We've launched the new forums! Read more here

Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Drivers

SuperStroke
The Max is giving me some Ping vibes.... Performance seems to be excellent.... feel/sound is rough.

I'm a performance first type guy, especially with the driver....so I'm excited to get the max on course. So far I've only done some range sessions.

Hoping to get on a GC4 today to see some numbers and compare it to my Qi10 std head. The Qi crushes the Max in the feel dept, but I think the Max crushes the Qi in the forgiveness dept.. Both fun clubs to mess with!
 
Going to get a new Ai Smoke 10.5* driver. Not too much worried about the shaft. Have a couple that I really like.

Kinda strange I can just go get one off the rack 😂
 
Really showed out at the 2nd nicest country club in Richmond this week which I hadn't played in 3 years. Had the longest overall drive on the longest par 5 (330 yards) which set up a birdie after the second shot rolled off the green. Overall 5/6 fairways hit with one first cut. Still very much playing a fade or cut off the tee for now. Still gonna put focus on working on a draw coming up but likely won’t be until after the tournament this weekend.
 
DNice26 said:
The Max is giving me some Ping vibes.... Performance seems to be excellent.... feel/sound is rough.

I'm a performance first type guy, especially with the driver....so I'm excited to get the max on course. So far I've only done some range sessions.

Hoping to get on a GC4 today to see some numbers and compare it to my Qi10 std head. The Qi crushes the Max in the feel dept, but I think the Max crushes the Qi in the forgiveness dept.. Both fun clubs to mess with!
Click to expand...
Interesting, I really like the feel of it..
 
Bus said:
Interesting, I really like the feel of it..
Click to expand...
Perhaps its the Qi10 that is jading my feel, as it feels great and makes most everything else feel......less great.
 
Left to right dispersion with this driver has proven excellent for me. I have figured out my problem as to why so much shorter than I was this time a year ago... Big overswing. I can make John Daily look like a short swing right now. Not sure why it happened but I am on the road to recovery.
 
Pharaoh said:
Really showed out at the 2nd nicest country club in Richmond this week which I hadn't played in 3 years. Had the longest overall drive on the longest par 5 (330 yards) which set up a birdie after the second shot rolled off the green. Overall 5/6 fairways hit with one first cut. Still very much playing a fade or cut off the tee for now. Still gonna put focus on working on a draw coming up but likely won’t be until after the tournament this weekend.
Click to expand...
That is a bomb and sounds like you were a fairway machine. Just imagine what it would do at the 1st nicest country club in Richmond. Next time, invite me.
 
So for everyone that has been tinkering with driver settings, weights, and hosel configurations

Are you seeing noticeable/measurable changes in ball flight with tweaking things? If so, what are you seeing? How were you set, and what have you changed to?

I have never been consistent enough to see a consistent change in ball flight or anything like that. Just curious what people have been seeing.
 
DNice26 said:
feel/sound is rough.
Click to expand...
Dude, I thought the same thing the first two rounds with it. No idea why. But I LOVE it now. And bad strikes don’t feel absolutely horrible either. Give it a bit and see if it changes.

No idea why it did for me but it was a decently big complaint for me my first two rounds. Then I started smoking it (ha) and it seemed to get a lot better. Maybe that’s the performance over taking my negative thoughts but I don’t think so
 
After a decent amount of testing and data I finally pulled the trigger and went for an AI Smoke driver. Fitted into the 10.5 Max, I had expected to be best off with the TD but in the end the data doesn't lie. Paired it up with an Oban Devotion 6 shaft at 65g stiff in a very fetching royal blue which is 0.5" shorter.

Ball speed is up and I'm getting a lot more control of the head so no downside to the shorter shaft at the moment. Still work to do but already a PB on distance (at least in the last 15 years), and definite improvements still to be had.
 
Let’s talk to those of us who when we go after it we tend to make a banana.

I have got to say how impressive this driver is at mitigating that swipey strike and still getting a ball in play. I had a few drives on the father/son trip this past weekend end of right side of the fairway or findable in the rough that with the st max I would not have. The ball speed on this one is also impressive for mishits. I am a club ho by nature and I am not looking at changing even with some ridiculously good luck :sneaky:
 
mikefrench said:
Fitted into the 10.5 Max, I had expected to be best off with the TD but in the end the data doesn't lie.
Click to expand...
lol I had the exact opposite experience. Went in pretty confident that the fitting was really a session to figure out shaft choice for the max. Ended up with the TD. The max was great but the TD was a little bit better.
 
Muchmore said:
Dude, I thought the same thing the first two rounds with it. No idea why. But I LOVE it now. And bad strikes don’t feel absolutely horrible either. Give it a bit and see if it changes.

No idea why it did for me but it was a decently big complaint for me my first two rounds. Then I started smoking it (ha) and it seemed to get a lot better. Maybe that’s the performance over taking my negative thoughts but I don’t think so
Click to expand...
Honestly, the performance is starting to wow me…. And that’s all it takes for me to be just fine with a less than stellar sound. Having said that, I agree that we can def adjust. Excited to play my first round tomorrow with the Max. Hit some impressive ones at the range this evening.
 
Am borrowing a 10.5 TD with a Ventus Blue TR 6x shaft. Just picked it up tonight and looking forward to getting some swings in with it. I’ve never played a Ventus TR shaft, and I don’t normally play a 10.5 head, but I’m beyond excited to see what this can do. I’m coming from a failed experiment with the Darkspeed 8* driver. It was absolutely gorgeous, and a bomber when flushed, problem was it humbled me very quickly on the course. The few beautiful shots I hit during testing seduced me into taking the plunge. Out on the course though I was reminded why I had no business making that purchase. I’m so weak and impulsive sometimes when it comes to golf equipment, thank god my wife is willing to accept me with this defect and doesn’t judge me… too hard. 😆

Rainy all weekend, with a possible break Sunday afternoon so hoping to hit the range tomorrow to get some initial swings in and then hopefully play 18 Sunday. So excited to get this on the course to see how it compares to the DS!
 
DNice26 said:
Honestly, the performance is starting to wow me…. And that’s all it takes for me to be just fine with a less than stellar sound. Having said that, I agree that we can def adjust. Excited to play my first round tomorrow with the Max. Hit some impressive ones at the range this evening.
Click to expand...
First round today on course….

The performance is borderline silly….

The sound/feel…. how about that performance!!!

Crushing this driver and it’s kinda silly straight for me.
 
Today with the Max driver was one of the better driver days I’ve had in a fair while. Really impressive stick.
If the sound/feel was better it would be the total package. I’m tempted to consider some hot melt or something to help with the sound/feel.
 
Just_Brad said:
So for everyone that has been tinkering with driver settings, weights, and hosel configurations

Are you seeing noticeable/measurable changes in ball flight with tweaking things? If so, what are you seeing? How were you set, and what have you changed to?

I have never been consistent enough to see a consistent change in ball flight or anything like that. Just curious what people have been seeing.
Click to expand...
I never tinker but for decided to do it this time…. Set at 9 degrees to start and was seeing a low piercing bullet! Found in wetter conditions I was losing distance. So I changed the cog to N +2 and saw a sweet still piercing but higher ball flight that should be absolutely ideal!

Also was hitting a pull to start so got a flat cog and that has essentially fixed the pull issue.
 
Got to hit this out at the range today…. Man… what a gorgeous club to look at. Sits beautifully behind the ball. It was lust at first swing. Testing a 10.5 TD with Ventus TR Blue 6x. Was hitting very, very worn range balls and this thing still felt so damn good. Balls were exploding off the face. Hit some absolute moon shots, not sure if me or the 10.5, I’m normally living in a 9* head. Time will tell. But I need to get this out on an actual course to see what it can do. This may be the gamer this year…. I hope to find out soon, once the weather gets its act together.
 
Club head speed for test was between 109-112. A little slower than mine desired 112-114 but swing changes had to happen to make it playable. If it comes back, great! If not I’ll play what I have. These swings didn’t hurt so it has been worth it.

Shaft used: UST LINQ Red 8F5 at 44.5 inches

Rogue ST Max 8 degrees
Ball speed 156 Backspin 2800 launch 11 Carry 252

Ai Smoke 8 Max degrees
ball speed 156 spin 2340 launch 12 carry 260

Ai Smoke 9 degrees
Ball 157 spin 2280 launch 14 carry 265 (these swings were on my higher side of club head speed)

Ran out of time but I am gonna have to play this at 9 maybe 10 degrees.

Just because it says Max doesn’t mean it’s low spin. Just because it isn’t high spin doesn’t mean it isn’t forgiving.

These ball flights are my well struck fade.

I attempted a draw and got the flight I want with launch of 8 degrees and spin of 1700. It fell at just over 200 yards. Ball hit 160.
 
After my Bandon trip and this last range session this driver just suits me. I thought the fade bias would bother me but I have been playing it pretty well. I am able to turn it over when I have to but I am started to not fight the fade.
 
echico said:
After my Bandon trip and this last range session this driver just suits me. I thought the fade bias would bother me but I have been playing it pretty well. I am able to turn it over when I have to but I am started to not fight the fade.
Click to expand...
I fought it and now that I’m accepting it the results are just as good and the misses aren’t nearly as bad.
 
DNice26 said:
Today with the Max driver was one of the better driver days I’ve had in a fair while. Really impressive stick.
If the sound/feel was better it would be the total package. I’m tempted to consider some hot melt or something to help with the sound/feel.
Click to expand...
I find the sound of best with the weight track in the middle and that shaft plays a role. My GD Tour ADHD has amazing feel and sound. Reminds me of my Mizuno irons!

Sent from my SM-S918W using Tapatalk
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top