Off TRAQ Podcast — Golf's Real Conversations
Jul 21, 2026 · 1 hr 12 min · 11 segments
Mini drivers and 7 woods are two of the hottest clubs in golf right now, but do they actually belong in the average golfer’s bag? Charles and Roy break down why mini drivers have surged in…
There's been so much hype over the last few years around the mini driver and now most recently the 7-wood.
Where I have said on this podcast and to you no less than a dozen times, maybe I'll go get a 7-wood.
So I thought, hey, let's actually talk about this.
Why is the mini driver so crazy? Why is everybody talking about it? Why is everybody talking about getting 7-woods? Why are even some of the pros putting 7-woods in their bags? And what are they meant to do?
Yeah, you know, I feel like every couple of years we have a equipment obsession.
When I first started in the late 2000s, early 2010s, I think hybrids was like the miracle club.
And then driving iron suddenly became the thing, adjustability.
But yeah, you're right.
Right now it is mini drivers and seven woods.
And it's very interesting because with all these trends, I think amateurs are really looking for a miracle club.
Something that they put in their bag and it's going to work wonders for them.
And, you know, we'll dive in into what they're actually meant for, some of the misconceptions that a lot of amateurs have on what they're supposed to do.
But yeah, I've actually spoken a lot this week with other amateurs about this club topic and the misconceptions were real.
So yeah.
Yeah, I'm very interested to hear your thoughts on this.
But before we really get into it, let's do a little bit of a history on drivers.
So what is very interesting about the mini driver especially is that it is 43 and a half inches long from most OEMs.
And that is what the shaft length was in the 90s.
And in the mid 90s, when the titanium drivers came out, that was the exact shaft length.
Today's shaft length gets really wild.
I think when I was playing, it was at around 44 and a half to 45.
And then it's just gotten longer and longer and longer.
And I think the big component from OEMs is the longer it is, the farther you're able to hit it.
But as we talked about a couple episodes ago, it really does hinder your accuracy when the shaft is longer.
And so, yeah, it's very interesting kind of where the shaft fits for the mini driver and also the club head size.
There's been so much hype over the last few years around the mini driver and now most recently the 7-wood.
Where I have said on this podcast and to you no less than a dozen times, maybe I'll go get a 7-wood.
So I thought, hey, let's actually talk about this.
Why is the mini driver so crazy? Why is everybody talking about it? Why is everybody talking about getting 7-woods? Why are even some of the pros putting 7-woods in their bags? And what are they meant to do?
Yeah, you know, I feel like every couple of years we have a equipment obsession.
When I first started in the late 2000s, early 2010s, I think hybrids was like the miracle club.
And then driving iron suddenly became the thing, adjustability.
But yeah, you're right.
Right now it is mini drivers and seven woods.
And it's very interesting because with all these trends, I think amateurs are really looking for a miracle club.
Something that they put in their bag and it's going to work wonders for them.
And, you know, we'll dive in into what they're actually meant for, some of the misconceptions that a lot of amateurs have on what they're supposed to do.
But yeah, I've actually spoken a lot this week with other amateurs about this club topic and the misconceptions were real.
So yeah.
Yeah, I'm very interested to hear your thoughts on this.
But before we really get into it, let's do a little bit of a history on drivers.
So what is very interesting about the mini driver especially is that it is 43 and a half inches long from most OEMs.
And that is what the shaft length was in the 90s.
And in the mid 90s, when the titanium drivers came out, that was the exact shaft length.
Today's shaft length gets really wild.
I think when I was playing, it was at around 44 and a half to 45.
And then it's just gotten longer and longer and longer.
And I think the big component from OEMs is the longer it is, the farther you're able to hit it.
But as we talked about a couple episodes ago, it really does hinder your accuracy when the shaft is longer.
And so, yeah, it's very interesting kind of where the shaft fits for the mini driver and also the club head size.
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