What is a mini driver?

Mini drivers have steadily risen in popularity over the last decade or so. You’ll often see pros like Tommy Fleetwood using them, and for good reason. They can offer an added element of control and forgiveness while sacrificing little distance, making them a unique and enticing option in the driver department. 

In this guide, you’ll discover what a mini driver is, its benefits and whether it will suit you. If it does, it might just change the way you approach a round.

So, what exactly is a mini driver?

A mini driver is a smaller driver, promising a smaller shaft and clubhead.

Typically, the head of a mini driver is between 280cc and 310cc. That’s about two-thirds the size of a standard driver, which usually comes in at 420cc to 460cc. In terms of the overall size of the club, you can think of it as the middle ground between a typical driver and a fairway wood.

This means that, in theory, the mini driver allows you to reach the sweet spot between accuracy and distance. It’s a driver after all, so you’re still going to be able to hit the ball with distance and speed. But the smaller elements and deeper clubface than most other drivers lend themselves to two things:

• Increased precision
• More margin for error

It’s no wonder the club is becoming more attractive to both pros and amateurs and has grown in popularity over the years.

Who might benefit from a mini driver?

There are three main categories of players who could benefit from switching to a mini driver, including those who:  

• Have difficulties using regular drivers
• Play on courses with certain characteristics
• Want versatility

Difficulty using regular drivers

It’s common for many golfers to have difficulties getting the most out of their drivers. Drivers are likely the biggest and potentially most cumbersome club in your bag, meaning they can cause issues for a number of players.

If you’re a little shorter, you might find a level of awkwardness when using a standard driver. Even if it’s not necessarily about size, it takes an awful lot of practice to totally get to grips with using what is often the most difficult club of the lot. Often, you can get your desired distance off the tee with a driver, but accurately sending the ball where you intend is a little harder.  

That’s where the mini driver comes into its own. Its smaller construction makes it easier to control. With a smaller, shorter shaft, it’s easier to get consistency in your swing, and you’ll be less likely to slice a shot.

But there is some debate about whether or not the size of the clubhead is beneficial. Some believe that a smaller clubface gives less room for error and more forgiveness. Others believe the opposite is true, and it’s all about a bigger clubface. It really does seem subjective from golfer to golfer.

It’s also important to note that the mini driver is not a magic wand. If you’re having driver difficulties, switching to a mini driver won’t immediately make you a significantly better golfer. With that said, it may be a better fit for you, and with practice over time, you may find yourself benefiting from switching clubs.

The course you play on

If you regularly play on courses with tight, narrow or unusually shaped fairways, a mini driver could be a useful addition to your bag. It’s all down to its increased accuracy and the relatively small distance sacrificed.

Hitting the ball into the rough or, even worse, a penalty area from the tee can obviously completely derail a hole. Narrower fairways have less margin for error, meaning hitting the rough could be more likely. A mini driver can help combat this and is potentially better suited to the task at hand.

Exposure to wind is another issue, too. If you’re playing on a links course or one that’s more exposed to the elements, the wind can have a significant impact on your tee shot. One key strength of a mini driver is that the ball tends to fly lower and is less susceptible to wind than a standard driver.  

Versatility and efficiency

A mini driver is sized between a typical driver and a 3-wood. And it’s designed for use both off the tee and from the fairway itself. It’s effectively two clubs in one, which is ideal if you want as few clubs as possible in your bag when you hit the course.

Is a mini driver worth it?

So, is a mini driver worth it for every golfer? Not necessarily. It’s a highly subjective club which is neither absolutely necessary nor particularly appropriate for every golfer.

But, if you’re struggling for accuracy from the tee, playing on narrow greens, frustrated by the wind on your longer shots, or simply want to cut down on the number of clubs, it’s worth considering.

Which are the best mini drivers on the market?

TaylorMade is one of the first brands to have really thrown themselves headfirst into making mini drivers, and their BRNR Mini Driver and R7 Quad Mini Golf Driver are both great options.

Callaway’s Quantum Mini Driver and Elyte Mini Golf Driver are also fantastic choices. Cobra King (Tec MD Mini Driver), Titleist (GT280 Mini Golf Driver) and PXG (Secret Weapon Mini Driver) offer excellent variations of their own, and Lynx’s Parallax Mini Driver is even priced at under £200.

If you’re considering a mini driver, there are plenty of options from all the top brands. So if you think a mini driver might help you game, there’s only one way to find out for sure. Go out there and give one a go!

Keen to improve your golf game? Discover our essential golf driving tips and how to choose the right golf tee size. 

Specialist golf insurance through Golf Care

Before you head out onto the course to practice with your mini driver, you may want to consider protecting yourself and your golf equipment with specialist golf insurance. Get a quote online today.