Callaway's new Paradym range of drivers has had a lightning fast start to life, with World Number One Jon Rahm racking up three wins already this calendar year with one in the bag.
The brand are promising a 'paradigm-shift' in the way that their new drivers are constructed and perform out on the golf course.
The new heads are certainly eye-catching but do they provide the radical improvement in performance that Callaway suggest? I put the forgiving, easy launching Paradym X model to the test.
The Tech
There are three different heads in the Paradym range, the standard model, the low-spin Paradym Triple Diamond and the Paradym X, which is built for high launch, easy forgiveness and draw bias.
The head features a 360° Carbon Chassis, allowing weight to be redistributed to more useful areas of the head to maximise distance. The Triaxial Carbon crown and Forged Carbon sole is 43% lighter than a titanium chassis.
A new AI designed Jailbreak provides more stability in both horizontal and torsional directions, and it has been made 33% lighter whilst enhancing stability to improve ball speeds.
AI has also been used to generate a new face optimisation to enhance speed, launch, spin and downrange dispersion. Callaway say that it is the world's most advanced driver face, designed by AI.
The Paradym are the first drivers to use speed-enhancing Face Cup technology, and this has been paired with a powerful, forged titanium face.
The driver is built with a stretched-out profile at address for high launch and features high MOI, making it best suited for golfers who want maximum forgiveness and draw bias. There is a 5g weight positioned at the rear of the head, helping to increase launch and lower spin rates.
Callaway Paradym X Driver Review
Looks and Feel
Of all the new driver releases for 2023 I think the Callaway Paradym range is right up there among the best when it comes to looks. The new navy colourway looks fantastic and I love the unique design on the sole of each driver head.
At address, there's a two-tone carbon crown with a metallic grey rim closest to the ball, as well as Callaway's classic arrow alignment line which I have always been a fan of - it just makes it so easy to line the ball up.
The head is large down by the ball and seems pretty stretched-back too, giving it a sizeable surface area. It's useful if you're not the most confident with your driver though because it gives you the impression that you are going to get away with it if you don't catch the middle of the face.
There's also a decent amount of offset which should help those golfers who struggle with a slice.
The Paradym X provides a low, solid whack at impact. It's not quite as dead as the all-carbon TaylorMade Stealth 2, but the addition of more carbon to the sole of the Paradym has lowered the tone.
I enjoy this muted sound but I do feel like you lose out a bit in feel, as it's a little harder to immediately discern where you've hit it on the face.
Performance
I tested the Paradym X at Stockport GC, using the Flightscope Mevo+ launch monitor to record some data.
I found that the carry distance was pretty good especially when you consider that this average included a couple of mishits - on good strikes I was up and around the 240 yard carry mark.
This is slightly lower than my optimal numbers or with my own driver, because the launch and spin were a little higher, but this is understandable based upon the characteristics of the driver.
I was impressed by the consistency of the spin rates on the drivers, they were a little higher than I usually see with a driver at just under 2900rpm but the variation was very low, even on mis-hits.
When I first got this driver onto the golf course I struggled a little bit with the alignment, as the offset head meant that I was overcompensating and aiming a little too far to the right at times.
It still felt very easy to hit though, and launched nice and high on good strikes.
I noticed that it still performed well even on miss-hits too, with a couple of heel strikes travelling a decent distance and staying relatively straight.
As mentioned earlier the addition of so much carbon meant that you don't quite get that instant feedback on strike - it's still there thanks to the face but it's more of a muted feel.
Again on the course the driver looked fantastic, even when playing in varying light conditions it looked great down by the ball in the bag. I'm not a huge fan of the headcover but the good news is that you can switch that out for one of your own.
Callaway Paradym X Driver Verdict
Callaway position this as the largest, friendliest, most forgiving and most draw-biased driver in their range and based on my testing I'd say that they've nailed that.
The head shape should inspire plenty of confidence down the ball and it's pretty easy to get it up and going, whilst the overall design of the new range is fantastic in my opinion.
Callaway promised that this would be a 'paradigm shift' in performance and whilst that may be a little much, I do think it is an improvement on the Rogue ST in looks and as a story, whilst the numbers produced were pretty impressive too.
At an RRP of £599 it's not cheap though, although you'll struggle to find a driver that is these days, but it's certainly looks and feels premium so if you're in the market for a new driver and wan to make life easier for yourself it's well worth a look.
Who Is It Aimed At?
This driver is ideal for mid to high handicappers who are looking for a little more consistency with their launch and ball flight, as well as quietening down that dreaded slice. It won't come cheap though...
Would I Use It?
I think I'd rather use the standard Paradym Driver as I preferred the straighter look at address, and the slightly lower launch. I love the look of the driver though.
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Callaway Paradym Driver Review
TaylorMade Stealth 2 HD Driver Review