The Mini Driver Trend In Professional Golf Is Showing No Signs Of Slowing Down... Which Notable Players Have Used Them?

Mini drivers are being seen more and more on the professional Tours, but which players have opted, or previously opted, to use them in competitive play

Tommy Fleetwood lines up a tee shot, with two mini drivers in circles
(Image credit: Getty Images/Future)
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If you were to look through players' bags on the professional Tours, you would perhaps notice a surge in a club that, a decade ago, wouldn't have been so popular.

We're talking about mini drivers, a club that sits between the traditional driver and 3-wood and is designed to provide distance off the tee but with more control.

Rory McIlroy hits a tee shot at the RBC Heritage

Rory McIlroy previously used a mini driver during the RBC Heritage in 2024

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Back in 2014, TaylorMade released its first mini driver and, especially over the last few years, other manufacturers have started to produce their own versions, with them becoming more and more popular on Tour.

From our testing, we know that mini drivers can make a huge difference to your game, especially when you're playing a tight golf course where accuracy is at a premium.

In fact, according to SMS On Tour, one in four professionals at the BMW PGA Championship had a mini driver in the bag at Wentworth, as 16% of the field then put a mini driver in play at the DP World India Championship.

Some big names have put the best mini drivers in play and, in this piece, we take you through which players have, or previously have, used the club in a competitive environment.

TaylorMade

Photo of the TaylorMade R7 Quad Mini Driver and the BRNR copper mini driver side by side

(Image credit: Future)

Beginning with TaylorMade, which has produced the R7 Quad Mini Driver and the BRNR Mini Driver, models that draw inspiration from their history books, using older drivers as the template.

They are among the most used mini drivers on the professional circuits and, in 2025 alone, Tommy Fleetwood and Justin Rose used them as part of their victories at the Tour Championship and FedEx St. Jude Championship.

Major winners like Dustin Johnson and Adam Scott have also been seen using a mini driver from TaylorMade, as both switched it in and out of their set-ups throughout 2025.

Check out some of the notable players who have used a TaylorMade mini driver below...

  • Tommy Fleetwood
  • Justin Rose
  • Adam Scott
  • Rory McIlroy
  • Dustin Johnson
  • Justin Thomas
  • Rickie Fowler
  • Wyndham Clark
  • Marco Penge

Titleist

Cameron Young hits a mini driver off the tee

(Image credit: Getty Images)

In March 2025, Titleist introduced its GT280 Mini Driver to the market and, since then, a number of their staffers have put the club in play, with one of those being Ryder Cup star Cameron Young.

The American used the club during his maiden PGA Tour win at the Wyndham Championship in August, as Young produced a clinical display at Sedgefield Country Club.

Featuring a 280cc head, the mini driver sits between Titleist's GT drivers and fairway woods. It also has an adjustable hosel that works to help hone in spin numbers, as well as launch, shot shape and launch characteristics.

Take a look at who has put the GT280 in play over the past season.

  • Cameron Young
  • Cameron Smith
  • Lanto Griffin
  • Keith Mitchell
  • Webb Simpson
  • Jackson Suber
  • JT Poston

Callaway

Callaway Elyte Mini Driver Review

(Image credit: Future)

Like TaylorMade, Callaway has released a number of mini drivers, with their models based on their driver at the time.

For 2025, the Callaway Elyte Mini Driver hit the market and, the previous year, it was the Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Ti 340 Mini Driver that found its way into the bag of several of their staffers.

Notable players have put the mini driver in play, as the versatile club breaches the gap between Callaway's drivers and fairway wood options.

Some individuals who have played with either the Elyte Mini Driver or Paradym Ai Smoke Ti 340 are listed below.

  • Xander Schauffele
  • Min Woo Lee
  • Harry Hall
  • Akshay Bhatia
  • Max Greyserman
  • Erik Van Rooyen

PXG

Jake Knapp hits a tee shot and watches its flight

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Another brand to introduce themselves to the mini driver market is PXG, with the company's first ever model called the Secret Weapon Mini Driver.

First spotted back in December 2024, it was Jake Knapp who secured the maiden win for the club as he put it in the bag while claiming the Grant Thornton Invitational alongside Patty Tavatanakit.

Providing plenty of adjustability, such as the four sole weights, it also has a deep face to optimize performance, as the Secret Weapon follows the same aesthetic story as PXG's Black Ops family.

Find out which staffers have used the Secret Weapon in competition play below.

  • Jake Knapp
  • Eric Cole
  • Chad Ramey
  • Mason Andersen
Matt Cradock
Matt Cradock
Staff Writer

Matt joined Golf Monthly in February 2021 covering weekend news, before also transitioning to equipment and testing. After freelancing for Golf Monthly and The PGA for 18 months, he was offered a full-time position at the company in October 2022 and continues to cover news and social media.

Taking up the game when he was just seven years of age, Matt made it into his county squad just a year later and continues to play the game at a high standard, with a handicap of around 2-4. To date, his best round is a six-under-par 66 having been seven-under through nine.

Matt’s current What’s In The Bag?

Driver: Honma TW747, 8.75°

Fairway Wood: Ping G430 LST 15°, 19°

Irons: TaylorMade P7CB

Wedges: Cleveland 588 RTX 2.0 Tour Satin, 50°, 56°, 60°

Putter: Cleveland TFI 2135 Satin Cero

Ball: Titleist Pro V1

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