TaylorMade R7 Quad Mini Driver vs Callaway Elyte Mini Driver: Our Head-to-Head Verdict

While the rise of the mini driver was largely down to it finding its way into the bag of a host of the game’s most beloved players, including Tommy Fleetwood, Eddie Pepperall and Adam Scott, its popularity has been cemented by its inherent practicality. Operating in a space between the driver and the fairway wood, its shorter shaft, smaller head and increased loft offers better players another option for tight, penal courses, while those attributes also can aid higher handicap golfers who struggle with accuracy when using the big stick.

TaylorMade has been at the forefront of mini driver development, releasing its first model more than ten years ago. And it’s one of its newer offerings that we’re evaluating today, the R7 Quad Mini. It’s up against Callaway’s Elyte model. While the Californian brand are relative late comers to the mini driver appreciation party, the Elyte mini comes off the back of its well regarded first foray into the market, with the Ai-Smoke 340Ti mini driver.

But which is the best fit for your game? Let’s see how the R7 Quad Mini Driver and the Callaway Elyte Mini Driver fare in a straight up, head-to-head contest…

Technology

While the R7 Quad Mini’s has a smaller overall footprint it still shares much in common with TaylorMade’s range of drivers. Like its bigger sibling, it features a four-way weighting system that delivers bags of adjustability, allowing you to add mass towards the heel or the toe to create a draw or fade bias, as well as move the club’s CG fore and aft to influence trajectory Elsewhere you have familiar tech like the Twist Face and the Speed Pocket, as well as the infinity crown used on the tour-proven Qi35 drivers.

Similarly, the Elyte Mini also borrows plenty from its namesake driver. Vitally, that means it features an Ai10x face, which, with its multiple sweet spots and variable face thickness, is designed to make the club more forgiving on those less-than-perfect strikes by enhancing speed, spin and dispersion across the entire face. Other notable tech highlights include a Thermoforged carbon crown, designed to aid clubhead stability, and the same Discrete Adjustable Weight system as the driver, allowing you to dial in your ball flight and shot shape.

To the naked eye, however, the biggest difference between the two minis is the size. While the R7 Quad has a 305cc head, the Elytle Mini is significantly larger at 340cc; this larger volume does make it a good fit for those of you who are predominately looking at a mini as an alternative weapon off the tee.

Looks

If you’re old enough to have played the R7 driver when it was in existence, then you’ll appreciate the nostalgic stylings of the mini; from the underside it’s a dead ringer for the original. But this is a new club and at address, you get an infinity crown that, visually, I love. In essence it’s a clean and minimal design, unfussy in character. It’s a shape that frames the ball wonderfully, with the color similarity of the crown and face resulting in the appearance of less loft, which again I love, but might not appeal to those who require some additional confidence. That said it does sit a tad closed at address, which should suit those battling a slice.

If you like the look of the Callaway Elyte range, then the Mini won’t disappoint. Aesthetically it’s just a smaller version of the driver, with the same carbon crown, that I think, leads to a really premium look. And it’s not all style over substance here either, the banner strip that runs across the top of the face works superbly as an alignment aid. As mentioned, it’s one of the larger mini heads you can buy, which is noticeable without it being a distraction; the same aerodynamic shape that benefits the entire range is on show here, too.

Feel

If you’re familiar with TaylorMade’s BRNR Copper mini, then the R7 Quad mini delivers a similar experience; in fact during my testing I could barely discern any difference in feel or sound, and I've played extensively with the BRNR mini. And this similarity is a good thing, with the R7 Quad mirroring the sophisticated, powerful feel and accompanying acoustics that I love.

As for the Elyte Mini, that aforementioned carbon fibre crown doesn’t just aid weight distribution and face stability, it also leads to a really solid feel at impact that’s accompanied by a notably muted sound. If, like me, you’re not keen on the loud, metallic sound that many drivers and woods deliver.

Performance

There are plenty of reasons why golfers should consider adding a mini driver to the bag but it’s a fair assumption that many of you are looking to add one to your bag in the search for greater accuracy without sacrificing too much distance. And the R7 Quad shouldn’t disappoint on either front; again I achieved very similar numbers to those I’m used to seeing with the BRNR mini.

But from a performance perspective it’s the R7 Quad Mini’s adjustability that I really came to appreciate. As someone who finds it easier to draw these mini clubs than the longer shafted driver, the ability to shift the adjustable weights over the heel allowed me to hit an even more pronounced draw - music to the ears of those battling a yard-sapping slice. Conversely, this tech will enable serial hookers to straighten out their ball flight. This versatility is echoed in the club’s performance from the fairway. I found it to be an easy club to hit from the deck.

This isn’t quite the case with the Elyte Mini driver, although the deeper face which typically doesn’t lend itself to shots from the short stuff is aided by the forgiving Ai10x face and the adjustable hosel. Still, it’s a club that really shines as a genuine alternative to the driver. The adjustability means you can move the CG location to a sweet spot that aids accuracy, with the 43.75” shaft increasing its ability to be a genuine fairway finder for those who have lost confidence with their driver.

Which should you choose?

Choose the TaylorMade R7 Quad Mini Driver if…
- You’re after a club that works from the tee and the fairway
- You want plenty of adjustability
- You appreciate a clean and unfussy look at address

Choose the Callaway Elyte Mini Driver if…
- You’re looking for a driver replacement
- You want more forgiveness
- You enjoy the Elyte family aesthetics