Virginia Golfer July / August 2015 | Page 41

TAYLORMADE AeroBurner Mini TaylorMade—which brought us the SLDR Mini in 2014—is now offering the AeroBurner Mini ($279), which has a 253cc clubhead, 43.5-inch shaft, and comes in lofts of 12, 14 or 16 degrees. The clubhead’s shallow clubface, raised center crown, aerodynamic hosel fin and low-forward CG collectively aim to hit the ball long and straight. Plus it features the biggest open channel Speed Pocket of any TaylorMade metalwood, which enlarges the sweet spot while reducing ball spin. While beginners will certainly find it friendly as a shorter-shafted, higher-lofted driver alternative, single-digit handicaps will enjoy using it as a 3-wood replacement, one that performs well off the tee with a heavy 3-wood shaft. (AeroBurner Mini: $279; Taylormadegolf.com) TaylorMade AeroBurner Mini CALLAWAY Bertha Mini 1.5 Callaway Bertha Mini 1.5 In the meantime, Callaway’s Bertha Mini 1.5 ($299) features a 235cc clubhead that generates high ball speed from its Forged Hyper Speed Face Cup, as well as low spin off the tee. The club has a 44-inch shaft, a cambered Warbird Sole, and a higher MOI than a typical 3-wood. And the OptiFit Hosel allows for eight different loft/lie angle combinations. Like TaylorMade’s mini-driver, this is intended as a tee-box alternative to a conventional driver on tight holes, or off the fairway on long par-5s for better players to try and reach a green in two. (Bertha Mini 1.5: $299; Callawaygolf.com) Author Scott Kramer is a writer from Carlsbad, Calif., and a regular contributor to Virginia Golfer. w w w. v s g a . o r g J U LY / A U G U S T 2 0 1 5 | V I R G I N I A G O L F E R 39