Callaway Paradym range from £299
You’ll hear Callaway talk a lot about a ‘paradigm shift’ in the coming months, as the brand moves away from the accepted way of doing things with its Paradym range. The big story concerns the driver’s 360-degree carbon chassis. On the top, there’s a thin, lightweight, smooth and strong triaxial carbon crown which is bonded to a forged carbon piece on the bottom, consisting of bundles of chopped fibres. With no metal being used on the centre section of the clubhead, Callaway has made considerable weight savings for higher MOI and faster ball speed.
Callaway’s use of artificial intelligence (A.I.) has also evolved. A new formula optimises each face for maximum ball speed, lower spin and, now, downrange dispersion. The standard Paradym driver features a 15g adjustable weight at the rear perimeter to alter shot shape by up to 15 yards. It’s the highest MOI model that will fit the broadest segment of players. The Paradym X has a slightly larger footprint and offers extra draw-bias and higher launch, while the 450cc Triple Diamond is the more compact, lower-spinning model for better players.
A.I. has played a key role in the design of the fairway woods too, with a new Jailbreak Batwing structure pushed to the perimeter to stiffen the body, while allowing the face to flex for distance. The hybrids stand out for having more of a fairway wood shape, and boast a Cutwave sole design for improved performance through the turf.
The two new Paradym irons combine a forged 455 face with an all-new Speed Frame and urethane microspheres inside the hollow heads for both distance and feel. The Paradym iron is more of a players’ distance iron, while the larger ‘X’ model adds even more firepower to the line-up.
The Paradym range goes on sale on February 3 with the following RRPS: driver £599, fairways £379, hybrids £299 and irons £1,199.
1. What is forged carbon and why have you used it in the new Paradym drivers?
Forged carbon is a proprietary material to Callaway that consists of bundles of chopped fibres that are forged into shape. It gives us an advantage as it can be moulded into complex geometries and we can better control the thickness of the part to get the right balance of weight, strength and stiffness. It’s strong enough to be bonded to the face cup and back piece and also 44 per cent lighter than a titanium chassis. By taking a lot of metal or weight out of the middle of the head, it means we’re able to move it elsewhere to enhance performance.
2.
Explain the thinking behind the new Jailbreak A.I. design? Functionally we’re trying to do the same thing – stiffen the connection between the crown and sole, minimise the amount of deflection in the body and minimise the amount of energy loss at impact. The goal was to take as much weight out as we could, so this new wishbone shape is 33 per cent lighter and designed to complement the face and work as one system.
3. How else has A.I. influenced the design of the drivers?
We’ve continued to invest in A.I. as we believe it is the future of golf club design. For Paradym, it was focusing not just on launch conditions but also downrange distance and dispersion. We have an aerodynamic trajectory code that means we can simulate where the ball actually lands and use the face deflection to try and optimise overall performance. The topology of the face is unlike anything else and unique to the model based on the player type and expected strike location.
“WE’VE NEVER SEEN A DRIVER WITH A COMPLETELY METAL-FREE CHASSIS. IF THE DURABILITY IS UP TO SCRATCH, PARADYM HAS SOME SERIOUS POTENTIAL”
Joel Tadman, GM technical editor