Mini Driver Players - Check in!!

[JamesFisher1990]

95% chance I'm buying a BRNR Mini here shortly, but I am torn on what shaft weight to use. My main use for this will (hopefully) be hitting high draws off the tee... I don't think I will ever use it off the deck.

 

My concern with going lighter in the 60g range is that SW will get too low with my mid size grips, but I also wonder if I'll be able to draw it as easily with a 75g shaft.

 

So, did you use a driver weight shaft, or a 3w weight shaft?

[JAM01]

Ok, just put the BRNR in the bag along side a QI10 max and a QI10 3 wood. A load of top end redundancy. But, I have several holes at my two home courses where the flight and accuracy of the mini driver helps immensely. 
 

mine is stock Proforce 65 at 13.5, I could see a heavier shaft, but to normal flex, as a nice alternative. 

[ScottyGolf]

I recently bought a 13.5 TM BRNR head based on playing with a few guys that had it and they ripped it. Another buddy said straightest club in his bag.  I went with velocore 6x at 44.75 and then a 3 wood shaft in a tr red 7x. Driver shaft went a little higher and a couple yards further. 3 wood shaft was not much different than my current TM stealth plus 15 degree 3 wood. 
 

I can see where the BRNR would work for some and was a great head but I don’t see it making the bag for 2024. I wanted for both tee and off the deck. It was good but can’t replace driver or 3 wood. 

Edited April 13, 2024 by ScottyGolf

[Poor Mans Ty Webb]

For reference, my BRNR head came in at 207g.

 

In my humble opinion, that is too light. I have an SLDR mini head that weighs 218g.

 

I am playing a 70g class of shaft and added weight to the head (8-10g, I think?) to get the SW up. It’s probably between D3 and D5, sitting right at 43”.

 

If you’re worried about being able to turn it over, the face sits fairly closed, and you can loft it up to close it even more, if necessary. I have a 13.5* lofted down a click and can turn it over just fine.

[JMB3]

19 hours ago, JamesFisher1990 said:

95% chance I'm buying a BRNR Mini here shortly, but I am torn on what shaft weight to use. My main use for this will (hopefully) be hitting high draws off the tee... I don't think I will ever use it off the deck.

 

My concern with going lighter in the 60g range is that SW will get too low with my mid size grips, but I also wonder if I'll be able to draw it as easily with a 75g shaft.

 

So, did you use a driver weight shaft, or a 3w weight shaft?

I went with driver weight for the exact reason you stated.  68g Blue TR is a sexy combo with my BRNR.

[Frank_Kasule]

I put a driver shaft in mine, makes it sit plenty upright and easy to draw if you want to. It's easy to hit straight lofted all the way down and easy to turn left or right. 

The stock shaft was not good for me at all, made it a really high spin club. 

It is also incredibly easy to hit off the deck regardless of loft. 

[Ben B]

I've got the Original One 11.5* set a 13.5* with a Kai'li Red 60x at 43.75" and it's my draw bias driver that I can still hit a baby cut when needed. Cruising around 105-108mph with 14-15* launch and 2200-2500 spin....according to my skytrak. On the course it carries around 260ish.

 

Anyone out there do any extensive testing between the Original One and either the 300 or BRNR mini, particularly in 11.5*...?? Considering getting a 300 or BRNR in 11.5* and turning it down to to make it a really fade bias driver. The Original One just doesn't get enough spin when I turn it down. 

 

 

 

 

[Auleran87]

If you're not going to ever use it off the deck, I'd say go with a 12 degree driver head, play it short and add weight to the head. Gives you the control of the mini driver but you just get a bigger face to hit the ball with. Why not?

Been using a Sim2 MAX 12 degree with a Ventus Red 7x at 44". Added lead tape until it was 206g head weight and I hit it better than I ever hit my mini driver. (for reference, I played an 11.5 mini driver for about 2 years and liked it)

[car1]

Ventus tr black 6x in my driver

ventus tr black 7x in 13.5 mini 

driver plays 44 3/4”

mini plays just over 42 1/2” (bunch of lead tape on the toe) 

About 12-15 yard distance in carry between the two. Driver rolls out more 

[Ben B]

31 minutes ago, Auleran87 said:

If you're not going to ever use it off the deck, I'd say go with a 12 degree driver head, play it short and add weight to the head. Gives you the control of the mini driver but you just get a bigger face to hit the ball with. Why not?

Been using a Sim2 MAX 12 degree with a Ventus Red 7x at 44". Added lead tape until it was 206g head weight and I hit it better than I ever hit my mini driver. (for reference, I played an 11.5 mini driver for about 2 years and liked it)

I actually have been thinking about doing that as well. I just prefer a smaller head so I haven't pulled the trigger. 

 

Did you play it at 12* or did you turn it down at all? I feel like a 12* Sim2 Max might spin too much but if I turn it down and play a lower spin shaft that might be the ticket to fairway finding fade bias driver. 

[PARETO]

New BRNR at 13.5. Took it over to TXG (Club Champ but TXG will always rule) in Calgary for a fit. Took the head down to 12, stuck in a Graphite Design AD at 3 wood length and 60g. Presto- numbers that rivaled my G430Max but with waaaaay tighter dispersion. Win. 

[WristySwing]

11 hours ago, Ben B said:

I actually have been thinking about doing that as well. I just prefer a smaller head so I haven't pulled the trigger. 

 

Did you play it at 12* or did you turn it down at all? I feel like a 12* Sim2 Max might spin too much but if I turn it down and play a lower spin shaft that might be the ticket to fairway finding fade bias driver. 

 

TSR3 11* with a 75g shaft at 44" might be a weapon.

[Tree Levino]

On 4/12/2024 at 2:43 PM, JamesFisher1990 said:

95% chance I'm buying a BRNR Mini here shortly, but I am torn on what shaft weight to use. My main use for this will (hopefully) be hitting high draws off the tee... I don't think I will ever use it off the deck.

 

My concern with going lighter in the 60g range is that SW will get too low with my mid size grips, but I also wonder if I'll be able to draw it as easily with a 75g shaft.

 

So, did you use a driver weight shaft, or a 3w weight shaft?

That’s not how swingweight works. If you look at pros lots are using 60g range tx shafts which are actually 70g ish weight. 

[halfsumo]

Got my 13.5 yesterday with Kaili White 60x. I went with the Kaili because this is a total expermient and the shaft was no upcharge. It's a 60 gram but i think almost 70 grams. One range session in and it works great. For me, the shaft and weight feels pretty good, not too light or too heavy. 

[iNeedMoreGolf]

I had the brnr not this new version which seems about the same. I loved it but i couldnt be accurate with it the same way as a driver and the fact that driver has the extra 20 30 yards possible made me get rid of it. I just couldnt square it up as well idk why. That being said good shots where very nice and felt unbelievable. If this came as a standard driver it would have been my favorite of all time maybe.

[jetmech879]

How awesome would a 9 degree 400cc version of the mini copper be??? An M5 tour that has the weights set up like the SIM2. They could just call it the “not as mini”😁 I swear I’d buy 3 right now! Anyway for now my copper mini should ship this week! 

[me05501]

I have the BRNR 13.5 with a new 11.5 inbound. 

[Auleran87]

23 hours ago, Ben B said:

I actually have been thinking about doing that as well. I just prefer a smaller head so I haven't pulled the trigger. 

 

Did you play it at 12* or did you turn it down at all? I feel like a 12* Sim2 Max might spin too much but if I turn it down and play a lower spin shaft that might be the ticket to fairway finding fade bias driver. 

I play it 1 tick down. My driver SS is ~ 116 and I swing the Sim2 at ~110. The Sim2 will carry about 260 and spin right around 3k which is what I want for that gap. Driver typically carries 285. Basically I have room to go to a 10.5 head if I wanted to, but I feel like that would have too much crossover with my actual Driver which is a TSR3 at 9* and 45.5"

[jdotmill]

Had the murdered out 300 at 11.5 with a DI-70x shaft…thing went too far. Got lucky and bought a demo BRNR at 13.5 for 225 at golf galaxy, swapped out shafts and sold the 300 almost what I paid for it.

 

I like the distance, but the thing goes too high, I play in Texas where the winds are brutal so now I want to get another 11.5 as that thing was a wind cheater and loft my 13.5 up to 15.5 and take my 5 wood out of the bag and replace it with a 7 wood. 
 

The mini driver is such a great club

[SC-TX 88]

BRNR 13.5 with Ventus Blue TR 7x. Usually I use 80 gram range shafts in 3w but decided to go 7 with this one and have been happy with it. 

[unclefreizo]

I use a Callaway Mini Bertha 12.0 most of the time. Slightly shorter than standard length to fit my height.

 

I hit most woods pretty well, including off the deck. I grew up hitting the Fred Couples Lync Boom Boom and similar sized heads.

 

Honestly using a mini was born out of not wanting to use a brand new long tee for every driver.

 

The way-smaller head means I can just use other people's broken ones 👌

Edited April 15, 2024 by unclefreizo

[driveandputtmachine]

Still playing a MIni 300.  The head was only 208, so I ordered a heavier weight and play it at 3 wood length.  I am playing a Ventus Red 70.   I play 70 grams in my fairways.  I use it mainly to hit draws off the tee.  When I combine me, a driver, and trying to hit a draw it does not work out well most of the time.  So the MIni is for that.

 

As an aside, I have not hit the newest BRNR, but the previous model wasn't great off the deck.  The 300 Mini is very good off the deck.

[JamesFisher1990]

So Update - I ordered the 11.5* with the HZRDUS Black 70S. I normally use the TR Blue 6/7x but I don't have one shafted up at this moment, so we'll see how this goes. Stock weight is 70g but assuming the weight is evenly distributed, then it should be in the 63-64g range when built.

 

As long as I like the overall feel/look/performance, I will likely get a TR Blue 6x at 43.5" and give it a go. I will take it to the range and hopefully see a draw flight with ball speeds and spin similar to my driver... Maybe a little lower on ball and a touch higher on spin but based on videos I've seen, the 11.5* spins quite low.

[benrd5420]

Well, I am going to deviate from most here.  

 

Not the fastest swinger, 95-100mph.  Usually play my driver a little short already, as I have found the consistency of a centered strike outweighs the potential of the extra speed from the longer shaft.  So, it that way the Mini is kind of a natural fit for me.  I have the BRNR Mini, 11.5 with a Vanquish 4s and I love it.

 

Up against my TSR2, 9* with AD XC 5s it does not have ALL the fire power, but it's not 20 yards shorter as some have said.  I can hit a very controllable soft draw, and feel very confident I will find the fairway.  While I know intellectually I am leaving some yardage in the tank, and the arguments of strokes gained are not lost on me, playing mostly tree lined courses in Ohio have made accuracy off the tee a priority for me.  When I lived in AZ and could have a little more room for dispersion this may not have been an experiment I would have messed with.  

 

To the original question, I think I have been able to swing weight the club fine with the right grip and shaft length, and would encourage you to be thoughtful in your initial build.  As someone who is not crazy fast, and does not see himself going on a speed journey (two kids under 3 right now) being able to go from a club like Mini Driver to a 5 wood, and have more use specific options at  the bottom of the bag had been intriguing for me too.  In the end, I am not playing from 7,000 yards anyway.

[Masterhacker]

I've never hit one of these but I'm curious.  How hard are they to hit off the ground?  I've played low lofted three woods as I'm a high ball hitter and I currently carry a Callaway rogue ls 13.5.  I've thought hard about trying one of the mini drivers but haven't pulled the trigger on one, so talk me into it, how are they off the ground?

[JamesFisher1990]

13 minutes ago, Masterhacker said:

I've never hit one of these but I'm curious.  How hard are they to hit off the ground?  I've played low lofted three woods as I'm a high ball hitter and I currently carry a Callaway rogue ls 13.5.  I've thought hard about trying one of the mini drivers but haven't pulled the trigger on one, so talk me into it, how are they off the ground?

Well, I will let you know how I get on with it probably in a week or so. As somebody who generally doesn't hit lower lofted fairways off the decck very well... if this is about the same or even easier, that will say a lot. I do hit my 7w really well off turf... I think seeing the loft gives me confidence. Not seeing much loft on the face mentally makes the shot harder for me.

[pdxhak]

1 hour ago, Masterhacker said:

I've never hit one of these but I'm curious.  How hard are they to hit off the ground?  I've played low lofted three woods as I'm a high ball hitter and I currently carry a Callaway rogue ls 13.5.  I've thought hard about trying one of the mini drivers but haven't pulled the trigger on one, so talk me into it, how are they off the ground?

I think it is easy to hit off the deck. It is great when you are in the first cut and the ball is sitting up in a fluffy lie :)

[Maine Golfer]

For me I never hit it off the deck, play the RBZ Tour Spoon which is 13 or 13.5. The 460 head makes me do dumb stuff like add loft, I dont want mini's any bigger. 

[me05501]

1 hour ago, Masterhacker said:

I've never hit one of these but I'm curious.  How hard are they to hit off the ground?  I've played low lofted three woods as I'm a high ball hitter and I currently carry a Callaway rogue ls 13.5.  I've thought hard about trying one of the mini drivers but haven't pulled the trigger on one, so talk me into it, how are they off the ground?

 

It is surprisingly easy, at least with the 13.5. I'm not a fast swinger by any means and I rarely come across a par five I can reach in two but I've gotten over any fear of hitting the 13.5 BRNR off any kind of decent lie. Worst case scenario is a semi-low shot that cuts a bit. A lot of the time the ball actually gets up pretty well. 

 

Once I got comfortable with the BRNR I traded my 3W for a 5W because I was never pulling the 3W. Whether I was on a tee box or in a fairway it was always the BRNR. 

[vietnameeh]

I am using Titleist 917D2 as my "mini" driver

 

playing at 42.5"

 

added a heavy weight which is in the rear..... its actually really easy off the desk.

 

and being 460cc and spinnier .... all it wants to do is go straight

 

i liked this setup more because it had better spin and i can literally put any swing on it and itll be fairly straight

 

I was originally playing a Original One 11.5.... that thing was hot and had no spin for me... it wasn't "easier" to hit because of that. it was long as hell though