I look at it more of a 3 wood replacement than a driver replacement. I go Driver, Mini Driver, 5 wood. I find that I never need to hit 3 wood off the deck and only ever use it off the tee. If I am using that club for tee only, I might as well get a bigger head and make that job less stressful. I also find it easier to hit a draw with a Mini Driver so use it on holes that call for that shot shape. I use the driver for fades mostly and have it set up to encourage that shape. I find that 5 wood pretty much has me covered for longer shots off the deck.
I am debating going driver, mini driver, 2 iron or 5 wood depending on the course length. Most courses are not PGA Tour length so a 3 wood is not even necessary. I rarely hit 3 wood into par 5's unless I hit a bad drive or it is massively into the wind, either way for my score the tee shots are crucial to scoring.
Agree, 3 wood replacement indeed BUT how long dose the shaft should be or which flex should comparing with a 3 wood hope @trottiegolf can make a video to help us MINI DRIVER VS 3 WOOD!!
Described the top end of my bag to the T lol. I recently threw in an old hubrid that I used to use a lot to see if that or the 5 wood is more usable in the bag
Bang on mate. I've dropped my driver and 3 wood and replaced them with the TM mini driver. I'm finding fairways, having much more fun on the round. Handicap has dropped 6 shots (24 ->18) inside of 6 months. For me, it's been a game changer. And as I said, it's so much fun to hit!
I bought a Stealth 2 plus driver last year and I have never got on with it , Pro told me to change shaft which I did . Still can’t get on with it so it’s going . Then I had the idea to try my new driver shaft with my mini driver went 2clicks lower on loft sleeve ! I’m now finding middle of fairway time after time
Trottie with a camera upgrade ? Video looks better than the last one. Also - WOULD LOVE to see you and Dechambeau discuss club tech and fitting especially for high speed players like himself and Rory .
Mini driver easily replaced my 3 wood. Generally carry my driver around 290 and my mini 270 (can jump to 280 on hot ones). Significantly better for short par 4 where any extra rollout with the driver leads to trouble. Also, was better for tee shots that required a draw/pull rather than a cut. Just an awesone club!
For the most part, I take the driver out of the bag and use this as my driver. Also goes great off the deck for me. On some really long wide courses I will still play my Driver and put this in as my Fairway Finder
I have had the Burner Mini for a few weeks and can say that the club (11.5/stiff) really wants you get after it. I can say that I am capable of sending it as far as any of my playing partners drivers, it's got some punch. I've definately improved my ability to be in the fairway which in turn has resulted in lower scores. I like it. I am not hitting it off the deck, haven't tried, just like it off the box.
I’m of the mind that at the top of your bag you want max distance, and then a lower trajectory option that’s almost as long, then a solid “second shot” club then a solid “second shot from trouble” club. For me there’s not much room for something like this.
I have last year’s MD and love it! I bought it as a driver replacement (11.5°) and it’s given me heaps of confidence. The problem now though is I’m really thinking about getting fitted for a driver and turning it down to 13.5° effectively making it my 3W. Current set up is MD, 5W and then 4i onwards.
So…. Went for a driver fitting, feeling really excited walking in and confused walking out. The fitter was great, really knew his stuff. After trying the different Qi10 heads we landed on the Core model. The thing though is the difference in distance only worked out to be roughly an extra 8-10 meters (roughly 9-10 yards). He did suggest a stiffer/shorter shaft to help with dispersion (and it did) but I was really hoping for more distance. I REALLY want to pull the trigger and get the driver but don’t know if I can part with $800+ for an extra 10 meters in distance. If only it was a difference of 20-25 meters, that would have made the decision easy! lol.
It's a great 3 wood replacement for some. If you launch a 3 wood super easily, but let's you struggle with spin off the tee with the 3 wood, this could help tremendously.
This brings us back to the one plane/two plane swing discussion. For a two plane swinger, think Jack, both Watson's (Tom and Bubba), the late Payne Stewart, the mini driver is a driver replacement. Remember Tiger''s swing from 1999 to 2002, he was swinging on two planes. The mini driver, for a one plane (rotary) swinger, is more of a fairway wood. This is a matter of the right tool for the right player. I play with a two plane swing and a 45 inch has always been a problem. Besides, Jack played a 43 inch driver and he made out ok.
I’m a unicorn. I’ve dropped driver yrs ago. Moves to a 11.5 mini turned all the way down and bomb it. I live in 😊 the the heel with a regular driver and I spin it up and goes less yards on average than mini.
@ that sounds promising. It’s hard because I’m not slow 103-108ss and prefer a smaller players head as I’m low single digits but modern drivers just seem to be all over in strike and misses buy minis a threat and average 283 yards. But would love to add 15 to that in comps esp
@@trottiegolf yeah that’s my fault. i know it’s not as simple as just cutting the shaft because of swing weight and shaft profile. i was more so saying there are other options for those who think they could benefit from a mini driver length but want less loft
I picked Driver / 3 Wood as a team. Drive is pretty stock to slightly high launch and 3 wood as a lower penetrator. There is not a huge difference in the distance travelled, but I have options for wind / hard ground / soft ground etc. Choke down on the 3 wood is predictable for length to dial it back. I just need to fill the gap to the 4 iron. Mid flight 7 wood or 3 iron. hmmmmmm
Hi Trottie. I just have a question do I need to put my 3 wood shaft on the mini driver or do i need more heavier or lighter shaft. let me know please 🙏
Hi Trottie, Just to summarize my question I see that the mini drive comes in 65g r and s. So my question is my 3 wood shaft is 75g stiff so should I put the 75g on the mini driver or 65 g stiff ( default shaft )?.
Tee height is everything, I'm pretty sure I cover that in this vid. Then dependent on how you set up your mini DRVR that dictates the way you play the club
currently have the Stealth 2 HD 9 degree cut down to 44.5 and love it straight drives 98 % of the time for me i am tempted to go to the Qi10 Max driver though with the same set up what are your thoughts i can not get fit or try ahead of time due to living in rural area great video ohhh i had the mini driver liked it alot but sold it regret it a bit cheers from Canada
Swing Weight would be main point. Then for me the driver needs to be teed up and offset the CG of the ball (mentioned in vid). There comes a point where you're going to get more from the mini over the driver if you go down this route. More might be the added benefit of using the club out of the FW. A high lofted driver with a shorter shaft just won't be as versatile.
100%...I chopped my Mavrik 1.25 inches when I ordered it a few years back... I don't really need distance but want control.. Game changer.. Now driver is the best part of my game.
You can do that just need to add weight back to head to bring the swing weight back up. Marty Jertson from Ping talked about doing this and carrying two different drivers.
Honestly, I highly suggest people swap the mini driver for their 3 wood. The mini driver is so clutch off the tee. Use the 13.5 loft and it goes 20yards less than the driver, but way such a better fairway finder
Thanks for the response@trottiegolf . Is this something I could fiddle with using lighter weights in the head or better to stay away altogether? Based on the video assuming that if I add lenth I need to remove weight to get a good swing weight?
@@GregHosmer-p7x 100% play around with it, it'll be a good test process to go through BUT I just emphasize that you should keep a swing weight machine on hand otherwise you can mess up feel through your set. If you don't have a machine it's tough to nail the SW exactly, JUST MAKE SURE YOU KNOW YOUR START POINT and experiment from there
@trottiegolf just wanted to let you know i put a hzrds smoke im10 driver shaft in and replaced the 13.5 weight with a 2 gram in the back, kept it right at a D5. Only hit it a few times but it feels great. Would love to see you try it in a video and see what you think and what the data says. Thanks again for the advice.
I play a ventus tr blue 7x in a driver. We don’t have a mini burner for testing where I live. I am going to play a ventus tr blue 8x for the mini. Purpose mainly be off the tee. Would you tip it 1/2 or no?
@@ToneLam follow up and for clarity. Your driver should be tipped 1" so go 1.25" on the mini if it's the stronger loft and if it's the weaker loft go 1.5" tip
Why wouldn't someone just use a softer flex, shorter length, with a full size driver head instead of a smaller head and shorter length with a mini driver?
Answered this a couple of comments above. Only difference here I wouldn't go softer in the shaft if I went shorter. With a mini it's just more versatile, then consider the depth profile of the head V's the center of gravity of the ball and the reason for the tee. All explained in the vid.
I look at it more of a 3 wood replacement than a driver replacement. I go Driver, Mini Driver, 5 wood. I find that I never need to hit 3 wood off the deck and only ever use it off the tee. If I am using that club for tee only, I might as well get a bigger head and make that job less stressful. I also find it easier to hit a draw with a Mini Driver so use it on holes that call for that shot shape. I use the driver for fades mostly and have it set up to encourage that shape. I find that 5 wood pretty much has me covered for longer shots off the deck.
I am debating going driver, mini driver, 2 iron or 5 wood depending on the course length. Most courses are not PGA Tour length so a 3 wood is not even necessary. I rarely hit 3 wood into par 5's unless I hit a bad drive or it is massively into the wind, either way for my score the tee shots are crucial to scoring.
@@RCGolf I go Driver, mini driver 13* at 42.5in and then 7 wood because 5 woods goes too far, you just have to find which 3rd fits what you need
Agree, 3 wood replacement indeed BUT how long dose the shaft should be or which flex should comparing with a 3 wood hope @trottiegolf can make a video to help us MINI DRIVER VS 3 WOOD!!
Nah this goes further than a 3 wood. But ive also taken my driver out. I
Described the top end of my bag to the T lol. I recently threw in an old hubrid that I used to use a lot to see if that or the 5 wood is more usable in the bag
Bang on mate. I've dropped my driver and 3 wood and replaced them with the TM mini driver. I'm finding fairways, having much more fun on the round. Handicap has dropped 6 shots (24 ->18) inside of 6 months. For me, it's been a game changer. And as I said, it's so much fun to hit!
I bought a Stealth 2 plus driver last year and I have never got on with it , Pro told me to change shaft which I did . Still can’t get on with it so it’s going . Then I had the idea to try my new driver shaft with my mini driver went 2clicks lower on loft sleeve ! I’m now finding middle of fairway time after time
Trottie with a camera upgrade ? Video looks better than the last one.
Also - WOULD LOVE to see you and Dechambeau discuss club tech and fitting especially for high speed players like himself and Rory .
I bought the mini on a whim and omg. I’ve stopped using my stealth. It hits about 10ths shorter but I hit 90% fairways now. I’m a12 hcp
Mini fills a lot of niches. Down hitters, fast hitters, slow hitters, driver slicers, minimalists, traditionalists, shot shapers, windy tee ball...
The mini driver has saved me!
Mini driver easily replaced my 3 wood. Generally carry my driver around 290 and my mini 270 (can jump to 280 on hot ones). Significantly better for short par 4 where any extra rollout with the driver leads to trouble. Also, was better for tee shots that required a draw/pull rather than a cut. Just an awesone club!
For the most part, I take the driver out of the bag and use this as my driver. Also goes great off the deck for me. On some really long wide courses I will still play my Driver and put this in as my Fairway Finder
I have had the Burner Mini for a few weeks and can say that the club (11.5/stiff) really wants you get after it. I can say that I am capable of sending it as far as any of my playing partners drivers, it's got some punch. I've definately improved my ability to be in the fairway which in turn has resulted in lower scores. I like it. I am not hitting it off the deck, haven't tried, just like it off the box.
Mini driver for life! 🔥🔥
I’m of the mind that at the top of your bag you want max distance, and then a lower trajectory option that’s almost as long, then a solid “second shot” club then a solid “second shot from trouble” club. For me there’s not much room for something like this.
I have last year’s MD and love it! I bought it as a driver replacement (11.5°) and it’s given me heaps of confidence. The problem now though is I’m really thinking about getting fitted for a driver and turning it down to 13.5° effectively making it my 3W. Current set up is MD, 5W and then 4i onwards.
So…. Went for a driver fitting, feeling really excited walking in and confused walking out. The fitter was great, really knew his stuff. After trying the different Qi10 heads we landed on the Core model.
The thing though is the difference in distance only worked out to be roughly an extra 8-10 meters (roughly 9-10 yards). He did suggest a stiffer/shorter shaft to help with dispersion (and it did) but I was really hoping for more distance.
I REALLY want to pull the trigger and get the driver but don’t know if I can part with $800+ for an extra 10 meters in distance. If only it was a difference of 20-25 meters, that would have made the decision easy! lol.
Mini Driver is in the bag as a strong 3W replacement. Great club off the tee or off the turf. Even gets it out the rough most of the time.
It's a great 3 wood replacement for some. If you launch a 3 wood super easily, but let's you struggle with spin off the tee with the 3 wood, this could help tremendously.
Another Great video Trottie, thanks for the onions
mmm onions
Based on my delivery I get more out the LS driver. I've got the best of both worlds. LS driver in the mini driver livery. Amazing club!
Yea I tend to be the same way albeit I didn't test the core model in that much depth this season.
This brings us back to the one plane/two plane swing discussion. For a two plane swinger, think Jack, both Watson's (Tom and Bubba), the late Payne Stewart, the mini driver is a driver replacement. Remember Tiger''s swing from 1999 to 2002, he was swinging on two planes. The mini driver, for a one plane (rotary) swinger, is more of a fairway wood. This is a matter of the right tool for the right player. I play with a two plane swing and a 45 inch has always been a problem. Besides, Jack played a 43 inch driver and he made out ok.
I’m a unicorn. I’ve dropped driver yrs ago. Moves to a 11.5 mini turned all the way down and bomb it. I live in 😊 the the heel with a regular driver and I spin it up and goes less yards on average than mini.
Some good stuff coming for you in 2025
@ that sounds promising. It’s hard because I’m not slow 103-108ss and prefer a smaller players head as I’m low single digits but modern drivers just seem to be all over in strike and misses buy minis a threat and average 283 yards. But would love to add 15 to that in comps esp
If you’re looking for more centered contact you can also just just cut down the driver shaft anywhere from 1/2-1 inch
Watch this and come back to me:
ua-cam.com/video/Ww2GaXSEX9Q/v-deo.htmlsi=BnbjTZOYWMg_EYpt
@@trottiegolf yeah that’s my fault. i know it’s not as simple as just cutting the shaft because of swing weight and shaft profile. i was more so saying there are other options for those who think they could benefit from a mini driver length but want less loft
Love the zizou reference
I picked Driver / 3 Wood as a team. Drive is pretty stock to slightly high launch and 3 wood as a lower penetrator. There is not a huge difference in the distance travelled, but I have options for wind / hard ground / soft ground etc. Choke down on the 3 wood is predictable for length to dial it back. I just need to fill the gap to the 4 iron. Mid flight 7 wood or 3 iron. hmmmmmm
Throw a heavy low spin shaft in a 7 wood and you have an absolute weapon on par 5’s into greens.
Off topic @trottiegolf but could you make a video on selecting the right golf shaft? 🙏
ua-cam.com/video/jirzFQTkjOE/v-deo.htmlsi=raOedVAT33qE0Sv5
I have this vid that seemed to be popular.
Hi Trottie. I just have a question do I need to put my 3 wood shaft on the mini driver or do i need more heavier or lighter shaft. let me know please 🙏
Hi. Many factors but a three wood shaft is a good general start BUT you have options with this club for sure
Hi Trottie, Just to summarize my question I see that the mini drive comes in 65g r and s. So my question is my 3 wood shaft is 75g stiff so should I put the 75g on the mini driver or 65 g stiff ( default shaft )?.
Best shaft combo for mini driver? Stock mamiya ust proforce 65s is a tad flimsy...
Gotta go heavier and stiffer then, hard to call out one but that's the direction I'd send you
@trottiegolf yep im currently trying out a hzrdous rdx red stiff off a stealth 3 wood. firmer in the butt and mid section. Feels good
Trottie, do you recommend ANY differences in set up between a “Driver’ and a ;Mini driver’? I.e. ball position, etc…
Tee height is everything, I'm pretty sure I cover that in this vid. Then dependent on how you set up your mini DRVR that dictates the way you play the club
Will the be customizable again?
currently have the Stealth 2 HD 9 degree cut down to 44.5 and love it straight drives 98 % of the time for me i am tempted to go to the Qi10 Max driver though with the same set up what are your thoughts i can not get fit or try ahead of time due to living in rural area great video ohhh i had the mini driver liked it alot but sold it regret it a bit cheers from Canada
hello Canada. Straight drives 98% of the time - DON'T CHANGE!
@@trottiegolf thank you for your response i agree just hard not buying the latest new club out there my guilty pleasure lol
@@GOLFADDICT65 Totally get it & love it
Trotte, why not use a normal driver 12 degree with 43" shaft instead?
Swing Weight would be main point.
Then for me the driver needs to be teed up and offset the CG of the ball (mentioned in vid).
There comes a point where you're going to get more from the mini over the driver if you go down this route. More might be the added benefit of using the club out of the FW.
A high lofted driver with a shorter shaft just won't be as versatile.
Which current TM irons are most similar to SLDR irons in terms of playability/handicap in your opinion?
Qi I believe
Why not just shorten your driver?
100%...I chopped my Mavrik 1.25 inches when I ordered it a few years back... I don't really need distance but want control.. Game changer.. Now driver is the best part of my game.
You can do that just need to add weight back to head to bring the swing weight back up. Marty Jertson from Ping talked about doing this and carrying two different drivers.
Because then TM can't sell you a 500 quid club?
Difference between short shaft driver and mini?
Mini more versatile
Honestly, I highly suggest people swap the mini driver for their 3 wood. The mini driver is so clutch off the tee. Use the 13.5 loft and it goes 20yards less than the driver, but way such a better fairway finder
Or just cut down your driver and get the same distance but tighter dispersion. Cost £50 total.
Can you put a driver shaft in the mini? I love my mini driver but am not a long hitter and cant afford to give up any distance.
swing weight will be a major issue
Watch this: ua-cam.com/video/Ww2GaXSEX9Q/v-deo.htmlsi=BOygWI8WOEzT0gsq
Thanks for the response@trottiegolf . Is this something I could fiddle with using lighter weights in the head or better to stay away altogether? Based on the video assuming that if I add lenth I need to remove weight to get a good swing weight?
@@GregHosmer-p7x 100% play around with it, it'll be a good test process to go through BUT I just emphasize that you should keep a swing weight machine on hand otherwise you can mess up feel through your set.
If you don't have a machine it's tough to nail the SW exactly, JUST MAKE SURE YOU KNOW YOUR START POINT and experiment from there
@@trottiegolf will do thanks so much for the responses you are the man.
@trottiegolf just wanted to let you know i put a hzrds smoke im10 driver shaft in and replaced the 13.5 weight with a 2 gram in the back, kept it right at a D5. Only hit it a few times but it feels great. Would love to see you try it in a video and see what you think and what the data says. Thanks again for the advice.
What are the benefits of having both clubs in the bag, if any?
Options.
Certainly for long golf courses.
Do you suggest tipping the mini drivers?
Dependent on your numbers and shaft choice but I would certainly consider it yes
I play a ventus tr blue 7x in a driver. We don’t have a mini burner for testing where I live. I am going to play a ventus tr blue 8x for the mini. Purpose mainly be off the tee. Would you tip it 1/2 or no?
@@ToneLam if you have speed then yes. I'm assuming you do if you're in that shaft
@@ToneLam follow up and for clarity. Your driver should be tipped 1" so go 1.25" on the mini if it's the stronger loft and if it's the weaker loft go 1.5" tip
Specs on mini driver shaft?
KBS TD - Tipped 1.75" I think?
it's all in here: ua-cam.com/video/ZCgPB9icgyg/v-deo.htmlsi=l7QGXnKUzqW3I16x
Have you put one shaft in upside down????😂
Nope
Might have adjusted the loft sleeve
Mini replaced 3W….hit mini off deck in fairway….goes further than a 3W with same accuracy……off the tee…
Why wouldn't someone just use a softer flex, shorter length, with a full size driver head instead of a smaller head and shorter length with a mini driver?
Answered this a couple of comments above.
Only difference here I wouldn't go softer in the shaft if I went shorter.
With a mini it's just more versatile, then consider the depth profile of the head V's the center of gravity of the ball and the reason for the tee.
All explained in the vid.
@@trottiegolf thanks Trottie!
Dustbin Johnson, nowt but a TM salesman
mini driver lost way too much distance, and spins a lot for me. No bueno!
Normal driver, shorter shaft. The average golfer shouldn't be playing 45". Simple.
Oy.
Dod sucks actually. Just saying.
Snob
I'm from the Wirral mate.....
Any news/update on the red shafts you’re using @trottiegolf??
P r O t o - New Year I'll have more info