With another golf season getting into full swing across the country, you’ll hear something about the “latest and greatest” driver from each golf equipment company. If all of their claims were true and I gained 5 – 10 yards each year, why am I not driving the ball about 380 yards? But I digress!
I’ve always been partial to Callaway golf equipment and have been playing it for years. I like the way it looks, the way it feels, and the way it sounds! So, when the new Paradym family of drivers was announced, I couldn’t wait to give them a try.
As fate would have it, I was asked to do a driver fitting at Club Champion and jumped at the opportunity. There were a few drivers I wanted to test, and this provided the perfect opportunity. Callaway makes several claims about their new Paradym drivers and I wanted to see for myself if they were valid. They claim increased club speed and ball speed, lower spin, and higher launch. The accolades are already pouring in; the Paradym drivers have earned a gold medal on the 2023 Golf Digest Hot List.
The biggest technological breakthrough with the Paradym drivers is the 360° Carbon Chassis, a body that is almost completely made of carbon fiber that weighs 44% less than a comparable titanium chassis. Will this make titanium passe? Probably. This “paradigm” shift is where the name comes from; the spelling is another issue! This huge saving in weight is redistributed to increase forgiveness and maximize distance.
Secondly, the clubface has been redesigned using artificial intelligence. The A.I.-designed Jailbreak Speed Frame connects the crown and sole vertically and horizontally and produces more ball speed, launch, and spin, as well as downrange dispersion.
Up until now, Callaway’s industry-leading face cup technology was only available in their irons, hybrids, and fairway woods, The Paradym family is the first line of drivers to benefit from this technology. The face cup works together with a forged titanium face to increase COR and energy transfer to the ball beyond what you would get with a standard driver face insert. The result is higher ball speeds at every impact point across the face.
The one area where the Paradym shines is Smash Factor, meaning it produces more ball speed for a given clubhead speed. In other words, the face is faster.
As far as looks, sound, and feel go, you might expect a very different sound with the new carbon chassis and integrated face cup technology, but the Paradym seems to still have that unique Callaway sound that you’ve come to expect. The dark teal color of the driver contrasted with the thin grayish color surrounding the face makes for a great look and the design on the sole only adds to it. Standing over the ball, this driver has a very modern and aerodynamic look; like it’s going to slice effortlessly through the air. And it does!
When comparing the Paradym X drive to the TaylorMade Stealth I’ve been playing for the last year and a half, it excelled in every category. Almost one mph faster on clubhead speed and 2 ½ mph faster on ball speed; that’s at least 6 more yards right there! Spin was down almost 1000 RPM (2804 vs. 3801) and the launch angle was up over 4.5 degrees, both of which will yield more yards off the tee. And it all rings true; I’m seeing about 15 – 20 more yards off the tee.
Distance is one thing but accuracy is another and that’s where I’m seeing the most dramatic change. The shot shape with my Stealth driver was pretty much a power fade; basically aim down the left side of the fairway and hope it stays somewhere in the short grass on the right side. With the Paradym X, my drives are somewhere between straight and a slight fade, (I’m still waiting for the baby draw to come back.) Shot dispersion is a lot tighter. Between the extra distance and straighter drives, my confidence is way up!
Each Paradym driver is available in 9°, 10.5°, and 12° standard lofts for men and 10.5° and 12° lofts for women. Paradym comes with an Optifit hosel that allows you to adjust loft and lie. Standard shafts are the Aldila Ascent PL Blue 40g, Project X HZRDUS Gen 4 Silver 50g & 60g, and a Project X HZRDUS Gen 4 Black 60g. The stock grip is the Golf Pride Tour Velvet 360. Custom shafts and grips are also available.
The Paradym driver is available in 3 models. The Paradym Driver, which is best suited for players of all skill levels and promotes higher launch and low spin characteristics along with a neutral ball flight. It has an adjustable 15g sliding weight. The Paradym X, with its 5g back weight, is built for a high launch with high MOI, along with a generously stretched profile at address. It’s best suited for golfers seeking extreme forgiveness and a slight draw bias from their driver. The Paradym Triple Diamond has a compact, 450g head and two interchangeable weights – a 14g back weight, and a 2g front weight and is designed for better players who want to work the ball. It’s Callaway’s lowest spinning and lowest launching Paradym model with a neutral ball flight. Odds are, there’s one to suit your game!
It seems that everyone that tries a Paradym driver falls in love with it. The only negative thing I’ve read is that it doesn’t come with an adjustment wrench. If you’re like me and have been through several drivers since they became adjustable, you probably have an adjustment tool in your bag or laying around somewhere or in your golf bag. To the best of my knowledge, the adjustment tool has never become proprietary so any of them will work. Problem solved! With your adjustment tool, you can determine your shot shape thanks to Paradym’s adjustable perimeter weighting system, a 15g sliding weight that can produce an average of 12 yards of shot shape correction.
Head to your local golf shop and see for yourself. Be sure to take your current driver so you’ll have something to compare it to. Maybe you can get a good trade-in value when you decide to keep the Paradym in your bag. For more information, visit the Callaway website at www.CallawayGolf.com.