August 14, 2015 – Innovating to fill gaps within the woods category, last year TaylorMade Golf launched the Mini Driver SLDR. Well, this year it’s taken the club to the next level with the launch of the Mini Driver AeroBurner, #MadeofSpeed. This club was originally designed for those who usually get off the tee with a 3-wood, but it’s shown that it is helpful in more areas for golfers of all levels!

The Mini Driver SLDR was very well received as an alternative for anyone who doesn’t feel comfortable with the driver. Now, taking advantage of the knowledge applied in the development of that club, and integrating it into the AeroBurner family, you can interpret the club as the reduced version of the AeroBurner driver or as an enlarged AeroBurner fairway wood, depending on how you look at it, embodied in the Mini Driver AeroBurner.

At first glance it features the same design and technologies as the other AeroBurner metal woods, in terms of the Speed ​​Pocket and aerodynamics, but then we looked at the 253cc head (the Mini Driver SLDR has 260cc). This means that in terms of volume, it doesn’t have an intermediate size, being much smaller than the AeroBurner driver (with 207cc less), and bigger than the 3 AeroBurner 3-wood (just 88cc more).

Looking at the most similar lofts, you have the driver in 12º and HL (High Launch) and the fairway wood in 15º (3) and 16.5º (3HL), while the Mini Driver is in 12º, 14º and 16º. It’s also important to compare the shaft length of the driver (45.75″), the mini driver (43.5″) and the fairway wood (43.25″). So, with this feature it is also closer to the fairway than to the driver.

The titanium head has a spectacular white crown with a subtly placed logo as alignment aid, and a contrasting black PVC face, all superbly proportioned. The centre of the crown is raised, and the lateral flanks are roughened to reduce air drag. And the other aerodynamic factor is the new fin on the hosel, which is barely visible but helps to increase the speed of the head during the downswing.

Looking the sole, there’s a Speed ​​Pocket, painted in red, which has been elongated as much as possible. This increases the sweet spot and keeps up the ball speed while reducing the spin, which is one of the factors of this club’s high performance.

From the tee, I find both the sound and the feel are fabulous. You hit effortlessly with a powerful flight, high enough, and penetrating, and it seems more sensitive than the driver given its smaller size. I would say that hitting the ball from the fairway with this 12º club is a bit more difficult, with a slightly lower trajectory in its flight, but it’s the Speed ​​Pocket that makes it easier for you.

Where the Mini Driver AeroBurner gains accuracy is with the Matrix Speed RUL-Z 60 shaft of 43.5”, 2.25” shorter than the driver, and more or less the same length as the drivers year ago, when their heads were less pronounced. It may seem harder to hit the ball with the mini than with the driver, but there is no doubt that it’s more manageable to swing, and the player who tends to miss-hit with the driver can gain more distance with a shorter shaft, hitting with more confidence and with less dispersion. On the other hand, better players can enjoy greater control of shots and keep the ball flight low from the fairway in a links or in windy conditions.

Well, the idea of the Mini Driver AeroBurner seduces, although you’ll have to see if you’ve got room for it in your golf bag. You can replace the driver or the 3-wood with it, and reconfigure your bag with, for example, three AeroBurners: the driver (10.5°), the mini driver (14º) and a 5-wood (18°) to keep the distances between the clubs rather than going for hybrids.

In any case, as the TaylorMade Golf AeroBurner family offers a full range of possibilities aimed at a wide range of golfers, it’s best to try it out for yourself before taking any decision.

We went to El Golf Vallés (Barcelona, Spain) to gather the opinions of the professional golfer Daniel Sanchez and two amateur players, with low and middle handicaps, after trying it out. Here are their impressions:

Daniel Sanchez: Professional. Age: 40. Years playing: 30. Course: RCG El Prat and El Vallés Golf.

“The MiniDriver is very good, but I like drivers more. I think it is right for the player who has a lot of dispersion with the driver. This gives an alternative off the tee with a penetrating trajectory. In my opinion, it is more like a 3-wood than the driver itself, and to get the best performance from it you need to play at a high level.”

Xavier Serra: Handicap 5. Age: 19. Years playing: 3. Course: El Valles Golf.

“I’ve never tried a Mini Driver before. The impact is very easy, but personally I wouldn’t put it in the bag, because it doesn’t give me as much distance as the driver, or as much accuracy as I get with my 3-wood.”

Joan Martinez: Handicap 20.4. Age: 37. Years playing: 4. Course: El Valles Golf.

“It handles well, very comfortable. I like the design because it’s different, but also the address takes a little getting used to at first. I would use it for example in a narrow fairway, when you need more precision.”

TAYLORMADE MINI DRIVER AEROBURNER

• Club reviewed: Mini Driver, 14º loft, Matrix Speed RUL-Z 60 graphite shaft, flex R.
• Testers: Daniel Sánchez, Xavier Serra, Joan Martínez.

DESIGN	[rating: level=”4.5″]
DISTANCE	[rating: level=”4″]
ACCURACY	[rating: level=”3.5″]
FORGIVENESS	[rating: level=”4″]
FEELING	[rating: level=”4.5″]
OPTIONS	[rating: level=”4″]
VALUE	[rating: level=”3.5″]
FOR…	Low and Mid Handicaps
AVERAGE	[rating: level=”4″]

 The Mini Driver AeroBurner may seem a small driver or an enlarged fairway, but it works very well, and is a attractive incentive for the game. It’s useful from the tee, but also from the fairway, and doesn’t require extra effort or swing change to launch the ball well, just like a fairway wood.

 The idea of the ​​Mini Driver is not for everyone. It can take some getting used to. Space needs to be found in the golf bag or choice has to be made about which club to replace. Its role might be as a drive or a 3-wood, or indeed both!

TECHNICAL FEATURES

• Available in two models: Standard and TP.
• Lofts AeroBurner Mini-Driver Standard: 12º, 14º, 16º
• Lofts AreoBurner Mini-Driver TP: 12º, 14º
• New aerodynamic shape with a shallow face, raised centre crown and new hosel fin
• New Speed Pocket increases the size of the sweet spot and reduces spin
• Improved playability due to its larger hittable face area and decreased overall size (volume of 253cc)
• New matte White finish, black PVD face, and linear AeroBurner Crown graphic make alignment easy
• Built with the new lightweight Matrix Speed RUL-Z 60 shaft (X, S, R, M flex) and TaylorMade Speed grip
• TP model designed with a longer hosel, flatter lie, and more open face angle
• TP model built with new Matrix Ozik White Tie 70X4 shaft (flex X, S, M) and new Lamkin UTx grip
• Several aftermarket shafts and grips available to customize the AeroBurner
• RRP: Standard, 279 €; TP, 349 €.