Golf equipment manufacturers are constantly trying to tell us that they’ve come up with the most innovative, ground-breaking new products, but perhaps even they are running out of ideas as we have now come full circle with the re-introduction of mini drivers to the fold.
TaylorMade have been trying to do this for a number of years, even as far back as the SLDR S and Aeroburner Mini, but their latest BRNR model – inspired by the iconic driver from the 1990s – seems to have really captured the imagination.
Who Is It Aimed At?
The number of Tour players that we have seen adding mini drivers like this one to their bag proves that this can be a clear option for better players too, with the likes of Tommy Fleetwood and Rory McIlroy opting to use a mini driver at times.
This is because it does everything that a fairway wood can do, whilst also providing more of a weapon off the tee at courses where a driver isn’t always needed.
Amongst amateurs the mini drivers have become popular for golfers who struggle to hit their driver, but don’t want to sacrifice too much distance by going down to a fairway wood. The mini driver can offer forgiveness thanks to the extra loft and shorter shaft, whilst still achieving good distances and ball speeds.
The Tech
The BRNR Mini Copper is essentially an updated version of the BRNR Mini with a new look, which TaylorMade says offers a ‘contemporary twist on a timeless design’.
The BRNR Mini is the first mini driver to feature movable weight technology, making it perfect for golfers looking to dial in their flight for more accuracy off the tee or more distance in place of a fairway wood.
Split weights allow golfers to switch between a standard setting, with 13g in the back, or a low spin setting with 13g in the front for a lower trajectory and more rollout.
The mini driver has a K-shaped sole design, which is said to help the club glide through the turf more smoothly, helping you to strike it more consistently and meaning it is still usable as a ‘driver off the deck’.
There are also a number of technologies included that we have become used to seeing in TaylorMade’s previous metal ranges including the Stealth, Stealth 2 and Qi10, such as Twist Face, Thru-Slot Speed Pocket and a 4 degree loft sleeve.
There are two different lofts available as standard, an 11.5 degree head and a 13.5 degree head, which make it even easier for golfers to fit this club into their existing setup if necessary.
TaylorMade BRNR Mini Driver Copper Review
Looks and Feel
I am a big fan of the fact that TaylorMade decided to bring back their old logo when they resurrected the BRNR name, because I think the retro font and logo looks really cool, and this stretches to the old-school headcover which is great too.
The copper design is a nice update on the original mini driver released a year earlier, and I preferred the look of the matte crown at address.
The head looks exactly like you would expect when you hear the words ‘mini driver’, and although TaylorMade say it can be used like a low-lofted fairway wood I definitely felt more confident teeing it up than seeing it behind the ball from the deck.
The mini driver does feel really easy to hit, especially off the tee, because the shorter shaft gives you the feeling that you’re in much more control than a driver, but the head size is still big enough that you don’t have to worry too much about making solid contact.
On-Course Performance
I took the mini driver out on to the course and it was great for finding fairways – during my nine holes testing I missed the first tee shot into the left rough but then hit every fairway after that, something which doesn’t happen very often!
There was also a pretty strong ball flight produced, I teed it somewhere between my driver and my fairway wood and saw a nice low flight that would be perfect when playing in windy conditions or links golf when you want to use the ground to your advantage too.
On a few holes I hit both the driver and mini driver and the driver was around 15-20 yards ahead on average, although a couple of times the extra roll of the mini driver did close the gap a bit.
I also found that it was a bit more workable than a traditional driver, like a fairway wood would be, which is good if you’re thinking of using it on a tight golf course where hitting fairways is important.
I did hit a couple of shots from the deck too and found that, whilst the sole design did mean it was slightly more forgiving than I feared, the ball still came out pretty low and running. I would also only be confident using the mini driver form the deck if it was on a fairway and had a clean lie, which does limit its versatility a bit.
The Numbers
I headed down to Hukd Golf to test the Mini Driver out on the Trackman iO Launch Monitor, hitting balls from both the tee and the deck to see how it performed.
Hitting off the tee I was seeing a carry distance of just over 230 yards on average, with my best shots creeping up towards 240 carry, which is a little further than my fairway wood would typically go.
I usually spin the ball relatively low so a spin rate of around 2900rpm was around where I’d expect it to be (my driver usually spins less than 2500rpm), and I even managed to get one shot with a ball speed of 148mph which I was really impressed with.
I then tested the mini driver from the deck, and as expected I saw an average launch that was more than four degrees left, as well as a peak height that was almost half, but a total distance of more than 230 yards was still pretty good.
I did also include the shot that I mis-hit into the overall numbers because I think this proves where the difficulty lies with a mini driver.
When you don’t hit it well, in my case it was a fat shot, there’s still not huge amounts of forgiveness and this would worry me if I was going to use it as a fairway wood replacement.
TaylorMade BRNR Mini Driver Copper Verdict
Whilst the Mini Driver trend is continuing to grow, I still think that they’re only really suitable for a minority of golfers at either end of the spectrum – either a good player looking for another option at the top of their bag, or someone who really can’t hit their driver and is just looking for some more confidence off the tee.
The BRNR Mini Copper is one of the easiest to hit mini drivers I have used, and I was impressed by the overall forgiveness off the tee. It achieved good distance and felt really easy to strike, so if you do struggle with your driver it could give you a little more confidence.
I still find that it’s a little too much like hard work when hitting off the deck, so if you’re looking for a fairway wood replacement you better be a good ball-striker!
I love the copper finish and the return to the BRNR name and logo, both on the head and headcover, look fantastic. If it can help you to roll back the years and play some better golf, then it might be worth the investment.
Would I Use It?
If I was really struggling with my driver, or I knew I was going on a links golf trip then I might consider adding a mini driver to my setup, but I’m not sure I’d get enough usage out of it apart from off the tee.
TaylorMade BRNR Mini Driver Copper Pros and Cons
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