New for 2023: Callaway Paradym, Paradym X, Paradym Triple Diamond drivers
Gear: Callaway Paradym, Paradym X, Paradym Triple Diamond drivers
Price: $599.99 with Aldila Ascent PL Blue shaft, Project X HZRDUS Silver shaft, Project X HZRDUS Black shaft or Mitsubishi Kai’Li White shaft and Golf Pride Tour Velvet grips.
Specs: Forged carbon composite with titanium face, moveable weight and adjustable hosel.
Available: Feb. 24
Who They’re For: Golfers who want more ball speed and tighter downrange dispersion.
The Skinny: By making the entire middle portion of the Paradym drivers with carbon fiber, Callaway created significant amounts of discretionary weight that – in combination with hitting areas designed using artificial intelligence, Jailbreak and adjustability – can lead to more distance and tighter downrange dispersion.
The Deep Dive: In addition to all having an adjustable hosel that lets players and fitters increase or decrease the lofts, the Paradym, Paradym X and Paradym Triple Diamond share three features that enhance their performance.
360 Carbon Chassis
The entire center section of the Paradym drivers is made of carbon fiber. (Callaway)
Callaway has designed drivers with carbon fiber crowns for years because the lightweight material is strong, and taking the weight out of the top lowers the center of gravity to enhance performance. The company also has designed drivers that have carbon fiber in portions of the sole to strategically remove more weight. Now with the Paradym drivers, Callaway is using two different types of carbon fiber in the center of the head and removing all the titanium and metal pieces in that area.
The crown is made using triaxial carbon fiber that is especially strong, while the sole is made from forged composite created by chopping up carbon fiber pieces, melting them together then shaping the material. Opting for forged carbon allowed Callaway designers to create shapes that could not be manufactured in other ways. The result of bonding the two carbon fiber areas is a chassis that is 44 percent lighter than a titanium body.
Updated Jailbreak
The Jailbreak system has been updated into a Y-shaped piece. (Callaway)
In 2017, Callaway debuted a technology called Jailbreak in the Great Big Bertha Epic driver. It was a pair of internal bars that connected the club’s sole and crown. At impact the Jailbreak bars stiffened the chassis so energy would be redirected back to the ball instead of being wasted in deforming the head.
Callaway has tweaked and updated Jailbreak over the last six years, and now for the Paradym drivers, Jailbreak has a new look.
Designed with the help of artificial intelligence to work hand-in-hand with the titanium face, the new Jailbreak system looks like a skinny “Y” in the Paradym drivers, but it still connects the sole and crown. The most significant difference is it weighs 33 percent less than the Jailbreak Speed Frame used in last season’s Rogue ST drivers.
A.I. Cup Face
Callaway Paradym driver (David Dusek/Golfweek)
After programming powerful computers to prioritize benefits such as ball speed, forgiveness and spin rate, Callaway’s Epic Flash driver in 2019 was the brand’s first offering to feature a face designed using artificial intelligence. The system simulated thousands of shots hit with thousands of different faces to learn how tiny changes in the design of the hitting area could improve performance.
Using the same system, each Paradym driver has a unique face with a series of ridges and valleys of various thicknesses. Each loft of each driver has a different face because the most desirable attributes change based on the type of golfers who likely will use each club.
The face insert is held in place by a titanium face cup that extends from the front of the club, around the heel, toe, topline and leading edge and into the carbon fiber chassis. Shaped like a cup, it allows Callaway designers to make certain areas thinner more efficiently for increased deflection over a more significant portion of the hitting zone.
Standard Paradym
The Callaway Paradym has a moveable weight in the back. (David Dusek/Golfweek)
Available in lofts of 9, 10.5 and 12 degrees, the standard Paradym driver is a 460-cubic-centimeter design with a 15-gram sliding weight in the back of the head to allow players and fitters to shift the center of gravity and create a draw or fade bias. Callaway said it produces about 12 yards of left-or-right adjustability.
The Paradym has a clean look at address with a glossy, deep blue crown. (David Dusek/Golfweek)
Callaway said this club will fit the most players because, in addition to moveable weight, the Paradym has the highest moment of inertia of the three new offerings, so it should be the most stable on off-center hits.
Paradym X
The Paradym X driver is larger from front to back than the standard Paradym. (David Dusek/Golfweek)
The Paradym X is slightly larger from face to back than the standard Paradym, and it is also available in lofts of 9, 10.5 and 12 degrees. This club was designed to appeal to golfers who slice because it has the most significant draw bias.
While Paradym X does not have a moveable weight in the back, it does come standard with a 5-gram weight in the back. This driver produces a higher launch and slightly more backspin than the standard Paradym.
Paradym Triple Diamond
The Callaway Paradym Triple Diamond has weights in the back and front of the sole. (David Dusek/Golfweek)
This likely will be the most popular version among PGA Tour players and fast-swing golfers. The Paradym Triple Diamond is available in lofts of 8, 9 and 10.5 degrees, and it has forward and back weight ports. It comes standard with a 2-gram weight in the back and a 14-gram weight in the front, and in this setup the center of gravity is more forward to decrease spin with a lower launch. Fitters can swap the weights to shift the center of gravity back and generate more spin (250 rpm) and a higher launch if necessary.
The Paradym Triple Diamond has a more-compact head shape and no draw or fade bias.
