PXG's Secret Weapon Mini Driver is not a very well-kept secret. Now there's a new one, and the headline is actually how little PXG changed. The new Secret Weapon is not a new model witha new name. It's simply an evolution of first version.
PXG borrowed some of the tech from its Lightning lineup of woods to enhance its mini driver offering. Here's what we know from our first look at the new PXG Secret Weapon Mini Driver.
What's New
The big change in the new Secret Weapon is the face. PXG says it's more than four percent thinner than the previous generation. A thinner face flexes more at impact, which means more energy is transferred into the ball and ball speeds stay up across more of the face.
The weight PXG saved was moved to the perimeter to raise MOI, boosting forgiveness on off-center strikes. A lightweight carbon fiber crown lets even more mass sit low and deep. PXG says all of that adds up to faster ball speeds and tighter dispersion.
Then there's the adjustability. Four weight ports sit in the sole at the heel, toe, front, and back. The club comes with two 7.5-gram weights and two 2.5-gram weights, and you can move them around to tweak shot shape, spin, and forgiveness, distance, and launch. An adjustable hosel adds control over launch and trajectory.
We can't confirm any of the speed or dispersion claims until we hit it. But PXG used a similar playbook with the Lightning drivers and woods, and PXG tour pro Jake Knapp, who called the original his favorite club in the bag, says this one has "more speed and forgiveness."
Who It's For
The Secret Weapon is for golfers who want one club that works off the tee and off the deck, and who don't mind playing with a wrench. With four weights and an adjustable hosel, it rewards players who like to dial in their equipment. In general, mini drivers are ideal for players seeking more control off the tee or struggle with either driver or 3-wood.
Our Take
Four weight ports plus hosel adjustability make it easy to fine-tune the new Secret Weapon to your preferred launch, distance, forgiveness, and shot shape. That's a huge bonus for a club that appeals for its versatility off the tee and off the deck.
Want distance that competes with your driver? Turn down the loft and put a heavy weight up front. Want to hit more fairways? Put a heavy weight in the back, or set the shot-shape bias to offset your miss. It's all there for the taking.
The changes from the original are minimal, which is a departure from most new club releases. I don't see that as a bad thing. I see it as a brand listening to feedback instead of changing things for the sake of marketing. A thinner face is great, and so is optimizing some weight, but apparently PXG didn't see the need to blow the whole thing up just to launch a new product. I wouldn't mind seeing more of that.
The $499 price is in line with what other tour-issue brands charge for current mini drivers.
What's Next
If we get the opportunity to test the new Secret Weapon on a launch monitor we will see what the data says about how much control those weight and hosel settings give the player and follow up with a complete life-tested review.
Images: official PXG press images (credit PXG).
