Callaway Paradym Ai-Smoke Max Fast Driver Review

The Callaway Paradym Ai-Smoke Max Fast driver is super lightweight and said to be sweeter no matter where shots hit the face. My review finds out if it delivers.

Whether we like it or not, Artificial Intelligence plays an increasing role in our everyday lives. AI powers virtual assistants, medical diagnoses, driverless cars, and annoying online chatbots. But, when it comes to AI-designed golf equipment Callaway is determined to boss the market. So much so the design behind the Callaway Paradym Ai-Smoke Max D driver wouldn’t be possible without it.

The company has put in years of work building knowledge to harness the power of AI to create some of the best golf drivers available, which they say will help golfers hit drivers further and straighter than ever before. Here’s how…

The background

Callaway has been doing AI for 15 years

With other golf brands batting around how they use AI to design golf clubs, Callaway is quick to point out they’ve got more pedigree than the competition. The company bought its first super-computer back in 2009. Yet it took 10 years before the Epic Flash launched in 2019, the first commercially manufactured golf product designed by AI.

This spells out how it’s impossible to just go to a local tech shop, buy a super-computer off the rack, start it up, and set it free designing drivers. With 120 people in Callaway’s R&D team and a dedicated Artificial Intelligence team assembled from outside golf, nobody in the game is more focused on writing lines of custom code to harness the power of AI to design better-performing golf products.   

Sweeter from every spot

The previous Paradym driver was a massive success. It won countless events in the hands of Jon Rahm, Sam Burns, Xander Schauffele, and Rose Zhang, plus club golfers bought it in their droves. The model represented a huge shift in how the company designs drivers, incorporating a full 360° carbon fiber chassis, hence the ‘Paradym’ name.

However, Callaway’s super-computer-driven AI has got so good, that the company can legally claim the Ai-Smoke drivers are 7 yards longer than their predecessors. And that data’s measured from 21 different spots across the face, not nine like the industry standard, which is staggering gains within a single generation.

How have they done it? Well, it all comes down to the most sophisticated driver face ever made, the super new Ai-Smart Face.      

Everything you need to know about the Ai-Smart Face within the Callaway Paradym Ai-Smoke Max Fast driver

Real player data has developed a Swing Code

Typically drivers are designed in static lab-type environments using R&D robots. The process entails hitting new designs at different locations across the face. Engineers will then study the results at length. Using a robot means there’s no opportunity to factor in how various categories of golfers deliver the club differently at impact.

But, what sets the Callaway Paradym Ai-Smoke Max Fast driver apart, is real golfer data being used to optimize its performance.

Callaway says they’ve mapped 250,000 tour pro and consumer swings across the world as real golfers don’t swing like robots. The project has given the company over a million data points to feed into the super-computer. A move that better optimizes each of the four Paradym Ai-Smoke drivers for their intended audience. 

Traditionally drivers are designed using five to eight different face iterations, the best-performing one is then selected for production. Thanks to artificial intelligence the new Ai-Smoke models benefit from 50,000 electronic prototypes. Plus, thanks to the hours of real-world research each individual design is more tailored to the typical speed, path, and impact location of its intended audience.      

Micro trampolines

We’ve all heard how modern variable thickness driver faces act like trampolines and slingshot shots off faster and further than flat faces used to decades ago. It’s mind-blowing though that Callaway says the new Ai-Smart Face contains smaller areas that act like micro-trampolines. The idea is each counteracts a miss of the typical golfer who’ll use each of the four Ai-Smoke driver models, which is really clever thinking.

Just to be clear this is not a bulge and roll story like TaylorMade’s TwistFace. It’s about changing the launch and spin of shots through the design and contouring of the face.

The idea has a big impact on down-range dispersion and means heel shots generate less cut spin, so the ball goes less far right (for a right-hander) and benefit from additional yardage. Where low spin shots hit high on the toe are less likely to fall out of the sky and draw less. Hence the ‘sweeter from every spot’ tagline.  

What’s the benefit of Swing Code?

Swing Code is a whole new way to design driver faces. Callaway is the first to take this approach of designing individual faces for different types of golfers. But how can it help you play better golf?

Well, Callaway says it’s all about the number of times they can run their designs through the super-computer, as each time there’s an improvement in speed or dispersion from somewhere on the face. Until a point when gains become virtually non-existent for that particular model.

Having the computer model 5,000 different faces, dispersion stood at 85.29 sq yards. At 10,000, that dropped to 68.33 sq yds, while at 50,000 iterations the number incredibly narrowed to 33.89 sq yds. This means the power of AI has cut dispersion by almost one-third.

Spelling out plain and simple why computer modeling completely outstrips humans. As it would have taken humans 10 years to make thousands of driver face iterations, and even then nobody would have dreamt up what the super-computer has.     

Which Ai-Smoke driver is best for you?

Callaway hasn’t just studied the impact point of where different abilities of golfers impact shots on the face, they’ve considered attack angle, club path, and speed too. Here’s how to break down where your driver game fits.

Callaway Paradym Ai-Smoke Max D and Max Fast driver

These golfers typically, but not always, swing driver between 75 and 90 mph, which is slow to average. Shots are likely to be sprayed from low-heel to high-toe and the attack angle will be down onto the back of the ball, with an out-to-in swing path.

Those needing the most help with fighting a slice should gravitate toward the Max D, whereas those needing additional speed should explore the Max Fast.

Callaway Paradym Ai-Smoke Max driver      

The Max is Callaway’s core driver model, aimed at the majority of golfers. Those best suited to this set-up are likely to have an impact location a little higher on the face than Max D and Max Fast players. Shots are likely to be grouped a little more tightly on the face too.

Attack angles are likely to be a fraction down to a little up and the target player will generate mid-speed (90 – 100 mph). Possibly they’ll also have a fade rather than a slice as a stock shot.

Callaway Paradym Ai-Smoke Triple Diamond driver

Triple Diamond golfers are likely to have a higher swing speed of 105 – 120+ mph. Shots will likely be much more tightly grouped around center face. The attack angle should be up onto the back of the ball and players will generally have a much more neutral path.  

WATCH: 2024 First Hit Driver video

Everything you need to know about the Callaway Paradym Ai-Smoke Max Fast driver

The Max Fast is a brand new model in the US and Europe, but Callaway has made something similar in Japan for several years. At 270g this is very much a super lightweight (it’s 35g lighter than the Max), easy-launch model. It replaces the Callaway Paradym Star products we’ve seen in the West before. The idea is very much like that found in the Wilson Staff D300 driver, which simply boosts club speed thanks to being so lightweight.

Expect a fixed hosel and no sliding sole weight. This design is optimized to deliver speed to golfers who don’t already have it. Thanks to a 40g shaft and lightweight grip this very hi-tech model is a strong option for slower swing speed players. 

Typical player traits

Swing Speed: Slower (75 – 90 MPH)

Impact location: Low heel – high toe

Attack angle: Downward

Club path: Out to in

Still not sure which Paradym Ai-Smoke driver is best for you? Check out our full breakdown of what each model offers.   

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About the author

Simon Daddow – Today’s Golfer Equipment Editor

Simon Daddow is the Equipment Editor for Today’s Golfer. Having tested and played more than 10,000 clubs in his life, what he doesn’t know about golf clubs isn’t worth knowing.

He joined EMAP Active (now Bauer Media) as Equipment Editor in 2006 and has worked for both Today’s Golfer and Golf World. Working alongside our test pro Neil Wain, Simon has made todays-golfer.com the most reliable source for golf club testing.

Despite his youthful looks, Simon has played golf for more than 40 years and plays to a handicap of 10. A lack of club speed means he’s short off the tee, but very handy from 125 yards and in.

Simon’s job means he plays regularly around the world, and rates Kingsbarns as his favorite course. He uses a PXG 0311 GEN6 XF driver, TaylorMade Stealth 2 HL (15º), Ping G400 (20.5º), PXG 0317 X Gen2 hybrid, PXG 0311 GEN6 P irons (6–PW), Cleveland CBX2 wedges (52°, 58°), Ping 21 Fetch putter and a TaylorMade Tour Response golf ball.

You can contact Simon via email and follow him on Twitter for loads more golf equipment insight.

Callaway Paradym Ai-Smoke Max Fast Driver

RRP: $599.99 / £569

Lofts: 10.5° /12°

Typical golfer traits

Swing Speed: Slower (75 – 90 MPH)

Impact: Low-heel to high-toe impacts

Downward attack angle

Out to in path

Stock shafts

Mitsubishi Tensei Silver (Max Fast Mens)

Mitsubishi Eldio (Max Fast Womens)

Stock grip: Winn Dri-tac Lite (Max Fast)

Visit the Callaway Golf website here