WE TRIED IT! Callaway Paradym Driver

By Michael Cooney

WHAT a review we have this month! I was lucky to receive an invitation to Callaway’s new product launch of the Paradym range at the Peninsula Kingswood Country Club. 

I thought the day would run like most product launch days where we test products, have a presentation about the product and that would be all. How wrong was I. The day couldn’t be more of the opposite.

Upon arrival, I saw a huge Callaway Paradym sign and I was already excited. The short distance down the driveway I then saw where the people from the Weber barbecue team setting up to what looks like a barbecue area on the course. 

To my right, I saw the driving range where the Callaway team had set up their fitting station and I turn to my right again, and there was a beautiful BMW parked on one of the par-3 tees which was up for grabs for anyone had a hole-in-one.

Sadly, I didn’t drive away in a new BMW. Then I quickly realised that this wasn’t like any other product launch. This is only the beginning of what turned out to be the best product launch I’ve experienced.

At registration, we were greeted with new shirt, caps, bags, umbrellas, and then the format for the day. We got briefed on how the day was going to run followed by how we going to try and experience the product. 

Out on the course there was eight different challenges and on each of those challenges we got to try the entire Paradym range. Mostly, at a product launch that just includes a new driver, but this time we got to try the fairway woods, the hybrids and the irons. (We’ll review these next month). 

As a product launch day this day could not have been better. 

We were at one of Australia’s best golf courses and we got to experience the full Paradym range whilst enjoying all the extras on offer!

Now to the products. 

To get a more in-depth understanding of the product, I went down to the Callaway fitting centre in Melbourne and tried Paradym range and got fitted. Let’s start with the driver.

From a pure look perspective, this driver reminds me of my first driver – the original Callaway ERC fusion. It was especially nostalgic when you set the club on the ground the thin grey top line followed by the chequered pattern on top. 

Let’s talk more about technology behind the Paradym Driver. 

The driver head has an industry first 360° carbon chassis which will allow for unprecedented weight distribution for maximum distance. The carbon crown and forge carbon sole is 44% lighter than a titanium chassis. 

By moving this weight, it is being repositioned for a high MOI and increased forgiveness. From firsthand experience, this couldn’t be any truer. 

When testing the driver, the most impressive component to it was the fact that my low heel strikes went so much further than my current driver. 

Some might say the driver goes further thanks to the longer shaft. In fact, I have my driver half an inch shorter than the Callaway standard so it’s purely in the design.

The club that I really enjoyed was the Paradym triple diamond driver head; it’s only a slightly smaller head at 450 CC however, when sitting it on the ground I just loved it. 

That’s not to say I didn’t also enjoy the Paradym and Paradym X head shape and design. I just felt like the triple diamond head was best for me. 

The results back that up as I was able to launch the ball higher with less spin and work the ball – a little left and a little right – when I needed to. When you go to compare the head designs, and what they can do, they all offer different characteristics. The triple diamond has a lower launch head, the Paradym X has a slightly higher launching head and the Paradym being in mid- to high-launch. Something I did notice when trying out the three heads was the lie angle. I felt like the lie angle of the triple diamond was flatter than the Paradym mix. 

In fact, it’s 3° more upright than the triple diamond, so when it comes to going to get fitted for your Callaway Paradym driver range, make sure you either adjust the driver accordingly, and ask the fitters for their opinion.

Drivers: RRP: $1069.99
www.callawaygolf.com.au

Michael Cooney is a teaching professional at the PGA Centre for Learning and Performance at the Sandhurst Golf Club in Melbourne and is always on the hunt for the latest and greatest in golf products.