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TaylorMade SLDR Mini Driver Preview

SuperStroke
This is definitely my favorite club in my MC bag. I don't know why, but I seem to find the center of the face every time.
I also hit it great off the deck today, it just launched lower than off the tee.
 
Parshooter36 said:
This is definitely my favorite club in my MC bag. I don't know why, but I seem to find the center of the face every time.
I also hit it great off the deck today, it just launched lower than off the tee.
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I is a great club i love mine
 
This club is an absolute blast to hit. I know it's gotten it's fair share of "who needs this?" And "why not cut down a driver" posts in here, but let me tell you this...

For those looking for a oversized 3W for an off the tee option, this one fits he bill. Super easy to hit, and just wants to go straight (even for me with a vicious cut that I seem to be destined to play for eternity).

Also, someone go tell DDec that it's impossible to hit off the deck. He will laugh at you, then go hammer it off the deck on #10 at True Blue again.
 
The guys who had this in their bag this weekend were hammering it. Definitely changed my opinion of the club.
 
One thing I liked about this that I'm not sure I saw coming when making the decision. When I stepped on a tee box and I was unsettled on driver for whatever reason, I could pull this and not skip a beat. For me it is a over sized 3 wood for the tee. If I was having some driver confidence issues, it was good to look down and see a different look.
 
While it just didn't work for me in my bag setup, I did borrow it for a swing or two on the range. To echo the other comments, it was a very easy to hit 3w. Off the deck was also very easy, surprisingly easy.

I watched Ddec hit it off the deck at the range and just laughed. It was a high launching ball that cut maybe 4-5yds and flew very far down range.
 
I just joined a few days ago, but I can honestly review this club.

The achilles heel of my game is off the tee. I would venture to say that my drives/tee shots are 50/50... 50% of the time, I am long and in the fairway. 50% of the time, I spend the rest of the hole scrambling. Needless to say, I have been working on my swing with a professional and looking at gear that could help get me through rounds while I develop into a good driver.

The first thing I did? Shelved my driver and picked up a SLDR Mini 12 degree, X Stiff shaft. Some of you might say that X Stiff is too much shaft for a 104mph driver swing, but I did not care. The X Stiff shaft also serves the purpose of lowering the ball flight and gives me more control over a handful of yards gained by using a Stiff shaft.

Let's go over the cosmetics first:
Looks - (9/10) No crazy graphics, no gimmicks. It literally looks like a small driver or extra large 3 wood. Feels great in the hands.

Feel - (9.5/10) This is BY FAR the best 3W that I have felt at impact. It feels like I am hammering a nail into wood.

Distance - (9/10) It's longer than my previous 3W. Probably due to more mass in the clubhead and TM's loft up/weight shifting effort. Off the tee, I was 240-250'ish with roll. My driver (when in the fairway) was only 260'ish. The difference was the fact that I could put the SLDR in the fairway over twice as often.

Ball Flight - (8.5/10) I don't have a problem with it. It's not too high, not too low. Again, I am using X-Stiff for consistency so not the optimum ball flight.

Workability - (9.0/10) I work it left and right.

Hitting from fairway - It takes a few shots to get used to such a large head on a fairway wood shot from a tight lie, but the performance is the same.

Overall, this is one the best golf purchases I have made in a long time. It has given me more confidence off the tee than I have had in a long time. Eventually, I hope to bring my driver back full time, but until then - I will enjoy the fairways.
 
This wa the club I was most excited about getting going into the MC and it did not disappoint. What a great club, and I wouldn't hesitate to hit it off the deck.
 
Sounds like the guys at the MC are now mini converts
 
Fun. Club.
 
Brianbigoats said:
Sounds like the guys at the MC are now mini converts
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I rarely if ever, hit a 3W. I am typically super comfortable with my Driver on any tee box I come across, unless I just don't need to be to long due to trouble.

The Mini fills an open spot in my bag, and is something that will stay in my bag for quite some time.

It was going to take a lot to kick out the Cleveland Black 3W that held that spot since 2012, and the Mini did that.
 
Jman said:
Hate. You.

Still not sure if one will end up in the bag, but time will def tell.
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While you hit it really well, you play fairway off the deck much more than I do, so it's not the most ideal club to snag that 3W spot for you.

I would love to see what happens if you were to work with one for a while and see if you could get consistency off the deck with it, how that would work out.
 
War Eagle said:
While you hit it really well, you play fairway off the deck much more than I do, so it's not the most ideal club to snag that 3W spot for you.

I would love to see what happens if you were to work with one for a while and see if you could get consistency off the deck with it, how that would work out.
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Or I could put two 14 degree clubs in the bag to melt minds.
 
After a week I have no problem hitting the Mini off the deck. I just ignore the depth of the face and swing it like I swing a normal 3W and the results are phenomenal.

I kept my old 3W at the club just in case I wanted to swap it with the Mini depending on course and conditions, but the old Titleist has made the trip home to sit in my garage.
 
Brianbigoats said:
Sounds like the guys at the MC are now mini converts
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Amazing what happens when people actually use the club themselves vs reading about it lol.
 
For the record, I did try to hit it off the deck on the range and on the course once when just having some fun with War. However if it remains it my bag the likelyhood that I would ever pull it for a shot are slim. I did like having that 3HL SLDRs ready to hit off the deck and that thing was very good.
 
ddec said:
For the record, I did try to hit it off the deck on the range and on the course once when just having some fun with War. However if it remains it my bag the likelyhood that I would ever pull it for a shot are slim. I did like having that 3HL SLDRs ready to hit off the deck and that thing was very good.
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That is similar to how i use it i have only hit one off the deck in one round
 
I can't tell you how much this club saved my round today! I was hitting the driver ok, but it gets really tight on the back with trees lining pretty much every fairway. I really wanted this club for #12 which is a long par 3. Today it was playing at 207 which was perfect, I pulled the mini and put it on the green for a 2 putt par. After that is when it really tightens up and I decided just to go with the mini from there on out since I hit it so well. I never missed a fairway the rest of the way in, and even ripped it off the deck once.
 
I'm really interested in this club but am curious on if the TP shaft is worth the extra money. Are most of you guys gaming the lighter shaft in the regular version or the heavier shaft in the TP version?
 
I went with TP as there was a big difference for me between the TP and stock shaft. One option you might want to look at is picking up a SLDR fairway wood shaft and installing it in the mini, similar properties from what I can tell. Can pick those up on eBay for $15 shipped for new pull outs.
 
ButterPutter said:
I'm really interested in this club but am curious on if the TP shaft is worth the extra money. Are most of you guys gaming the lighter shaft in the regular version or the heavier shaft in the TP version?
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Getting the TP is worth it because it takes .335 shafts without shims
 
Parshooter36 said:
I can't tell you how much this club saved my round today! I was hitting the driver ok, but it gets really tight on the back with trees lining pretty much every fairway. I really wanted this club for #12 which is a long par 3. Today it was playing at 207 which was perfect, I pulled the mini and put it on the green for a 2 putt par. After that is when it really tightens up and I decided just to go with the mini from there on out since I hit it so well. I never missed a fairway the rest of the way in, and even ripped it off the deck once.
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Tight fairways are where it shines for me i played a really tight course today lots of big pines i hit more minis than drivers i even out drove my brother with my mini vs his driver
 
Brianbigoats said:
Getting the TP is worth it because it takes .335 shafts without shims
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$100 upcharge vs .25cent shim? No thanks. Shimming isn't a big deal.
 
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