I have not unfortunately
Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Fairway Wood Review
Are you looking to lower spin or launch? I have the TR Black in mine and couldn’t be happier. The Denali Black is also available I believe at no upcharge.
What do you typically use as a shaft? What profile do you prefer?
I have the HL, dang it’s long. This was downhill off a tee but still.
Bada big boom!
That was straight up smashed! Very well done. I don’t get that distance, but do love my 3HL - it doesn’t surprise me it’s capable of this
I did not have it today. But my highlight came with my Ai Smoke 3HL. I had been a spaz with this club. But I finally connected with a squared center face.
That is a beastly FW for me.
That is a beastly FW for me.
I also hit the HL twice off the deck today with great results. It’s like hitting a 5w, easy to launch.
Just updated my signature with shafts. I'm loving the UW so much I've considered the MMT 70 Wood shaft in it.
Referring back to my fitting, he said that he would recommend me going with 5W instead of 3W because I was hitting it higher and straighter. So far this year, there have been only a few times where I wanted to try a 3W but I have used 5W a ton. Everything he said that I would like about it has been 100% correct.
1. I haven't used it much off of the tee because the Driver has been so good. He predicted, based on the fitting, that I would use driver the majority of the time off the tee. If I did need a layup shot from the tee, 8/10 times 5W would be the better play because I would need accuracy more than the 20 yards. 100% right and I have not missed one fairway with the 5W.
2. He said 5W is more versatile and I could hit it from worse lies than the 3W. Definitely: I have even hit some 100 yard punch shots from desert with the 5W that I wouldn't have attempted with 3W
3. He said that the gap between 4H and 5W would let me tackle any par 3 under 230 yards. While I haven't hit many greens from 215-220 with the 5W, I have been close and chipping from the fringe. I used to have a gap there and a 80% swing on a 3W was usually disastrous.
I am sure the 3W is also a great fairway wood depending on your needs, but the 5W added to the bag this season has been a homerun for me. I have the MaxD head and don't worry about it going right unless I put a terrible swing on it.
1. I haven't used it much off of the tee because the Driver has been so good. He predicted, based on the fitting, that I would use driver the majority of the time off the tee. If I did need a layup shot from the tee, 8/10 times 5W would be the better play because I would need accuracy more than the 20 yards. 100% right and I have not missed one fairway with the 5W.
2. He said 5W is more versatile and I could hit it from worse lies than the 3W. Definitely: I have even hit some 100 yard punch shots from desert with the 5W that I wouldn't have attempted with 3W
3. He said that the gap between 4H and 5W would let me tackle any par 3 under 230 yards. While I haven't hit many greens from 215-220 with the 5W, I have been close and chipping from the fringe. I used to have a gap there and a 80% swing on a 3W was usually disastrous.
I am sure the 3W is also a great fairway wood depending on your needs, but the 5W added to the bag this season has been a homerun for me. I have the MaxD head and don't worry about it going right unless I put a terrible swing on it.
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- May 26, 2022
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@Jeff Spicoli playing your 3 wood short, did you order from Callaway at the inch shorter length or cut down on your own? Any swingweight issues and how did you resolve them?
- Moderator
- #511
Alright gents, someone tell me about turf interaction when you are taking these off the deck. I have the Rogue ST 3 and 5w. I love my 5w. it get's the ball in the air pretty damn easily, sounds amazing and the ball rockets off the face so I don't think I have much of a want to switch there. But the 3w, I always seem to dig it a bit and it ends up getting in my head. When I do contact well, it seems more of a piercing flight and I'd like see a bit more launch. I know a lot of you have talked about higher launch and I love that. But I'm just concerned that the turf interaction hasn't changed much. I know you're not supposed to be taking turf with you, I'm more asking does it glide easily or does it catch at all like my Rogue ST does. Thanks for any feedback gentleman!!
Really interested in seeing what others chime in with.
Hitting off mats with the 5W and the HW, I don't have a lot to offer. Outdoor turf is a rare commodity at this point.
Im shallow to a fault. so....keep that in mind. I don't notice the ground with a good swing. so it clearly is gliding right through. I have a 3HL....and when i deliver the club, in a way that gives it a chance, it really launches and preforms for me.
My last swing with it on course was a dead straight high launch. fairway to fairway. that went 252 yards. My Driver off the tee is a "performance average" of 255. so....that was a great strike. no turf hinderance......straight BOMB for me.
I thought at The Hideaway I was actually fairly steep with them off the fairways.
Still pretty playable, and not a lot of negative in terms of outcome that I can remember.
I get where you are coming from with the mental side of it though.
Still pretty playable, and not a lot of negative in terms of outcome that I can remember.
I get where you are coming from with the mental side of it though.
I’ve had that issue in the past with 3Ws. I see a lot less of it with the HL than I did with the regular 3W. The profile of the head is a bit taller and I don’t feel like I have to help get the ball in the air, the club is doing the work for me. That means I can swing easier and get a much better result! I still get some digging when I put a crap swing on it but I think not feeling like I have to help the ball get up really allows me to swing smoother and have the better result
- Moderator
- #516
It’s gotten to the point where I took my 3w out of my bag at times. But when I use it off the tee, I can hit it farther than driver sometimes. It’s purely mental it this point with as much turf interaction as I’ve seen from it. I want to switch just to see what happens lol
- Moderator
- #517
I think a HL should be what I look at. I LOVE shallow faces, but if I can get better performance with a taller face, I’d do it in a heartbeat
That was part of the reason I took 3W out of my bag several years ago and hadn't used one since, the quality of my strikes with it sucked. I'm using the 3HL Max D, and the turf interaction is very good. I still occasionally stick one straight in the ground but that's 100% on my swing - no club could save me from it when I swing that badly.
I don't take pelts with the 3HL, it slides smoothly under the ball and gets it in the air. It's long and usually has a ton of rollout, which is good when I'm just trying to gobble up as much yardage as I can. If I'd had a 3W this good before, I never would have taken it out of the bag for 5 years! I can't compare it to the Rogue because my last 3W was a Ping circa 2010, but I can say that the turf interaction and quality of strike is better than my Mavrik 5W was.
- Moderator
- #519
I like to hear this! I've been searching for something with a 3w for quite awhile now. Turf interaction is going to be a big thing I look at for my next one
I only hit the Max D 3HL indoors but it was so easy to get the ball airborne. I'm excited to have it for this year because I haven't played a 3W in years.
Forgot to mention - I actually had the Paradym 3HL in my bag last year, and the Ai Smoke Max D 3HL launches easier and higher by quite a bit. I had the Paradym turned up to +2 to get some air under the ball, I'm currently using the Max D 3HL at -1 and still getting better launch from it (HZRDUS Silver in the Paradym, Tensei AV Blue in the Ai Smoke).
- Joined
- Sep 11, 2013
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I can honestly say that I’m a digger and like taking turf home even with my driver. Of the several shots I’ve taken with my 3w Max D turf has remained in place. Glides smooth across the grass.
- Moderator
- #523
Any difference in turf interaction between the two that you can think of?
- Moderator
- #524
I am hearing good things!
Honestly, not really. Turf interaction wasn’t my problem with the Paradym, it was just a low launcher for me until I turned it up 2 degrees.