Alright, so I finally got around to properly trying out a mini driver the other day. Been curious about these things for a while, you know? Seeing them pop up here and there, and I thought, “Okay, let’s see what the deal is.”
Getting Started
First thing, I headed out to the range. Didn’t want to unleash this thing on the course straight away without getting a feel for it. I grabbed my usual large bucket of balls, and of course, the mini driver itself. It definitely looked a bit different, shorter shaft, smaller head than my regular big stick. Felt a bit odd just holding it, to be honest.
I started off easy, just some half swings to get a feel for the weight and balance. Didn’t try to kill it. The initial contact, well, it was okay. Nothing spectacular, but the ball went forward, which is always a good start, right?
Diving In
After about ten or fifteen warm-up shots, I decided to start giving it a bit more oomph. I tried to make my normal driver swing, or at least what I thought was my normal swing. It took a little getting used to. Because the shaft is shorter, I felt like I needed to stand a little closer, or maybe adjust my posture a tad. I played around with ball position too, just a touch.
What I noticed pretty quickly was that it felt easier to control than my full-sized driver. Maybe it’s the shorter length, but I felt like I was finding the center of the face a bit more consistently. Or at least, my misses weren’t as wild. You know how sometimes with the big driver, a mishit can go absolutely miles offline? This seemed a bit more forgiving in that sense. The ball flight was a little lower than my standard driver, which I kind of expected.
Observations and Tweaks
Now, it wasn’t all perfect. I definitely sacrificed some distance. No doubt about that. If I really caught one flush with my normal driver, it’s going further. But, the mini driver was giving me this sense of, “Okay, I can probably hit the fairway with this.” And on some of the tighter holes I play, that’s a big deal for me.
I spent a good hour just hitting ball after ball. I focused on making a smooth swing, not trying to force it. I experimented with trying to hit a little draw, then a little fade. It seemed pretty workable, actually. More workable, for me anyway, than my big driver, which sometimes feels like it just wants to go straight or slice, no in-between!
- Consistency: Seemed a bit better.
- Distance: A bit shorter, for sure.
- Control: Felt like I had more.
- Feel: Different, but not bad once I got used to it.
Wrapping Up the Session
By the end of the bucket, I was actually pretty pleased. I didn’t have any of those huge, booming drives that make you feel like a pro for a second, but I also didn’t have as many of those disastrous slices that make you want to snap the club over your knee. It was more… solid. Dependable, maybe?
I walked away thinking this could be a really useful club. Not necessarily to replace the driver on every hole, but definitely for those times when hitting the fairway is an absolute must. Or maybe even off the deck on a long par 5 if I’m feeling brave, though I didn’t try that this time around.
So yeah, that was my first proper go with a mini driver. Interesting experience. I think I’ll be keeping it in the bag for a bit and seeing how it performs out on the actual course. Could be a good weapon to have in the arsenal. We’ll see how it goes next time I’m out there for a round!
