Latest news with #ElyteMini
Forbes
04-04-2025
- Automotive
- Forbes
First Look: Callaway Golf's New Mini Driver Proves Good Things Come In Small Packages
Elyte Mini Driver Callaway Golf Full-sized drivers can be amazing off the tee – provided you can control where the ball goes. Many golfers fight fades and just generally don't feel confident with them as they stand over the ball on the tee box. The clubhead is large and intimidating. And while the long shaft can help you generate lots of clubhead speed and whip through the ball, it can also wreak havoc on impact and cause errant shots if you don't make contact in the right spot. More golfers than you probably think – as a result – use a 3-wood to take their tee shots with. The smaller clubhead and shorter shaft are more manageable for them. But there's another less-known option: the mini driver. And every couple of years, it seems manufacturers come out with a new driver that's a smaller, shorter and higher-lofted version of their current popular driver model. This month, new such models from a few companies emerged. But I got my hands on the new Callaway Elyte Mini Driver to test it out. It's designed to not only be easy to hit drives with, but also playable right off the fairway grass – behaving more like a long fairway wood in that regard. Selling for $450 – $150 less than its full-size, 460cc sibling – the 340cc Elyte Mini Driver is offered in adjustable base lofts of 11.5 and 13.5 degrees. Billed as versatility for the top of the bag, it's actually more forgiving and easier to launch than a fairway wood, according to the manufacturer, and features neutral, fade and draw settings. With an aerospace-grade carbon crown and AI smart face that's also on the other Elyte drivers, the clubhead is aerodynamically shaped for maximum speed, improved forgiveness, optimized launch all across the face, and tight shot dispersion. The shaft is a more-controllable 43.75 inches long, which is two inches shorter than the standard-sized Elyte driver models. Briefly testing an 11.5-degree Elyte Mini this week hitting practice balls, I found it to look inviting at address. It really does lend an element of visual confidence. It truly identically resembles the full-sized Elyte, in every way. Impact sound is fantastic, too. As is the performance. I typically hit my drives pretty straight, and using this model was no different in that regard. Distance was promising too, but it's been super windy here in Southern California so its full yardage has been tough to gauge. Although 11.5 degrees is still a bit strong-lofted to try 'off the deck' for me, I did hit a couple of shots with it directly off the grass and the ball predictably launched low and hot. But I can't wait to try it out on the course – particularly as a second shot on a long par-4 or a par-5 hole. I also spoke with several PGA Pros about who might use a mini driver. I honestly thought why would tell me it's for less-skilled golfers who might want something easier to use off the tee. But many told me it would be better players who might want an alternative to their regular driver on tight courses with narrow landing spots. But honestly, I say that regardless of your skill level, definitely give it a try. It may just wow you and bring an entirely new dimension to your long game.
USA Today
02-04-2025
- Automotive
- USA Today
Elyte Mini: Callaway releases its latest, adjustable mini driver
Elyte Mini: Callaway releases its latest, adjustable mini driver This scaled-down club features the same technologies found in the Elyte drivers to create distance and forgiveness with enhanced accuracy. Gear: Callaway Elyte Mini driver Price: $449.99 with Project X Denali Charcoal shaft and Golf Pride Tour Velvet 360 grip. Specs: Thermoforged carbon crown with carbon fiber sole, titanium face and frame, adjustable back weight and adjustable hosel. 11.5 and 13.5-degree versions. Available: April 4 Who it's for: Golfers who rarely use their 3-wood from the fairway and who want more versatility, distance and forgiveness than standard fairway woods can provide off the tee. What you should know: The Elyte Mini driver is designed with the same space-age technologies found in Callaway's new Elyte drivers, but its added loft and shorter shaft should help it provide players with more control as a driver alternative. The deep dive: For decades, golfers were encouraged to reach for their 3-wood instead of a driver when they faced a tight fairway or in times when hitting a driver could bring hazards into play. But then a funny thing happened: Many powerful players realized they never hit their 3-wood off the turf and the club had morphed into a secondary driving club. And if that is the case, a mini driver might be a logical replacement for their 3-wood. For golfers in that situation, Callaway has released a club that is a downsized version of its new Elyte driver, the Callaway Elyte Mini driver, and packed it with all the technologies and features found in the 460cc club. Replacing the Paradym Ai Smoke Ti 340 Mini driver that was released last season, the Elyte Mini driver is also 340cc in size, which is 26 percent smaller than a full-size driver. It comes standard at 43.75 inches in length, which is about 1.5 to 2 inches shorter than most modern drivers and is available in two lofts, 11.5 and 13.5 degrees. However, using the adjustable hosel, players and fitters can increase or decrease the loft to achieve the trajectory and distance they want. At the same time, the Elyte Mini driver features the same type of thermoforged carbon fiber crown on the top of the head and the same carbon fiber sole plates on the bottom that are present in the Elyte driver, along with a 13-gram moveable back weight that can be shifted into a Fade, Neutral or Draw setting. It even has Callaway's new Ai 10X face, like the full-size driver, which was created by feeding real players' golf shots into supercomputers that utilize artificial intelligence to conceptualize and develop more efficient hitting areas. For golfers who routinely use their 3-wood from the fairway and players who struggle to hit fairway wood shots high, mini drivers might not be ideal, but for people who want a club that goes farther off the tee than a traditional 3-wood and that is more forgiving, it could be a viable option.
