Callaway Golf Paradym Ai Smoke Driver, Woods, Hybrids, and Irons Preview: First Look

Callaway Golf has announced their new line of Paradym Ai Smoke Drivers, Woods, Hybrids, and Irons that create sweet spots across the entire face.  You read that correctly.  The entire face.

The all-new Ai Smart Face in each of these clubs optimizes performance by controlling face deflections everywhere on the face.  And the result is shots that are longer, dispersion that's tighter, and precision that's deadly even when your margin for error is small.

An Intro to Callaway's Ai Smart Face

Ai Smart Face is a Callaway design technology based on swing dynamics drawn from thousands of golfers over an extended period of time.  These swing dynamics (or Swing Code as Callaway calls it) consist of swing speed, club delivery, and face orientation just prior to impact.

Callaway categorized over 250,000+ swings from fitting environments, fitting studios, and driving ranges globally.  With that extensive data collection and machine learning they built a platform of more than 80,000 lines of custom code to create a sophisticated face that's unlike any other and quantum leap in performance.

We'll go deeper into Ai Smart Face now with each type of club (driver, wood, iron, and hybrid) because each club has been optimized to achieve different outcomes based on the needs of different golfers.

Ai Smart Face in the New Paradym Ai Smoke Drivers

Callaway Ai Smart Face has been about a 15 year journey where designs and engines have been built and rebuilt using Ai to predict what's possible with face technology.  Not only with COR benefits and ball speeds but now using even more sophisticated data to solve for more sophisticated outcomes.

So with Paradym Ai Smoke Callaway did more than just improve things like mass properties, MOI, and carbon chassis.  Callaway actually changed the face topography by allowing the face to deflect in different ways over different parts of the face.  Essentially it's Callaway controlling outcomes in these localized or specific impact spot areas in addition to across the face as a whole.

A Closer Look at Ai Smart Face

The three key aspects to Callaway's new Ai Smart Face are the Swing Code, Ai Face Optimization, and Micro Deflections.

1. Swing Code

Rather than designing a driver (and face) in a neutral, static environment or with neutral, robotic perfect swings Callaway broke away from that and designed and modeled Paradym Ai Smoke drivers and woods based on how golfers actually deliver the club.

As mentioned above, Callaway took all the player tested data and categorized this to come up with four unique driver designs and models.  This is the Swing Code.

Components of Swing Code include club head speed, impact locations, path, angle of attack, face angle relative to path, dynamic loft and lie.  It's really an elaborate look at all the components of a swing that affect what your ball does off the face.

So for example the Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Max D (a true draw model) and Smoke Max Fast (lightweight spec and easier to launch) drivers are designed based on the Swing Code for players who come into impact with a patch from the outside (or over the top, down and across the ball), with a face that's open to path, and typically with impact locations ranging from low heel to high toe.

And then Callaway had Ai design a face for these drivers that will react best and produce the best results for swings delivered this way.  It's fascinating how in depth and exact this all is.

Compare this to the Callaway Ai Smoke MAX driver which will be for players with a path into impact still from the outside (but much less so), with a more upright attack, having higher swing speeds, more consistent impact locations across the face, and with a face still a little open to path.

For players with a path into impact that's more neutral with a face that's square to that path, who swing up on the ball and have the most consistent impact positions across the face, and typically have  the highest swing speeds seeking lowest possible spin you have the Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond.

So as you can see Paradym Ai Smoke isn't merely about driver impact positions delivered in a neutral way.  Callaway has designed all these drivers using millions of data points in an incredibly sophisticated process to deliver the unique performance benefits that uniquely different swings demand.

2. Ai Face Optimization

Ai Face Optimization is how the face is actually created and what the Ai is really doing.  And the result is Paradym Ai Smoke truly optimizing performance.

Callaway's modeling system was designed to predict (and solve for) outcomes off different locations on the face taking into consideration different swing deliveries.  The process takes over 50,000 impact simulations to discover the ideal outcome for every shot on the face (no matter it's location) by flexing the face differently and changing the way the face reacts in those different isolated impact locations.

To get to the ideal face (or solution), Callaway selects 50,000+ virtual faces to test and verify results.  And that's a big advantage for Callaway.  Typically, in a golf club development cycle it takes time to get parts. So depending on product launch cycles you might get only three to six opportunities to see a part and test it.  Even Callaway's very first Ai Smoke prototype showed a leap forward in downrange dispersion compared to the previous gen Paradym.

Essentially Ai Face Optimization is improving every outcome from every shot on the face no matter where impact occurs.

3. Micro Deflection

This one's pretty crazy.  Callaway calls it creating sweet spots all over the face.  So let's talk about what Micro Deflection is exactly and what it does.

Micro Deflection is basically a face construction that controls localized (individual areas) flex to control how the ball reacts over every specific area of the face.  So for example a strike location in the heel normally results in a lot of cut spin.  But Callaway has been able to deflect and resist cut spin.  Similarly on toe strikes where you often get sidespin Callaway again has controlled this location to resist gear effect.

And remember you have unique faces (and unique Micro Deflection) for each of the four driver models.  Each new Paradym Ai Smoke driver is basically a unique solution for different types of golfers based on their swing deliveries.

A Whole New Way of Creating Forgiveness and Stability

MOI is still important and a primary tool in making a driver more forgiving and more stable.  But with Micro Deflection Callaway has seen better dispersion (compared to the old Paradym) across the board in both player and robot testing for all models.

The Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond in particular has become more forgiving and stable (and this isn't usually the type or kind of driver designed for forgiveness or stability.  A whole new level of consistency was seen with added distances of 12 yards, 9 yards, 11 yards, 8 yards all over the face and with tighter dispersion (consistency).

It's been nothing short of spectacular.  And in fact the results with all four models were the best anyone at Callaway has ever seen (both in player and robot testing).  Micro deflections tested all over the Paradym Ai Smoke faces saw improved launch and spin conditions, improved downrange distances and accuracy, greater forgiveness and stability.  Foresight, Trackman, indoor, outdoor, player and robot testing all showed Paradym Ai Smoke with consistently better results than the previous gen Paradym (which in itself set a pretty high standard in 2023).

Ai Smart Face in the New Paradym Ai Smoke Woods

Callaway Swing Code exists in the new Ai Smoke fairway woods as well but in a slightly different fashion.  It's the same approach taken as in the drivers.  So there's categorizing player swings with fairway woods to find commonalities and differences in path and face angles.

But Callaway found consistently different and lower impact face locations (with even more players swinging down on the ball) on testing with the fairway woods compared to the drivers.  So Callaway took all the Swing Code data and designed the Ai Smoke fairway woods using Ai Smart Face to create optimal results for the different fairway wood deliveries (with particular attention paid to low face performance).

Every Paradym Ai Smoke fairway wood face was designed to optimize launch and spin, creating sweet spots across the entire face, based on the player and machine testing and Swing Code data (as with the drivers).

The Ai Smoke fairway wood Carbon Chassis was also refined to promote enhanced launch, spin, and increased forgiveness.  And a new Tungsten Speed Cartridge to push center of gravity (CG) down lower and more forward also helps improve launch and distance.

Like with the drivers four fairway wood models are available.  The Ai Smoke Max is the most extensive offering for consistent launch and a neutral ball flight.  Max D is built with high MOI for players looking for shot shape correction.  Triple Diamond (more compact, deeper faced) is suited for better players who want more workability.  And Max Fast is the lightest weight model, providing a forgiving shape that’s easy to launch with draw bias.

Ai Smart Face in the New Paradym Ai Smoke Irons

Using Ai Smart Face Callaway achieved the same kind of breakthrough with the Paradym Ai Smoke irons as they did with the drivers and woods.

And with an Ai-led approach on these irons Callaway created a clear differentiation in iron models to perform differently and ideally in the hands of different golfers.

Callaway looked at specific points all over the entire face of the irons (like they did with drivers and woods) and discovered how to control launch and spin, and manipulate ball trajectories off these different points on the face.  

And (again by using Ai) they were able to control face deflections and improve outcomes on shots hit all over the face.  For each Ai Smoke iron model Callaway maximized distance, tightened accuracy and dispersion, and produced ideal landing angles.  And ultimately this is going to help golfers hit more greens.

A Quick Look at the Paradym Ai Smoke Iron Models

There are three Paradym Ai Smoke iron models.  The standard Ai Smoke, the Ai Smoke HL, and the Ai Smoke Max Fast

1. Paradym Ai Smoke

For all iron models it started with the work Callaway did on Swing Codes but this time specific to irons.  And the results were very different.  Callaway didn't see the same wide range of path and face angle as they did with drivers and woods.  Instead they found wider variations in speed and players with faster and slower speeds had fundamentally different outcomes.

Looking at stronger lofted modern spec packages, players with speed still generated plenty of launch and spin with those spec packages but control was lacking or sacrificed.  So for those higher speed players Callaway used Ai to harness that power with a modern hollow body construction. And by harnessing that power and speed Callaway was able to increase dispersion control by manipulating areas of the face.

The standard Paradym Ai Smoke irons still added distance, but they also added downrange dispersion and control to help these irons also be more accurate for higher speed players.  And the shape of Paradym Ai Smoke irons are aspirational in that the sole is little thinner, the top thinner as well.  And it's a clean hollow body look that many players currently gravitate to.

2. Paradym Ai Smoke HL

For the Paradym Ai Smoke HL model Callaway sought to help players with slightly slower swing speeds who struggle to get the ball up and achieve optimal carry conditions.  This cavity back design helps, it’s a confidence builder, it promotes MOI and forgiveness.

But Callaway focused again on the face, asking Ai to optimize for launch and spin. And they achieved face deflection that will help players get the ball up, hit peak apex heights, and land steeper into greens.

3. Paradym Ai Smoke Max Fast

The Paradym Ai Smoke Max Fast player will predominantly be lower swing speed players.  And so Callaway went with lighter weights to promote extra speed and head space.

Again Ai Smart Face prioritized launch and speed for these players across the entire face.

Ai Smart Face in the New Paradym Ai Smoke Hybrids

Callaway made the Paradym Ai Smoke hybrid profile a little bit bigger than we did on the Paradym Hybrid.  The profile is a little bit larger but you still have that adjustability.  A Tungsten Speed Cartridge helps with the launch and spin.

The HL profile is a little bit bigger and oversized than the Standard model. And the face itself is a little lower.  That's because this hybrid is designed to be played with the Paradym Ai Smoke HL irons.  If you're looking to increase launch and spin in your long irons this larger profile face will help launch the ball a little higher and with a little more spin.

The Ai Smart Face is unique for each of the Paradym Ai Smoke hybrid models and also unique for each loft within those models.  So for the HL the parameters put into the Smart Face are all about the high launch. The Max Fast hybrid shaping is different with a flatter profile which will help slower speed players get the ball higher in the air but also longer downrange.