Diddo!

Nicholas, I think skilled players will be able to tee the ball higher and hit a BRNR Mini with an upward strike, and I did hit a few good shots like that, but my thinking is that you reach for a club like this for consistency. I mini driver should be a fairway finder, and for me, I saw better results with the ball teed lower. I HIGHLY recommend finding a good fitter who will use a launch monitor during your fitting to ensure you get numbers and data. If you can find one that will let you demo the BRNR Mini on the course, even better. You need to find the setup that matches your swing and needs the best. Thanks for the comment and I hope you will consider subscribing to my channel. I'm just getting started with this and there are some cool things in the works. - DD

Thanks, that really nice of you to say. I'm new at this, so hopefully future videos will be even better. I hope you will consider subscribing to my channel as there's a lot more coming soon. - DD

Dante, If you were hitting a 10-year-old driver 275, then obviously you've got some nice speed in your swing, so the option of teeing the ball up slightly and going with mini driver can certainly work for you. For most golfers, players that don't have your speed but who are intrigued by what a mini driver can do, I think a sweeping-style swing will be the easiest way to get consistent results. Your point on distance is worth noting for other readers. A shorter shaft will, all things being equal, lead to a slightly slower swing, but if you hit the ball more solidly, can make up for the loss of speed with better efficiency. I play a slightly shorter drive for this exact reason. I'm faster at 45 1/2", but I hit the ball more solidly -- and my dispersion is tighter with a 45" driver -- so that's what I use. Thanks for the comment and I hope you will subscribe to my channel. - DD

I appreciate the comment and hope you will subscribe to my channel. There's a lot more coming soon. - DD

Thanks for the comment. It sounds like this club is definitely worth looking into for you. Be sure to work with a good custom fitter who has access to a launch monitor so you can dial in the ideal loft and shaft. Again, thanks for the comment, and I hope you will consider subscribing to my channel. I’m new at this, but there’s some cool stuff coming in the weeks ahead.

@@DavidDusek Thanks David. Will definitely try this club as I think it is what I am after. Great review so I will subscribe to see more content.

forgot to mention! excellent review!

Thanks Eric. That’s very kind of you to write. I think your impression of the BRNR Mini driver is a common one … improved accuracy off the tee thanks to a slightly shorter shaft and extra loft, with more length than a typical 3-wood. It’s a sweet combination. I hope you’ll subscribe to my channel. I’m still new at this, but there are some very cool things planned for this summer. - DD

No worries, hit the subscribe button 15 seconds in. Like your review style.

Yea exactly, I'm surprised he never dove into teeing it up, it works a treat. Mini driver not mini 3 wood

Hitting a high draw with a driver is tough, even for tour pros, which is why you see a lot of them going to a 3-wood when they really want to bend one from right to left. Drivers are "fade clubs" for a lot of players, so if you worked with a fitter and found a club and setting that can give you a draw off the tee, you're set. TaylorMade told me designers worked on the turf interaction with the BRNR Mini, but with that little loft, most players won't generate the spin they need to generate a lot of lift, so the ball flight will be very low. Thanks for the comment and hope you will subscribe to my channel. There's a lot more coming soon. - DD

Thanks for the kind words. You hit the nail on the head ... you have to try it, ideally with the help of a fitter and a launch monitor. It would be great if you would subscribe to my channel. There's some very cool stuff coming, including videos and Shorts from the PGA Championship next week at Oak Hill. I'll be there all week. - DD

Rob, There is no way for me to know for sure, but if you are more successful hitting a driver after you grip down on it, maybe you should consider getting fit for a driver that has a shorter overall length. Like a mini driver or a 3-wood, you will typically create less clubhead speed with shorter driver, but if you strike the ball more solidly and feel more confident with it, you could gain accuracy without sacrificing much distance. Just a thought. Thanks for the comment and I hope you will subscribe to my channel. - DD

Can't say I get 275 from my Mini but @ 63yo I am hitting this up like a driver and seeing 230-250 with an easy swing. I could never hit a driver but I can smash this down the middle, its a fun club to hit.

Eric, I suspect that you answered your own question. I have been told by several brands that they lose money by offering left-handed versions of better-player irons, which is the smallest segment of the iron business. The market for mini drivers is very small, so I assume the market for left-handed mini drivers is VERY small, so TaylorMade opted to make only one loft available. The 11.5-degree version makes it a true mini driver, capable of going down to 9.5 degrees or up to 13.5 degrees thanks to the adjustable hosel. The companies sales data must have indicated this would cover the majority of players ... I assume. If you wind up trying one, let me know what you think. Thanks for the comment and I hope you'll consider subscribing to my channel. - DD

@@DavidDusek That’s a bummer to hear about sales on better-player irons being so weak. As someone who loved the 2021 model of the P7MCs, that’s bad news! But, it makes sense. Also helps to explain why Mizuno typically only offers one or two options for lefties in their iron releases. (I liked the JPX 921 SEL set-up, giving us a combo set.) And it makes me appreciate brands that do offer their entire lineup for lefties. Ping is great about this, and Titleist expanding its fairway wood offerings for lefties a couple months ago was terrific (I bought the 7W in the first week it was available to us). I hear ya on the adjustability of the 11.5. It would be a nightmare for me to loft something up and close the face, but I do understand the majority of golfers struggle with slices and are probably looking to do exactly that. Also makes sense that a lot of buyers will see it as a true driver replacement, rather than a limited-use secondary tee club. I’ll try it out anyway though! I have a few holes on my home course where I need to hit a little less than driver, so it’s worth the experiment. I’ve subscribed, and am looking forward to more videos like this one. Thanks for taking the time to respond! Hope you have a good one.

Thanks for subscribing. BTW ... my son is a lefty, so I feel your pain. - DD

DD: Great review. I have 3 mini-drivers and love 2 of them. As a 70+ year old golfer I'm less into distance and more into consistent fairways. BTW, one of my minis is the Original One which I have never been able to hit. I must not have been the only one because it was not around long. The SLDR and Aeroburner minis are MUCH easier for me to hit. EB and DD: I don't see a left hand option on the site. The only choice listed for "Dexterity" is RH. Where'd you guys see the left handed info?

There is a left-hand version available in the 11.5-degree option. It may be temporarily unavailable, but that’s going to be the only lefty model. I just went to taylormadegolf.com and it was available. If you hit it, let me know your thoughts, and thanks for the comment. I hope you will consider subscribing to my channel. - DD

The best way to know if it’s for you is to try one with a fitter who can put you on a launch monitor. Hit your driver, then your 3-wood, then try the mini driver and see what the best combination of clubs might be. - DD

I get it, but my own experience was that I got better results teeing it lower and sweeping it. I imagine that better players will be able to hit up into the ball with a mini driver, but anyone who doesn’t find the center of the face consistently might find that hard to do. Regardless, thanks for the comment and I hope you’ll consider subscribing to my channel. I’ve got some cool stuff on the way. - DD

Thanks, that’s very nice of you to say. I hope you consider subscribing to my channel. There’s lots of really cool stuff coming this spring and summer.

@@DavidDusek great point! I have subscribed! I am looking forward to future content.

Update: Today I demo'd the TaylorMade BRNR Mini Driver (11.5* / Stiff stock shaft). It didn't outperform my 3w (13.5* / Stiff) enough for the price point of $449 +tx.

The BRNR Mini driver is a little harder to hit off the deck, for most golfers, because it has a deeper face. Yes, it has a very low and deep center of gravity, which should help to get the ball airborne, but from the fairway, you need a lot of speed to generate spin and lift. I think most recreational golfers will struggle with that. Most 3-woods, with a loft of 15 degrees, will be easier to hit consistently, but the only way for you to really know how your swing and game match up with the BRNR Mini driver is to try one with a club fitter watching and using a launch monitor. - DD

Bill, My typical clubhead speed with a driver is around 104, and as you saw in the video, my carry is around 245 or 250. I did not measure my clubhead speed with the BRNR Mini, but I suspect that with the shorter shaft and not getting into a rhythm (hit a few shots, move the camera, hit two more, move the camera, etc.) I was swinging around 95-97 mph with it. It sounds like you have a good plan, but be mindful of the distance gaps between your clubs. At the top of your bag, 15-18 yards is OK, but as you transition from your last wood to your first hybrid or iron, you want the gaps to tighten to around 10-12 yards. Don't get hung up on lofts, just thinnk of your clubs as tools to produce distances and ball flights. Thanks again for the comment and good luck. - DD

I wanted to keep the video below 10 minutes, so I opted not to hit shots off the turf with the BRNR Mini. I think the vast majority of players will use this club off the tee, so that's was my focus. For what it's worth, I teed the ball all the way down using both the BRNR Mini and the Stealth 2 3-wood, so what you saw was off identical lies. Thanks for the comment. I hope you'll consider subscribing to my channel and keep the feedback coming. - DD

Awesome, thank you! The TaylorMade BRNR is a very interesting club and could be very useful for a lot of golfers. Be sure to work with a custom fitter to get the ideal loft, moveable weights and shaft combination. Again, thanks for the comment and I hope you will subscribe to my channel. - DD

Gotta save a few things for later this summer.

It is impossible for me to tell you exactly which loft offering will best suit your needs, but both the 11.5-degree and the 13.5-degree heads have an adjustable hosel that allows you to increase or decrease the loft by up to 2 degrees. With your club head speed, I would suspect the the 13.5-degree option could be best, because you might benefit from a loft range of 11.5 to 15.5 degrees, but working with a good custom fitter and hitting balls on a launch monitor is the best way to discover your ideal option. Thanks for the question and subscription to my channel. - DD

Those are some unreal numbers for a mini driver, so obviously you are making very solid contact and probably pummel your driver. You're an outlier. My goal with the video was to talk about how the BRNR Mini might react for most players. As you saw on the video, my typical driver shots goes about 245-250 in the air, and most golfers are shorter than that. With your speed and smash factor, the dynamics of the club could work differently. Most golfers can't get a 460cc driver to give them your numbers! I appreciate the comment and hope you will subscribe to my channel. There's a lot more coming soon. - DD

Yes. I do understand that, but was trying to point out if you tee it up and hit up on it like a driver you can get similar numbers, assuming all launch conditions are the same. I play a Paradigm TD at 9d, with a Ventus Black however due to the shorter shaft in the Mini I am much more consistent with it. I’ve dabbled with a shorter shaft but cringe at cutting down a $400 shaft..perhaps I will have the Kai’li White it came with cut down. Btw like your presentation. I will sub and I also use the same launch monitor as you.

@@jasonpritchard5081 Thanks. Ventus Black is serious lumber.

Thanks! I am new to this, so I think it will take a while to build up some numbers, but making content like this is fun, so more is on the way. I hope that you'll subscribe. - DD

Also you gained a sub being clear and concise. The fact you don’t have your level club speed or “build” also makes this content very relatable and easier to digest.

Thanks for the kind words Connor. I'm new at KZfaq, but have been writing about golf and golf equipment since 2002, so I feel comfortable talking about gear. I just need to develop a style and get used to the technology. - DD

The BRBR Mini is certainly not for everyone, but it is an interesting club to hit.

@@DavidDusek I'm in the process of revamping my whole set of clubs. A new set of irons arrive tomorrow. I plan to be fitted for a possible new driver. I am using the TM Sim2 Max right now. It will be hard to find a better replacement but I need to dial in the right shaft. The BRNR might be a good option since I cannot reach the par 5's in 2 on my course with a driver and my 3-wood. I think a driver, the BRNR, and a 3 and 5 wood would provide me with good gaping. Thanks for the review, very helpful.

Kev, Great to hear you are getting good performance out of your new BRNR Mini. It's possible that you're right, with my clubhead speed with a driver being around 103-105 mph, I may not have the juice to maximize this club as a driver in the way that you could. That said, I respectfully disagree with your last point, that the BRNR Mini "can be much longer and straighter than a badly struck driver." A typical driver, with a 460cc volume, will have a bigger face and a center of gravity that is lower and deeper than a BRNR Mini driver. That means ball speed on badly-struck shots is protected more by drivers than by the BRNR Mini. Drivers will also have a higher moment of inertia, which means a driver will resist twisting on off-center hits more effectively than a BRNR Mini, so mis-hit shots should fly straighter. If you meant to write that a BRNR Mini can be much longer and straighter than a badly struck 3-wood, I would agree with you because the BRNR Mini's bigger face, lower CG and higher MOI will compensate for a poor strike better than a 3-wood. I appreciate your comment and wish you nothing but success and lower scores with your BRNR Mini ... unless you're playing against me. Hope you will subscribe to my channel. - DD

What can I tell you, I'm getting old. At 52, my speed is down a little, but over the last month I've played a few rounds with the BRNR Mini and the overall distance for me is around 225 to 235 yards. Now that courses in my area (New England) are firming up, that's about 25 yards less than my total driver distance. However, I hit the BRNR Mini straighter. It sounds amazing too. Depending on the course, I think this could take the place of my standard 3-wood, give me about 12-15 more yards of distance and not create an unmanageable gap to my 7-wood. - DD