If you are a bit older, like I am, then the R7 name from TaylorMade brings back some great memories. Recently, TaylorMade went retro again with the styling on its newest mini driver, but it isn’t just black and yellow paint. This new design takes extra focus on movable weights in order to dial in the club to the player.

TaylorMade’s new R7 Quad Mini Driver is built around 4 movable weights on the sole of the club, 2 up front near the heel and toe, while 2 more are in the center of the back of the head. The head is 305cc of titanium and carbon fiber that should allow players to hit from the tee or turf. I think TaylorMade did a great job with the styling, as the matte black Infinity Carbon crown is sleek and clean. The shape is classic TaylorMade with a more sloping angle from the hosel to the back of the club. I will say that the 13.5-degree head I received does sit a little shut in the normal hosel setting.

Sound and feel on the R7 Quad is just fantastic. At impact you are greeted with a really low-pitched and muted sound. It is more like a crack with very little metallic ting to it at all. Even indoors, the sound won’t alert anyone in the bay next to you. The face feels soft where you can feel it, and the ball compresses together in order to produce great ball speed. Launch was what impressed me the most on the first few shots, as the R7 is very easy to launch off the tee over and over. I know the head is 13.5 degrees, but I was able to produce towering tee shots compared to the Elyte Mini or PXG Secret Weapon. Squaring up the R7 was easy to do as well, and with the heavy weights set to the rear position, the head seemed to be just slightly draw bias for me. Anything that went to the right wasn’t a fade but a ball that just started right and went straight.

Consistency was the other thing that was impressive after looking at the data. Carry and ball speed numbers didn’t vary much as the contact spread around the center of the face. I hit the R7 Quad very well so that helps, but it was easy to see where this could be used on the course. This mini driver is also pretty forgiving for a club that is only 305cc in size. When you do hit it off-center, you can expect a ball that stays in play and still carries some good distance.

Overall, the R7 Quad mini is a great offering from TaylorMade that could find a home in a wide range of golfers’ bags. From high-speed players who no longer use a 3-wood and want another option off the tee to the player who just struggles with hitting a driver. The shorter shaft and added loft can equal more fairways.