50 Words or Less
The PXG Secret Weapon is a mini driver that can keep you in play off the tee and bring long par 5s into reach. Excellent ball speed and accuracy. Loads of customization potential with four weight ports and an adjustable hosel.
Introduction
It’s hard to keep a secret when that secret is helping to win a PGA Tour event. The new PXG Secret Weapon was officially under embargo until last week, but that embargo was just a formality after Jake Knapp used the Secret Weapon to win the Grant Thornton Invitational. Jake called this mini driver “so reliable” and a “game changer” after securing the victory, and there’s no doubt it can be both of those things for you, too.
Looks
At address, the 300 cc PXG Secret Weapon looks more like an oversized fairway wood than a driver. Setting it next to my PXG Black Ops fairway wood [review HERE], it’s a bit bigger in every dimension, but the proportions are similar. The one exception is the face depth, which is substantial.
For those that want all the details, I measured the face height of the Secret Weapon at 1.75″ compared to 1.375″ and 2″ for the Black Ops fairway wood and driver, respectively. That same gap – about 3/8″ bigger than the FW and 1/4″ smaller than the driver – is true of the heel-to-toe measurement. From front to back, the Secret Weapon is almost perfectly between the 3″ Black Ops FW and 4.5″ Black Ops driver [review HERE].
The aesthetic package of the PXG Secret Weapon is otherwise very similar to Black Ops. The club is almost entirely black with a carbon fiber crown. There are four weight ports on the sole, surrounding a silver PXG logo.
Finally, there’s no way that I wasn’t going to shout out this head cover. The “Shhh” Skull is fantastic – simultaneously tough and funny. Yellow is not remotely my color, and I’m generally allergic to stock covers, but this one is staying in the bag. Standing ovation to PXG for this.
Sound & Feel
I started hitting the PXG Secret Weapon off the turf and found a slightly hollow, mid-pitch “pop” at impact. It was a pleasant sound, but it didn’t match the excellent ball speed the club was producing. When I got the ball onto a short tee – and the strike onto the center of the face – the sound became much more solid and forceful.
This same level of feedback clarity is found in the hands. Off-center shots feel poppy, like the ball is bouncing off the club face. Again, not bad, but not super satisfying. When you pure the ball, you get a strong, solid feel that matches the sound and makes you want to hit the Secret Weapon exclusively.
Performance
The concept of mini drivers is very appealing: you get a more forgiving, more accurate driver alternative and a “Bombs away!” fairway club all in one. For players who struggle with a traditional 15 degree 3W, however, this promise is more fiction than fact since they can’t get much out of these clubs off the turf. In that same vein, the bigger the club is, the harder it can be to hit from the ground. Make it too small, and it’s no better off the tee than a normal 3W. All that to say, designing a mini driver that delivers on its promises is hard.
I put the PXG Secret Weapon to the torture test right away, attempting to hit it off the turf with my rusty winter swing. Despite the face height, the excellent proportions and slightly open face made me think I could produce some good shots, and I did. The launch angle never cracked double digits, but the ball speed was outstanding, and the spin was extremely low. What these shots lacked in carry distance, they made up for with Kipchoge-esque run outs.
Before I get into how the PXG Secret Weapon performed off the tee, I want to say a word about mini drivers in general. Since they are neither a driver or a fairway wood, you will likely need to do some experimenting with tee height. Similarly, the unique shaft length and head size might require you to find something a bit different than your pure driver or fairway wood swing. If you’re going to give a mini driver a try, be prepared for a little break-in period.
Off the tee, I treated the PXG Secret Weapon like a fairway wood more than a driver (trying to swing level or even a bit down), and I teed it fairly low. This combination produced outstanding results. The launch angle jumped up and the spin moved up into the optimal range. I was giving up little distance compared to my driver, but the accuracy with the shorter shaft and increased loft was exceptional.
What separates the Secret Weapon from any other mini driver is the ability to tune it to your needs. This club has four weight ports and comes stock with two 2.5 gram weights and two 15 gram weights. PXG offers weights from 2.5 to 20 grams, so you can make this draw or fade biased, high or low spin, heavy or light. I used the heavier stock weights in the toe and rear to offer more forgiveness and fade bias, and it performed beautifully. Players that are willing to trade forgiveness for lower spin and even more ball speed can pack more weight closer to the face. The hosel is also adjustable, tuning the loft from 11.5 to 13.5 degrees.
Overall, the PXG Secret Weapon delivers on the promise of the mini driver. This is a versatile club that goes long and straight from the tee or turf. When you add in the ability to tune the weighting and hosel, this is a club that almost all golfers should consider for their long game.
Conclusion
If you want to play out of the short grass more often this season – or reach longer par 5s in two – consider putting the PXG Secret Weapon in your bag. There are endless possibilities with loft, shaft, and weighting, so work with a PXG fitter to get this built to your needs. When your friends see the results, you’ll have as hard a time keeping this club secret as Jake Knapp.
Visit PXG HERE
PXG Secret Weapon Price & Specs
He founded Plugged In Golf in 2013 with the goal of helping all golfers play better and enjoy the game more.
Matt lives in the northwest suburbs of Chicago with his wife and two daughters.
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12 Comments
How does this compare to the TM BRNR, particularly off the deck? Enjoyable review, to the point insights.
Eric,
I have a full review of the BRNR here: https://pluggedingolf.com/taylormade-brnr-mini-driver-review/
-Matt
Titleist Mini vs PXG?
Clark,
Which Titleist are you referring to?
-Matt
Matt,
Excellent review that mirrored my experience with the Secret Weapon last weekend. I cannot endorse the fitting experience strongly enough. My curiosity led to a fitting request and we went through four shaft options, two shaft length options, and three weight port changes. My fitted Weapon arrives on Sunday uniquely configured to me. Thank you for an excellent review.
Titleist is launching their version of a mini. At least, that is the chatter. A comparison will be interesting! Thanks, as always, for this review, Matt.
I think this also offers another option for a tee club for slower swingers and juniors. My experience says that the 460 heads of most drivers is too big for some folks because they lack the speed to get it moving through the air.
My kid is a great example of that. She hits the middle most of the time and is a great player but needs an ultra light head and shaft combo for speed. Major OEM clubs are just too big for her. Flynn’s 400cc driver works well for her but she has outgrown it….again. lol. I really think this (properly fit) will be the unicorn we have been searching for. Fitting is scheduled at the end of the month.
Hi Matt, that was a great review of the “Secret Weapon”. I have been intrigued with the mini drivers since their introduction. Could I use the “Secret Weapon” in place of my driver? I am an 18 and have a very sloooow swing speed. I haven’t seen 200 yards in several years. But I do see the fairway! Tell me, is this my cure to aging & distance loss?
Will,
You can use the Secret Weapon in place of a driver, but there’s no reason it will go farther than a driver – especially if the driver is well-fit.
Best,
Matt
Matt, great review as usual. I was fitted for the Secret Weapon and it is an awesome club. As a Senior golfer I found with the shorter shaft and slightly lighter shaft I can get the club head around easier leading to much improved ball striking than I experienced with my Black Ops driver. Also, the draw bias is something PXG offers on their minis. I cannot agree with you more about being professionally fitted. I have been fitted for 2 comp!ete sets of clubs from the same PXG fitter (Gen3 and Gen6 XP irons along with woods/hybrids.). He’s got all my previous swing stats at his disposal so each fitting becomes easier and more refined. I’d never buy another club without being fitted.
Where can I see the new mini driver. I would consider buying without viewing!
This is the mini driver.
-Matt