Gain more control over your drives and start placing your tee shots. This is what the pros do and it will help your game immensely.
You don’t need to hit the ball 300 yards to improve your drives. Accuracy is and always will be more important than distance.
If you are a short hitter it may be tempting to look at large drivers and try to gain more distance. But if you really analyze your game, sometimes it’s not always distance that needs improving.
The best small head drivers are not just for low handicappers. If you stop reading now and get the Taylor Made 300 Mini driver I can tell you that after a few months of practicing with that your drives will improve.
It’s not just about distance. Some holes are designed purposely to force you down one side but if you have an accurate golf driver you can thread the needle and have some great angles into greens.
While this approach may seem unconventional, think of it this way. If you wanted to drive transport trucks wouldn’t you start with a delivery van first and work your way up?
By getting a small head golf driver now you will really reap the benefits of a big head driver later on.
Small Head Driver Reviews
- Twist face technology
- Speed slot sole construction
- 300 cc head for maximum control
- Ti-Carbon frame technology
- Adjustable sole weights
- VFT to ensure forgiveness
- Pear-shaped traditional head
- Strong and flexible forged face
- 17-gram shifter weight
These are the best small head drivers that you can still get today. Not many people play them, so if you’re thinking of getting one don’t hesitate, they may not be available for very much longer.
Taylor Made 300 Mini-Driver – Best For Shaping The Ball
This is the smallest head driver on our list. It looks a lot like a modern-day 3 wood but it’s built with all the latest driver technology.
The “300” refers to how many cubic centimeters it is. The legal limit these days is 460 which is what most drivers are built to. This max number was set to keep companies from making drivers that go too far.
With the limit in place, it puts more focus on trying to be accurate with your drives instead of just hitting them as far as possible. So with accuracy in mind, this mini driver is the best for that.
Still Uses Taylor Made’s Leading Technology
It has Taylor Made’s signature twist face technology.
While this driver head may be far from the legal limit, the face is not. Like all Taylor Made drivers, this one is built with an illegal face at first. They manufacture all the driver faces to be beyond what the legal limit is and then they modify it from there.
By injecting a special resin in the face they can bring the face down to just within the legal restraints. That means this mini driver has the hottest face you can get which translates to very fast ball speeds.
The resin hardens and creates a surface that will propel your ball far.
Resists Twisting Better Than Any Other Small Head Driver
It also resists twisting as the name suggests. If you hit the ball off the toe the face will adapt to keep your ball on the fairway or at least playable. This is a feature that other small head golf drivers do NOT have.
The sole is also very modern with its speed slot. This is a cut they make on the sole between the face and the rest of the driver head. It creates some forgiveness and also a lot of bounce. This also contributes to the distance.
So even though you’re getting a smaller driver head you don’t have to sacrifice distance with this mini driver.
You will still get all the shot-shaping abilities that you are looking for with a small head golf driver but will still be able to pound some huge drives.
Control All Aspects Of Your Ball Flight
It has a neutral flight bias to make it easy to work the ball either left or right. This is something that a large driver head cannot do as well.
In order to optimize that ball flight, the loft is easily adjustable as well. With the loft adjustment sleeve, you can reduce or increase your loft based on how you want the ball to fly.
If you’re playing on a windy day you can take the loft down a degree to lower your launch angle and get those piercing drives that no wind can touch.
After a bit of practicing this driver can be used from the fairway as well. No par 5 is safe with this mini driver.
Honma TR20 440 – Best For Low Handicappers
This may not be a popular pick on other small head golf driver lists but that’s because they don’t know about it.
Honma is known for making exquisite clubs with a lot of attention to detail. They use only the highest quality materials and because of that, they tend to cost a little more. They are not as big as some of the other companies but they make clubs that work.
Better Materials Means Better Drives
This small head golf driver is a perfect example of that and uses a special ti-carbon frame. By combining these two materials this driver’s head is one of the lightest available and not just because it’s small.
With the low weight, you can be sure that your swing speed and ball speed will be among the highest in your foursome.
One of the biggest things to be missing from small head golf drivers is distance. Honma has made sure that won’t happen with this driver.
Still Get Distance With This Driver
A big factor for distance is the use of VFT. This stands for variable face thickness and it’s a process used to optimize the face.
With the use of computers, they can run thousands of tests before the first driver is even built. They can see where the dead spots are on a club face and either add weight or reduce weight in that specific spot.
So no matter where you hit the ball on the club face you can be sure that there is still power there and you will hit straighter drives.
This is a relatively new process that not all companies are adopting. You will be on the cutting edge of technology with this golf driver. It combines control and distance seamlessly.
Optimize Your Trajectory With Weight Adjustment
To get even more out of this driver they have added adjustable weights. There are three places to customize your weights to accommodate for whatever your dominant shot shape is.
If your big miss is a huge, sweeping slice then add more weight to the heel. This will slow the heel down and allow the toe to catch up and square the club face. You can also add more weight to the back if you’re looking for a higher launch angle.
The loft is also adjustable so you can really get your ball flight dialed in. Be careful with all these adjustment options though. Sometimes with so many options, it’s hard to find the best one due to constantly changing and experimenting.
Adjust on the range and then keep it that way for a few rounds before adjusting again.
Ping G425 LST – Most Forgiving
This is cutting it close to what should be considered a small head driver. It is smaller than the other Ping drivers and its competitors but the largest on this list.
It is a hybrid of small head golf drivers and larger head golf drivers. It pairs all the control of a small head driver with the distance of a large head one.
It’s A Small Driver In A Big Head
Its shape is really what makes it one of the best small head drivers. Even though it measures in at 445cc’s when you’re looking down at it there is a real sense of command. It has a very neutral pear shape design that inspires shots from both directions.
If the point of having a small head golf driver is to gain accuracy then this driver has nailed it.
This is the same driver that Bubba Watson uses. Nobody shapes the ball the way Bubba does, so if he approves this driver, it definitely deserves to be on this list.
Still Get The Distance That Ping Is Known For
To give you as much distance as possible, Ping uses a forged face. This process adds a lot of strength without sacrificing forgiveness.
A forged face keeps your golf ball on your chosen target line by adapting to wherever you make contact. Because of its strength, it also adds distance. Your ball hits this face with the same power that hitting the cart path provides. Except you will be on the fairway more often than not.
The redesign of this smaller head driver itself is also a huge advantage. Because it is not as big as other drivers they had to find ways to give you more distance while keeping control. To do this they have added turbulators.
These special “fins” help channel air past the driver’s head quicker to reach higher swing speeds. If you have never used this golf driver before then you can look forward to increased club head speed right away.
Without having to change a thing this added swing speed and ball speed will give you more distance easily.
Customize This To Fit Your Shot Shape Perfectly
Lastly, to make this driver accessible to a large group of golfers they have equipped it with a few adjustment features. First is the 17-gram shifter weight in the back. This can either emphasize or mute your draws and fades.
It’s relatively heavy so be sure to experiment with this feature on the range before taking it to competitive play.
You can also adjust the loft as well. This allows you to optimize your ball trajectory perfectly. The key to distance is having a proper launch angle to maximize time in the air with low spin.
This driver gives you both of these things.
Srixon Z-745 – Best Looking
Srixon has been gaining some notoriety of late with their clubs as having the latest technology without the same price tag as their bigger competitors.
They are able to incorporate some great features in all their clubs that most of the higher-priced clubs have as well.
This golf driver is something special as it has A LOT of the same features that make your ball go far.
Professionally-Inspired Look And Feel
It all starts with confidence. This driver looks great and has a real traditional and retro look to it that seasoned players will appreciate. You will gain confidence looking down at this driver that screams class and consistency.
It’s all black with minimal markings on the crown. This look is very similar to the older Titleist drivers that Tiger and Adam Scott used to use.
The overall head shape is a classic pear shape that lets you manipulate your club head easily. This will allow you full control over your ball to shape it in any direction or trajectory.
In order to get that amazing trajectory, there are some features that will get you hitting the best drives of your life. Starting with the loft adjuster.
A Unique Way Of Straightening Your Ball Flight
This doesn’t just add or subtract degrees from your loft but it affects the face angle as well. Set your driver to either the left or the right bias in incremental phases.
If you tend to get a little leak on the ball then try setting the face to draw more. This will keep the toe of the club tucked in more and will keep your face more square for longer throughout your impact zone.
While this feature does add a bit of weight to the club, we love that it has detail to it. You don’t have to just set it to draw or fade, there are varying degrees of each setting.
To optimize your ball flight and launch angle there is a removable weight positioned on the sole and low in the clubhead. By switching this weight to a heavier one you can lower the spin of your drives.
Keep Your Spin Low
Everyone should be after low spin since this will help you get those big first bounces once your ball finally comes down. With too much spin your ball will stay very close to its initial landing point and you will be giving up yards to your competitors.
Try not to change this weight too often. While a few grams here and there may not sound like a lot it will definitely affect your swing. If you keep going back and forth then your body will not have a chance to adjust and swing with a nice tempo.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best small head driver?
The best small head driver is the Taylor Made 300 Mini Driver. While it is the smallest of the small head drivers it also has all the features that a large head driver has.
It’s made with the same twist face technology and it also has the same speed slot that made other Taylor Made drivers so long. We love it because it is not only easy to control but you won’t sacrifice any distance.
As long as you hit near the sweet spot this is one of the best small head golf drivers you haven’t heard of.
What are the advantages to having a small head driver?
The best advantage of the smaller head drivers is to gain more control over your ball flight.
Large drivers are made with lots of forgiveness so if you miss the sweet spot you will still get some distance. The trade-off is not being able to accurately get the spin you want.
By choosing one of these smaller head drivers you can create the same type of shots that other people would have to switch to their 3-wood or even hybrid to get. You can do it with your driver and therefore will gain the distance on tight par 4’s.
What is the easiest small head driver to hit?
The easiest small head driver to hit is the Ping G425 LST. This is very close to a large head driver as it measures 445cc’s.
That is considerably bigger than the Taylor Made Mini which is only 307 cc’s. This added volume is what makes it so much easier to hit.
The face is very forgiving like a large driver but the shape makes it look like a small head driver.
Does the shaft matter in a small head driver?
Yes, the shaft matters more in a small head driver. Now that you are focusing on control and trajectory your shaft will play a huge part in this.
Usually, small head golf drivers are a little bit cheaper and so we recommend you use those savings on a proper fitting and get the perfect shaft for you.
You can show your fitter exactly how you hit the ball and they will be able to recommend the best fit based on what you want to improve.
Are small head drivers only for low handicap players?
No, small head drivers are not only for low handicap players. Better players will be able to take advantage of their features more but a high handicapper will learn a lot from them too.
If you are just starting out in golf then practice with a small head driver. You will learn exactly where the sweet spot is and what kind of swing produces draws and fades.
If you can hit it long and straight with a small head driver you will crush a larger head driver.
Conclusion
Small head drivers are for everyone. You can benefit from them no matter what your handicap is. It’s a sad day in golf if you cannot get these types of drivers since this is what the game was invented with.
All those great players from before 1990 used a driver with a similar volume to this. They were still hitting it close to 300 yards and definitely hitting the fairway.
You can really practice your trajectory and shot shape with these smaller head golf drivers and it will teach you a lot about your swing.
For low handicappers playing courses with a lot of angles will become much easier. Your placement of drives will take the pressure off your approach shots. The TaylorMade Mini Driver is like a 2 wood. It has a lot more playability than any large head driver and you won’t sacrifice distance.
