Jake Knapp secured his first PGA Tour victory in Mexico thanks in part to smashed drives and precision iron play (he gained 2.751 shots off the tee and a whopping 8.729 on approach). But one rare club also played a role in his victory — his mini driver.
What’s a mini-driver?
A mini driver is exactly what the name projects, a club (mostly) designed to be used off the tee like a driver, but it’s a lot smaller than the maximum 460cc volume of current driver models. These clubs are usually between 280-300cc’s, which also happens to make them close to the same size as topline drivers from the late ’90s and early 2000s.
The smaller head allows for greater variability of launch compared to modern 460cc drivers — which are designed for low-spin performance — and the extra spin produced makes them easier to draw while also being more forgiving than a smaller-headed 3-wood.
The club in Knapp’s bag is a TaylorMade BRNR Mini driver (13.5 degrees), which was launched just under a year ago to glowing public fanfare that helped it sell out quickly and required a late restock by TaylorMade.
On the flip side, it didn’t get a lot of play in the professional ranks based on its specific performance characteristics, but that doesn’t mean it didn’t find its way into a few bags.
Who uses a mini driver?
Other than Knapp, pros such as Tommy Fleetwood and Adam Scott have continued to use a mini-driver, and at one point DP World Tour player Eddie Pepperell even used one as his primary driver before going back to a standard 460cc model.
In a recent profile in GOLF magazine, Adam Scott said this about this Brnr mini: “Tommy Fleetwood basically won the Ryder Cup with that thing. It’s unbelievable because so many holes end at 310 to 320 yards now because they’ve geared courses for us, and that’s right where the driver dispersion gets tight. If you go back to your 3-wood, you’re at 270 and you’re a ways back. The Mini goes 300 yards and is still into the widest part (of the fairway) where we play. That’s what I’m looking for.”
Considering Knapp’s distance off the tee — he placed second in driving distance in Mexico (322.6 yards) — having a secondary option on holes that get tighter down the fairway makes for a great option. He even used it a couple of times off the fairway, which is mostly made possible thanks to his faster clubhead speed.
Although you might not be worried about pinched fairways at 325 yards like some of the longest players on Tour, a mini driver could provide another option off the tee that offers more forgiveness than your 3-wood. It could be your new secret weapon too.
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