New TM Mini coming?

[TCGolfer35]

Have hit it..it is awesome but not sure if the average golfer would replace anything in their bag with it.

[Starched]

They would if it goes as far as their driver with more accuracy. Which is quite possible for several reasons.  For some people smaller head is easier visually especially if they grew up with old clubs. Lots of folks don’t like 460cc and therefore don’t swing it well. So a mishit 460 vs a solid mini strike, the Mini wins. Despite it being 44” vs 45” etc. plenty of length to shaft to develop clu head speed, less wind resistance with smaller head some people may even swing it faster. Same hot face as a driver, cups. Twists, slots etc etc.  it’s a driver for people who don’t like large drivers. Super simple concept. Same size as the Titleist 975JVS from 2002. It’s a driver. Way longer than a three wood and a little hard off the deck. A better player probably wouldn’t use it but they might. (Phil? Etc)

[sg91]

8 hours ago, TCGolfer35 said:

Have hit it..it is awesome but not sure if the average golfer would replace anything in their bag with it.

It replaced my driver. Smaller head with a shorter shaft (I play it at 44") I can tee down and hit a squeeze cut to 260-265 left centre on my 6100 yard home course? Sign me up.

Edited August 24, 2021 by sg91

[Britboy]

Love my 11.5 Mini with stock stiff shaft. Toying with the idea of putting in a RDX Black 70 in as it's a shaft I really like.

There are a few driver shafts with TM tip on eBay. If I buy one of those would it just be a case of getting it butt cut to play at 43.75" or is the tip trimming different ?

Thanks

[GreggM]

On 7/9/2021 at 12:43 PM, larciel said:

call me skeptical but that kind of marketing move tells me that the product is mediocre at best.

And as soon as it's launched, we've been told no more to be had.  I saw it on the list of discontinued products at the store last week.  Not sure if COVID related, slow sales, or just a limited release....

[RobotDoctor]

On 9/14/2021 at 2:05 PM, GreggM said:

And as soon as it's launched, we've been told no more to be had.  I saw it on the list of discontinued products at the store last week.  Not sure if COVID related, slow sales, or just a limited release....

 

The 300 Mini isn't going to have huge mass appeal because of the stigma a 2 wood presents.  We are in an age of golf where hitting the ball father is ideal, regardless of whether the ball finds the fairway or not.  Most golfers are not as skilled as those we see on TV competing at this week's PGA Tour event or a major championship yet many want to play the same equipment the tour pros do, especially here on GolfWRX.  For many amateurs who are not low/mid single digit handicap golfers or better the idea of a 2 wood that allows for a bit greater ease in finding fairways but at a few yards less than a driver should be very appealing.  There is real science and engineering in this driver that makes for a terrific club and I believe worth trying for the majority of golfers out there, especially those who struggle with a driver.  For some reason many scoff at the idea of the 300 Mini because it simply isn't as long as a driver.  Does ego have something to do with this?  Possibly.  Many are dismissing this driver due to its smaller size claiming that it will be less forgiving to hit due to a reduced sweet spot.  To me that is an argument based in the belief of failure or not striking the ball consistently.  Maybe this is where this type of golfer should really focus on and work to make their swing better and repeatable so sweet spot, or more of one, isn't the primary driving force in selecting a driver. 

That said I put a 300 Mini in my bag with the intent of being a driver replacement.  I simply prefer a smaller headed driver, being that I came from the days of persimmon drivers, because they appeal to my eye better.  I have turned the 300 Mini down to a lower loft (2 settings lower at approximately 10°).  I have also installed a driver's length Ventus Blue 5S Velocore shaft and this driver is as long as my TM M3 440 9 degree driver (at 9.9°) but much easier to hit.  At a finished length of 45.75" the 300 Mini has a higher swingweight than I generally play (around E-0) but it is still balanced and not difficult to swing.  When I was on with my M3 I drove the ball great but when I was off the driver was difficult to control or find the short grass.  Keep in mind I really like my M3 but there were too many off days to my liking.  The 300 Mini with a driver's length shaft installed so far has been much easier to hit and find fairways at distances close, if not a bit farther, to my M3.  The smaller head also allows me a more consistent ability to work the ball left to right and right to left, although a draw is a bit more inconsistent at the moment due to my swing issues I am working through.  Getting back to sweet spot, my practice session yesterday showed me that nearly all of my strikes were in the center of the club and only a few were high/toe or low/heel by only a quarters width.  To me solid ball striking leads to better golf and lower scores not how big the sweet spot of a club is.  I will use what ever club offers me the best chance of scoring lower (of course I play 21 year old forged blades so go figure).  I am not sure whether this driver is a limited run or not.  It certainly will not be something of mass appeal, but more of a novelty to many because the perception that this is a 2 wood.  Those who are on the fence regarding the 300 Mini I hope they can find one to try and see how this might just improve their percentage of hitting the short grass.  At the end of the day, using a 300 Mini in the standard shaft length configuration, I would rather be in the short grass than 10-15 yards longer in the rough or in trouble.  As GolfWRXers who experiment with equipment, I would rather be one who puts in a driver length shaft, hone my swing with this driver, and hit more fairways while my playing partners are playing out of the rough or out of trouble.  😉

 

Edited September 16, 2021 by RobotDoctor

[Mookie91]

Anyone else having issues with TMs custom ordering online?

[stimpmeterp]

Longer term reviews anyone?

[Goldenhawk]

Picked up the TM 300 Mini in May 2022 for my 14 year old since the kid can actually hit hit Stealth Driver off the deck.  He seems happy with it.  Calls it his 200 yard and “then some” club.  His is the 13.5* with the stock shaft in stiff.  He can elevate the ball off the deck just fine.  He hits it off the tee.  He hits stingers with it.  Depending on the course, he uses the TM 300 Mini more than his Stealth Driver from the tee box.

[sg91]

10 hours ago, stimpmeterp said:

Longer term reviews anyone?

Had it since they came out. Changed out the stock shaft and love it. Oscillate between standard loft (11.5*) and one click towards lower. Will keep playing it as my driver for the foreseeable future.

Edited July 6, 2022 by sg91

[artica]

I love the club, incredibly easy to hit. Long and accurate. Play it at D4 and that helped bring some of the spin down. Will continue to keep it in the bag.

[NRJyzr]

I've been largely playing an Original One for the last year or more, and recently picked up a 300 Mini, based on comments from those who've played both.  In both cases, I've gone with the 11.5* model.

 

Tee game is my weak point.  I've never been accurate with driver, except when playing persimmons or laminates (I know, it's odd).  After putting a 20 year old 275cc Ti driver in play on a lark, and having great results, took the plunge with the Original One.  My intention at purchase was to use it purely as a driver replacement, not as a 2 wood, as some do.  

 

My results with the OO, and now the 300 Mini, are lovely.  I'm more accurate with both, I hit both as long or longer than my assorted 460cc drivers, with the possible exception of the SLDR.  Even my stupid swings have better results.  

 

Based on my play so far, the 300 Mini is a bit more forgiving in distance terms than the OO.  I've hit a couple of heeled tee shots that went surprisingly far.  I've also noticed it's a bit more left than my OO, but that's purely up to face angle; my OO is open at std loft, while the 300 is square.

 

What's interesting to me is the loft comparison.  I was playing my King LTD (this year) at 9* or 9.75*.  With the same golf balls, I've been playing the 300 at 11.5*, to get similar results.  Based on trajectory and overall flight, the spin is quite low.

 

These are a big win for me.

 

[DCCarpenter]

I tried out an Original One at the PGA store with great expectations, surprisingly for me it didn't work at all. I was hitting against an old Titleist 915fd 3 wood and I was hitting the 3 wood straighter and better. In fairness it was only 5 to 10 swings and maybe with sometime I would have warmed to the Original One.

 

Clearly my driver swing just isn't there even for a super forgiving short shafted model. The only one I seem to hit halfway decently is my old laminated maple headed Wilson Whale driver.

[stimpmeterp]

Well, I figured out who the mini drivers are made for - and it’s me.  The mini keeps me out of trouble.  There’s without fail 1-3 holes per round where I put driver out of play.  After a couple rounds I find the mini keeps me at or near the length of a decent drive with my 45.5-46” driver but in play.  Being in play has led to better scores (last two rounds 80, 77) and it’s not like I am hitting much more club into the hole.  
 

The 300 Mini doesn’t fly very high for me so I am relying on a bit of roll.  But my confidence is really high off the tee. 
 

I have the 13.5 dialed down to 11.5 and thought I’d be able to hit a better power fade but it still wants to go left sometimes.  That may be a swing issue or a tee height issue.

 

Im a fan.  The mini is coming down to Hilton Head with me for Harbor Town in a couple weeks.  Psyched.

[man0fsteel]

I'm pretty late to the game here...Like most others here who like this club, my driver is the weakest part of my game, always has been with 2 way misses aplenty.  I tell my playing partners, I must have ordered the ABS option on every driver (anywhere but straight).  

 

Cutting to the chase - I'm looking for shaft fitting options.  Has anyone tried this head with other 3 wood shafts which my instructor has on their Taylor Made fitting cart?  I know 3 wood shafts are generally heavier  But the stock shaft seems to be a shortened driver shaft, or is it a light 3 wood shaft?

 

Backstory...

 

I'm definitely not a gear chaser as I'm a firm believer that it's the Indian, not the Arrow.  But my instructor moved to an indoor range after his old outdoor range turned into a Top Golf and I discovered on the GC quad, my swing speed on my ancient Cleveland launcher (13 deg) 3 wood is consistently a few MPH higher than my Titleist TS2 driver (102-103 mph vs 96-99).   Its also has less dispersion than my driver, but averages 220 yards off the tee in real life.

 

When I showed my instructor my 3 wood and he gives me a 'look' like, WTF is that doing back in your bag.  The honest truth is I hit it consistently better than the Titleist 917 3 wood it replaced, though not as long...So he had me try his Stealth 16.5 3 wood and I was hitting it 230 yds and I never hit it on the screws.  So I was all set to get fitted for one to replace my driver until I can figure it out, when I saw reviews on the Mini 300 and thought, hey, maybe this is a club that could give me some of the advantages of modern driver head technology but suit my swing/eye better?  As was pointed out, this is now discontinued but my local Roger Dunn found a new, stiff shafted 13.5 for me at an east coast store and it's being shipped here next week.  $299 in the US.

 

Thanks for any advise on shaft options for fitting (vs buying blind)

 

[winegr]

It’s a great club. I don’t have a ton of shaft advice. I have a driver shaft in mine that I grip down on. 
 

But try different tee heights and off the deck. I can bomb like a driver it if I want, but love the controlled stingers even more. 
 

Off the deck, I try to pinch it and hit a slight cut to elevate it and not thin it. 
 

off the tee, I tee it low. 

[R.Patrick]

I’ve found that anything I like in a 3W works well in the mini….both weight and length.

Edited August 21, 2022 by R.Patrick

[artica]

I have an evenflow black in mine and it works great. I also use a ascent 60s that I love in it, wish it was a 6x so bounce back and forth right now. The Ascent is a very underrated shaft. It could just fit my swing very well but I can high draws, high fades, stingers etc… it’s so easy to use. 

[Zena]

3 hours ago, man0fsteel said:

Cutting to the chase - I'm looking for shaft fitting options.  Has anyone tried this head with other 3 wood shafts which my instructor has on their Taylor Made fitting cart?  I know 3 wood shafts are generally heavier  But the stock shaft seems to be a shortened driver shaft, or is it a light 3 wood shaft?

 

…

 

Thanks for any advise on shaft options for fitting (vs buying blind)

 

 

The stock shaft is a made-for MiDr (bet it basically stands for MIni DRiver) that is a shortened Driver shaft. Coupled with the increased head weight (mine is 208g) and the relatively soft nature of the stock shaft, it plays like a wet noodle for me. Others have found success with it, I have not. My Driver SS at 45.5in is 114 or so, my 3 wood SS is 112. So yea, the stock stuff shaft felt softer than the old Atmos 6R in my driver, thus my attempt at fitting.

 

I suggest that you fit the Mini Driver as you would play it. If you’re playing it purely off the tee, start with your preferred Driver shaft profile and go up one weight class. If you’re playing it like a 3 wood (off deck and off tee), start with your preferred 3 wood profile and weight.

 

I did this on Friday with my 11.5° Mini. 3 Wood fitting shafts knock a half inch off the standard length and send the swingweight from low D3 to D1.7ish (assuming equal shaft weight). Works quite well as a way to get fit without dedicated shaft selection.

 

Of note, I tee my ball low. My Driver AoA is +4 and I also do not hover my driver. Swing starts with club almost in contact with the ground. So I tee the ball only 1/3 above the driver head to produce a lower launch. I tee the ball even lower with the Mini driver, essentially as if it were a 3 wood.

 

Off the deck, I hit it like a long iron. Ball is where my 4iron would be in my stance, hit down and take a small divot. Sends it long and low with lots of roll. If you want to see numbers, I have attached a picture with the data for an off the deck shot.

[sg91]

6 hours ago, man0fsteel said:

Cutting to the chase - I'm looking for shaft fitting options.  Has anyone tried this head with other 3 wood shafts which my instructor has on their Taylor Made fitting cart?  I know 3 wood shafts are generally heavier  But the stock shaft seems to be a shortened driver shaft, or is it a light 3 wood shaft?

This was how I ended up with the Evenflow Riptide in mine. Just booked some time with the PGA pro I see and worked through the 3wd shafts that match the profile I like (~70g, mid/mid). Then I ordered one from a local shop.

[RCGA]

Anyone go with a full-length driver shaft in the mini? 

[R.Patrick]

1 hour ago, RCGA said:

Anyone go with a full-length driver shaft in the mini? 

You’ll end up with a pretty silly swing-weight doing that and you’re pretty much undoing part of the magic.

[winegr]

1 hour ago, RCGA said:

Anyone go with a full-length driver shaft in the mini? 

I did. It’s fine if you’re not super SW sensitive. I sometimes grip down a bit. I can crush it off the deck. Good off a low tee as well. I play mine 13.5. I don’t find it unwieldy. 

[Seattlegolfnut]

18 hours ago, Zena said:

I suggest that you fit the Mini Driver as you would play it. If you’re playing it purely off the tee, start with your preferred Driver shaft profile and go up one weight class. If you’re playing it like a 3 wood (off deck and off tee), start with your preferred 3 wood profile and weight.

I think this is golden advice for this club!

 

The head is weighted as a 3W, so 3W shafts (length, weight, tip trim) seem to be good starting point. Then pick profile that aligns with the swing you put on it. And then tweak from there as we all love to do. 🙂

 

I started with matching my old 15* 3W profile, but then switched to my driver profile since I use it exclusively as 2W tee club.

Edited August 22, 2022 by Seattlegolfnut

[Zena]

8 hours ago, RCGA said:

Anyone go with a full-length driver shaft in the mini? 

 

You would end up with an E0-E1 driver if you built it out at 45.5. As @winegr said, only you can determine if you can swing the golf equivalent of a sledgehammer.

 

I’m pretty sensitive, sometimes even one 1 SW point throws me off, especially with the driver. I tried it using a full length Kurokage stock shaft from a 45.5 Sim2, and it played at somewhere between 45 and 45.25 at D9.5. I just couldn’t swing freely, often felt that I got stuck in transition. Even when I managed to smooth out the swing, the heavy head weight made the tip rather wobbly, and so my experiment ended.

 

2 hours ago, Seattlegolfnut said:

The head is weighted as a 3W, so 3W shafts (length, weight, tip trim) seem to be good starting point. Then pick profile that aligns with the swing you put on it. And then tweak from there as we all love to do. 🙂

 

Much better said than my poor attempt. Thanks for putting it so succinctly.

Edited August 22, 2022 by Zena

[man0fsteel]

On 8/21/2022 at 1:17 PM, R.Patrick said:

I’ve found that anything I like in a 3W works well in the mini….both weight and length.

Did you check the swing weight after putting in a 3 wood shaft?  Curious what it comes in at.  And what was the weight of the 3 wood shafts you tried?  

 

Thanks!

[man0fsteel]

On 8/22/2022 at 11:16 AM, Seattlegolfnut said:

I think this is golden advice for this club!

 

The head is weighted as a 3W, so 3W shafts (length, weight, tip trim) seem to be good starting point. Then pick profile that aligns with the swing you put on it. And then tweak from there as we all love to do. 🙂

 

I started with matching my old 15* 3W profile, but then switched to my driver profile since I use it exclusively as 2W tee club.

Good info- I'll be able to try a number of 3 wood shafts at my range.  Dumb question (I've been a Titleist guy for a while) but I'm assuming the shaft tip is the same for all recent TM drivers/3woods?  I plan to hit mine off the tee and possibly off the deck.  I'll know more once I get it in my hands and give her a go.

[Zena]

15 minutes ago, man0fsteel said:

Good info- I'll be able to try a number of 3 wood shafts at my range.  Dumb question (I've been a Titleist guy for a while) but I'm assuming the shaft tip is the same for all recent TM drivers/3woods?  I plan to hit mine off the tee and possibly off the deck.  I'll know more once I get it in my hands and give her a go.

 

You mean tipped a silly amount? Cuz that’s TM for sure. But it depends on who built the demo shafts.

 

When I tested with a 3 wood shaft, the swing weight shifted very little. Though the 300 Mini as a whole is longer than a 3 wood by a half inch (both at standard), that is mostly due to the taller face of the head. Unless you’re extremely sensitive, it’s close enough to not matter, at least it didn’t for me.

[man0fsteel]

4 minutes ago, Zena said:

 

You mean tipped a silly amount? Cuz that’s TM for sure. But it depends on who built the demo shafts.

 

 

Sorry, I meant the adjustable hosel tip.  There aren't different ones for 3 wood vs Driver vs hybrids correct?

[Seattlegolfnut]

59 minutes ago, man0fsteel said:

Sorry, I meant the adjustable hosel tip.  There aren't different ones for 3 wood vs Driver vs hybrids correct?

Yes most recent TM model releases have used the same adapter for driver and FW woods. Hybrids use a bigger (.370) shaft.