2023 is the year of all things Paradym for Callaway Golf. The follow-up to the Rogue and Epic families brought with it major expectations from consumers, particularly Callaway loyalists. With OEMs now using A.I. technology, the equipment game has changed dramatically. I, for one, was one of those curious consumers but I also wanted to see how Callaway jumped into the technological advances with A.I.
I was fortunate enough to experience an entire day of demoing Callaway golf clubs from irons to drivers and even wedges. The club that grabbed my attention the most, however, was the new Paradym fairway wood. If you’re in the market for a new metal, here’s an overview of my experience. Perhaps it will help you as you make your way up and down the aisles of your local golf retailer.
Initial HesitancyI feel that it’s part of my job as Senior Equipment Writer here at AmateurGolf.com to be open and honest with you, our readers. So I’ll admit, I didn’t anticipate liking the Callaway Paradym fairway woods. The last metal I owned from the company was the Callaway X, circa 2006. Since 2008, I have been exclusively playing Tour Edge Exotics. Specifically, the CB1 for over a decade until the EX10 Beta from 2017 to the present day. I was excited about hitting everything else, but fairway woods were more of a “if there’s time,” thought. Read on to find out why I was tremendously wrong.
Clubs TestedCallaway Paradym 3W, 3W HL, 5W, 7W
Callaway Paradym X 3W, 5W
Technology HighlightsA.I. Designed Jailbreak with Batwing Technology: Jailbreak is nothing new for Callaway clubs. What originated with the Epic is a design that allows the clubface to flex more at impact. Where this A.I. design goes a step further is with the structure being pushed to the perimeter of the head, stiffening the body, and leading to faster ball speeds.
Forged Carbon Sole: The design of the sole allows for weight to be distributed to other areas of the head, which means a higher MOI and extra forgiveness.
Tungsten Speed Cartridge: The gold-colored cartridge on the sole is 23 g and allowed Callaway’s R&D team to push the center of gravity forward and low, which adds optimal spin and launch to the equation.
A.I. Designed Cup Face: C300 maraging steel and A.I. innovation built a clubface that is consistent in distance and direction.
ResultsI started off testing the Paradym X models and really liked the initial numbers. The head shape is a bit larger so there’s an added level of confidence, great for higher handicap players. Dispersion was tight and all models were easy to draw right to left for me. After I got my speed up a few ticks, however, I found the Paradym X models launching a bit too high for my liking. But that’s what they’re designed to do. For the player that defaults to long irons on par 5s, the Paradym X should be under consideration based on how easy they are to get airborne off the deck.
The standard Paradym fairway woods have a head that’s slightly smaller than the X, call it a bit more “modern.” The design is also intended to give more or a neutral ball flight and not have the same draw-bias specs as the X. Adjustability at the hosel, however, can help in that area.
A stock shaft option is the Aldila Ascent PL Blue, but I opted to skip that seeing that it’s only 40 g. If you do have a bit of a slower swing speed or benefit from something lighter, it’s a great option. I, instead, opted for one of the three options from the Project X HZRDUS family—the GEN 4 Silver 60.
Under the hood of the Paradym fairway
I started with the 7-wood, because why not, right? I hadn’t swung a 21-degree fairway wood in quite some time and you know what? It felt amazing. Mid-high launch, great feel, pleasantly surprised. If my 4-iron loft wasn’t 20 degrees, I would have considered putting it in the bag.
Next, I absolutely crushed 5 woods for the first time in years. If you refuse to carry a 3-wood, this 18-degree stick is a gift from the golf gods. Obviously a shorter shaft length than the 3-wood, but you’ll see solid numbers from this club and ultimately have a chance at hitting some par 5s in two if you’re long enough. Again. Another club that I considered but chose to have a 19-degree hybrid instead.
I also tested both the standard 3-wood (15 degrees) and 3 HL (16.5 degrees), both of which are adjustable. I ultimately chose the standard 3-wood because of the fact that I could adjust it to a strong 3W if I know that I’m playing a particularly long course.
Distance-wise, the Paradym 3-wood gave me about 5-7 yards more than what I was carrying. Not earth-shattering, but definitely noticeable. My ball speed was up a few ticks and I loved how responsive it was to me playing around with ball position and different flights. Where this model really sold me though was in the forgiveness category. My left/right dispersion was only a few yards even when I was purposely taking shots off the toe and heel. On those shots, my spin rate wasn’t flying off the chart, either. In the rounds I’ve played since putting it in my bag I’ve noticed that I’ve been in better positions on par 5s to make birdie because of my setup from my second shot.
When I look back on it now, I wonder to myself why I didn’t treat fairway wood dispersion with the same level of importance as I did driver dispersion? I probably could have saved myself some blow-up holes along the way.
Everything seemed to click with the Paradym, from distance to dispersion. Aesthetically, this fairway wood is easy on the eyes. The front of the crown and alignment make up a black strip that marries perfectly with a dark navy that has subtle carbon detailing. Much like a putter, I feel that a fairway wood’s look should inspire confidence when you put it behind the golf ball. Mission accomplished on that front, as well as many others.
My FitCallaway Paradym 3-Wood, Project X HZRDUS GEN 4 Silver 70 Stiff
Your FitTo find out where you can get a custom club fitting from Callaway, or to access helpful resources such as the
Online Selector Tool, visit
CallawayGolf.com.