Callaway Paradym Ai-Smoke irons: New game improvement lineup revealed for 2024

Callaway Paradym AI-Smoke 2024 Irons

Callaway targets the game improvement irons market with three models to tighten shot dispersion and get more players hitting more greens in 2024.

Jump To: Ai-Smoke | Ai-Smoke Max Fast | Ai-Smoke HL

Finding greens is the name of the game when you reach for an iron, and hitting the dancefloor is not only one of the best feelings in golf but key to driving down that handicap.

Inspired by that aim to improve score-ability and tighten up shot dispersion, Callaway has come into 2024 swinging hard at the core game improvement market, a sector they didn’t really compete in last year with their Paradym and Paradym X irons that targeted mid-low handicappers.

Their response – the Paradym Ai-Smoke irons – are designed to complement the typical impact locations of three categories of mid-high handicap club golfers.

An ambitious goal, made possible in part due to the genius of Calaway’s renowned R&D team, responsible for producing some of the best irons in golf, but also thanks to a higher power!

Callaway’s super-computer – nurtured patiently over 15 years by a dedicated Artificial Intelligence (AI) team. Nobody in the game is more focused on writing lines of custom code to power AI into designing better-performing golf products.

Together, man and machine have conceived and engineered the Ai-Smart Face, also integrated into their family of four Paradym Ai-Smoke drivers, and carried down the bag into the irons.

It creates one simple and powerful story that will appeal to those looking for consistency throughout their set-up. The only problem, however, is that drivers and irons play very different roles, so how has Callaway adapted the concept to iron play, and why will it help us hit more greens in 2024?

A fresh perspective on displacement

Callaway attributed their anticipated success at optimizing driving performance (no matter where the ball impacts the face) to their ability to run thousands of design simulations based on real-world data from consumer swings across the world.

Similarly, with each tweaked iteration of iron, the computer spat out a model superior to the one before with optimized launch characteristics such as spin rate, peak height, and descent angle.

Unlike driving, though, carry distance was not the ‘Swing Code’ that needed cracking. Instead, Callaway has thrown everything into tightening front-to-back dispersion, irrespective of whether shots are mishit or not.

For many club golfers, coming up short or flying the green are frequent misses, and invariably lead to bogey golf or worse, particularly with shallow greens and tight landing areas.

That’s the prospect to get excited about here. We’re not going flush every approach, but if we can limit the damage with enhanced distance control, then our scorecards will all look a little healthier.

Let’s meet the three ‘smartest’ irons that Callaway has ever created.

Callaway Paradym Ai-Smoke irons: The models

Callaway Paradym Ai-Smoke Iron

RRP: $999.99 (s), $1099.99 (g) | 7-iron loft: 28° | Construction: Cast hollow body | Category: Mid-Handicap

If you consider yourself an average swing-speed player, that’s 90+ mph for a driver (~80 mph for a 7-iron), then you will be well placed to take advantage of the hollow body fast-face construction of the standard Paradym Ai-Smoke irons. Unlike the Apex 24 Pro and Paradym irons, the head is cast not forged, which allows the company to hit a more mass-market price point. Inside urethane microspheres dial down sound and up feel, where tungsten weight optimises forgiveness and accurately positions the center of gravity. 

The slightly longer blade length and streamlined topline compared to Callaway’s previous offerings in this category will appeal to more confident ball strikers, and we expect the Ai-Smoke irons to be a strong contender for one of the best mid-handicap irons in 2024.

Read our full Callaway Paradym Ai-Smoke iron review.

Callaway Paradym Ai-Smoke Max Fast Iron

RRP: $999.99 (s), $1099.99 (g) | 7-iron loft: 31° | Construction: Cast cavity back | Category: Mid – High Handicap

The new super-lightweight Paradym Ai-Smoke Max Fast is a mid-high handicap iron designed specifically for those needing a boost in the swing speed department, featuring 40 g graphite shafts and featherweight grips. If your 7-iron swing speed is generally below 70 mph then this is the model to get you airborne no matter what your speed.

We see Max Fast in a similar light to the Callaway Paradym Star iron but at a much more accessible price. Callaway says the model is highly forgiving, although the real selling point worth emphasizing here are the elevated club speeds which should appeal to the slower-swinging players of various abilities.

Read our full Callaway Paradym Ai-Smoke Max Fast iron review.

Callaway Paradym Ai-Smoke HL Iron

RRP: $999.99 (s), $1099.99 (g) | 7-iron loft: 30° | Construction: Cast cavity back | Category: High Handicap

With a 7-iron loft of 30°, the Paradym Ai-Smoke HL irons are the weakest lofted of the three models, aimed at the slightly slower swinging high-handicap market. Callaway says if you’re a golfer struggling for speed, it’s highly likely the added shot height you’ll gain with the HL irons will result in more carry distance compared to their stronger lofted counterparts. This benefit will also help maximize spin and descent angles for more stopping power on the greens.

Golfers can therefore expect more spin and control compared to the previous Rogue ST Max OS irons, delivering a tighter down-range dispersion as Callaway promised. See the model as an alternative to the Mizuno JPX923 Hot Metal HL and you’ll be thinking along the right lines with the Ai-Smoke HL irons, destined to be contenders for one of the best high-handicap irons in 2024.

Read our full Callaway Paradym Ai-Smoke HL iron review.

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About the author

Ross Tugwood

Golf Equipment Writer

Ross Tugwood is a golf equipment writer for todays-golfer.com, specializing in data, analytics, science, and innovation.

Ross is passionate about optimizing sports performance and has a decade of experience working with professional athletes and coaches for British Athletics, the UK Sports Institute, and Team GB.

He has post-graduate degrees in Performance Analysis and Sports Journalism, enabling him to critically analyze and review the latest golf equipment and technology to help you make better-informed buying decisions.

Ross uses a Cobra King SZ Speedzone driver, Titleist TSi2 3-Wood, TaylorMade Sim2 Rescue, Callaway Apex Pro irons (4-PW), Cleveland 588 RTX wedges (52°, 58°), TaylorMade Spider Ex putter, and a TaylorMade Tour Response golf ball.