TaylorMade pride themselves on being perhaps the most modern of all golf equipment brands, but that doesn't mean that they aren't allowed to celebrate their own heritage from time to time too.
In 2019 they launched the Original One Mini Driver which celebrated the 40 year anniversary of the company, when the 1979 Pittsburgh Persimmon was billed as the original metalwood.
Two years later the Mini Driver is back again, and this time TaylorMade have reincarnated the 300 Series name which was first introduced in 2000, as well as borrowing some design cues from the now-iconic range.
Phil Mickelson had used the TaylorMade Original One Mini Driver en route to victory at the PGA Championship back in May, and then made the switch to the 300 Series for the US Open so he clearly liked what he saw in testing...
The Mini Driver, which has a 307cc head, looks to deliver a blend of distance, forgiveness and control. The multi-material construction is said to provide a combination of low-CG for easy launch off the deck and optimal spin characteristics, with high MOI for plenty of forgiveness.
"It’s been 20 years since we last made a metalwood this size. It was only natural to call it the 300 Mini Driver to acknowledge what the 300 Series meant to our brand and the game. We blended the throwback look with modern carbon, titanium and steel construction to produce a club that speaks to TaylorMade loyalists while delivering distance from the tee and the fairway."
Tomo Bystedt, Product Creation, Metalwoods and Irons
The aforementioned low-CG makes this an ideal option off the tee as it provides high launch with low spin - a recipe for distance - and mass distributed from front to back across the sole.
High ball speeds are produced thanks to the high-strength titanium face and the Thru-Slot Speed Pocket, which allows the face to flex more and is ideal for giving you a little more performance from strikes which are lower on the face.
The addition of Twist Face technology is designed to help golfers with mis-hit tendencies to straighten up their ball flight and find a few more fairways.
A newly redesigned 54g V-Steel soleplate is one of the ways that TaylorMade has lowered the CG for easy launch, and it also provides better turf interaction when hitting from the deck for greater versatility.
Since appearing at the US Open last month, a number of players have chosen to conduct extensive testing with the 300 Series Mini Driver and TaylorMade say that Dustin Johnson is considering putting the club into play at The Open this month.
Available from 15th July, the TaylorMade 300 Series Mini Driver is priced at £369 and is available in 11.5 or 13.5 degree lofts, with an adjustable loft sleeve for further customisation. There's a 43.5" Mitsubishi MiDi Proto shaft and Golf Pride Z-Grip fitted as standard.
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