PXG 0311 Black Ops Vs Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Driver

The PXG 0311 Black Ops driver has reached the 10k MOI promised land.

But is that enough to make it better than the Paradym Ai Smoke?

PXG 0311 Black Ops Driver Overview

The PXG 0311 Black Ops Driver

“The PXG 0311 Black Ops features three interchangeable weight ports, carbon fiber crown and AMF titanium alloy face.”

It has a large footprint with a triangular shape – very confidence-inspiring. You can feel the 10k MOI at work.

The PXG 0311 Black Ops driver wants to fly straight. Even on my low-face heelside misses, I wasn’t getting much of a curve out of the ball.

Your mis-hits will stay in front of you and land on the fairway. The PXG 0311 Black Ops driver sells for $600.

Callaway Ai Smoke Driver Overview

“The Ai smoke driver features a carbon fiber crown and sole, sliding weight and AI-designed face.”

The blue “Smoke” lettering plays off the carbon fiber sole very well. Overall, it’s a cool-looking driver.

And the sliding weight makes it versatile. But the dispersion just wasn’t as tight as the PXG 0311 Black Ops. The Ai Smoke sells for $600.

“The 10k MOI really made a difference and put the performance of the PXG 0311 Black Ops driver ahead of the Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke.”

PXG 0311 Black Ops Driver – First Impressions

“I was first blown away with the dispersion.”

I hit a variety of shots (fat, thin, draws etc.) during my testing and after all was said and done, my average off-line divergence was just 11.4 yards.

I was blown away by the fact that no matter how I was swinging this driver, it was still producing very favorable lies.

Again, this was with the standard weight configuration (2.5g weights up front and the 12.5g weight in the back.

So I can only imagine what my dispersion would look like if I had moved the front weights up to 5 grams. But I digress.

The PXG 0311 Black Ops driver has an exceptionally solid feel thanks in part to the AMF (Advanced Material Face) face design but also because of the natural frequency optimization.

This is a design that the PXG engineers used to finetune the inherent vibration patterns on the club head – resulting in a pleasing frequency and inhibition of vibration.

And you can really feel the high MOI at play. For the uninitiated, high MOI essentially translates to tight dispersion because it keeps the head and face from deflecting or warping.

This minimizes cut spin which keeps the ball on-line.

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.”

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.

PXG 0311 Black Ops Selling Points

Advanced Material Face
Natural frequency optimization
Three movable weight ports
Carbon fiber crown and sole
Robotic face polishing
High launching
Low spin
Many custom shaft options

Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Max Selling Points

Sliding track weight
Full carbon filter chassis
Internal titanium bracing
AI-designed face
Lightweight performance

Who is the PXG 0311 Black Ops Driver for?

“The PXG 0311 Black Ops driver is great for mid and high handicappers.”

It’s actually hard to think of a group of players who couldn’t do with more forgiveness and tighter dispersion but I reserve my universal recommendation because of the head shape and launch.

Single-digit handicappers probably won’t get the most speed out of the PXG 0311 Black Ops because of the head size and the launch angles are probably too high for players who get extra carry by keeping the ball low.

But other than that, the PXG 0311 Black Ops is an excellent driver for anyone who wants near-automatic straight drives or anyone who wants the ability to shape shots to a fine degree.

Distance: 96/100

Accuracy: 98/100

Forgiveness: 98/100

Feel & Control: 97/100

The PXG 0311 Black Ops Driver

Overall Score: 98/100

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.