TaylorMade launched the new BRNR Mini Driver and it had us all asking one question here at Golfalot – should we be looking at woods differently?
This retro styled club looks to solve the problems golfers may face off the tee or on approach shots to long par 5’s with this new re-branded 304cc ‘Mini-Driver’. Let's take a closer look at what it has to offer.
The Tech
The BRNR Mini Driver is a 304cc Driver with a reimagined K sole, helping the club to slide smoothly through the turf to promote a more consistent and forgiving strike.
There are two adjustable weights on the sole – 13g at the back and 1.5g at the front – which can be modified to create different ball flights and shapes, tailored to the golfers needs.
The forward setting with the 13g weight at the back, provides a blend of long distance, forgiveness and versatility while moving it forward can produce a low spin option with a more penetrating ball fight.
The BRNR Mini Driver is available in 11.5 or 13.5 degrees of loft, but we’ll be reviewing the 13.5 here.
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TaylorMade BRNR Mini Driver Review
Looks
TaylorMade are paying homage to the Ti Bubble 2 Driver that was popular in the mid-1990s, with a retro design across every part of this golf club, even the TaylorMade logo used is a throwback (which I actually prefer to the current TaylorMade logo). The shaft design continues this retro TaylorMade colour scheme running black from the hosel and copper towards the grip.
Again this style continues throughout the headcover, and I really loved the overall retro design we get from the colour and shape. In another nod to TaylorMade’s history, the inside of the headcover is bright and multicoloured, as in the past they would use any fabric they could find in the factory to finish off the headcovers. Not only does this give the player a fun option to switch around with, but it’s also another nice added touch to the history of the club manufacturers.
The only odd thing about this club I found was at address it literally looks like a little driver, with it being a mini driver. It look a driver you'd use in the 90s or early 2000's so it will take a little getting used to - but overall I couldn't fault the retro design, I thought it looked very cool.
Feel
I found the ball flight when testing this driver felt like a bullet off the face. I was so impressed at how much power and speed I felt like I could get with this considering the size of it. This surprised me as I felt like it looked very cool and retro, but not necessarily like a club you’re going to be able to bomb for miles.
Now I’m not someone who struggles with my driver, so I can’t really make a comparison there. I am someone however, whose 3 wood has become almost completely un-used in the bag due to lack of confidence and consistency over the last few months. So, although I was loving the powerful strike I was getting off the tee, I really wanted to see if I could get this going from the fairway too...
The Data
Now I couldn’t believe this after testing, but the BRBR Mini Driver was going the same distance as my regular driver, as shown by the below data at HUKD Golf Bury.
Something to note is that my current Callaway Epic Flash driver was fitted for my game a couple of years ago, and I’m looking to get the shaft re-fitted after gaining a bit of strength and speed over the last few years.
To give a better comparison to more current equipment, we’d also been testing out various drivers released in 2023 on the same day. The Mini Driver did fall just short of some of the longer hitters there, which were averaging closer to 245 yards carry and up to 260 yards total on my longest shots.
Another positive was that I also saw that my left-to-right dispersion was improved with the Mini Driver, but only very slightly. Again, bear in mind that I’m a player who really likes their driver and feels confident hitting fairways with it. I was incredibly impressed at the distances the BRNR was achieving, and I although I wasn’t seeing a huge benefit in terms of dispersion, I did feel very comfortable with this club in hand.
For me, the big thing was hitting this off the deck. Getting this going an average total of 224 yards seemed very promising, especially given the strike wasn’t always perfect indoor on the mat.
On-Course Performance
I have to admit that initially on the course I wasn’t feeling my best with the Mini Driver, purely because it looked so different on the tee box with the ball in front of it. I felt like on the course the difference in size suddenly became much more apparent, which just took a few holes to get used to...
Off the tee I was seeing the same shot shape as we were finding before – that slightly lower, very powerful bullet-like flight. Because the flight was so consistent, I can certainly imagine how this club could be useful for someone who struggles with a regular driver off the tee.
Now the moment we’ve all been waiting for – hitting the Mini Driver off the deck. I’ve never even attempted to hit a DOD before, because to me it doesn’t look right at all stood over the ball. The BRNR certainly looks like a big 3 wood, but, if you give it a proper swing even off the deck it still plays like a normal driver. From 220 yards out, uphill, into wind, I found the ball finished up by the side of the green, which, given the issues I currently have with my 3w, was incredible.
TaylorMade BRNR Mini Driver Verdict
The BRNR Mini Driver is great for a powerful driver off the tee with great accuracy and consistency. What more could you want?
I couldn’t see much, if any, drop off in distance to some of the most popular 'standard drivers' of 2023, including the likes of the [Callaway Paradym], [Ping G430], [TaylorMade Stealth 2] and [Cobra Aerojet] and was so impressed with how easy this club is to hit from the fairway too.
Coming in at an RRP of £379, it's priced significantly less than we’d expect to pay any of the above drivers - taking all of this into account, there are very few negatives I can think of for this club.
Who Are They Aimed At?
TaylorMade designed this club with two golfers in mind. Firstly, the better player looking for a club they can use off the tee for more accuracy without sacrificing distance – this is what I found based on our testing.
The second is for golfers who struggle with the driver, giving them another option than just a 3 wood – again, I found this too.
Would I Use Them?
YES. I can't wait to get this out on the course!
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Ping G430 Hybrid Review
Callaway Apex Pro Irons Review