of Secret weapon is PXG’s first entry into the fast-growing mini driver category. Given the relative lack of new competition, we’ll have to wait a bit to see how it compares to other 2025 minis, but PXG has had an early, and perhaps insurmountable, lead in the cover section. of competition.
The Big Picture: It’s nonsensical, but, nevertheless, it’s so well done.
As for the things that matter, the Secret Weapon mini driver doesn’t look out of place next to other PXG metal woods.
Building
The titanium face of The Secret Weapon is combined with a composite crown. Like Callaway’s “for now” offering, PXG secret weapon provides a removable weight system for trajectory tuning. In this case, we’re talking about a four-weight system (2×15 and 2×2.5 grams) that can be configured for higher MOI or draw or fade bias.
It’s worth noting that PXG offers weights in 2.5-gram increments from 2.5 to 20 grams, so there’s plenty of flexibility for those who really want to dial in the weight of the reel or head.
You also get PXG’s adjustable shaft and, like other PXG clubs, the Secret Weapon mini driver is robotically polished for greater piece-to-piece consistency.
Secret Weapon: Key Specs
What intrigues me about the mini driver category is the breadth of possibilities it offers club designers. Given its potential to span everything from a slightly large fairway wood to a slightly small driver, it will be fascinating to see how brands position their offerings.
- Long range bomber?
- Check club off the tee?
- A balanced design that seeks to offer the best of both worlds (with, admittedly, varying degrees of success)?
For its part, PXG uses the word versatile to describe its Secret Weapon, which suggests that balance is part of the design intent. We’ll get to what that means from a performance perspective shortly, but in this category, perhaps more than any other, there’s a case for agility being driven by size and shape.
of PXG secret weapon the head is 300cc. For reference, that makes it slightly larger than the upcoming Titleist GT280, slightly smaller than TaylorMade BRNR (304cc) and still slightly smaller than Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Ti 340 Mini (which has an insurmountable lead in the longest mini driver names category)
In terms of size alone, I remain partial to TaylorMade’s SLDR Mini (260cc), but no small part of how a mini driver plays is a function of how the head volume is distributed. Shallow-faced like a fairway tree, deep-faced like a driver or somewhere in between?
Some quick measurements suggest the height of the face of PXG secret weapon it is slightly shallower than the BRNR and almost identical to the Callaway model.
For the PXG part of the conversation, the versatility of the Secret Weapon comes from a stronger edge. The hint is that while the PXG mini can be used as a driver replacement, it’s a capable off-road option as well—even if the face is 44 percent larger than the Black Ops 3-wood.
Between the relatively shallow face and compact profile, PXG secret weapon seems, to me, playable out of the deck. If it is, that’s a conversation for another day.
As for other things, the stock length is 43.75 inches (roughly two inches shorter than a driver) which accounts for a good bit of extra control. Head weight is 210 grams and only comes in at 13 degrees (with the PXG hose, the functional loft range is 11.5 to 14 degrees).
PXG describes the Secret Weapon as a top MIA offering, but keep in mind that’s relative. With a smaller footprint essentially part of the package, a mini will never match the MOI of a full-size driver, but I guess the bottom line is that the Secret Weapon offers six percent higher MOI than the Black Ops 3-wood of PXG with most of it coming along the x-axis (top to bottom).
PXG Secret Weapons Performance
To put some performance context, PXG provided some benchmarking data Secret weapon to his Black Ops driver and 3-wood.
In internal testing, PXG found the Secret Weapon to be three mph faster than the 3-wood and 5.5 mph slower than the driver. He started a little less than a rung lower than both, despite being significantly taller than the driver. The spin rate fell between the driver and the 3-wood with the notable data point being 300 rpm less spin than the fairway wood.
Looking at total distance, with an axle that’s roughly two inches shorter, the mini can’t touch the driver for distance. While it was 20 yards shorter than the driver, it is 10 yards longer than the fairway wood.
The fine print here is that this is all bot testing.
Feedback from player testing is that in the real world, the Secret Weapon compares more favorably to both driver and 3-wood, especially on those less-than-perfect swings that aren’t easily replicated on a putter.
For what it’s worth, data from Shot Scope shows that golfers are typically no more accurate with a 3-wood than with a driver, so if a mini can increase accuracy and tighten distribution while increasing distance ( compared to a 3-wood ), putting a mini in the bag starts to make sense – especially if it can actually be played out of the deck.
With all that said, the selling point is simple. of Secret weapon it offers more control than a driver and more distance than a fairway wood. It’s the tweener club that would probably benefit a lot from us.
Watch this space
2025 is shaping up to be the year of the mini driver, so much so that there may be a “year” of its own. Regardless, here we are.
What I can tell you is that before we get to the fun part of summer, you’ll have more minis to choose from than ever before – although I don’t recall golfers ever having more than two per selected, so a low bar.
PXG is first out of the gate with it Secret weapon. Titleist has the GT280 somewhere in the pipeline. We’re almost two years into the BRNR cycle and, well, Callaway has been in before and I doubt it will again.
And that’s before we talk about a host of other brands that have a penchant for following trends.
I’m putting over/under on mini-launches in 2025 at 6.5. This will be fun.
Specifications and availability
of PXG secret weapon the mini driver is available in 13 degrees in both right and left. Retail price is $449.99.
Available now.
For more information, visit PXG.com.
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