Classic Reinvented- TaylorMade R7 Quad Mini Driver Review

Another Mini Driver has dropped in 2025, and I’ve been testing the TaylorMade R7 Quad Mini Driver over the last week to see if it’s better than the rest.

TaylorMade have continued their trend of creating a modern take on a classic model by paying homage to the R7 Quad, one of their most iconic drivers in history. Don’t be fooled though, the TaylorMade R7 Quad Mini Driver does have its own identity to keep up with the Callaway Elyte Mini Driver and Titleist GT280.

I have been on a mission to find a Mini Driver that suits my game to become my second in command in my golf bag. The Callaway Elyte Mini Driver seriously impressed me, but the nostalgia that TaylorMade brings with the TaylorMade R7 Quad Mini Driver certainly caught my eye. The TaylorMade BRNR Mini was impressive for myself and a variety of amateur golfers. Will the TaylorMade R7 Quad Mini Driver follow a similar trend? Or will it be a marketing mishap?

Let’s find out.

Looks, Sound and Feel: 5/5

I have absolutely no shame in admitting that the TaylorMade R7 Quad Mini Driver is the best looking on the market. I have likely fallen into the nostaliga-themed trap that TaylorMade have placed in front of me, but the feeling this brings looking at the 305cc head is different to anything else. It brings back the days when we weren’t concerned about rolling the ball back, when belly putters weren’t even debated at the 19th hole.

Of course, this isn’t a mirror image of the iconic R7, we have the modern lick of paint added to it that we’ve seen in the TaylorMade Qi10 and TaylorMade Qi35 family. A new satin Infinity Carbon Crown has been added to the R7 Quad Mini Driver chassis, creating a stunning look while saving weight for better mass optimization.

The satin finish for the playing profile is what really has me complimenting this club. It feel like a mix of R7, Stealth and Qi10 all squeezed into a compact, confidence-inspiring package.

The sound and feel displayed a similar thought to mentioned above. I felt like I was hitting the TaylorMade Stealth 2 Plus Fairway wood on feel, which for me is a big positive as it’s one of my best fairway woods of recent times. If anything, it felt slightly softer than the TaylorMade BRNR Mini Driver, but from a wider perspective, the sound and feel are very similar. The main difference I felt was the turf interaction.

Forgiveness and Control – 4.5/5

From a face perspective, the R7 Quad Mini Driver employs Twist Face™ and Speed Pocket™ which work in conjunction to provide players versatility and peak performance from the tee and from the fairway, improving dispersion on mishits across the face.

Similar to other TaylorMade metalwoods over recent years, this technology was noticed predominantly off the tee, but the element that I found different to the TaylorMade BRNR Mini was the left miss.

The TaylorMade BRNR Mini had a peculiar left miss for me, which I flagged as strange straight away due to my swing path and regular miss being right. I noticed other consumers flagging similar results, so for the everyday golfer, this put me off putting it in my bag long term.

The TaylorMade R7 Quad Mini has solved this problem from an engineering perspective, whilst adding premium adjustability to fine-tune this even more. I found the Callaway Elyte Mini Driver to be more forgiving off the tee than the R7 Quad Mini, but this is to be expected with an extra 35cc to its name.

Technology and Components – 4/5

Alongside the infinity Carbon Crown and patented TaylorMade technologies, we see a familiar technology element re-introduced by TaylorMade: their quad weighting system. The new quad weighting system features four movable weights (13gx2, 4g x2) that provide spin management and shot shape control. Forward CG creates a penetrating flight best suited for maximizing distance whereas rear CG helps prioritize control and ease of use from the deck. Shot shape can also be fine-tuned helping create the most optimal flight. Additional weights can be purchased for a wider range of adjustability, making this arguably the most adjustable Mini Driver on the market, rivalling the PXG Secret Weapon.

I was able to utilise the quad weighting system effectively to create a fairway finder off the tee and eliminate my common miss that I experience with a Mini Driver and standard driver. To be able to change the desired flight alongside launch conditions of a Mini Driver is necessary in creating the perfect ball flight.

The TaylorMade R7 Quad Mini does feature a custom new Speeder MD shaft, developed to help lower spin rates and provide stable feel without adding additional weight. although this shaft is built for a Mini Driver, it may not be built for your swing, so it’s important to test out what works for you to create that perfect fairway finder club. The Speeder MD Shaft did not work for me, generating far too much spin.

What we’re missing in the R7 Quad Mini compared to the previous iteration is the reimagined K-sole resembling the Ti Bubble 2. The K-sole helped the club glide smoothly through the turf while reducing resistance and promoting a consistent strike. Obviously, they wouldn’t feature this in the R7 Quad, but I felt the turf interaction when attempting to hit off the deck to be worse than previous and current Mini Drivers, which was a touch disappointing.

Final Verdict: 4.5/5

TaylorMade seem to have a proven method with Mini Drivers, and we fully anticipate this to be out of stock as soon as it’s available to consumers. A limited release, providing nostalgia with modern technology, will always tug at the heartstrings of the casual golfers (myself included).

This appears to be a driver replacement, rather than a fairway wood replacement. I’d still recommend putting a driver in the bag alongside this (which I will be doing), but it won’t be the most versatile Mini Driver for shot shaping during your round. It’s built for a specific reason: to help you find the fairway.

If you want workability in a variety of different situations, the Titleist GT280 is your go-to.

I will be putting this in the bag…for now. We will be conducting a wider Best Mini Drivers test to determine which is right for your game, and which will stay in my bag for the remainder of the season.

RRP $479.99 / £399   

Lofts: 11.5º, 13.5º 

Length:  43.75” 

Head size: 305CC 

Stock shafts:  Fujikura MD Speeder Shaft

Stock grip Golf Pride Z-Grip Black/Red 52g