Equipment

TaylorMade “MiniDriver” hits USGA Conforming List

Published

10 years ago

Feb 24, 2014

TaylorMade’s much rumored SLDR “MiniDriver” has finally made its way onto the USGA List of Conforming Club Heads.

The club, which is expected to be unveiled around the time of The Masters, is listed with a loft of 12 degrees. That loft and its head size, which sources say measures roughly 250 cubic centimeters, indicates that the club will be TaylorMade’s first entry into the growing trend of high-COR “driving fairway woods.”

“We frequently test new technologies and concepts,” said Dave Cordero, a TaylorMade Golf Spokesperson, in an email. “The SLDR mini driver is an exciting product that was designed based on tour player feedback and requests. We look forward to testing with them in the coming weeks.”

If the SLDR MiniDriver comes to market, which it is expected, it will be a direct competitor to Callaway’s X2Hot 2Deep, the 2014 version of the club Phil Mickelson used as a driver in route to his 2013 Scottish and British Open victories. It will also compete against Ping’s new Rapture fairway wood, which measures 219 cc and has a titanium construction.

While the MiniDriver carries the SLDR name, the photos show that the club is more similar to TaylorMade’s SLDR fairway woods than the SLDR driver, as it does not have a sliding adjustable weight in the front of its sole. The club also appears to have a fixed hosel, meaning that it will not have the adjustable features of the SLDR driver, fairway woods and hybrids.

The black-and-white photo also shows that the SLDR MiniDriver may have a white-painted crown like TaylorMade’s R11, R11S, RBZ Stage 2 and R1 metalwood lines.

In early February, a 3D-printed model of the MiniDriver was posted in our forum (pictured above) by member bruinsPATSirish. That club showed two adjustable weight ports on the front of the club, the company “Speed Pocket” and an adjustable hosel. While similarities exist between the clubs, it appears that the MiniDriver is something different than the 3D-printed model.

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30 Comments

Pingback: Taylormade Mini SLDR Driver - Eighteen Under Par
golfingbadger

Feb 27, 2014 at 2:02 pm

Grasping @ straws…just a marketing exercise in response to the callaway pressure.

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- Tim
  
  Mar 24, 2014 at 12:14 am
  
  I agree… how come we never see a head to head comparison to the hottest known fairways like the Tour Edge Exotics..?
  
  Reply Report comment
Jack

Feb 26, 2014 at 3:43 pm

rule: if hitting the fairway on a certain hole is paramount hit either wood or iron and never a driver. once your golfing brain gets that simple rule your handicap will come down by 4 strokes guaranteed. a wood sized club head fitted with a driver shaft won’t do the trick if your golfing smartness is not up for it.

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Gregg

Feb 26, 2014 at 1:23 pm

Buy a 10* Ping TiSi, have your favorite shaft put in it with the hosel of your choice and call it good. You’ll have the perfect size driver at around 12* of loft.

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Scans

Feb 26, 2014 at 12:49 pm

In 2008 I was frustrated with my bad driving. It occurred to me that when I needed to hit a straight drive I (and most people) hit my 3 wood. So why was I hitting a 10.5* driver? I went out and bought a 13.5* Taylormade Burner driver with a stiff shaft. Since then my driving has become one of the best things about my game. I don’t even think I’ve lost any distance and am very straight. While this new TM driver might be a good idea for some, I still prefer the larger 460 head. It’s all about forgivness. Try it, you’ll like it…..

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Michael C

Feb 25, 2014 at 10:35 am

I agree with the comments that higher MOI is always better but take for example the modern high MOI putters out there, are they more stable than the putters most of use? of course they are, then why do we not all use them? Because to our eye they are too large and unruly.
They same can be said of a driver to many golfers. As driver heads have grown in size over the years so too has driver length to the point where the length is uncontrollable for the average golfer. “Cut your driver down in length” I hear you say, and I myself recently have done just that and in doing so have regained some control but at the shorter length the 460cc head looks and feels enormous much like some of those high MOI putters.
I played quite a bit of golf as a teenager and the strongest part of my game was my driving, then when I returned to the game after a 12 year gap I purchased new equipment 460cc driver included. Over the past 3 years I have tried numerous drivers but can’t fine the old accuracy and even length I had years ago. I recently dug out that old steel headed steel shafted driver to check the specs of it. 43.5″ long, approx. 250cc head.
I for one am looking forward to trying the new “mini” drivers which in my opinion will play at the correct length for a driver and in turn have an appropriate head size for that length.

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ND Hickman

Feb 25, 2014 at 7:34 am

Speaking as someone who uses the Callaway XHot 3 Deep 13 degree that Phil Mickelson used so effectively last year, I can honestly say I’m not surprised to see more companies follow this trend (which was probably kicked off by Cobra for their Long Tom 2 Wood). I’ve managed to carry 280 with mine on numerous occasion’s and I’ve even hit a few over 300 yards.

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- hebron1427
  
  Mar 6, 2014 at 4:55 pm
  
  the trend was kicked off by mickelson using a modified RBZ as his driver at the beginning of last year. that pushed callaway to make SOMETHING that fit phil’s eye. once that was on the market, everyone else said “let’s do that too.”
  
  Reply Report comment
Chuck

Feb 24, 2014 at 7:31 pm

The article references “high COR.” I’m not sure what that means.

The current test for spring-like effects with drivers is actually CT (characteristic time), not CoR (coefficient of restitution). My understanding is that CT testing applies to all driving clubs and driving clubs are defined as less than 15 degrees of loft.

How could a driver, albeit a ‘small driver,’ be allowed to exceed any CT testing standards?

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NG

Feb 24, 2014 at 6:11 pm

I think a few of you are getting this all wrong, it’s more of a fairway wood rather than a driver esp. when it’s stated who the direct competitor clubs will be…

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notsohard

Feb 24, 2014 at 5:40 pm

old things become new again…we use to hit small persimmon drivers of the deck constantly, and now Taylormade are the tech gurus???? marketing hype for the modern golfer who has been brainwashed to upgrade every material possesion every 6-12 months.

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Justin

Feb 24, 2014 at 3:31 pm

This better come in lefty haha.

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Dwaine Ingarfield

Feb 24, 2014 at 2:54 pm

I think you are still better getting all the MOI of a 460 cc head. Get a high lofted driver, add some lead tape and cut down to 43 inches.

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Bean

Feb 24, 2014 at 1:38 pm

Non-adjustable? Is this headed straight to Dick’s Sporting Goods at a sub $150 price point? The weight saved from no slider could have put to good use with adjustment functionality.

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James

Feb 24, 2014 at 12:50 pm

Welcome back 2 woods. Basically what these are though probably easier to hit and less spin.

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AZ Golfman

Feb 24, 2014 at 12:41 pm

Higher MOI is always better. This trend makes no sense. I think it makes more sense to cut your driver down to 43.5 or 44 vs. going with a small head driver.

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- mike
  
  Feb 24, 2014 at 2:30 pm
  
  Like the looks of small drivers better than this bjg shovels that exists now.
  
  Reply Report comment
- Jebbadiah6
  
  Feb 25, 2014 at 1:54 am
  
  High moi makes it it harder to shape the ball which for taylormade seems to be what they are trying to allow there tour players to do for the masters.
  
  Reply Report comment
llamont

Feb 24, 2014 at 12:13 pm

I remember when the 250cc Great Big Bertha and the 250cc TMAG Burner Bubble Titanium were considered “jumbo-sized” heads. Now 250cc is a “mini”. Lol

Reply Report comment
- Mike
  
  Feb 25, 2014 at 3:58 am
  
  I had the original Wilson Killer Whale. It was huge!!!
  
  Reply Report comment
Big_5_Hole

Feb 24, 2014 at 11:55 am

TM had a “Fairway Driver” back in the early 90’s that was a great club off the tee. What’s old is new again……

http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTAwMFg3NDY=/z/Rz0AAOxy4dNS9jnS/$_35.JPG

Reply Report comment
LorenRobertsFan

Feb 24, 2014 at 11:52 am

The farther you hit a club, the more offline it can be. That’s the reason you’d hit a 3 wood rather than a driver from a tee. This trend of fairway drivers doesn’t make sense

Reply Report comment
- Westphi
  
  Feb 24, 2014 at 12:07 pm
  
  Just another product to sell for those who can’t play golf and think spending more money will improve their game by leaps and bounds…
  
  Reply Report comment
  - KYGolfer
    
    Feb 24, 2014 at 1:16 pm
    
    Yeah because Phil Mickelson “can’t play golf”
    
    Reply Report comment
  - Holyfenix
    
    Feb 24, 2014 at 2:24 pm
    
    Its more like another product to keep golf equipment interested for the masses. Just because there are basketball shoes or soccer cleats out already does that mean they should stop trying to innovate. No innovation means stagnation which is bad for the golf industry.
    
    Reply Report comment
- TheLegend
  
  Feb 24, 2014 at 12:08 pm
  
  I was thinking the same thing.
  
  Reply Report comment
- paul
  
  Feb 24, 2014 at 8:28 pm
  
  Courses I play promote a club like this. My driver only fades. I would love a long club off the tee and deck that I could work both ways(but draw easily). This one fits the bill. I saw a 3deep used for only $130. Mint shape, correct shaft for me, pretty tempting…
  
  Reply Report comment
  - ND Hickman
    
    Feb 25, 2014 at 7:35 am
    
    Paul, if I can offer advice I would say buy that 3 Deep! I play the 13 degree version and it’s pretty impressive. I tend to fade drivers but I seem to be able to shape the 3 Deep whichever way I want.
    
    Reply Report comment
- ND Hickman
  
  Feb 25, 2014 at 7:43 am
  
  From personal experience, I would say that the smaller the clubs head is, the easier it is to shape the ball. I play a 430cc driver head because I find 460 to be too much. To each their own.
  
  Reply Report comment

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Equipment

Spotted: Project X Denali hybrid shaft

Published

22 mins ago

Apr 25, 2024

Brian Knudson

Project X’s Denali wood shafts have been seen in more and more golf bags this year as we start off the season. As a refresher, Denali Blue is the mid-launch and mid-spin model while Denali Black is for players seeking lower launch and spin.

Denali combines great feel with stability and increased ball speed. Currently, Project X only offers Denali Blue and Black in wood shafts, but we spotted a hybrid shaft in Daniel Berger’s bag at the 2024 Zurich Classic.

Check out in-hand photos of Daniel Berger’s full WITB here.

The shaft looks to be a Denali Blue 105G – HY in TX flex. No word on details from Project X yet but we can assume that this is a mid-launching shaft that weighs around 105 grams in Tour X-Stiff flex.

Berger has this shaft in his TaylorMade P770 3-iron, likely for some added launch and spin to hold the green from longer distances.

Hopefully, this means we will see some more shafts coming under the Denali name in the future, as I think many of us would like to try one in a hybrid or utility iron!

Check out the rest of our photos from the 2024 Zurich Classic
Check out in-hand photos of Daniel Berger’s full WITB here.

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Whats in the Bag

Daniel Berger WITB 2024 (April)

Published

21 hours ago

Apr 24, 2024

GolfWRX Staff

Daniel Berger what’s in the bag accurate as of the Farmers Insurance Open. More photos from the event here.

Driver: Ping G430 LST (10.5 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X

3-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 7 X

Check out more in-hand photos of Daniel Berger’s clubs in the forums.

6-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 Tour (21 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 8 X

Irons: TaylorMade P770 (3), TaylorMade Tour Preferred MC 2011 (4-PW)
Shafts: Project X Denali Blue 105 TX (3), Project X 6.5 (4-PW)

Check out more in-hand photos of Daniel Berger’s clubs in the forums.

Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM9 (50-12F), Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (56-14F), Callaway Jaws Raw (60-08C)
Shafts: Project X 6.5 (50), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 (56, 60)

Putter: Odyssey Ai-One Jailbird Mini DB
Grip: SuperStroke Zenergy PistolLock 1.0

Check out more in-hand photos of Daniel Berger’s clubs in the forums.

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Wrap

Ball: Titleist Pro V1

Check out more in-hand photos of Daniel Berger’s clubs in the forums.

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Equipment

Heavy Artillery: A look at drivers in play at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans

Published

22 hours ago

Apr 24, 2024

GolfWRX Staff

What are the driver and shaft combinations of the best golfers in the world? For gearheads, it’s an endlessly interesting question — even if we can only ever aspire to play LS heads and 7 TX shafts.

At this week’s Zurich Classic of New Orleans, GolfWRX got in-hand looks at the driver setups of a wealth of players.

Check out some of the most interesting combos below, then head to the GolfWRX forums for the rest, as well as the rest of our galleries from New Orleans.