Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke MAX Driver Review
Disclosure: Some of the links in this article may be affiliate links, which can provide compensation to me at no cost to you if you decide to purchase.
In this article, I will give my honest Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke MAX review after taking it into the Trackman studio for multiple sessions to get the rundown of the numbers.
I delve into this new AI-infused driver from an experienced amateur golfer’s perspective and see if the Paradym Ai Smoke MAX can bring the same excitement as the Callaway Paradym X driver.
The predecessor offered an exhilarating feel and consistent distance, coupled with a beautiful design, so does the stated new Ai infusion kick the Paradym Ai Smoke MAX into the future?
Let's jump in!
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Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke MAX Driver Review in Short
Although I was disappointed with the overall design of the Paradym Ai Smoke MAX driver, there is no hesitancy to say that my favorite features are forgiveness and consistent accuracy.
The distance was steady and reliable, and you will get a nice performing driver, but I found multiple (more personal design taste) issues that would make me hesitant to pay the $600 new driver price tag.
However, if you're simply after a high quality build and performance club, the Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke MAX driver will appease you.
Pros and Cons of the Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke MAX Driver
Pros
Very accurate.
Good forgiveness.
Consistently good distance.
Nice launch and ball flight.
Cons
Premium price tag.
Appearance is unimpressive.
Boring sound.
Not exciting off the face.
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Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke MAX Driver Performance
Specs of the Paradym Ai Smoke MAX I tested: 10.5 Loft, Standard Lie, Standard Length, Stiff Flex, Mitsubishi Chemical Tensei AV Blue 65 Graphite shaft.
I gave the Paradym Ai Smoke MAX driver a good run in the studio on Trackman, hitting 31 drives. I used Pro V1 RCT (Radar Capture Technology) golf balls to get accurate data.
Here is the data from my testing session:
Avg Carry Yards | Avg Total Yards | Avg Swing Speed (mph) | Avg Ball Speed (mph) | Avg Spin Rate (rpm) |
218.04 | 236.29 | 93.40 | 134.30 | 2887 |
Appearance: C+
The Paradym Ai Smoke MAX is a step down from the very classy Paradym line it succeeds. This rating for appearance may seem harsh, but I factored my disappointment into it.
It feels like Cobra and Callaway traded design teams before work began on the newly released 2024 drivers. Cobra went from the toyish Aerojet MAX driver look to a very strong DARKSPEED MAX driver design.
I noted that the design of the Paradym and Paradym X drivers have a classy look that commands respect. With the Paradym Ai Smoke MAX, the Callaway design team made the sole with a gray color and smoke effect, as well as aerodynamic indents on the top and bottom of the sole with little lines.
Honestly, overall, it looks more like a Fisher Price style. It feels a bit cheaply designed, even though the cost is not. When looking at the sole, the shape also reminded me of the beak of a platypus or a duckbill shape, and it just didn’t strike me as nice.
The positive areas of the Paradym Ai Smoke MAX driver look are the beautiful (and consistent) Callaway driver face, the very smart looking carbon weave on the crown, and the front edge of the sole having the reflective metal strip (brought forward from the Paradym X model) that has a classy look to it.
Aside from that, I was pretty disappointed with the design, which I thought looked too much like a toy.
Sound: C+
Another area of disappointment for me was the sound that the Paradym Ai Smoke MAX makes on contact.
I best describe it as being like a heavier thud sound; honestly, it’s kind of boring to hit.
The sound is nothing exciting, and this is another feature where the Paradym Ai Smoke MAX fell short compared to the Paradym X.
Forgiveness/Feel: B+
On a positive note, the forgiveness on the Paradym Ai Smoke MAX driver is as you would expect. The Ai Smart Face does its job and allows for good results even if you are hitting off of the toe.
You are rarely punished for off-center hits to the heel or toe, which is all you can ask for as an amateur.
Distance: A-
The distance was consistent and as expected from the Paradym Ai Smoke MAX driver.
My longest drive on trackman was 259.3 yards. My average total yards of ~236 with this driver was about 15 yards less than my other recent driver tests.
The reason is that I tested this driver with a stiff shaft, which caused my average swing speed to be about 5 mph slower than my average with regular flex shafts. The general conversion is about 2-3 yards per every mph of swing speed, which makes the Paradym Ai Smoke MAX comparable to the other drivers I have hit recently.
If I used a regular flex shaft, my approximately 98 mph average swing speed would get me 10-15 more yards, putting average total yards of the Paradym Ai Smoke MAX up around my usual 250 yard average.
All in all, it is a nice consistent distance giving driver. The one issue I did notice was that the average spin rate was too high for where I want it to be, which is in the mid 2000s range. With the Paradym Ai Smoke MAX, my average spin rate was up at just under 2900 rpm.
Accuracy: A
Another area of strength with the Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke MAX driver is accuracy. I was not getting my usual distance out of the driver because of the stiff shaft slowing down my average swing speed, however even on drives there I felt the club face was either too open or too closed on a less than perfect swing, I was still fairway after fairway which felt fantastic.
There were really only a few instances where I pushed something too far offline, but for the majority of the 30+ drives I hit on Trackman, I would be happy with where I would end up having to hit my second shots from.
Callaway has done a good job with the reliability and consistency in this area.
Overall Swing Enjoyment: B-
The Paradym Ai Smoke MAX driver is solid in terms of performance. However, for the various reasons I noted above, the sound and appearance of it made swinging relatively boring for a long period.
Yes the distance was solid and the accuracy was consistent, but I just didn't enjoy it as much as other drivers. It didn't have the wow factor which is important to me when adding fun into the equation that is my golf game.
Value: Is the Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke MAX Driver Worth it?
Look, I can’t argue that you don’t get a very consistent driver in both accuracy and forgiveness. You do get those features. You will also get a good-quality build that provides solid distance.
My biggest problem with the Paradym Ai Smoke MAX is that Callaway either really tried too hard to think outside the box with the design or it feels rushed. It is hard to tell which it is.
To be quite frank, hitting with it just feels a bit boring. It gives that consistency in the areas mentioned above. Still, the sound is heavy and dull, and it doesn’t have that electrifying feel off the face that I have experienced with other recently released drivers (like the TaylorMade Qi10 MAX or Cobra DARKSPEED MAX drivers) or even the Paradym X.
Robot testing cannot account for that, which is something that I find important as an amateur golfer. Do I want the best result possible out of my driver? Yes, of course. I want to hit it far with accuracy.
But I also want to have a lot of fun doing so. The Paradym X felt absolutely electric and exciting to hit. Aside from the steady forgiveness and consistent accuracy, I didn’t get that same exciting feeling when hitting the Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke MAX driver, and it was more of a feeling of boring disappointment.
Personally, I would rather spend $600 on a more fun driver to hit with comparable results. However, if you're simply after a high quality build and performance club, the Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke MAX driver will appease you.
Order here for the LOWEST PRICE AVAILABLE:
Disclosure: These links can provide a commission to me in order to run the website, at no extra cost to you 🙂
What Tech is in the Paradym Ai Smoke MAX Driver?
Using the Paradym model tech, Callaway has made some adjustments and implemented those into the new Ai Smoke line of drivers over the original Paradym models.
One thing they removed from this new Ai Smoke line of drivers is the Jailbreak technology, opting to disperse that weight previously used by the Jailbreak tech throughout the clubface for their added forgiveness.
The leading tech in the Ai Smoke drivers includes:
AI Smart Face
Callaway claims and trademarks it as the “World's First AI Smart Face” by taking the data of thousands of real golfers' swing dynamics and optimizing those into the driver performance off the face.
They call all the swing dynamics involved (swing speed, club delivery, etc.) their “Swing Code,” and it’s like, okay, yeah, we get it. You used a computer to analyze data.
Micro Deflections
Callaway has, again stated with pride, used their AI Smart Face Technology to generate what they call “micro deflections” all over the face.
Callaway says these micro deflections are “activated on impact” and help optimize launch and spin on off-center shots.
Callaway is just rebranding the term “forgiveness” into a futuristic description, acting as if there are all these little nanobots all over the face, ready to shock your ball into space. The reality is, “try too hard” marketing aside, they have made a very forgiving driver.
Refined 360 Carbon Chassis
Callaway has focused on moving some of the weight designed in the Paradym driver line from the carbon chassis to the head.
Callaway notes that they added a titanium support structure, allowing them to decrease the weight of the carbon chassis by 15%. This is in keeping with the theme of the AI Smart Face, which aims to improve forgiveness.
Who Should Play the Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke MAX Driver?
The cool thing about this driver is that it is intended for a wide scope of golfers.
You can be that very unpolished beginner or high handicap golfer who needs as much stability and forgiveness as they can get off the tee and do well with the Paradym Ai Smoke MAX, or a better mid handicap player who wants that consistent fairway finder and does have good distance.
How We Test and Our Methodology
Golferperformance.com is a 100% independent publisher aiming to provide tips to improve your golf game and bring more relatable equipment reviews after first-hand club testing.
At Golfer Performance, we personally purchase the products we test, ensuring that our reviews are not influenced by any company or manufacturer. This commitment to independence guarantees the integrity of our opinions and decisions.
After purchasing the products, we conduct hands-on testing in our Trackman studio and/or out on the course to report statistical performance and a first-hand feel for each product.
Jeff K is our resident expert and author. He has 20+ years of experience playing golf and solving swing problems that everyday golfers deal with, bringing his game to mid-handicapper status and shooting scores in the low-to-mid 80s.
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Disclosure: Some of the links in this article may be affiliate links, which can provide compensation to me at no cost to you if you decide to purchase.