Ditto to that.
Driver vs Mini Driver
Ditto to that.
Bingo!
Evok
Don't worry, Be happy!
Just to clarify I hope I didn't come off as one that thinks these minis are pointless. I've in fact only hit them a few times and could see myself using one off the tee for certain holes. I only asked your plan for the second driver because I have a huge gap in between 3h and driver where a 3w is a must for me. I also love hitting it off the deck and I totally understand that because you guys don't, there's no reason to carry one when it can be replaced with something like you guys said.
Evok
Don't worry, Be happy!
Right on, just making sure haha. The interwebz can be hard to read ones tone sometimes.
Brianbigoats
Active member
- Admin
- #57
They might, although as it pertains to the marketing, neither of them have really ever done that. I was basing it off the post about marketing (see below). That is really a TaylorMade thing. They saw an area where another company was having success and jumped in. Makes sense really, just think they made a mistake with the naming and marketing of the club.
Cookie have you tried the 1 hybrid?
I know Cleveland made Mashie 1 and in the classic as well 15.5° loft but a very easy club to hit.
Do you think your main problem with fairway woods is loft, length, lie angle or swing related. You could play around with several of these factors to see if you can "fix" it.
I have not...but if I'm not hitting off the deck then I think I can just play a shorter driver. More club face is always welcome.
Probably just need to buy a Red Tie 5w shaft from a Bio Cell FW and throw it in the driver.
Brianbigoats
Active member
- Admin
- #61
Going to have to agree to disagree on this one. Most that we see on THP and at events, have the deep series as a fairway wood in their bag and marketed as such based on the different numbers. TM seemed content to call it a driver "replacement" (Generalizing) despite it not being the case for just about anybody on their staff.
I think their marketing has been off overall this year (see JetSpeed and SLDR w/ multiple changes), but that is for a different thread obviously.
Thirded.
Their marketing has been laughable at best.
"hey, here's a new line for those who want a bit different offering than the SLDR... Just kidding, that's gone!"
They went all apple on us and released the same line and just added an "S".
Brianbigoats
Active member
I have just seen lots of people loacally that seem to think that because Phil only needs a 3 deep from the Tee that is all they need as will the amount of guys at my local couse that were wanting Callaway to come out with the phrankin wood was crazy alot of these guys view the deep series as driver replacements rather than fairway woods they want to get a driver similar in size to what they played in the 90's
I wonder if TM is calling/listing the Mini Driver as a driver just to keep there #1 driver on Tour spot because with the Mini some guys might have 2 drivers in the bag acording to TM
Agree totally on the fact the TM marking has sucked this year
Brianbigoats
Active member
Sales saver
- Admin
- #68
The #1 driver on tour wouldnt change even without it.
The #1 driver family sold would change however. They didnt like Callaway's digital ads saying that (I believe), so adding 2 more drivers to the mix certainly changes that.
I understood coming out with it. Watching your major competitor have success with it dictated it had to come. However naming it a driver sure was interesting in my opinion, but lots of things are on that end right now.
Brianbigoats
Active member
BigTex
Well-known member
Same ole... Nevermind
rbarthle17
One-length advocate
The only people to outdrive me with my Mini were THPers who legitimately hit it 270-300. Everyone else I have played with since owning the Mini I am either equal to, and in many cases longer than, them with their full sized drivers. I have had three separate occasions where my playing partners took a swing with my Mini off the tee and 1 of them said he was going to go look at one at the golf store.
I think this definitely has a place - as a driver - in a lot of amateurs bags. The higher lofted versions are more fairway woods IMO, but the 12° is meant for tee usage primarily in my view.
I think this definitely has a place - as a driver - in a lot of amateurs bags. The higher lofted versions are more fairway woods IMO, but the 12° is meant for tee usage primarily in my view.
ryebread
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I'm going to buck the trend a bit. I've bagged the mini-driver twice now (Long Tom 2 Wood) and I think that it does have a place in the bag, even for a high handicapper (like me).
The first time I bought the LT2W, I was struggling off the tee big time with the driver. I just couldn't keep it in play. I picked up the LT2W and hit about 80% fairways over a few rounds. Then my driver game came back around and the LT2W was seemingly redundant. As a result, I sold it.
Fast forward about a year and I started struggling with the driver again. This time I went multiple rounds of just terrible driving. It was so bad that I'd effectively tabled the driver and was just hitting the 4W off of the tee (but at a hit in yardage).
I recently picked up another LT2W and put it on the monitor multiple times against a bunch of drivers. The LT2W generates more back spin, but a slightly lower launch angle due to the tee height and where I hit the ball on the face. The drivers got me a higher launch, less spin, a bigger face for more off center forgiveness and it is about 10 yards longer. If the driver swing is on, then the obvious choice is to play the driver (as JB mentioned early in the thread).
That would seemingly make the LT2w redundant correct? Not this time around. I cut down the shaft to 43.5, which cost me another 5 yards or so in distance (now a 15 yard delta between driver and 2W). What I picked up though was increased accuracy. My FW swing is also more consistently repeatable than my driver swing, so I'm getting something consistent and decently accurate that I can always fall back on.
What does this this really mean? I played two rounds this past weekend. Day 1, the driver was in play and I didn't use the LT2W at all. Day 2, I came out wild with the driver due to a swing flaw (the same one that I've been fighting). The first 4-5 holes, I was behind trees, which just caused my score to explode. Then I put the driver away and pulled out the LT2W. I proceeded to go 6 out of 7 in fairways, with the miss being a slightly topped one that was on line but was just short (which is not as bad as being longer and behind a tree). The score righted itself and I put in my best 9 holes score wise since before I started struggling with the driver.
An added benefit of the shorter shaft is that the LT2W has become playable off the deck. This isn't a high percentage shot, and it needs a good lie, but I was able to smoke (for me) an uphill shot off the deck to make a green in two that I would typically never make.
I have an extra slot in the bag, and I think the mini-driver makes a lot more sense than an extra wedge (tried that and it wasn't good for the score). Even if I go entire rounds without using it (like day 1 this past weekend), it is a nice insurance policy to have for when the driver goes awry (day 2). I also think that it might be a good option for that dreaded first tee drive.
The first time I bought the LT2W, I was struggling off the tee big time with the driver. I just couldn't keep it in play. I picked up the LT2W and hit about 80% fairways over a few rounds. Then my driver game came back around and the LT2W was seemingly redundant. As a result, I sold it.
Fast forward about a year and I started struggling with the driver again. This time I went multiple rounds of just terrible driving. It was so bad that I'd effectively tabled the driver and was just hitting the 4W off of the tee (but at a hit in yardage).
I recently picked up another LT2W and put it on the monitor multiple times against a bunch of drivers. The LT2W generates more back spin, but a slightly lower launch angle due to the tee height and where I hit the ball on the face. The drivers got me a higher launch, less spin, a bigger face for more off center forgiveness and it is about 10 yards longer. If the driver swing is on, then the obvious choice is to play the driver (as JB mentioned early in the thread).
That would seemingly make the LT2w redundant correct? Not this time around. I cut down the shaft to 43.5, which cost me another 5 yards or so in distance (now a 15 yard delta between driver and 2W). What I picked up though was increased accuracy. My FW swing is also more consistently repeatable than my driver swing, so I'm getting something consistent and decently accurate that I can always fall back on.
What does this this really mean? I played two rounds this past weekend. Day 1, the driver was in play and I didn't use the LT2W at all. Day 2, I came out wild with the driver due to a swing flaw (the same one that I've been fighting). The first 4-5 holes, I was behind trees, which just caused my score to explode. Then I put the driver away and pulled out the LT2W. I proceeded to go 6 out of 7 in fairways, with the miss being a slightly topped one that was on line but was just short (which is not as bad as being longer and behind a tree). The score righted itself and I put in my best 9 holes score wise since before I started struggling with the driver.
An added benefit of the shorter shaft is that the LT2W has become playable off the deck. This isn't a high percentage shot, and it needs a good lie, but I was able to smoke (for me) an uphill shot off the deck to make a green in two that I would typically never make.
I have an extra slot in the bag, and I think the mini-driver makes a lot more sense than an extra wedge (tried that and it wasn't good for the score). Even if I go entire rounds without using it (like day 1 this past weekend), it is a nice insurance policy to have for when the driver goes awry (day 2). I also think that it might be a good option for that dreaded first tee drive.
Last edited:
- Admin
- #74
But that goes back to the question. If it is the shaft that is giving you better performance, why not use a larger club head and cut the shaft down if this is only for a tee game.
In your case you "smoked" one from the deck, so it is not exactly just a driver replacement for you compared to most.
In your case you "smoked" one from the deck, so it is not exactly just a driver replacement for you compared to most.
rbarthle17
One-length advocate
JB,
You and others talk about cutting down a shaft like it's this super simple easy thing that any golfer can and should be doing. If that's so, then how come I never hear fitters talking about doing that? All I hear is try a different stiffness of shaft, or a different club. Never modifying the shaft length of the club.
I believe that for 99% of all golfers, this is not something that they could, or likely would, want to DIY. They would want it done for them. Choking up on a driver is one thing, but I think some here are making the idea of cutting down a shaft something far easier to do than most people would have time or patience for as a DIY thing.