Mini Driver Shaft Length

[rsballer10]

I am looking into trying a mini driver as a second driver option off the tee. I do not forsee hitting mini DOD unless I'm in a scramble 🤣. My Apex UW 19* is becoming the default long club off the deck, so I think the 3 wood off the deck can be eliminated with little downside. 3 wood off the tee is less accurate (for me) than just hitting driver. 

 

Driver #'s are 114chs/ 165-168 ball carrying about 275. Current driver is Cobra AJ Core (10.5 down to 9.5), tensei white 65x, 45.5".

 

I am hoping to get a mini that gaps off of this. My concern with the mini is so many report it going a similar distance to their driver. Has anyone played a mini shorter than standard length, say 43" with any success? I swing a 43" 3 wood about 109 on average, which on well struck shots carrying 250-255.

 

I'm looking to hit a similar carry with the mini, but just make it a tee shot specialty club. Is this doable?

[Ty_Guy]

4 hours ago, rsballer10 said:

I am looking into trying a mini driver as a second driver option off the tee. I do not forsee hitting mini DOD unless I'm in a scramble 🤣. My Apex UW 19* is becoming the default long club off the deck, so I think the 3 wood off the deck can be eliminated with little downside. 3 wood off the tee is less accurate (for me) than just hitting driver. 

 

Driver #'s are 114chs/ 165-168 ball carrying about 275. Current driver is Cobra AJ Core (10.5 down to 9.5), tensei white 65x, 45.5".

 

I am hoping to get a mini that gaps off of this. My concern with the mini is so many report it going a similar distance to their driver. Has anyone played a mini shorter than standard length, say 43" with any success? I swing a 43" 3 wood about 109 on average, which on well struck shots carrying 250-255.

 

I'm looking to hit a similar carry with the mini, but just make it a tee shot specialty club. Is this doable?

 

I hope others respond here too in regards to length as we spoke a little in another thread.

 

Numbers will be a bit different if you choose an 11 vs 13.5 mini, but in my experience you will reach about 160 ball speed and the same carry range you see with a well struck 3w. My 13.5 Callaway mini sees 150 ball speed, spinning around 3300, and I expect 240 carry. This is coming from about 103mph mini speed. I drive at 108mph, but do not regularly test swing speed of the mini driver.

 

I do see less spin and a little less carry when hitting a 3w. My 3w ball height sits in the low 80s feet. Mini is quite a bit higher, just below driver height. 3w is off the turf, mini is always off the tee.

 

The low spin of the 3w made it tee only club for me, so the mini felt like a no-brainer replacement. My only complaint with the mini was that it has just one job. I can't deny it works very well, but sometimes I will bump it out for another club. Knock on wood, I use the mini on 3 holes at my course and haven't lost a ball on those holes all season. Data wise, it needs to stay in the bag for me!

 

 

Edited July 31 by Ty_Guy

[rsballer10]

3 minutes ago, Ty_Guy said:

 

I hope others respond here too in regards to length as we spoke a little in another thread.

 

Numbers will be a bit different if you choose an 11 vs 13.5 mini, but in my experience you will reach about 160 ball speed and the same carry range you see with a well struck 3w. My 13.5 Callaway mini sees 150 ball speed, spinning around 3300, and I expect 240 carry. This is coming from about 103mph mini speed. I drive at 108mph, but do not regularly test swing speed of the mini driver.

 

I do see less spin and a little less carry when hitting a 3w. My 3w ball height sits in the low 80s feet. Mini is quite a bit higher, just below driver height. 3w is off the turf, mini is always off the tee.

 

The low spin of the 3w made it tee only club for me, so the mini felt like a no-brainer replacement.

 

 

I appreciate the detailed response. I definitely would be glad to see the carry # stay about the same, but just a more dedicated tee shot club. 3 wood off the turf isn't a shot that I have much use for. If I need it, I can always throw the g430 max 3 wood in the bag - but it's not much of a tee club 🙂 

[KhiloD]

4 hours ago, rsballer10 said:

I am looking into trying a mini driver as a second driver option off the tee. I do not forsee hitting mini DOD unless I'm in a scramble 🤣. My Apex UW 19* is becoming the default long club off the deck, so I think the 3 wood off the deck can be eliminated with little downside. 3 wood off the tee is less accurate (for me) than just hitting driver. 

 

Driver #'s are 114chs/ 165-168 ball carrying about 275. Current driver is Cobra AJ Core (10.5 down to 9.5), tensei white 65x, 45.5".

 

I am hoping to get a mini that gaps off of this. My concern with the mini is so many report it going a similar distance to their driver. Has anyone played a mini shorter than standard length, say 43" with any success? I swing a 43" 3 wood about 109 on average, which on well struck shots carrying 250-255.

 

I'm looking to hit a similar carry with the mini, but just make it a tee shot specialty club. Is this doable?

I play my mini with a built for 3 Wood shaft @ 43". It is deadly accurate but as I only want to hit off the tee it make so much more sense having the forgiveness of the headsize and MOI vs a standard 3 wood. I play at standard 13.5° and it's an absolute rocket that I can hit down on like a normal fairway which is the better swing for me vs. driver. There are rounds driver doesn't even make it out of the bag as can just get this thing going maybe 20 yards shorter but way more accurate bringing better scoring in to the fray. Cap has dropped 2.5 points this year with it in the bag.

[rsballer10]

46 minutes ago, KhiloD said:

I play my mini with a built for 3 Wood shaft @ 43". It is deadly accurate but as I only want to hit off the tee it make so much more sense having the forgiveness of the headsize and MOI vs a standard 3 wood. I play at standard 13.5° and it's an absolute rocket that I can hit down on like a normal fairway which is the better swing for me vs. driver. There are rounds driver doesn't even make it out of the bag as can just get this thing going maybe 20 yards shorter but way more accurate bringing better scoring in to the fray. Cap has dropped 2.5 points this year with it in the bag.

Oh I still plan on hitting driver a good bit, I've worked on my swing and driving accuracy has improved. The problem I'm having is I play a lot of courses where the landing areas at 225-250 are much more forgiving than 275. I actually had to take (2) unplayables yesterday because I blew it through the landing area into hazards. Hit both shots exactly as intended. I don't want to always play the tips to avoid this from happening, when I'm playing rounds with my buddies we all tee off from the same boxes.

 

I've got the Apex UW 19 and T150 4 iron that do 215-240 (total) pretty well. But my 3 wood is killing me off the tee. So I'm forced to drop back too far to avoid the 3 wood. 

Edited July 31 by rsballer10

[KhiloD]

16 minutes ago, rsballer10 said:

Oh I still plan on hitting driver a good bit, I've worked on my swing and driving accuracy has improved. The problem I'm having is I play a lot of courses where the landing areas at 225-250 are much more forgiving than 275. I actually had to take (2) unplayables yesterday because I blew it through the landing area into hazards. Hit both shots exactly as intended. I don't want to always play the tips to avoid this from happening, when I'm playing rounds with my buddies we all tee off from the same boxes.

 

I've got the Apex UW 19 and T150 4 iron that do 215-240 (total) pretty well. But my 3 wood is killing me off the tee. So I'm forced to drop back too far to avoid the 3 wood. 

the mini is so versatile. Can absolutely hit it just like your driver and find success. I would definitely look at it with the same or similiar shaft as your driver but in a higher weight class if you are already great with it, to keep the consistent feel but give you that distance that would be more playable.

[rsballer10]

10 minutes ago, KhiloD said:

I would definitely look at it with the same or similiar shaft as your driver but in a higher weight class if you are already great with it

 

I ordered it with the closest available shaft that Taylormade has. Driver is Tensei AV white 65x, mini will ba Kai'li 70x. Weights are actually 69/77 on the spec sheets I believe.

 

[KhiloD]

2 minutes ago, rsballer10 said:

 

I ordered it with the closest available shaft that Taylormade has. Driver is Tensei AV white 65x, mini will ba Kai'li 70x. Weights are actually 69/77 on the spec sheets I believe.

 

That should play pretty damn close. So should be a good choice.

[rsballer10]

Just now, KhiloD said:

That should play pretty damn close. So should be a good choice.

thanks! I think it's going to work pretty well.

[wrbush31]

Is anyone else going with the setup of regular driver, and then second driver but with a higher loft and a shorter (maybe tipped) shaft to get a different flight and control? (Some additional weight in the club head as well, of course.) Sort of like when Phil had two drivers in the bag. I feel like for so many people not looking to play this "mini" club off the deck at all, the higher MOI and bigger sweet spot of a regular-sized driver could be beneficial.

 

I don't know, just a compelling option that I've messed around with to some degree and success.