TaylorMade isn’t the only player in the mini driver game anymore but nobody’s having more fun with it. Since the forgettable AeroBurner mini era (blessedly short-lived), TaylorMade has leaned into its mini driver platform to reimagine what amounts to a greatest hits album for driver design. In the process, the company has tapped directly into the nostalgia vein of gearheads everywhere.
Let’s sprint through the timeline:
- The Original One mini (2019) paid tribute to the Pittsburgh Persimmon, the club TaylorMade bills as the first metalwood. A throwback in name and shape, it marked the brand’s first real effort to bring a mini to the modern era.
- The 300 mini driver (2021) drew inspiration from the classic 300 Series, a line that was ahead of its time in segmenting products by player type. While those R&D buckets weren’t nearly as data-backed as today’s models, the 300 Series introduced the idea of fitting by profile – a groundbreaking idea at the time.
- The BRNR mini driver (2023, 2024) took the nostalgia dial and turned it up to 11. With copper accents, a reversible headcover and unmistakable nods to the late-‘90s Burner drivers, it was the reboot nobody knew they wanted. All that was missing was the Bubble Shaft.
Given the history, it’s fitting that the latest entry, the R7 Quad mini, reaches back to one of the most iconic drivers of the 2000s.
Reimagining a classic
While reasonable people can disagree over whether the R7 Quad is TaylorMade’s most iconic driver ever, it’s inarguably part of the pantheon. So it tracks that golfers will be drawn to TaylorMade’s latest mini, which blends signature elements of the original R7 Quad design with modern TaylorMade tech, all wrapped in a compact, maybe even cute, 305cc package.
The original R7 Quad was a milestone. It marked TaylorMade’s first foray into movable weights. The R7 Quad mini keeps that legacy alive with a four-weight system: two 13-gram weights and two four-gram weights. This allows for six unique trajectory settings. If you can’t quite wrap your head around that, see below.
Additional weights are available for those looking to further tune flight or adjust swingweight.
Modern technology
Modern touches include TaylorMade’s TwistFace, a Speed Pocket for forgiveness on low-face strikes (especially useful when hitting from the fairway) and the Infinity Carbon Crown for both mass savings and a clean, seamless look at address.
In short, this isn’t a retro paint job. It’s a modern tech that just happens to look like it was pulled from a 2004 highlight reel.
R7 Quad mini versus the field
At 305cc, the R7 Quad mini is right in TaylorMade’s comfort zone. It’s one cubic centimeter smaller than the BRNR mini (basically a rounding error) and maintains a footprint that’s well suited for tee shots while not entirely ruling out some off-the-deck play.
For comparison:
- PXG’s Secret Weapon mini is slightly smaller at 300cc.
- Titleist GT280 is more compact and a bit more fairway-friendly.
- Callaway Elyte mini is much larger at 340cc and decidedly tee-biased.
TaylorMade continues to walk the middle ground, designing its mini for some measure of versatility. You could drop it in as a driver replacement or maybe (this part will be heavily golfer-dependent) swap it for your strongest fairway wood.
It just looks cool
Visually, the R7 Quad mini is true to the original. With a medium gloss-black crown and yellow and red accents, it’s unmistakably R7 Quad (although the original didn’t have a subtle carbon weave pattern). A part of me wishes they’d slapped a TP logo on the toe but, to be fair, that would’ve demanded a proper tour-level (or tour-level adjacent) stock shaft.
And the headcover? In what I guess is now a signature feature of TaylorMade’s mini offerings, it is reversible.
R7 Quad mini stock shaft
The stock shaft is the Fujikura Speeder MD (mini driver). According to TaylorMade, the MD was developed to keep spin down and stability up—all while keeping weight in check.
It sounds good in theory. In practice, not so much.
TaylorMade remains the only big-name OEM still playing the “made for” shaft game. And while this MD has the Speeder name attached to it, it’s not from the same family tree as the premium stuff. Fujikura doesn’t typically manufacture Speeder shafts in China and that should tell you everything you need to know.
I’m not saying it won’t work for you but it’s safe to assume it was chosen for reasons that have everything to do with cost-cutting and not much else.
Final thoughts
The R7 Quad mini is more than just a retro revival. It’s a classic reengineered to meet today’s standards. It just happens to be wrapped in one of TaylorMade’s most beloved designs. It brings back much of what golfers loved about the original R7 Quad and delivers it in a more versatile, compact package.
Whether you’re chasing tighter dispersion, a backup off the tee or a fairway finder with attitude, the R7 Quad mini has quickly established itself as the one other brands will need to beat.
Specs, pricing and availability
The TaylorMade R7 Quad mini driver is available in 11.5- (RH/LH) and 13.5-degree (RH only) lofts. The stock shaft is a Fujikura Speeder MD. The stock grip is a Golf Pride Z-Grip.
Stock length is 43.75 inches.
Retail price is $479.99. Available for pre-order now with full retail availability May 1.
For more information, visit TaylorMadeGolf.com.
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