TaylorMade has made mini drivers available for a few seasons. The Original One Mini debuted in 2019, and in 2021, the 300 Mini driver was released. Last year, TaylorMade offered the BRNR Mini and it started to get some traction on Tour. Now, on the eve of the 2024 Masters, TaylorMade has dropped the BRNR Mini Driver Copper, a club that is virtually identical to the 2023 BRNR Mini but cosmetically pays homage to the late ’90s Burner woods.
The BRNR Mini Driver Copper’s head size is 304cc, which is 34 percent smaller than most drivers on the market today, like the 460cc TaylorMade Qi10 Max. However, the BRNR Mini Driver Copper dwarfs 3-woods like the Qi10 Max (200cc) and Qi10 Tour (170cc). The BRNR Mini Driver Copper also comes standard at 43.75 inches in length, which is a half-inch longer than those 3-woods but 2 inches shorter than a stock Qi10 LS driver and 1.75 inches shorter than a standard Qi10 Max driver.
With specifications like that, and being available only in 11.5 and 13.5-degree lofts, the BRNR Mini Driver Copper is more like a 2-wood instead of a mini driver and is designed to excel off the tee as alternative to a driver.
The BRNR Mini Driver Copper could be a popular addition this week at Augusta National. If you need proof, just ask Adam Scott. The former Masters winner was recently asked by GOLF Magazine about clubs needed to handle the course setup at Augusta National and it didn’t take him long to bring up the Mini.
“It’s unbelievable (the TaylorMade BRNR mini driver), because so many holes pinch, turn, end at 310 [yards] and 320 now, because they’ve geared the courses for us,” Scott said. “And that’s right where the driver [dispersion] is. It’s tight. If you go back to 3-wood, you’re at 270 yards, you’re aways back. But the mini goes 300 and still in the wide part on a lot of the courses we play. That’s what I look for.”
Scott has been a member of “Team Mini,” along with Tommy Fleetwood for a few years now. Initially released last year in a late-90s black-and-copper colourway, TaylorMade is releasing an updated version with fresh cosmetics and a special surprise underneath the headcover.
The club remains a strong secondary option off the tee, but the addition of TaylorMade’s K-Sole — initially trotted out on the Ti Bubble 2 — helps the head glide through the turf, making it easier to use the Mini off the deck compared to previous versions of the club.
Spin and launch can be adjusted via two moveable sole-weight ports situated in the front and back. When the 13-gram weight is placed in the rear of the head, launch and spin increase. The reverse occurs (lower launch and spin) when the larger 13-gram weight is placed far forward, and the 1.5-gram is secured in the back. (According to TaylorMade, placing the 13-gram weight in the forward position reduced spin by approximately 200 RPMs during testing.)
TaylorMade’s patented Twist Face technology is added to the springy Zatech titanium face material to give it an impressive combination of speed, forgiveness and gear effect, especially on high-toe and low-heel mishits. A four-degree loft sleeve is also available to further fine-tune launch and spin characteristics.
Keeping with the retro vibe, TaylorMade updated the barrel headcover with a new logo and inner lining (make sure you flip it inside-out at least once), as well as a black-and-copper UST Mamiya ProForce Retro Burner Edition shaft (X, S and R flexes) and Golf Pride TaylorMade Victory Copper grip. The BRNR Mini Copper will have an RRP of €479 and is available now.
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