Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Vs Cobra Darkspeed Driver
Which of the new 2024 drivers is the better GI driver? Find out in the following comparison.
Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Driver Overview
“The Ai Smoke Max features an adjustable weight, forged carbon sole and AI-designed face.”
The blue lettering set against the “smoke” graphics looks a bit awkward but the sliding rear weight allows for 19 yards of shot-shaping so this is a very versatile driver.
Whether you tend to hook or slice the ball, this driver can help. It’s also a bit more compact than the Cobra Darkspeed driver. The Smoke Ai driver sells new for $600.
Cobra Darkspeed Driver Overview
“The Cobra Darkspeed Max driver features adjustable weights, HOT face design and PWR-BRIDGE forward weighting.”
The Cobra Darkspeed max has a large footprint so it looks very forgiving behind the ball. Heel and rear weight ports allow you to tweak launch and impart draw bias for straighter shots.
I was amazed at the low spin numbers I was getting from such a large driver. The Cobra Darkspeed sells for $550.
“High handicappers will likely prefer the forgiveness and adjustability of the Cobra Darkspeed even as the Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke is a formidable GI driver.”
Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Driver
In 20 Words or Less
“Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Max has better speed across the face and a more solid internal frame. A Big Upgrade.”
Cobra Darkspeed Driver
In 20 Words or Less
“The Cobra darkspeed plays into the trend of exceptionally straight 2024 drivers very well and can certainly help with accuracy.”
Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Max Driver – First Impressions
“The Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Max was instantly light and fast.”
I fell into a groove with it pretty quickly and found that I could use the entire expanse of the face and still find the fairway.
In fact, I had to work pretty hard to hit the ball heavy or thin enough to produce a significant decrease in ball speed.
The launch was pretty much where I like it: in the 10.5-12 degree window. And I found that I could work it just a bit lower or higher without much effort.
The performance of the Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Max has me really excited about what the entire Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke line and how to technology carries over between the range.
Cobra Darkspeed Driver – First Impressions
“The Cobra Darkspeed really impressed me with how low the spin figures were.”
This garnered me good carry distance and excellent rollout. The Cobra Darkspeed felt really fast right away and I was surprised at how light it felt given the relatively large footprint.
It seems that Cobra really did gain something by working with aerospace engineers because by some modern magic, they have made a large, forgiving driver that is light and doesn’t impart insane spin on the ball.
A lot of the low spin has to do with the PWR bridge weight which is positioned low and more forward in the head than any previous Cobra driver.
The forward positioning helps to mute the spin – otherwise this driver would probably produce 2600+ RPMs.
My feeling after testing was that this would be a really good driver for high handicappers who need to produce more favorable lies and get every hole started off right.
The dispersion was very tight and if you need the extra forgiveness, you can just slap the heavy weight in the rear position. So the Cobra Darkspeed Max is versatile as well.
Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Max Selling Points
- Sliding track weight
- Full carbon filter chassis
- Internal titanium bracing
- AI-designed face
- Lightweight performance
Cobra Darkspeed Max Driver Selling Points
- AI-designed HOT face
- Low and forward POWER bridge weight
- Adjustable rear and heel weights
- Designed with aerospace engineers
- Larger PWRSHELL face
- Free Arccos smart sensors
Who is the Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Max for?
“The Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Max continues the legacy of forgiving drivers suitable for mid and high handicappers.”
The main benefit here is distance. When I swung out of my shoes, I was adding 10+ yards to my G430 Max driver distance. And it doesn’t take much to stay out of the rough because the face and body are designed to stay ridiculously stable on all kinds of mis-hits.
Callaway has really upped their game in terms of forgiveness so I have no reservations about saying that the Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Max is a great starting point for high handicappers.
Every golfer would benefit from the near-instant distance boost this driver provides and its sheer reliability off the tee. The Max will be used by most golfers but the Triple diamond is also available for the Elite players.
The Paradym Ai Smoke is a big upgrade from the Paradym and is definitely in the running for best driver of 2024.
Distance: 98/100
Accuracy: 95/100
Forgiveness: 96/100
Feel & Control: 94/100
Overall Score: 98/100
Who is the Cobra Darkspeed Driver for?
“The Cobra Darkspeed Max driver would be a good choice for players in the 18-25 handicap range.”
With a face and sweet spot this large, it’s hard to miss which makes it a good choice for 20+ handicappers.
But the low spin rates will let more experienced players take advantage of their faster swing speeds and maximize their distance.
Plus, the adjustable weights make the Cobra Darkspeed Max so versatile that most players will be able to shape their shots for added distance and accuracy.
And of course, if you’re struggling to drive the ball straight, the Cobra Darkspeed Max would be an excellent choice.
Distance: 96/100
Accuracy: 98/100
Forgiveness: 97/100
Feel & Control: 97/100
Overall Score: 97/100
