50 Words or Less
The Titleist GT280 mini driver is a cannon off the tee, but it retains good playability off the turf. Strong forgiveness, though the feedback is demanding. Two way adjustability allows a wide variety of players to use this is a myriad of different ways.
Introduction
When the Titleist GT line was announced last year, careful observers noticed an omission: a replacement for the TSR2+ fairway wood [review HERE]. It came this spring in a slightly different form. The Titleist GT280 mini driver has the same off-the-tee prowess as its predecessor, but with some new tech and a new form of adjustability. Read on to find out if this can be your club for finding fairways.
Do you need a mini driver? Find out HERE
Looks
At address, the Titleist GT280 mini driver looks like a supersized version of the GT2 fairway wood [review HERE]. While it’s nowhere near heel-heavy, the GT280 is not as pear shaped as the GT3 fairway wood, though I’m obviously getting a bit deep in the weeds. For a driver comparison, I think the GT280 is most like a small GT3 driver [review HERE].
Consistent across both GT fairway woods and the Titleist GT280 mini driver are the full face score lines, the clean, gloss black crown, and the “GT” alignment aid.
In the bag, the GT280 mini driver looks like the GT1 fairway wood thanks to it’s two weight ports. The overall aesthetic is Titleist’s inimitable blend of minimalism and sharp touches. Though it’s inarguably a simple looking design, no one would call it dull. Extra credit for the “280” tag on the head cover, a nice IYKYK touch.
Sound & Feel
A premium strike with the Titleist GT280 mini driver produces a staccato, mid-pitch, metallic “snap.” The sound is too big to be a “tink” but too concise to be a “crack.” This pairs with a feeling that is quick yet powerful.
The feedback from the GT280 is precise and demanding. It requires a quality strike to get the best feel from this club. As your strike moves away from the center of the face, both the sound and feel turn dull, losing their lively pop. Through your hands, you’ll know exactly where the ball met the face.
Performance
My notes from my fitting for the Titleist GT280 mini driver weren’t particularly helpful, but their brevity sends a strong message. I wrote a single word: “Cannon.” In my subsequent testing, my notes were more verbose, though that original thesis held true.
On the tee, the GT280’s large face gave me the confidence to swing away. The ball speed on center is excellent, and it remains high on misses, too. No mini driver is going to be as forgiving as a 460cc driver, but only the worst misses will fall well short of your target.
Where the Titleist GT280 mini driver shines is in dispersion. The added loft – 13 degrees – and shorter shaft – 43.5″ – go a long way toward reining in the big misses. Comparing my good drives, the GT280 was similar to my gamer, but the GT280 virtually eliminated the lost balls. Again, a mini driver isn’t going to have the stability of a club like the GT1 driver [review HERE], but the other factors can more than make up for it.
In terms of launch and spin off the tee, I found the Titleist GT280 to be mid to low launching and spinning, relative to its loft. This club is adjustable (more on that below), and I found there was a lot that I could change with tee height. If I wanted to see higher launch, I nudged the tee a little higher. Teeing it nearer the ground produced low screamers.
Where the GT280 separates itself from other mini drivers is its playability off the turf. Thanks to its smaller size and flatter sole, I found this club to be very consistent off the deck. For me, it doesn’t elevate nearly as high or as easily as the GT3 fairway wood [review HERE], but it’s reliable in producing a piercing, running shot.
This was also an interesting case study in how much the shape of the face and the club affect its performance. I recently tested the TaylorMade R7 Quad Mini Driver [review HERE] and found it very tough to hit off the ground. The face of the GT280 is equally deep, but the shape is just different enough that I felt confident hitting it off the ground. Additionally, the fact that the GT280 is much shorter front to back was helpful for me.
Finally, the Titleist GT280 mini driver has two modes of adjustability. Like the GT1 fairway wood, it has two weight ports: one near the face, one at the rear. Putting the heavier weight back makes the club more stable and higher launching. Moving the heavier weight forward makes it lower spinning and has the potential to boost ball speed. As a low spin player, I found more success with the heavier weight back. Additionally, the GT280 has Titleist’s SureFit hosel which has 16 positions for loft and lie adjustments. Together, you can make this club favor a draw or fade with a range of launch and spin conditions.
Conclusion
If you’re looking for a club that can help to minimize your big misses off the tee, the Titleist GT280 mini driver is a great choice. Not only does it perform off the tee, it offers above average playability off the turf. Get fit for the right shaft and settings, and you’ll spend less time in the woods and more time staring down birdie putts.
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Titleist GT280 Mini Driver Price & Specs
He founded Plugged In Golf in 2013 with the goal of helping all golfers play better and enjoy the game more.
Matt lives in the northwest suburbs of Chicago with his wife and two daughters.
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12 Comments
When are you reviewing the Taylormade R7 Mini Driver?
Lee,
The R7 Mini Driver review went up last week: https://pluggedingolf.com/taylormade-r7-quad-mini-driver-review/
-Matt
Nice review.. But I would love to get end of year sales figures for all these mini drivers. I really feel that only a tiny % of golfers would benefit from using this club. I speak from some experience as I gamed a mini driver for 2 (separate seasons) over the past 8 years. For me, I gave up distance on the tee & was no more accurate than with a 460cc driver. When I mishit the mini driver, I was in the rough even farther away than if I had used my driver. And I don’t have the swing speed to hit it off the deck.
I still have a fairly recent model at home and have resisted offers to sell it. I actually do like the club and wonder if someday I’ll ever get on a course where a situation might dictate it.
Nice review. Spot on. I tested this on my course. In my opinion, this mini was the easiest to hit off the deck. Without getting too much into the weeds here, agree with your comment above, it’s not for everyone. I had a tough time playing various rounds trying to see how/where this club could actually fit in my bag. I love my 3 & 5 woods now. Not replacing them anytime soon. The other wild card here which has already been talked about, this club could be a happy alternative to younger golfers getting into the game. It’s small enough to manage, shorter shaft etc. Little more forgiving than a standard driver. My pro also agreed. One of our really good younger players at our club, hasn’t been fit yet for clubs. He’s still growing. Something like this could fit him perfectly as with others including younger female golfers getting into the game. One really has to take it out on course to see what it can and cannot do before making the call. It’s nice to have options here though. It’s a really nice club.
Love my TSR2+ so I am interested in this new club as a possible replacement at some point this year. Looking forward to checking it out with the latest OEM shafts and my current Tensei White Boron 70 Stiff shaft from the TSR2+
Matt – I don’t get your numbers even with my regular Ping 410 driver (10.5 reg flex). Maybe 225 yards total distance unless a fortunate pure center strike. The Titleist-Mini driver likely will not give another 10 yards total distance? Narrower dispersion always sounds good. Spending $500 to go no further than my steady gamer makes no cents. A penny for your sense….
Steve,
I’m missing too much information to say whether or not a mini driver would help you find more distance. I don’t think many players will hit a mini driver further than their standard driver.
Best,
Matt
Which one is better for hitting off the deck?
GT280 or Secret Weapon
Andrew,
It’s very close, but I would give a slight edge to the Secret Weapon. To be clear, I don’t know that one is objectively easier (lower CG) by any meaningful margin, but the face shape of the Secret Weapon is better suited to hitting off the deck to my eye.
Best,
Matt
Would you choose this overall or the Secret Weapon?
Cory,
I’d be happy with either one, but I’d go with the Secret Weapon.
Best,
Matt
A weight in the back and another near the face, sounds like a mini GT4 not GT3.