Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Fairway Review – Is it Good & Forgiving for High Handicappers?

“2024 sees Callaway offer their latest line of Paradym woods: the Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke series.”

As if we weren’t spoiled enough with the 2023 Paradym series. In the new year, Callaway promises even more forgiveness and enhanced tech.

The Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke fairway woods were designed with the analytical help of AI with thousands of swings from real players.

The first thing we notice is that the clubs look much better than the preceding Paradym which wasn’t the most visually appealing in our view.

The end result, so they say, is a face architecture that offers extreme forgiveness and distance. But does the Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke fairway wood live up to these lofty claims?

We were fortunate enough to get our hands on the Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Max which is the specific Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke fairway wood that we tested for this review.

We will be getting more Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke fairway woods in soon so be sure to check back for those reviews. But for now, let’s take a look at what we can expect from the other Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke fairway woods.

The Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Fairway Wood Family

“The original Paradym series of fairway woods included three unique models. The new Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke series has four to offer.”

Aside from the Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Max Fairway Wood which we will be covering extensively in this review, there are three other models:

• Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Max D – As you may have already guessed, the “D” denotes draw bias. The Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Max D also has an elongated head shape and will be available in 15, 16.5, 18 and 21 degree loft versions.
• Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Max Fast – The Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Max Fast is the only new fairway wood that does not offer an adjustable hosel in the 3W or 3HL version. Instead, you get a fully bonded hosel which brings down the overall weight. It will be available in 16, 19, 22 and 25 degree loft versions
• Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond – The Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond will have the most compact head shape of all four fairway woods. It will be available in 15, 18 and 21 degree loft versions.

Is it Good for High Handicappers?

 

“In true Callaway fashion, the Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Max has a shallow face profile.”

So even before I took a swing, I felt as though this thing was going to launch high. And I was right. The Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Max 3W was consistently producing 13-14 degree launch angles for me and getting plenty  of hang time which is a plus if you’re a high handicapper and rely on launch as your means of carry.

And both the 3W and the 3HL (high launch) versions of this fairway wood feature adjustable hosels so with the Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Max 3W you can essentially achieve a loft anywhere between 14 and 17 degrees. Again, this is a nice option for high handicappers who are still looking for their ideal launch window and may need to do some tweaking.

The Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Max also features a full carbon fiber chassis which frees up weight for split distribution. This means that 12g of weight are positioned forward in the head and 12 grams are positioned in the back of the head. This allows for reduced ball spin and increased forgiveness on mis-hits.

The end result? Excellent ball speed even when you miss the sweet spot. Much like the Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Max driver, which I have also recently reviewed, one of the main benefits of the Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Max fairway wood is increased ball speeds. I was averaging ball speeds in the high 150-low 160 MPH range during my testing.

Is it Forgiving?

“The highest off-line divergence I got during my test session with the Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Max fairway wood was 15.6 degrees.”

And that was on a metallic, heel shot – nearly a hosel rocket. So yes, the Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Max is a forgiving wood. It’s very easy to get high launch if that’s what you need and the effortless increase in ball speed will have you nailing the green from the tee or from the fairway on those daunting par 5’s.

The Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Max allowed me to thread the needle even when I missed the sweet spot as well. In fact, I would say that much of the face is effectively the sweet spot thanks to the advanced AI-design.

Difference Between the Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Max and Smoke Ai Max D Fairway Woods

“The Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Max has more loft options than the Max D.”

The standard Max version comes in 15, 16.5, 18, 21, 20, 24 and 27 degree loft versions. The Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Max D comes in 15, 16.5, 18 and 21 degree versions. They also have different head shapes: the Max D has a more elongated head shape while the Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Max has a more rounded shape.

And of course, the Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Max is devoid of the internal draw weighting that the Max D version boasts.

Available Shafts

• MCA Tensei AV Series Blue 75 and 65 Graphite
• Project X Cypher 2.0 40 and 50 Graphite

Is the Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Max Fairway Wood Worth it?

“If you are the type of player who uses the entire face, it’s totally worth it.”

Mind you it’s a brand-spanking new club so it will cost a pretty penny. But if you’re a high handicapper, it will be worth the investment because it will increase your distance and make intimidating par 5’s much more manageable.