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In this review, I’ll be taking a comprehensive look at the TaylorMade BRNR Mini Copper driver.
The BRNR Mini Copper (or BRNR Mini 2.0) replaces the original BRNR Mini driver from 2023. Like its predecessor, it’s heavily inspired by TaylorMade’s Burner drivers of the late 90s, but it sports an updated aesthetic with a more traditional copper shade and retro-style TM logo.
The BRNR Mini Copper is designed to provide fairway-wood-like control with distance comparable to modern drivers. But how does it actually perform when put to the test? How does it compare with the original BRNR Mini and other TaylorMade offerings? Is it worth putting in the bag?
Here’s what will be covered in the review:
Read on to find out what you need to know to make an informed purchase.
Note: Unless otherwise stated, stock shafts and stock grips are used when evaluating this club. In most cases, the golf clubs reviewed on Golfstead are acquired temporarily for testing purposes and are not purchased. The review that follows is based on the personal experience and research of the author. Because everyone’s swing and body are different, results with a particular club may differ from person to person.
What are the reviews like?
The BRNR Mini Copper driver has been widely praised by critics and consumers, earning aggregate ratings of 4.8/5 (94% recommended) on the TaylorMade store and 4.9/5 on PGA TOUR Superstore.
Most users find the mini driver to be significantly more accurate than their full-sized driver but longer than their 3-wood.
What People Like
- more accurate than a typical driver
- longer than a typical 3-wood
- impressive forgiveness
- great off-the-deck results
- solid feel with some pop off the face
- retro package (headcover & driver) will attract attention
What People Don’t Like
- some find there to be an unwanted draw bias
- narrow appeal among golfers
- many prefer the look of last year’s BRNR Mini
The Features
Aside from the new aesthetic, the BRNR Mini Copper driver has essentially the same features and internal tech as the 2023 BRNR Mini, namely:
- a premium titanium, steel, and carbon fiber construction designed to optimize sound, feel and performance
- 1.5g and 13g split weights that can be swapped for more forgiveness (13g in the back) or lower spin (13g in the front)
- a K-SOLE that is designed to promote a consistent “off-the-deck” result and increased distance by reducing resistance through the turf
- a Twist Face curvature that reduces side spin and straightens out shots
- a Thru-Slot Speed Pocket that increases sole flexibility, leading to increased ball speed and forgiveness low on the face
- a 4-degree loft sleeve that allows you to adjust loft, lie and face angle
Stock Info
The BRNR Mini Copper driver is available in 11.5° and 13.5° standard lofts at 304CC.
Included is an 4° loft sleeve that allows you to adjust loft, lie and face angle. There are 12 possible sleeve variations that can increase or decrease the loft and lie angle by ±2°, and the face angle by ±4°.
The stock shaft is the UST Mamiya ProForce 65 Retro Burner Edition. The stock grip is the Golf Pride TaylorMade Victory Copper. Both have a sleek copper theme to match the head, and the shaft is slightly shorter than normal for additional control.
If you’re interested, full information on the driver, shafts, grips, their specs, and any custom options can be found here.
Below are the specs of the BRNR Mini Copper driver. Note that they are identical to last year’s model.
The Performance
Distance
As with the 2023 BRNR Mini, the distance of the BRNR Mini Copper is closer to what you would expect from a modern 460cc driver rather than a 3-wood.
My experience during my testing was around 5-10 yards less than my full-sized driver and 15-20 yards longer than my 3-wood, which I’m very pleased with.
I didn’t find the length of this driver to be noticeably different from last year’s model.
Forgiveness
The BRNR Mini Copper is impressively forgiving given the advantage it has over a full-sized driver when it comes to control and accuracy.
Ball speed preservation on mis-hits is exceptional — I never experienced more than around 10 yards of distance loss even on my worst strikes.
As with distance, though, forgiveness doesn’t seem to be noticeably improved over last year’s model. Nonetheless, it can be a game-changer for players who have trouble finding the fairway with their 460cc driver.
Playability/Trajectory
With the 13g weight in the front, the BRNR Mini Copper tends to produce a low, piercing trajectory, which can be a great option for golfers with faster swing speeds.
With the 13g weight in the back, the driver tends to produce a pleasant mid-high trajectory. While this is the configuration I suggest for the majority of players, I recommend experimenting with both to see which performs best for you.
Hitting off the deck is as easy as it was with the 2023 BRNR Mini; it’s a little more difficult to pull off compared to a fairway metal, but significantly easier than a driver. I recommend keeping the weight in the back when hitting off the deck in order to get enough trajectory.
The compact BRNR Mini Copper is also very versatile and workable. You can essentially hit any shot you want with it, and this is one of the things that really give it a leg up over typical oversized drivers.
The Look
While the BRNR Mini Copper shares the same head size (304cc – smaller than a typical 460cc driver but larger than a 3-wood) as the original BRNR Mini, and the geometry of the design is similar, this new 2024 model has two distinct differences.
For one, the copper theme plays a more prominent role in the aesthetic, with a strip at the front of the crown and a region on the sole that extends towards the hosel. Plus, the copper shade has less gold and more brown in it, making it more consistent with the old Burner drivers that inspire it.
Second, the BRNR logo has been moved to the side of the driver on the toe end, and in its place on the black K-SOLE plate is a retro TaylorMade logo.
Personally, I prefer the look of the 2024 model more than its predecessor. I think the more copper-focused design and old-fashioned TaylorMade logo really set the mini driver apart as something unique and unusual in the modern day.
The Sound & Feel
In my experience, the feel and sound of the BRNR Mini Copper are more or less the same as its predecessor; this shouldn’t be surprising given that they’re essentially the same drivers with different coats of paint on them.
It’s a really attractive and satisfying feel overall, with a touch of softness as well as some hotness and explosiveness. Turf interaction is smooth.
The sound is mid-pitched and rather tight, while mis-hit feedback is informative but not harsh or jarring; you can clearly distinguish the general area of ball contact just by feel alone.
Where To Buy This Driver Online
You can order a BRNR Mini Copper driver with your choice of loft and shaft flex on the TaylorMade official store. You may optionally customize the driver in a much more granular way through TaylorMade’s Custom Shop.
Another great option is PGA TOUR Superstore. They offer performance guarantees, club fittings, club trade-ins, and other programs designed to make the buying experience as smooth as possible.
You can also buy the BRNR Mini 2.0 driver from Amazon.
Don’t forget about eBay, where you can often find unbeatable deals on new and used golf equipment.
Final Thoughts
The TaylorMade BRNR Mini Copper driver packs many of the benefits you’d expect from a modern 460cc game-improvement driver while at the same time providing the workability, versatility, and off-the-deck performance that only a mini driver can.
However, while this driver enjoys a fresh new coat of paint with a more copper-like shade and retro-style logoing, its features and performance are basically the same as last year’s model.
For this reason, if you do already own the 2023 BRNR Mini, there’s really no reason to upgrade unless you really love the new look or just have to have the latest equipment.
I would have liked to see at least one new piece of tech inside this driver to help set it apart from its predecessor, but I do appreciate that you can order custom shafts and grips for it through TaylorMade’s Custom Shop, so you don’t have to settle for the stock options.
Interested in the BRNR Mini Copper driver? Have you played it? What’s your experience? Let us know in the comments below.
