GT280 Mini Driver—Not for Everyone, But Helping My Game (Curious What Others Think)

RE: GT280 Mini Driver—Not for Everyone, But Helping My Game (Curious What Others Think)

Lou G — Tue, 17 Feb 2026 22:30:42 GMT

I just got one as a demo yesterday. It has an Aldila 55 with standard length (the manager was good with a shaft swap from a GT2 16.5. One small adjustment to the weighting: -2 aft weight and -4 forward weight to get swingweight at D2. (with an Excel RF oversize grip). Taking it on the course Friday. I was also able to hit some stingers by choking down 1/2" and putting the ball back in my stance. I love the way it hits.

RE: GT280 Mini Driver—Not for Everyone, But Helping My Game (Curious What Others Think)

Sat, 13 Dec 2025 21:46:31 GMT

This is the comment I was looking for! Hearing an 8 handicapper say they love it doesn’t help me. If you’re 16-18-20+, that’s who I’m looking to hear from as I’ve been really tempted to buy one and loved it when I went to a fitting but got cold feet as we all know our range game often doesn’t translate to the course!

RE: GT280 Mini Driver—Not for Everyone, But Helping My Game (Curious What Others Think)

Phillip D — Tue, 09 Dec 2025 02:07:45 GMT

I put one in the bag this year. It fits perfectly between my GT2 10 degree and my TSR2 16.5 degree. I take it off the tee on holes where driver is not the best option. I hit is some on long par 3s as well. It’s powered by a graphite design Tour AD-DI 7S that I recently put in it

RE: GT280 Mini Driver—Not for Everyone, But Helping My Game (Curious What Others Think)

Daniel S — Thu, 27 Nov 2025 12:43:54 GMT

[quote user="Rob R"]I am thinking of getting the mini driver and use it as a 3 wood replacement.

Has anyone else used the mini to replace their 3 wood?

[/quote]

I think it depends on your club configuration setup and normal laying condition for the individual.
I play driver , mini, 5wood or 2iron , then either weak 7 wood or 4 iron depending on conditions which vary round to round here in the UK.
The main thing for me is trajectory control & gapping and i find the mini sits nicely between my lofts and yardages and is a weapon from the tee along with being great from the fairway.
For Ref I'm a 3 Hcp who plays most of my golf on links / heathland courses in the UK.

RE: GT280 Mini Driver—Not for Everyone, But Helping My Game (Curious What Others Think)

robert w — Thu, 27 Nov 2025 12:30:06 GMT

Recently added the GT280 and it helped immensely on tighter holes at my club that require a tight draw. This club is money. Hardly using my GT3 driver anymore. Thanks Titleist!!!!

RE: GT280 Mini Driver—Not for Everyone, But Helping My Game (Curious What Others Think)

Mike W — Wed, 26 Nov 2025 16:14:59 GMT

After 6 months, I still love it both off the tee and the deck. My GT2 driver can't get back in the bag, it should have tried harder when it had the chance!

RE: GT280 Mini Driver—Not for Everyone, But Helping My Game (Curious What Others Think)

Thomas K — Tue, 16 Sep 2025 07:26:39 GMT

I am a new retiree and hoping to move my handicap from 13 to below 10. I haven't had many lessons over the years, and what I've discovered is that although I can hit a driver around 250 yards, the dispersion kills me. So the GT280 distance overlaps with my driver 50% of the time, and has a much narrower dispersion off the tee. So I now focus my training off the tee with a GT280, and don't bother with a driver. I then hit a 7 wood off the deck on par 5s. So I don't know why anyone who wants to improve around my life age would even bother with a driver that is the hardest club to hit in the bag. On a driving range you can literally hit the mini driver so accurately that after awhile you get bored. This is never the case with a driver. Also a driver puts more stress on the body , a mini driver less so. I demoed the Elyte as well and found this too cumbersome and had the same erraticness as a driver. So the GT280 is really for a practical golfer who relishes the idea of being in play on the fairway

RE: GT280 Mini Driver—Not for Everyone, But Helping My Game (Curious What Others Think)

JJohnson — Wed, 20 Aug 2025 14:31:31 GMT

I love mine! Only played with it twice but the first round I kept up with a 4hci guy with his standard driver. I'm a 9hci and really enjoyed playing from many more fairways that day.

RE: GT280 Mini Driver—Not for Everyone, But Helping My Game (Curious What Others Think)

John W — Mon, 18 Aug 2025 23:13:46 GMT

I got one a few weeks ago, and I honestly hit it as far as my driver (sometimes farther), with just a different way of getting there. Has a really penetrating flight with lots of roll. I actually just got a slightly lighter, slightly spinnier shaft (from Ventus TR Red 6s which came from my 3w and is now back there, to a Ventus non-TR Red 6s) to put in it to try to get a little more carry, so we'll see how that goes. I have a bit of a unique bag setup right now where I carry driver, mini, and 3w, but it works for me:

10 (set at 10.75) TSR4
13 GT280
14.5 (set at 16) TSR2+
18 (set at 19) TSR2 5w or 3h depending on the course
21 (set at 22.5, older shaft back when hybrids adjusted in 0.75 increments) TSR2 4h
6-PW T200
46, 52, 58 Vokey
Scotty NP2

RE: GT280 Mini Driver—Not for Everyone, But Helping My Game (Curious What Others Think)

Justin P — Fri, 11 Jul 2025 01:49:20 GMT

So I just put a GT 280 in my bag. I’ve only hit it a few times but it’s been absolutely horrible . Just a low smothering hook or topping it. I know it’s just me but I have yet to hit a good shot with it . I hope I didn’t make a mistake. Yesterday Inhad a really good round going and pulled out the mini made a double…. Idk I’m sure it’s just in my head.

RE: GT280 Mini Driver—Not for Everyone, But Helping My Game (Curious What Others Think)

Joe S — Sat, 07 Jun 2025 01:34:52 GMT

I’ve always had trouble hitting 3W off the tee. I’m comfortable with my driver (GT3 10*), but I can hit it through several dog legs on my home course. The GT280 has been ideal for these holes. I just tee it ¼” lower and use same driver swing. My GT280 has been about 20 yards shorter than my average driver distance. I have been more successful hitting it off the deck compared to my TM Qi10 Tour 3 wood. I am more confident going after the reachable par 5s with this club than with my 3 wood which has been inconsistent in my hands. I don’t know if it is the shaft or flatter sole, but it just gets up in the air much more easily for me than the higher lofted 3 wood. I love the GT280 so much I’m selling my 3 wood. I just can’t imagine when I would choose it over the GT280 at this point.

RE: GT280 Mini Driver—Not for Everyone, But Helping My Game (Curious What Others Think)

LStrom — Thu, 05 Jun 2025 20:20:29 GMT

I'm currently doing research on the new GT280 mini driver. I've looked at pictures on GolfWRX for how the pros are setting up their bags with a mini driver in play. I've seen pictures with different weights in the back and front for each one. The most common set up I see is Dr., Mini, 7W, next iron. I know the answer is go get fit but it seems to be a lot of pros playing the same driver shaft just heavier.

RE: GT280 Mini Driver—Not for Everyone, But Helping My Game (Curious What Others Think)

Figs — Wed, 04 Jun 2025 03:58:25 GMT

Besides distance. Is it fade bias? My miss is often pull or slice on those really bad driver days.

RE: GT280 Mini Driver—Not for Everyone, But Helping My Game (Curious What Others Think)

Mike W — Tue, 03 Jun 2025 11:34:08 GMT

It's a life changing club, just so pleased with it, the club I would save from the waves!

RE: GT280 Mini Driver—Not for Everyone, But Helping My Game (Curious What Others Think)

Graham B — Sat, 31 May 2025 17:00:17 GMT

Just received mine a few days ago, and got out to play yesterday.
I've used a competitors mini driver for the past year +, so have a good amount of experience with this style of club.

REALLY like how much easier it is to make solid contact off the deck. The sole design differences lend the ease of hitting to the GT for sure.
I WAS concerned about how it would work off the tee, just being a physically smaller club head, but getting to the front edge of a 283 yard par4 allayed those fears haha. Looking forward to using this more and more as the rounds go on!

RE: GT280 Mini Driver—Not for Everyone, But Helping My Game (Curious What Others Think)

Matt V — Tue, 27 May 2025 20:34:34 GMT

I'm about 10 rounds in now, and it's the best club I've bought in a long time. It's about 20-25 yards shorter that my TSR4. It just goes. It replaced my TSi3 13.5 3 wood. It's much easier to hit for me. What's really surprising is how easy it is to hit off the deck. It launches soooo much easier than my previous 3 wood. I can launch it high, or I grip down and tee it even lower and can hit a bullet with it. I kept the weights standard. It's a perfect carry gap between my driver and 5 wood. It won't completely replace my driver, but on days like yesterday when I was struggling with driver, I pulled that out and didn't miss a fairway.

RE: GT280 Mini Driver—Not for Everyone, But Helping My Game (Curious What Others Think)

Titleist U — Tue, 27 May 2025 16:55:50 GMT

What distance difference do you see between driver & mini driver?

RE: GT280 Mini Driver—Not for Everyone, But Helping My Game (Curious What Others Think)

Mike M — Sat, 24 May 2025 10:17:24 GMT

I haven't hit it yet, but it seems like it's a long time coming. As someone who historically has struggled a bit with the driver, I've always had a deep (13-13.5 degree) 3 wood in the bag. Doesn't seem like there is middle ground on the mini driver; either you love it or hate it. It's something I've been meaning to try, so thank you for the post.

Shared information regarding Titleist equipment is just another reason that I love this forum.

RE: GT280 Mini Driver—Not for Everyone, But Helping My Game (Curious What Others Think)

BCochran — Fri, 23 May 2025 00:05:38 GMT

I ordered mine on April 28th. Titleist customer service says they are waiting on a shipment of heads. They said possibly early June delivery but really were not sure.

RE: GT280 Mini Driver—Not for Everyone, But Helping My Game (Curious What Others Think)

Mark — Thu, 22 May 2025 13:59:27 GMT

I almost never hit 3 wood off the ground, so the 280 is perfect for tee shots where driver is too much. I was one that didn’t think much of mini drivers originally, but I was wrong about them.

RE: GT280 Mini Driver—Not for Everyone, But Helping My Game (Curious What Others Think)

Rob R — Thu, 22 May 2025 13:41:59 GMT

I am thinking of getting the mini driver and use it as a 3 wood replacement.

Has anyone else used the mini to replace their 3 wood?

RE: GT280 Mini Driver—Not for Everyone, But Helping My Game (Curious What Others Think)

Joel G — Thu, 22 May 2025 11:15:08 GMT

I love my mini driver. I lose 15-20 yards compared to my driver but it is normally in the fairway. It shines for me on par 5’s. I can reach a few more in 2 which is nice. 6 handicap in Greenville SC

RE: GT280 Mini Driver—Not for Everyone, But Helping My Game (Curious What Others Think)

Greg H — Mon, 05 May 2025 22:08:26 GMT

I really like mine. It’s pretty easy to hit off the deck and a no brainer off a tee. So far, it’s long and straight for me.

RE: GT280 Mini Driver—Not for Everyone, But Helping My Game (Curious What Others Think)

Alex D — Sun, 04 May 2025 00:03:07 GMT

Just received my GT 280 yesterday, can’t wait to try it out.

RE: GT280 Mini Driver—Not for Everyone, But Helping My Game (Curious What Others Think)

ILGolfGuy — Thu, 01 May 2025 03:29:51 GMT

I am NOT a low handicapper that's for sure, but it's VERY easy from deck or tee. Definitely should try one and see what you think!