TaylorMade Original One Mini Driver

TaylorMade Original One Mini Driver Review - Technical Editor Joel Tadman tests out TaylorMade's special edition 275cc driver.

TaylorMade Original One Mini Driver Review

Key Technology

• At 275cc in size, it is nine per cent larger than the AeroBurner Mini from 2015 to fit directly in between a driver and three wood.
• The combination of a titanium body, 50g steel sole plate and a carbon composite crown creates an ultra-low CG for distance and playability.
• It features TaylorMade’s Twist Face technology along with Inverted Cone Technology to help keep ball speeds up on off-centre hits.

Looks In the standard 13.5° loft, it is rounded in shape and sits a touch closed - although this is difficult to see because of how the face angle blends into the crown.

Performance Lower club speed from the shorter shaft means ball speeds aren’t as fast as a driver, but the higher launch with low spin meant carries were in excess of 255 yards in the 13.5° loft option. This can be fine-tuned via the adjustable loft.

GM Verdict

A very curious offering from TaylorMade, offering an alternative for golfers that want more control off the tee without giving up too much distance. This comes from the shorter shaft at 43.75” (drivers are typically 45.5”) as well as the extra loft, which should in theory make it harder to tilt the ball’s spin axis, which causes the ball to curve left or right.

It looks like a three wood that has over indulged at Christmas, inspiring more confidence over the ball. It feels just as hot as the impressive M5 and M6 drivers, with a similarly muted impact sound, and a lightweight feel too.

Off the tee, once you’ve mastered the correct teeing height, this club impresses. If you loft right down to 11.5°, ball speeds won’t be too far short of a driver thanks to spin remaining similarly low, and it certainly seemed easier to control the direction.

Lofting down also opens the face, which some golfers will prefer to look down on. We preferred it in it’s 13.5° setting, pegging it down low and bleeding small fades off the left edge of the fairway with lots of run out on landing. This shot shape seemed easy to replicate and will come in handy on tight holes.

You need to make a choice before putting this club in play. If you also plan to use it off the deck into par fives and long par fours as well as off the tee, you should consider adding loft to make it more playable. In its 13.5° setting, the ball flight is quite flat off the deck with lots of chase on landing. Loft it up and you’re suddenly looking at an awful lot of clubface versus a three wood but it will give you more ball speed in like-for-like loft.

We also found it spins a little more too, certainly when compared to the M6 fairway wood, which helps raise the trajectory and descent angle for more stopping power.

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