Equipment

TaylorMade extends AeroBurner line with Mini Driver

Published

11 years ago

Mar 11, 2015

TaylorMade’s AeroBurner Mini Driver exists in the space between the company’s drivers and fairway woods, and that’s the beauty of it.

Buzz around the Mini Driver category reached new heights after the 2015 Honda Classic, where it earned its first PGA Tour win. Padraig Harrington used TaylorMade’s original Mini Driver — a 12-degree SLDR S — as a driver alternative in route to his first PGA Tour victory since 2008.

[quote_box_center]”It’s too soon to tell, but it could be a category that becomes as popular as our rescue clubs,” said TaylorMade’s Senior Director of Product Creation Brian Bazzel. “Demand [for the SLDR S Mini Driver] was greater than we expected.” [/quote_box_center]

The new Mini Driver has a marginally smaller head size — 253 cubic centimeters, which is 9 cubic centimeters less than the original. That makes it substantially bigger than a fairway wood, for more forgiveness from the tee, but small enough that golfers can hit it off the ground if necessary.

The biggest changes to the club, however, revolve not around its size, but its sole and its shape.

At address: TaylorMade’s AeroBurner Mini Driver (left) and AeroBurner Driver.

Like the AeroBurner metal woods, the AeroBurner Mini Driver uses the company’s latest Speed Pocket, a deep slot that extends across the entirety of its sole. According to Bazzel, the Speed Pocket increases the AeroBurner’s sweet spot, allowing it to launch the ball with slightly more ball speed and a little less spin (about 100-to-200 rpm) than the SLDR Mini Driver.

The sole of the club is also flatter, a change that will make the Mini Driver easier to use from the fairway and light rough, and it borrows the more aerodynamic shape of the AeroBurner metal woods. Its crown has a raised center that gently slopes from the front of the club to the back, and a “fin” on its hosel are both said to improve aerodynamics.

Golfers comparing the AeroBurner Mini Driver to the SLDR S Mini Driver will notice that the AeroBurner shape at address is more symmetrical, whereas the SLDR S was more elongated in its back toe section.

As for the results? Our internal testing has seen some golfers hit the Mini Driver just as far and much straighter than their regular driver, but there are a lot of different variables at play. They include:

The Mini Driver’s 43.5-inch length, which is roughly 2-inches shorter than a driver.
Its smaller head size, which is easier for many golfers to square at impact.
The increased loft, relative to a driver, which helps many golfers launch the ball higher and with less spin — one of the keys to more distance.

The bottom line is this: If you find yourself using your lowest-lofted fairway wood primarily from the tee, why wouldn’t you want its head to be bigger, and thus more forgiving?

At address: TaylorMade’s AeroBurner Mini Driver and AeroBurner Mini Driver TP (right).

The AeroBurner Mini Driver ($279) is available in lofts of 12, 14 and 16 degrees (RH only) and comes stock with Matrix’s Speed RUL-Z 60 shaft.

A TP version ($349), which has a flatter lie angle and more open face angle for more fade bias, is also available in lofts of 12 and 14 degrees (both RH only). It comes stock with a Matrix White Tie MSS 70X4 shaft.

They’ll be in stores March 27.

Click here to see what GolfWRX Members are saying about the AeroBurner Mini Drivers in our forum.

Specs

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11 Comments

RG

Mar 12, 2015 at 3:44 pm

I have an old school Callaway Big bertha 11 degree club. It was considered a ladies driver. I put a neww shaft in it and let me tell u off the deck or of the tee I’ll put it against any of these new “mini drivers.” It is hot and very accurate. This is not a new concept and there are clubs out there that are better and 1/3 the cost.

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james

Mar 11, 2015 at 1:31 pm

cant wait to get one of these! oh wait I cant as I’m a leftie

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Justin

Mar 11, 2015 at 12:09 pm

It’s really frustrating that it seems for this year, TaylorMade feels that there are no lefties who want TP clubs. As a lefty whose miss is a draw, I need the square to open face of a TP model.

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Leon

Mar 11, 2015 at 11:49 am

Cut your driver shaft to 43 inches, your driver will be much more forgiving than the mini ones. It will hit the ball much longer too, not only because of the lower loft of the driver, but also due to the higher COR from the Titanium face than the steel face.

Plus, it will not cost you a stupid $300, but rather a reasonable $20 for a new grip and some lead tapes to bring the swing weight back to your comfort zone.

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GW

Mar 11, 2015 at 11:45 am

My favorite “mini driver” of all time is the original R7 line. I don’t see a point in buying a brand new driver that is smaller just so I can fill a gap between a driver and a 3 wood. Now, if I hit it as far as my current driver, or close to it, and kept it in the fairway more often then I might be interested in that.

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gwillis7

Mar 11, 2015 at 11:31 am

I always struggle from the tee….use a jetspeed and it has given me my best results (I only slice 3 out of 10 times from the tee now lol). But I will give this a try, if I can keep most my shots straight and only lose 15 yards or so I would jump on board. Not a TM guy, I am a Ping fan by far, but don’t mind their product cycle and I think a lot of their stuff looks good (not all, but a lot).

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- gwillis7
  
  Mar 11, 2015 at 3:44 pm
  
  Ok I just saw on TM website that they are gonna make aeroburner irons….The loft of the 4 iron is 19 degrees…19!!
  The PW is 43 and the AW is 49….
  
  I don’t care about them coming out with new stuff every 6 months, I don’t have to buy it. But I don’t like the fact that lofts have gotten absolutely crazy….4 iron that is 19 degrees, that’s just stupid
  
  Reply Report comment
Chad

Mar 11, 2015 at 10:49 am

I bet this thing is stupid long.

Reply Report comment
Cally

Mar 11, 2015 at 10:46 am

Stop this product cycle comments….if you don’t like it don’t buy it, easy as that.

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- marty
  
  Mar 11, 2015 at 11:03 am
  
  Those are guys who are cheap and can’t afford new clubs.
  
  Reply Report comment
Josh

Mar 11, 2015 at 10:07 am

That didn’t take long.

Looks like the market cycle is getting even faster.

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Equipment

Slab city on the Korn Ferry Tour — Lead Tape Report

Published

19 hours ago

Jun 10, 2026

Andrew Von Lossow

This week, we have our Tour Photographer, Greg Moore, on the ground at the OccuNet Classic at Tascosa Golf Club in Amarillo, Texas, for the 14th event of the 2026 Korn Ferry Tour season. With that, we see some great things in the Lead Tape Report as we roll into Amarillo.

Joel Thelen

Monday Qualifier, Joel Thelen is in the field this week. He has played on the Korn Ferry Tour for a full season in 2023, and he is back in action this week. A couple of clubs caught my eye this week in his bag.

First off: His trusted Titleist 816 H2 hybrid. This club came out in October of 2015, and it still remains strong in the bag. Also, take a look at this Odyssey White Hot OG 7, putting a capital S in the 7S model. This custom neck has some impressive lean for an arm-lock-style putter. The bottom of the putter is covered in tape for optimal weighting.

Mitchell Meissner

Taking a look at Mitchell Meissner’s bag this week, we have some great lead tape coverage. Top to bottom working from fairway metals, irons, and wedges. We can see on the short irons and wedges that there is tape at the base of the grip, adding a little counterbalance. Along with that, some tape on the short irons and wedges as well. Moving to his putter, he rolls the Odyssey 7 Bird putter. Meissner putts left-handed and strikes the ball right-handed.

Whats in the Bag

Bud Cauley WITB 2026 (June)

Published

20 hours ago

Jun 10, 2026

Will Schube

Bud Cauley had >14 clubs in his bag when photographed prior to the Memorial Tournament.

Driver: Titleist GTS2 (8 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X

3-wood: Titleist GTS3 (15 degrees, B1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Chemical Tensei 1K Pro Red 70 TX

7-wood: Titleist GTS3 (21 degrees, D1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Chemical Tensei 1K Pro Red 80 TX

Irons: Titleist U505 (3), Titleist 620 MB (4-9)
Shafts: Fujikura Ventus Black HB 8 X, True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue

Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM11 (48-10F, 52-12F, 56-14F), WedgeWorks (60-K*)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400

Putters: Scotty Cameron Tour Prototype, Scotty Cameron GOLO 6.3 Prototype

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Align

Ball: Titleist Pro V1

See more in-hand photos of Bud Cauley’s clubs here.

Equipment

Name every set of irons you’ve owned – GolfWRXers discuss

Published

20 hours ago

Jun 10, 2026

Will Schube

In our forums, one user has offered up a prompt for the true sickos, inviting fellow forum members to share every set of irons they’ve ever owned. As to be expected, this is a lengthy forum topic.

@Lamosteve began:

Can you name every set of irons you’ve owned? Here’s mine

Spalding Dots
Spalding Eclipse
Ram Lazer FX
Lynx Parallax
Mizuno EZ Comp
Ben Hogans
Cleveland CG Red
Taylor Made R9s
PING i20
PING iE1
Taylor Made M6

Our members in the forum have been offering up their own collections. Here are a few posts from the thread, but make sure to check out the entire discussion and have your say at the link below.

macedan: “Started with a hand-me-down Golden Bear set from my brother when I was in high school, never really played more than once a year or got into the game until about summer of 2017. First purchased a set of Cleveland CG4’s (I actually really miss this set sometimes, soft & not terribly large for a GI iron), moved into Nike Vapor Fly’s by the end of the year. Those lasted until spring of 18 when I decided I wanted new, so I traded them in for TM Rbladez. Honestly, although I liked the Rbladez, poor decision on my part, I think this was really about the only time so far that after a week or two I was kicking myself for not staying with what I had. Rbladez stayed with me until late last summer when I switched to P790’s and (knock on wood) I am hoping this will be my longest lasting set.”
JimmyC59: “MacGregor Jack Nicklaus Triple Crown. Palmer The Standard. Still play these.”
jgrzask: “Tommy Armour 845u
Mizuno MP-32
Mizuno MP-33 (2 sets)
Bridgestone J33cb – still own
Srixon i-302 (2 sets) – still own
Tourstage X-Blades – still own
Mizuno Hot Metal – still own
Nike Forged Blades – still own
Titleist 714 AP1 – still own
Cobra Forged SS – still own”

Entire Thread: “Name every set of irons you’ve owned.”