Equipment
Forum Thread of the Day: “Mini driver vs. Big driver”
Today’s Forum Thread of the Day comes from bjh1 who has been having success with the 2014 SLDR mini driver (14 degrees). However, bjh1 “wants to hit a ‘real’ driver”, and after explaining how his results haven’t been as good with ‘big’ drivers, our members give their advice on steps bjh1 could take.
Here are a few posts from the thread, but make sure to check out the entire discussion and have your say at the link below.
- DaveGoodrich: “If you actually hit the “mini” better (i.e. more consistent center face contact), then the general recommendation has been to try a normal driver with a shorter shaft and/or more loft.”
- MillHill88: “Keep Swing Weight in mind. Every inch you cut off a club, you will reduce the swing weight by a few points. Example: your D2 swing weight could become C9. If you cut the shaft down, put a heavier grip on to help eliminate too much SW loss.”
- Valtiel: “For many people, it is a length thing, modern drivers are just too dang long most of the time. For others, it’s a head size thing. Remember, it’s just a piece of metal on a stick; everything else is in your head. Figure out what makes your head work and you’re golden. Try shortening your driver first and don’t be afraid to take a lot off. Maybe try with a cheap shaft first just to experiment.”
- MBBG: “Just go with what works. It’s that simple. The Original One has been a life saver for me as I’ve struggled through some major driver issues this spring. Been playing driver roulette all season and think I now have something that is going to work, but I’m keeping it in the bag.”
Entire Thread: “Mini driver vs Big driver”
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- Kevin Streelman what’s in the bag accurate as of the Zurich Classic.
Driver: Titleist TSR3 (10 degrees, D1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Black 6 X
3-wood: Titleist TSR3 (15 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Blue 8 X
5-wood: Ping G (17.5 degrees)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 10 X
Irons: Wilson Staff Model CB (4-9)
Shafts: Project X 6.5
Wedges: Wilson Staff Model (48-08, 54-08), Titleist Vokey Design WedgeWorks (58-L @59)
Shafts: Project X 6.5 (48), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 (54, 58)
Putter: Scotty Cameron TourType SSS TG6
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
Check out more in-hand photos of Kevin Streelman’s clubs here.
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The year was 2012. Gangnam Style ruled supreme, its infectious beats and ludicrous horse-riding dance moves hypnotizing us with their stupidity. Everyone was talking about the Mayan calendar, convinced that the end of days was near. Superheroes soared on the silver screen, with the Avengers assembling in epic fashion. Katniss Everdeen survived The Hunger Games. And the memes! The memes abounded. Grumpy Cat triumphed. We kept calm and carried on.
In much the same way that automotive enthusiasts love classic cars, we at GolfWRX love taking a backward glance at some of the iconic designs of years past. Heck, we love taking iconic designs to the tee box in the present!
In that spirit, GolfWRX has been running a series inspired by arguably the greatest fighting game franchise of all time: Mortal Kombat. It’s not “choose your fighter” but rather “choose your driver.”
Check out some of the standout combatants of 2012 below.
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Nike VRS
Often harshly critiqued during its years releasing golf equipment (right, Phil Mickelson?), Nike’s tenure in the club-and-ball business gets a gloss of nostalgic varnish, with many of its iron and putter designs continuing to attract admirers. Among the company’s driver offerings, the 2012 VRS — or VR_S, if you will — drew high marks for its shaping and toned-down appearance. The multi-thickness, NexCOR face was no joke either.
Check out our coverage from 2012 here.
Callaway RAZR Fit
Callaway’s first foray into moveable weight technology (married with its OptiFit hosel) did not disappoint. With a carbon fiber crown, aerodynamic attention to detail, and variable and hyperbolic face technologies, this club foreshadowed the tech-loaded, “story in every surface” Callaway drivers of the present, AI-informed design age.
Check out our coverage from 2012 here.
Cleveland Classic 310
Truly a design that came out of left field. Cleveland said, “Give me a persimmon driver, but make it titanium…in 460cc.” Our 2012 reviewer, JokerUsn wrote, “I don’t need to elaborate on all the aesthetics of this club. You’ve seen tons of pics. You’ve all probably seen a bunch in the store and held them up close and gotten drool on them. From a playing perspective, the color is not distracting. It’s dark enough to stay unobtrusive in bright sunlight…Even my playing partners, who aren’t into clubs at all…commented on it saying it looks cool.” Long live!
Check out our coverage from 2012 here.
Titleist 910
While there’s no disputing Titleist’s “Titleist Speed” era of drivers perform better than its 2010s offerings, sentimentality abounds, and there was something classically Titleist about these clubs, right down to the alignment aid, and the look is somewhere between 983 times and the present TS age. Representing a resurgence after a disappointing stretch of offerings (907, 909), The 910D2 was a fairly broadly appealing driver with its classic look at address and classic Titleist face shape.
Check out our coverage from 2012 here.
TaylorMade RocketBallz
The white crown. The name. You either loved ‘em or you hated ‘em. TaylorMade’s 2012 offering from its RocketBallz Period boasted speed-enhancing aerodynamics and an Inverted Cone Technology in the club’s titanium face. Technology aside, it’s impossible to overstate what a departure from the norm a white-headed driver was in the world of golf equipment.
Check out our coverage from 2012 here.
Ping i20
Long a quietly assertive player in the driver space, Ping’s i20 was more broadly appealing than the G20, despite being a lower-launch, lower-spin club. Ping drivers didn’t always have looks that golfer’s considered traditional or classic, but the i20 driver bucked that trend. Combining the classic look with Ping’s engineering created a driver that better players really gravitated toward. The i20 offered players lower launch and lower spin for more penetrating ball flight while the rear 20g tungsten weights kept the head stable. Sound and feel were great also, being one of the more muted driver sounds Ping had created up to that time.
Check out our coverage from 2012 here.
GolfWRXers, let us know in the comments who “your fighter” is and why!
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Equipment
Coolest thing for sale in the GolfWRX Classifieds (4/29/24): Krank Formula Fire driver with AutoFlex SF505 shaft
At GolfWRX, we are a community of like-minded individuals that all experience and express our enjoyment of the game in many ways.
It’s that sense of community that drives day-to-day interactions in the forums on topics that range from best driver to what marker you use to mark your ball. It even allows us to share another thing we all love – buying and selling equipment.
Currently, in our GolfWRX buy/sell/trade (BST) forum, there is a listing for a Krank Formula fire driver with AutoFlex SF505 shaft.
From the seller: (@well01): “Krank formula fire 10.5 degree with AUtoflex SF505. $560 shipped.”
To check out the full listing in our BST forum, head through the link: Krank Formula Fire driver with AutoFlex SF505 shaft
This is the most impressive current listing from the GolfWRX BST, and if you are curious about the rules to participate in the BST Forum you can check them out here: GolfWRX BST Rules
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Dan
Jun 30, 2019 at 3:40 am
Ok, here is the real answer people. First MillHill88 has it the closest, but he’s wrong about the heavier grip helping, it actually does the opposite, it lightens swing weight more. Every inch cut is 5 swing weight points. The reason mini drivers work is the shorter length and heavier head weight. The shorter the club the heavier the head gets to balance the same. Driver is the lightest, wedges the heaviest. Solution- most drivers are too long for most to control, so get a 12 deg driver( use a bigger head with a bigger sweet spot and moi) cut it down to 44” ( old 1980’s std length) add weight to the head with lead tape to match the swing weight from before the cut. Pack of lead tape $6, new grip $5-10. Mabye no new club, just adjust current driver to max loft, take a lesson or two, and go have fun. You’re welcome.
Rich
Jun 28, 2019 at 10:09 pm
I use the Mini Driver as a replacement for my fairway wood. I played the original SLDR club, and I’ve since put the new one in the bag. I love it! When I need to get it into the fairway with some distance, it’s the best choice for me. I lose about 30 yards in distance, but the accuracy is amazing.
Tim
Jun 28, 2019 at 9:23 am
I think if someone has an issue with driver, but not the shorter clubs, its most often due to rhythm and sequence. So many golfers have poor rhythm. Everyone chops at the ball with their upper body, hoping desperately to catch it just right. That may work for short irons, but the driver requires a true golf-swing:
Turn your right pocket back and then the left pocket back. Let the club head follow freely, dragging lagging like a fish tail. Do this around a steady rotating sternum. Without a ball, swing back and forth slowly at first then let it pick up speed, making a louder and louder swish. Feel your weight pressure your right heel then your left toe.
Now put a ball in the way. Keep that sternum behind the ball and swish it past you through the ball.
JP
Jun 27, 2019 at 10:57 pm
If you can’t hit a real driver, GO GET LESSONS. It’s only the most important shot on the course.
Jay
Jun 28, 2019 at 8:59 pm
Most important shot? You might pull a driver out 14 times but that number comes down with some course management skills. A great putter might use the putter 30 times and a shitty am will hit 45-50 putts cut down on those shoot better scores. Vast majority of people would be better off hitting less club, its probably the least important shot of each hole.