IF the club head speed is the same with a 3 wood and a driver and the smash factor is the same then the distance will be the same. My 919THI 11 deg. is 44.25" playing length. My Swing Science FC-One 3 wood 15 deg. is 43" playing length. I see about 2-3 mph club head speed gain in driver playing length that equates to around 4 yards carry distance. I am more accurate with the 3 wood plus I can tee lower which I prefer and the 15 deg. scrubs off side spin. Therefore, a mini driver might be in the cards but why use one when the 3 wood serves two purposes. I can hit the 3 wood off the tee and also tight lies in the fairway. Try that off a tight lie with a driver or mini driver. I have built some mini driver for clients I don't see any appreciable better performance from the mini driver. One would need to be in the 105+ mph club head speed player to start taking advantage of most of these topics that are brought up and for the majority I don't see this kind of player much at all.

I would love to see these 20 - 30 yard gains with a driver at 90 mph driver club head speed. Now when you get to in that 105+ then I can see it. As jack Webb used to say....just the facts please. 🙂

    scotts33 IF the club head speed is the same with a 3 wood and a driver and the smash factor is the same then the distance will be the same.

    Weight factor and length of club makes no difference?

    I would think, at same club length, a person would hit the 3 wood farther.(heavier head weight & probably heavier shaft....more overall weight)

        Tried the Callaway mini 1.5 and the TM aeroburner and both were not as long and as consistently straight as my Tour Edge Exotics xcg 3 wood. It may help that I have an 85 gram shaft it rather than the lighter weight ones that are in the mini drivers.
        I also found the mini drivers to be terrible off the deck. Again the 3 wood is better.
        I used to use 975d quite effectively so I thought it would work.

          braveheart

          I’ve got the X2 Hot Deep in the 12, 14.5, and 18.5*. Off the tee these things are beasts. The 3 and 5 woods are long off the deck, when the deck is nice and fluffy. When the fairways are tight like they usually get this time of year, then those fairways stay in the house and the shallow faced fairways come out to play.

            Par4QC

            In real world testing I have never seen heavier heads go further in distance with average Joe Hacker. maybe as club head speeds are gained but I work with very few in that realm. Shaft weight can optimize what a specific golfer needs. Head weight matching for MoI/heft match is the important factor.

                I have a SLDR mini I have in the bag quite often. Normally drop my driver for it and still keep a traditional 3 wood in the bag. I can hit the mini of the deck, but only when I am swinging well.

                My average distance is about the same with the driver and mini, due to a greater consistency of solid contact. I have a thriver but do not hit it as well.

                I might look for an older, smaller driver head to experiment with. I do have an old 975D, the loft is way too low for me anymore.

                I never could make myself think I needed another 3 wood-like club in the bag. I did try a 12 degree driver once, but it only gave me about 10 yards over the 3 wood so I stopped carrying it. Maybe it's a good idea for people at a different swing speed than I have.

                scotts33 You said same club head speed and same smash factor.

                If I'm tearing down a wall, and swing them the exact same speed, a 16# sledgehammer is gonna do a lot quicker job than a 16 oz. claw hammer, at the same length.. Or a 16oz. claw hammer vs. a tack hammer, at the same length. 😉

                    Par4QC

                    But can you swing a 16# hammer as fast as a 16 oz hammer?

                    • ode replied to this.

                        JeffTilley depends on the behemoth swinging it.....it's more about what fits the particular golfer. SS is overrated if you can't hit the center of the face and more importantly control where the golf ball is going.

                        I do think there is something too the heavier club being able to have a higher Cor or CT.....Wilson triton was non conforming with the heavier sole plate AND the heaviest screw weights, BOTH installed....COR/CT was past the limit! Now, that will only work if it fits the golfer. Most likely would not be able handle that much weight at that stock length.....so it's all relative. Funny thing is that the usga can't do squat about a triton owner getting to that same weight, but in a different way (rat glue or lead tape or???) and still having a higher than allowed COR/CT. I am convinced that my f6, both heaviest weights possible in both ports and several grams of lead tape, has a higher COR than stock which is about 16 grams lighter (headweight), but ???, it's not a matter of COR/CT for me, but getting to something I can swing.....stock anything, especially woods and hybrids are sh1te for me.

                            ode

                            So, a heavier swingweight will increase cor? That explains why my R1 was a rocket launcher when I had it at D9. Maybe I should re-visit D9..........

                            • ode replied to this.

                                JeffTilley I think it can, but again, limited amount of golfers will actually be able to pull it off. My set up, SW wise, is normal, but only because i have an OS grip @ 78g, 220g head, 85gshaft, at 43.75, it's a sledgehammer, make no mistake. I'm willing to bet the 220g head vs. the 200g head, all else being equal (less SW of course) will have a higher COR/CT. When i say all else being equal, in addition to specs, I mean iron Byron is swinging at the same SS and plane.