In size terms, the new 307cc TaylorMade 300 Mini driver provides a nostalgic glimpse back to what the drivers of 20 years ago looked like.
But with 20 years of technological gains in the book, TaylorMade’s new Mini driver provides a level of performance and versatility that shows how far things have progressed in the driver category.
The 300 Mini advances what TaylorMade brought to the niche small-headed driver category with their Original One Mini driver.
Phil Mickelson is an early adopter of the 300 Mini, having played a prototype at this year’s US Open where he used it both off the tee and off the deck.
MINI DRIVER MUSINGS
So where does a Mini driver fit in the scheme of things? Is it just a driver with a small head or is it closer to a three wood on steroids?
Almost every modern driver tops out between 440 and 460cc (the maximum head size allowed in golf).
Making the driver bigger leads to gains in both speed and forgiveness, which begs the question: what benefits are there in playing a driver with a head size of only 307cc like the 300 Mini?
The short answer is versatility and workability.
The TaylorMade 300 Mini driver is designed for distance and speed but its more compact head size and shorter length offers greater control.
And with its steel sole, it also affords players a greater incentive to hit driver off the deck.
In short, the 300 Mini lands somewhere in the void between driver and three-wood – shorter and more controllable than a standard driver, much longer distance-wise than a three-wood but not quite in the same forgiveness category as a three wood off the deck.
The new 300 Mini driver’s versatility is its greatest asset and TaylorMade’s vision in building the club has it sitting in a category all of its own.
WHAT’S NEW
The new TaylorMade 300 Mini driver is an update of the TaylorMade Original One Mini driver that was released in 2019.
The Original One Mini had a 275cc head but the bigger 300 Mini, which bears more than a passing resemblance appearance-wise to TaylorMade’s 300 series drivers of 20 years ago, has been pimped up with some of TaylorMade’s best driver tech.
The new design brings together the benefits of a titanium body, carbon fibre crown and steel sole to deliver speed and distance gains superior to the Original One Mini.
And while it’s a fairly meaningless comparison, the Mini would outright obliterate the original 300 series of drivers of two decades ago performance-wise.
THE MINI MENU
The 300 Mini gets TaylorMade’s Twist Face tech, which straighten up flights when strikes emanate from the heel and toe regions of the face.
A Thru Slot Speed Pocket on the sole of the driver maintains speed and forgiveness for the common low-strike on the face by allowing greater flexibility of the face.
And a combination of the carbon fibre crown, titanium frame and 54g steel sole plate concentrates the centre of gravity low, making the 300 Mini a mid-launch, low-spin driver.
A revised design of the V-steel soleplate also improves interaction with the turf at impact – a big factor in the 300 Mini being so adept off the fairway as well as the tee.
The driver is also fitted with TaylorMade’s adjustable sleeve hosel, which can alter loft through a four-degree range.
300 MINI DRIVER SPECIFICATIONS
- Hand: Right/Left (11.5° only)
- Grip: Golf Pride Z-Grip
- TaylorMade 300 Mini Driver Lofts: 11.5°, 13.5°
- TaylorMade 300 Mini Driver Shaft: Mitsubishi MiDi Proto (75x, 65s, 65r)