The mini-driver category has been a real growth area in the golf equipment space in the last couple of years, with companies such as Titleist, Callaway, and PXG all coming up with their own models to sit between their best fairway woods and best drivers. It is, however, TaylorMade that can probably lay claim to being the modern-day pioneer of this interesting club, with numerous models appearing at retail over the past few years such as the SLDR, Aeroburner, 300 Series, The Original One, BRNR, and last year's BRNR Copper mini driver. TaylorMade has once again gone back into the archives for inspiration and is now bringing us the R7 Quad mini driver.
Personally, I love what Taylormade has been doing with this mini-driver category, seemingly using it as an opportunity to just have a bit of fun with design and pay homage to some of its greatest hits. Every time I get a tip-off that a new one may be coming, my inner child can’t help but get excited to see which model it will revisit next, and to be honest the R7 Quad would have been very high on my wish list.
In terms of the tech, we still have proven TaylorMade technologies such as the Speed Pocket and Twist Face, but moving on from the split crown of last season's BRNR Copper mini driver, we now have the infinity crown that is present on the Qi35 drivers. The main tech story, however, is the adjustable weighting system on the sole as it was with the R7 Quad driver. This four-way weighting system allows for huge versatility, not only moving CG forward and back for launch and spin but also allowing to bias mass towards the heel or toe to dial in the preferred shot shape.
Looks wise, for me this is an absolute cracker. It could be the nostalgia, but I love everything about it. From the underside, TaylorMade has got it so close to the original R7 Quad driver which will massively please the middle-aged brigade like myself that may have played the driver in their youth. From the top, the infinity crown is a significant upgrade in my eyes from the split crown of last season's version, creating a very clean, minimalistic look in the playing position with just a slight hint of accent color on the heel side. On a slightly less positive note, I'm not in love with the headcover, but that is a minimal gripe for sure.
The R7 Quad mini driver sits a touch more closed at address than the BRNR Copper mini did (at least my sample does although there can be subtle differences in this between heads), but it frames the ball beautifully, and if you want a more neutral position you can easily achieve that by manipulating the loft sleeve. Because the face is essentially the same color as the crown now, there is less loft visible at address than its predecessor which is something I love to see personally but may slightly intimidate some.
There are many reasons why golfers should consider adding a mini driver to the bag but the blend of distance with enhanced accuracy is probably the leading one. Performance-wise, the raw numbers and flight windows I experienced were basically identical to that of the BRNR Copper mini (which I have gamed for the past 12 months), and I could barely detect any tangible difference in feel or sound. It is essentially the same club with just a cool new makeover. What was different however was the heel/toe adjustability, and I feel this is a significant enhancement.
One of the big reasons I use a mini driver is because I find it a bit easier to hit a draw with than my main driver, and with the R7 Quad mini driver it is now even easier. Dropping those heavy weights over to the heel shifts that CG and allows the toe to release through a bit more freely making it infinitely easier to hit a more pronounced draw for me. Similarly, popping them over to the toe side has the opposite effect and will be music to the ears of the hookers out there.
As with the previous version, this is one of the more versatile mini-drivers I have used, working just as effectively off the deck as it does from the tee - even with the 11.5° version I have. That versatility, coupled with the super cool looks and beautiful shaping make this my standout in the mini driver category and the best TaylorMade drivers and it will be going straight into my bag!
The R7 Quad Mini driver has an RRP of £399 and is available in 11.5°of loft in both right and left-handed while the 13.5° head is available in right-handed only. The lie angle is 57° and the head measures 305cc. The length is 43.75” and the swing weight is D4. The stock shaft is the Fujikura Speeder MD in 6x, 6S, and 5R. The stock grip is the Golf Pride Z-Grip Black/Red 52g 0.600.
