released and mine shipped. Says it’s to be delivered Friday ! San Diego to Phoenix.

 

I am currently driving a AeroBurner 12* and a Cobra F9 tour 12*. Hoping I can put the F9 tour to 13.5 and the original one to 9.5* or so...

 

I would have a spread of a 9.5,13.5 cobra F9 tour, 17.5 F9 tour. Mid 90s swing and positive AoA. I love hitting off the deck and usually have a 215/235 spread on my woods on real world averages. I have not figured out my (old :( ) max swing yet and am coming off a back injury.

 

( my AeroBurner goes so freaking high .. so hoping a newer shaft will help. I put it on a evenflow t1100)

[Warrick]

I play the F9 Tour 3/5 also, about to order this as my driver, just like smaller heads, maybe play it at 10

[Joelsim]

I think I’ve gone for the right flex in regular. That’s what the rest of my clubs are and the ball speed from my driver is typically 145 to 155 on my local range protracer. I’m pretty much on the cusp of stiff I reckon, but I hit all my other clubs well on regular. I do always wonder whether stiff would be better though.

 

Overall I’m not intending to be belting the Original One, it’s going to be more of a control club, so I guess that’s what tipped the decision.

[jmkenn0]

> @"The Couv" said:

> I want to hit one of these a lot, take the 11.5* and crank it down closer to 10* and pair it with a 75-85 gram low spin shaft just to see how close I could get it to an optimized driver. I don't think it would be too far off as I play my best with modern drivers no longer than 44.5".

 

That's what I ordered and my game plan as well! I'll give some thoughts when it shows up.

[Z1ggy16]

I'll be really curious to see the spin numbers on the higher speed guys who take the 11.5 down to 10*. I can usually find the fairway or just in the rough with my 3w about 80% of the time at 43'', so adding 15 or even 20 yards (due to lower spin) with that same kind of accuracy would be ideal. For some reason playing a 460cc driver that short just looks and feels weird to me. I've always liked the look of my 3w addressed to a ball on a small tee over a large driver head on a much higher teed up ball.

 

The James Robinson vid looks like it was still spinning sort of high and that normal strikes he was getting only a few more yards than a standard 3w. However, I did see one spin at 2400 which got him about as much carry as regular driver. I would assume that loft for loft, this thing should spin less than a 460 head because of the CG being closer to the face.

[Joelsim]

Lovely

 

 

[GC70]

I’m very interested in this club.

[J13]

Saw this in person yesterday. Nice looking mini driver but $400 is crazy. Go buy yourself a Ping G400 LST for $299 new and enjoy.

[Warrick]

I just like the small head, hit my fairway woods really well, struggling with these massive driver heads. The F9 Tour heads are tiny, and have been amazing for me , planning on taking the leap

[bulls9999]

I've always been one that hit the sub-460 drivers better (I'm also a lefty). Was looking to get something more modern than my 2015 Callaway Optiforce 440cc and the only thing I saw available was the Callaway XR 16 Pro (2016). I forgot which new Taylormade is 435cc, but its only in right-hand version. Well, I went to demo-day recently at our club and ended up hitting the Callaway Epic Flash for about 45- min (wore myself out). Looked at traces on Trackman that the demo rep had with him. I have since compared it to my Callaway Optiforce 440cc on the range at least 3-4 times and still feel I hit the 440cc Optiforce much better (I've always liked sub-460cc drivers, even though I can't see what 20cc does that makes it so?). I even switched out shafts and put the Tensai 65 blue (reg) on the Optiforce and I love that combo the best... just enough stiffness more than my 565 Speeder Reg to keep me straighter, but not too stiff that I lose distance. And actually, not sure if the larger head on the Epic Flash had wind drag, lol, but I put the lighter 565 Speeder on the Epic Flash and I was hitting that better than with the Tensai (lighter shaft with the larger drag head?). Annoying when the 2015 club that I can buy for $50-70 on the bay does as good or better than my new $550 club. I'm also happy that Callaway has kept the same adaptor for so many driver models, allowing me to assemble and assortment of shafts I really like from the 'bay.

> @hayzooos said:

> > @Pack7483 said:

> > I will definitely check this out. I have been wanting an update to the mini drivers to come out. I wouldn't mind seeing callaway come out with a rogue/epic mini with jailbreak.

>

> I was talking with a few buddies the other day and said, "Epic Flash Mini with an 80g shaft option, 43.5", ~10.5* with their normal adjustable hosel; flash face, jail break, carbon fiber." Ended with a Giddy the _expletive_ up so it sounds like they'll sell at least two of them!!

 

 

[Z1ggy16]

> @J13 said:

> Saw this in person yesterday. Nice looking mini driver but $400 is crazy. Go buy yourself a Ping G400 LST for $299 new and enjoy.

 

People said $400 was nuts for M5 3w yet... they are buying them.

 

Secondly, it kind of sounds like you're missing the point? From my POV, the point is that maybe some guys just like a really small headed driver or they visually struggle with a 45'' large volume head so perhaps a shortened up club with a smaller head on the end helps.

 

I know for me, I've got driver yips but I can hit my little 3w off the tee on every hole just fine. Something like this wouldn't ever come up in a conversation with G400 LST. It's kind of in a realm of it's own.

 

What would be most interesting to me is the 11.5* head turned down to be the same as a 460 head and also the 13.5* head vs something like Flash SZ 3+w, from both a distance but also dispersion stand point.