With all sorts of new trends manifesting themselves both on Tour and in the bags of weekend warriors 2024 for me will be remembered as the “Year of the Mini Driver,” with new companies rushing to get products into the space.
Now, with just a few days left before 2025, Titleist has joined the party and is adding a new player to the game with their GT280 mini driver.
The GT280 was added to the USGA conforming list Monday morning as Titleist also announced it had begun seeding the new club with its Tour staff at this week’s Sentry, the first PGA Tour event of 2025. Titleist will typically announce that new clubs have gone into play on professional tours long before revealing any technical specifications and retail information, and GT280 is no exception.
It’s no surprise Titleist seems determined to bring a retail offering to the mini driver market, which exploded last year with players seeking options that offer slightly shorter distances than their drivers but more control and the ability to use off the deck thanks to a smaller profile. Most tour pros who game them opt to replace their 3-woods with mini drivers.
While details are scarce from Titleist, the company did say the GT280 was a direct result of collaboration with PGA Tour players and testing of the Titleist TSR 2-wood which popped up on the PGA Tour last year at the Players Championship. A press release specifically mentioned Titleist R&D and Tour reps worked with players like Cameron Young and Will Zalatoris to create the new 13-degree head.
Given the GT280 name, we know the new mini driver is just 280 cc in volume, smaller than most of the mini drivers already on the market like the TaylorMade BRNR Mini Copper (304 cc) or the Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Ti 340 Mini Driver (340 cc).
We also learned from the photos Titleist released that the GT280 features two interchangeable weights in the front and rear of the club head to adjust swing weight and move the center of gravity forward and back, similar to the GT4 driver. Like the previous TSR 2-wood and unlike other mini drivers in the market, the GT280 features a full horizontal groove pattern on the face, which is more similar to a fairway wood.
Rounding out the visible tech is Titleist’s SureFit hosel system.
With players likely seeking accuracy and control at Kapalua this week to navigate its massively undulating fairways, it will be worth noting how many pros decide to take GT280 out for a spin either in practice or when the new PGA Tour season kicks off Thursday.
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