Forum Member Reviews: Callaway Paradym Drivers

Callaway is noted for high-performance drivers to suit all levels of golfers from major champions to the recreational or even new golfers. Their technology continues to advance by leaps and bounds.

An industry-first 360 Carbon Chassis eliminates titanium from the body to push weight and stability to the limit. This weight is repositioned in the clubhead both forward, to enhance ball speed, and back to increase forgiveness.

The A.I.-designed Jailbreak system enhances stability for faster ball speeds while an all-new A.I. face-optimization enhances speed, launch, spin and downrange dispersion. Paradym is the first driver to utilize Callaway’s Face Cup technology. 

Three models are available. The Paradym is suited to a wide range of players, offering Callaway’s best combination of distance, forgiveness and adjustability. Paradym X is best suited for players who want exceptional forgiveness and a slight draw bias.

Paradym Triple Diamond is ideally suited for better players who want to work the ball.

Selection Process

Our Forum staff handpicked testers each for Paradym Drivers. We fit two of our testers in the standard Paradym driver, and one each into the Paradym X and Paradym Triple Diamond models.

Insights from Testers

Our testers were thrilled to get started and couldn’t wait to get their first look and swings with their new Paradym drivers after completing their fittings. Next we will see their initial reactions as well as deeper dives into the overall performance of the Callaway Paradym driver family.

Initial Impressions and First Swings

Testing the Paradym X model, cksurfdude was impressed by the overall aesthetics of the driver head, noticing the deep face and how the elongated profile created “one very sharp-looking driver head” and the sizing was “appropriate for a game-improvement type driver head.” On the range, he noted the Paradym X sounded “more muted than expected” while also having a “distinguishable difference on off-center hits.”

One of the two standard Paradym testers, Invader Zim 315, saw higher ball speed, launch angle and reduced spin in his fitting. This led to being nearly 14 yards longer than his gamer. When he received his driver, he said “gosh, does the club shine.” He really liked the color palette of the Paradym driver and the performance, too, picking up five yards of total distance in early launch monitor testing.

Stoker Ace also tested the standard Paradym model. “Callaway has always had good aesthetics, but they knocked it out of the park with this one.” He was a big fan of the crown and the crushed carbon look to the sole. “Acoustically the sound is very crisp without being loud or clicky.” The feel is “solid and if you miss the center it isn’t harsh or punitive.”

Our last tester, azstu324, chose the Paradym Triple Diamond, the low-spin model in the lineup. “The shape of the Paradym TD is what I’d call super-classic. It’s the true description of “pear-shaped” that we’ve all heard about or seen in other reviews. It’s compact but not tiny.” He was also impressed by the feel mentioning that “This is where the Paradym TD REALLY shines! The feel off the face is just what you’d hope for. It feels fast!”

Launch Monitor and Range Results 

Cksurfdude took his Paradym X driver to the range and hit many shots versus his current gamer. He found that the “X head + Kai’Li Blue shaft are helping me get a higher percentage of tee shots reasonably near to a target area vs my current gamer.”

As mentioned, Invader Zim saw increased total yardage in one of his first sessions. He noted even more of an increase in distance on average, gaining “7-10 yards.” He also noted that “the duck hooks that I used to deal with on a semi-regular basis are gone.”

Stroker Ace: “Distance is right up there with other drivers I’ve used. Not longer by any significant margin and not shorter, however, my off-center hits tend to go further and I think is where the Paradym shines.”

Azstu324 didn’t have the smoothest start with his Paradym Triple Diamond and had to spend most of his time on the course getting numbers.  He had this to say about his testing: “To be honest, after 2 months I’m still feeling like I’m getting to know it. I’ve usually relied on PGATSS to get my summer practice sessions in and get my launch numbers. My store here started renovating their hitting bays right after I received my club so that really put a wrench in my plans for this testing.”

On-Course Results

When it came time to get the Paradym X out on the course, cksurfdude noted that what he saw on the range continued and he saw improvements in forgiveness, dispersion and distance. “My Shot Scope performance average is about 14 yards longer vs [his gamer].”

Invader Zim found that he was hitting in excess of 10 percent more fairways with the Paradym driver and his index dropped 0.8 strokes. “This is a fantastic driver and it performs exactly the way I want it to. Does it solve every driver’s woe? Does it immediately help me hit 90% of fairways? No to both. But my on course performance has undoubtedly improved since putting it in the bag.”

As someone who plays in a weekly golf league, Stroker Ace was able to test the Paradym driver under competitive pressure, finding that “this isn’t a magic club; bad swings are punished just like any other club. However, once you get comfortable and gain some confidence this is as good as any driver I’ve ever hit.”

azstu324 found he had to learn more about the performance of the Triple Diamond than of more forgiving models. “Overall I’d say the driver performs exceptionally well when you take the time to get to know it. I think that a driver like the [Triple Diamond] is meant to have some temper and maybe be a little bit wild, but when you take the time to really get to understand it, it can give you some of the best times that you’ll have on the golf course.”

Headcover Woes

This biggest issue our testers found with the Paradym driver family was the headcover. Bold, bright and big branding may work for some, but did not resonate with our testers. While they didn’t enjoy the aesthetics, they did agree it was well constructed. Two of our testers summed up some of their other concerns.

cksurfdude felt the X head might be a little too upright and draw-biased while also noting. “The driver does not magically cure a slice.” He was also disappointed that there was not more padding protecting the driver when shipped and there was no wrench included in the kit.

Invader Zim followed suit on the packaging. He noted that most of his issues with the Paradym driver had “absolutely zero implications on the performance of the club” but he wanted a more premium unboxing experience. He also mentioned that, while high-quality, the headcover did not suit his taste.

The Final Verdict

Overall, our Paradym driver testers were very happy with the performance of the drivers with all four testers keeping the drivers in their bag for further testing. While not a slam dunk for the reviewers, they all found merit in the Paradym tech and are excited to see where their games go from here.

The four Paradym testers summarized their reviews as follows:

“Play it. (Period.) Well… For now… Is this the absolute best driver for me? Dunno. Will I be tempted to try something else in the future? My slight hesitation comes from a feeling I have to work a little harder to avoid low-heel strikes on this clubhead.” – cksurfdude

“Since the day I put this in the bag, there hasn’t been a second that I’ve considered putting the [old gamer] back into the bag. I mentioned this earlier – if you have a recent fitted driver and you like it, keep it. But if you’re like me and you have a second hand driver and have never been fit, this club is a phenomenal option.” – Invader Zim 315

In The Bag

“Callaway says “this club promotes high launch and low spin characteristics along with a’ neutral ball flight. It’s our best combination of distance, forgiveness, and adjustability.’ Are they right? I got the proper launch, spin, ball flight and a good amount of distance and forgiveness. I also got along with the adjustability needed to tune the club. In my experience, yes… and I’m not lettin’ go!” – Stoker Ace

“I really think that the Paradym TD can work well for many different types of players, ranging from mid teens to single digits. The performance claims are spot on and as long as you have a fairly consistent swing, you’ll undoubtedly find some of you best #’s with this club. I would also agree that the TD’s reputation for being a difficult and overly temperamental driver, has somewhat been shaken with this version. Is it the most forgiving of the bunch? Nope.. but is it a very playable and consistent driver for its class? ABSOLUTELY!” – azstu324

Want to read the full reviews? Go here: Forum Member Reviews: Callaway Paradym Drivers

What is Forum Member Testing?

MyGolfSpy offers all its community members a unique opportunity to test, review and keep equipment. This includes a variety of different golf equipment, apps, apparel and more. Successful candidates are selected by Forum staff.

Members who are selected interact, engage and write a review on the specific product. All while enjoying the fun of trying new gear!

Member testing is vital because it gets gear in the hands of you, the golfer. Our members give honest feedback on how any product or service works. We select a variety of handicaps and abilities to ensure our readers are even more informed when making purchasing decisions. 

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