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TaylorMade SLDR Mini Driver Preview

SuperStroke
Jman said:
Alright people, any updates? I have...some issues....with a couple things as far as wanting this in the bag. But I ponder it a lot after hitting Beags at the MC.

Anyone fall out of love yet? Still enjoying? Thoughts?
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For you buddy I did something fun tonight. I hit this off of 5 tees tonight and even hit it off the deck once. 2nd hole is a par 5 that is a tee shot that just doesn't suit my eye. Took this and hit it down the left side and in to the first cut of rough on the edge of the fairway. Normally I take a hybrid from there and get to the 150 marker. Today for fun I hit mini off the deck. It was no problem whatsoever. The ball jumped up and flew straight, which meant it went through the fairway because of the hole shape. Anyway, I was left with 120 in to the green.
 
A buddy of mine was just talking about hitting a smaller head driver better than the 460 cc drivers. This will surely be in his bag soon!
 
TaylorMade SLDR Mini Driver Preview

ddec said:
For you buddy I did something fun tonight. I hit this off of 5 tees tonight and even hit it off the deck once. 2nd hole is a par 5 that is a tee shot that just doesn't suit my eye. Took this and hit it down the left side and in to the first cut of rough on the edge of the fairway. Normally I take a hybrid from there and get to the 150 marker. Today for fun I hit mini off the deck. It was no problem whatsoever. The ball jumped up and flew straight, which meant it went through the fairway because of the hole shape. Anyway, I was left with 120 in to the green.
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I'd just talked myself out of pondering, and now I'm pondering again.
 
Jman said:
If just talked myself out of pondering, and now I'm pondering again.
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I'm sorry. I think you'd have fun with this stick for a week or 2.
 
ddec said:
I'm sorry. I think you'd have fun with this stick for a week or 2.
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See, there is my ponderance, after a couple weeks, would I be over it.

And I kill my Bio.

But still...
 
I convinced my father in law to try this out because he was having trouble with his driver and had started taking two different 3 woods in the bag instead...one off the tee and one off the deck. I'm curious to see what he thinks when he gets it out for a round.

Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk
 
Jman said:
See, there is my ponderance, after a couple weeks, would I be over it.

And I kill my Bio.

But still...
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2 weeks in your bag is like a full season for most. Really I don't know. If my home course didn't set up well for it, I am not 100% sure I'd have it in my bag.
 
TaylorMade SLDR Mini Driver Preview

ddec said:
2 weeks in your bag is like a full season for most. Really I don't know. If my home course didn't set up well for it, I am not 100% sure I'd have it in my bag.
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Only when reviews are going on, but it's a valid point, and why it's hard to pull the trigger. Maybe in a few months when the used ones drop in price on the bay.
 
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I actually just threw a Miyazaki C. Kua from a Mashie TF3 into my 12 degree last night. Will be interested how it feels over the weekend.
 
Jman said:
Only when reviews are going on, but it's a valid point, and why it's hard to pull the trigger. Maybe in a few months when the used ones drop in price on the bay.
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But they are so fun to hit
 
Jman said:
Only when reviews are going on, but it's a valid point, and why it's hard to pull the trigger. Maybe in a few months when the used ones drop in price on the bay.
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If you can wait a bit, once winter hits I will be glad to lend you mine for a time so you can try it out. It's a 12° with the stock stiff shaft. If I get a chance to play during that time, I'll just use my hybrids.
 
Pondering one of these as well... I only hit driver on par 5s and stretch 4s... But I trust my 3 wood a lot more left to right.
 
bbuonic81 said:
I actually just threw a Miyazaki C. Kua from a Mashie TF3 into my 12 degree last night. Will be interested how it feels over the weekend.
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After one round, I am (at least for now) pretty pleasantly pleased by the shaft change. No real feedback on distances yet since I wasn't playing my normal course (will have more on this after this coming weekend), but the feel was noticeably better (for me) and the ball flight seemed good. More to come...
 
bbuonic81 said:
After one round, I am (at least for now) pretty pleasantly pleased by the shaft change. No real feedback on distances yet since I wasn't playing my normal course (will have more on this after this coming weekend), but the feel was noticeably better (for me) and the ball flight seemed good. More to come...
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A shaft change on mine was a real game changer for me it is now a real weapon off the Tee
 
Hit one at the Pga superstore yesterday. It carried between 255-260 on the monitor which is 10 yards more than my 3 wood. The accuracy was amazing though... About as accurate as it gets for a long club. I am tempted to use it as a driver replacement, I might lose 10-20 off the tee but being in the fairway counts a lot more for my scoring average.
 
ImaBeRealReal said:
Hit one at the Pga superstore yesterday. It carried between 255-260 on the monitor which is 10 yards more than my 3 wood. The accuracy was amazing though... About as accurate as it gets for a long club. I am tempted to use it as a driver replacement, I might lose 10-20 off the tee but being in the fairway counts a lot more for my scoring average.
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Man, that is amazing dude. That is carry like some Tour players.
 
JB said:
Man, that is amazing dude. That is carry like some Tour players.
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It's a monitor at a big box store ... I expect actual findings to be a lot less impressive.
 
ImaBeRealReal said:
It's a monitor at a big box store ... I expect actual findings to be a lot less impressive.
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Even your 3 wood at 10 yards shorter is a hugely impressive carry distance. Awesome.
That does beg the question however though. If you expect it to be shorter due to the monitor, would your actual 3 wood be longer?
 
JB said:
Even your 3 wood at 10 yards shorter is a hugely impressive carry distance. Awesome.
That does beg the question however though. If you expect it to be shorter due to the monitor, would your actual 3 wood be longer?
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Quite possible... My 3 wood is no longer in the store so I can't get it on a monitor side by side, but the stage 2 3 wood has been a godsend for me and largely the reason I don't know why I even carry a driver. There is a pretty large gap between my 3w and 3h... I guess I should try to compare the mini and my 3 wood side by side before deciding to carry one in the driver's slot.
 
ImaBeRealReal said:
Quite possible... My 3 wood is no longer in the store so I can't get it on a monitor side by side, but the stage 2 3 wood has been a godsend for me and largely the reason I don't know why I even carry a driver. There is a pretty large gap between my 3w and 3h... I guess I should try to compare the mini and my 3 wood side by side before deciding to carry one in the driver's slot.
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Game the Mini dude, why not?

It has gotten a lot of flak, but I love the club and find it to be the perfect 3W for what I need. I find it quite easy to hit off the tee, and it's no doubt longer than any other similarly lofted fairway wood that I have hit. It is not a driver for me, but an awesome 3W replacement.
 
War Eagle said:
Game the Mini dude, why not?

It has gotten a lot of flak, but I love the club and find it to be the perfect 3W for what I need. I find it quite easy to hit off the tee, and it's no doubt longer than any other similarly lofted fairway wood that I have hit. It is not a driver for me, but an awesome 3W replacement.
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Because you know how the male ego works... That magical 280 yd fairway finding bomb doesn't exist anymore if I drop the driver from the bag.
 
ImaBeRealReal said:
Because you know how the male ego works... That magical 280 yd fairway finding bomb doesn't exist anymore if I drop the driver from the bag.
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But do you really need the less common 280 in the fairway more than the consistent 260 in the fairway? That is the question I asked myself before going full time to the 12° as my driver.
 
rbarthle17 said:
But do you really need the less common 280 in the fairway more than the consistent 260 in the fairway? That is the question I asked myself before going full time to the 12° as my driver.
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Same question I'm pondering now.... I suppose not really.
 
A lack of tourism coupled with low season here in Pattaya has led to one of the large golf stores running promotions on clubs. In the last 2 weeks the SLDR Mini has dropped from 430 USD down to 280 USD (clubs are higher due to tax here). The temptation to try / buy a 16* was to much.

Took it to the range yesterday and was seeing a straight ball flight off a low tee and a push left off the deck. After a really disastrous front 9 with the driver, the back 9 I used the Mini, which resulted in 10 shots less than the front, no OB's and no lost balls in water. Hit 5 out the 7 fairways down the middle, caught a coconut tree with 1 miss and a yard in the first cut on the 2nd missed fairway. I was getting 210 yards with roll which is only around 10 yards less than my Big Bertha. Its only one round but playing with tee height I found a nice high straight flight on the fairway and easier to swing than the driver. I brought it as a substitute for my driver and from todays back 9 its working. Will see how I progress with it.

The shorter shaft and smaller head does not seem as intimidating as my driver and I am obviously getting a smoother swing (for now). I am quite happy today.
 
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