After the resounding success of the original Paradym family from Callaway, I was intrigued to see what was coming next... 2024 sees the launch of the Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke family.
When the box arrived at my house, the first driver of the new family that I pulled out was the Max model. This is the more ‘standard’ head of the range, sandwiched between the low-spin, tour-influenced Ai Smoke Triple Diamond driver and the spinnier, draw bias Max D driver, so would be most comparable to the standard Paradym from last year.
WATCH: Joe Ferguson tests the new Ai Smoke Max driver against last year's Paradym
Starting with the looks, when I first put it down I was really pleased to see the new grey colorway. One of my only disappointments with the original Paradym was the navy color, particularly the clash between the navy crown and the grey banner strip along the top edge.
Some people loved the navy - so I am aware that is completely subjective - but I have always been drawn to black or grey in drivers, therefore the new grey crown really hit the right notes with me. I just feel that it blends so much better with the grey banner strip, creating a really clean aesthetic that, from a visual perspective, places it among the best drivers on the market.
The only things that disrupt that cleanliness are the small Ai Smoke logo towards the heel of the crown and the familiar Callaway alignment arrow on the top edge. It’s just a personal preference, but I would prefer it if neither of those were present. This is a minor gripe with an otherwise fantastic looking head, but I just think the crown of the Triple Diamond looks classier without the arrow.
Onto the underside of the club, and Callaway has really improved the shelf appeal, in my opinion. The smokey graphic pattern from the original Paradym remains but has been sharpened up, and looks even better than before in grey. The bright blue that Callaway has selected for the logo and weights is the perfect accent to compliment the grey and has been utilised sparingly. The sole topography remains very similar to its predecessor with only slight alterations in this area. From a retail point of view, I think this driver will really stand out on the shelves.
In terms of the tech story, Callaway's tag line with this product is ‘Sweeter From Every Spot’. Essentially, this means a bigger effective hitting area, a concept it has created by advancing its Ai Smart Face technology, using swing dynamics from thousands of real golfers.
These swing dynamics include swing speed, club delivery, and face orientation just prior to impact. This information has then been inputted into its Ai system and has produced a whole new face which Callaway says creates micro deflections across various points of the striking area, essentially producing multiple sweet spots! In addition to this, the back of the Max features a slidable weight towards the rear which Callaway says offers 19 yards of flight adjustability.
I tested the Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Max outdoors at Royal North Devon Golf Club using a SkyTrak+ launch monitor and Titleist Pro V1x golf balls, and subsequently indoors using Foresight Sports GCQuad with again the Pro V1x.
Sound and feel were not worlds apart from the original Paradym, which is no bad thing, but - if anything - I found the Ai Smoke felt a touch livelier off the face. Not harsh in any way, just maybe a touch more responsive, which again I have no problem with!
Forgiveness was something that very much impressed me with this driver. I hit an awful lot of balls with the Max so inevitably missed the center on occasion, but when I did, I was really pleased with the results. While there was good feedback of strike location, it was in no way unpleasant and the dispersion even from my most questionable hits was reassuringly tight. Ball-speed retention was very impressive too, with my furthest strikes from the centre maintaining very similar numbers to those only very slightly mis-struck, which would suggest that the technology is working.
In terms of any shape bias, I found the weight track of the Paradym Ai Smoke Max to be one of the most effective I have come across. I felt like I was delivering the club pretty well during testing and every weight alteration seemed to have the desired effect. In the neutral setting, ball flight was very stable with minimal perceptible curvature (other than the odd poor swing!). Shifting the weight towards the toe side immediately created a pretty sizeable fade bias and similarly, when I dragged that weight back across to the heel, I began to turn the ball pretty comfortably from right to left, which is usually a tall order for me.
One thing that did surprise me was the fairly punchy spin numbers. For a driver that sits in the middle ground of its range, I was barely imparting any more spin on the ball than with the Triple Diamond head. I averaged around the 2350rpm mark at my normal loft when I was anticipating something nearer the 2600rpm mark with this set-up. This is just something to be aware of rather than a problem and was easily combatted by lofting up a touch.
The Callway Paradym Ai Smoke Max is a really good option for those looking for great adjustability of flight and real playability. The looks are outstanding and a genuine step forward from the original Paradym for me, becoming one of the best Callaway drivers ever made. You might need to loft up a fraction from where you are used to in order to achieve optimal spin, but once you do, you’ll have a very high-performing driver in your hands.
