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Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Fairway Wood Review

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SuperStroke
Besides design for flight characteristics, any difference between the 3 Max and 3 Max D? Any distance loss/gain or easier/harder to hit off turf from one to other?

Thanks and a Happy Easter to those who celebrate.
 
hartman29 said:
Besides design for flight characteristics, any difference between the 3 Max and 3 Max D? Any distance loss/gain or easier/harder to hit off turf from one to other?

Thanks and a Happy Easter to those who celebrate.
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I got to try the 3 max and 3HL max D at my fitting. Both super easy to hit off the turf. As someone who uses fairway woods off the turf a ton this matters.

Shockingly- there was no visual difference to my eye in the setup. Normally to me it always looks a bit weird with an offset club. This isn’t. They followed the club tech as if it was the only 3w they had for each one.

As far as flight: I can’t speak to the difference because after the 3 max we went right to the HL max D and it took off like a missle. Dead straight. I’m a high handicapper and my normal 3w is a lazy slow fade. Consistent and solid, but the HL and D combo was something else.

What is your normal shot shape? I never got to hit the standard max D so I can’t offer you the perfect side by side but I hope this helps a bit.?
 
IMG_0374.pngI have a tendency to struggle with driver from round to round and always carried a 3W to help me on those days. But looking at my stats over the last few years, I was noticing that I wasn’t as consistent with that as I thought. So this year, it is 5W MaxD in the spot.

I have mentioned it numerous times but this thing is great. I hit it high and it has a nice draw to it. I can hit it off the tee or deck just about the same distance, which was not the case with 3W.

I am going to start using it more off the tee if I think Driver will bring trouble into play. Both of these have been nemesis holes for me with usually playing them 2 or 3 over on a round. Last weekend I played them at -1 and should have had a better shot at -2 had I not chunked a wedge.

I hit it so high that I didn’t think I was getting much distance with it until I started stat tracking.
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i use a max d 3hl and a max heavenwood ... slight and i mean slight draw with the 3hl and the max heavenwood is fairly straight ... with my swing not too much of difference , im just thrilled that they both are long and consistently in the fairway ...
 
I’ve been struggling with the Max D 3w and launch. Launch is low and wondering if this could be a shaft issue. I am to the point where I’ve lost confidence and will either grab the Paradym SH or my Ai Smoke HL because the results are better than the 3w. It’s unfortunate because I absolutely love the look of this club and when struck well the feel and sound is just amazing.
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Mmaynard11 said:
I’ve been struggling with the Max D 3w and launch. Launch is low and wondering if this could be a shaft issue. I am to the point where I’ve lost confidence and will either grab the Paradym SH or my Ai Smoke HL because the results are better than the 3w. It’s unfortunate because I absolutely love the look of this club and when struck well the feel and sound is just amazing.
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send me the head and I will try it on my 5W MaxD shaft :ROFLMAO:

But, seriously, that was my problem at the fitting. I just couldn't elevate the 3W consistently. The 3HL was better, but we ended up just settling on 5W MAXD. I have the same Ventus Red that is in my MaxD driver
 
oumagic said:
send me the head and I will try it on my 5W MaxD shaft :ROFLMAO:

But, seriously, that was my problem at the fitting. I just couldn't elevate the 3W consistently. The 3HL was better, but we ended up just settling on 5W MAXD. I have the same Ventus Red that is in my MaxD driver
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Swip swap?
 
Mmaynard11 said:
Swip swap?
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I was just going to test it out and send it back. If you want to try my 5W, I can send you the head to test, but will want it back. The 5W MaxD is great for me.
 
oumagic said:
I was just going to test it out and send it back. If you want to try my 5W, I can send you the head to test, but will want it back. The 5W MaxD is great for me.
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Hmmmm what is the loft of the 5w?
 
Mmaynard11 said:
Hmmmm what is the loft of the 5w?
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You can see why we went 5W in the chart. When we got to the 3HL at +1 setting, we ended up so close to 5W loft anyway.
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The Riddle of 3 woods:

The 3w might be the most difficult club to find complete comfort with. I am guessing I am not the only one feels that way. I have discussed this very thing in the thread here, but I think it’s worth repeating and hopefully these thoughts find their way to someone who is contemplating a new fairway.

For context, my handicap hovers in the 3-4 range. Clubhead speed with the 3w is in the 112-114 range.

I have been playing the Ai Smoke TD 3w since the beginning of December. Previous to gaming the Smoke TD, I was playing the Paradym TD and wasn’t in the market to replace it. I had gone through a handful of fairway woods previous to the Paradym and nothing really stuck in the bag, for one reason or another. If I am pulling a 3w off the tee, I need to feel confident I will find the fairway. The Paradym was confidence inspiring for me and I was slightly nervous about replacing it. I was very happy with the looks, feel, and performance of it and as I have mentioned, that has not been easy for me to find in a 3w.

Tech, feel, and looks:

I was fortunate to hear directly from Callaway about the changes that were made in the Ai Smoke, which would benefit the golfer. We heard talk about the new Ai Smart Face design, which helps optimize ball speed, launch, and spin across. That is all well and good, but I am in the seeing is believing camp. It took about one swing for me to realize the Ai Smoke was not going to disappoint. Sound and feel are a big part of comfort and confidence for me. I was enamored with the feel and feedback I got from the Smoke TD immediately. While I am terrible at describing feel, the best way I think of the feel is similar to a flushed iron shot.

The shape and size of the TD 3w is gorgeous. The crown is clean with no alignment aid. It’s fairly compact and has a deeper face that’s the other models. It’s very similar in size and shape to the Paradym TD. It looks ever so deeper than the Paradym TD, but it very well could be the same dimensions.

Ball flight:

If you look on the tech description on Callaway’s website of the Smoke TD, you will see mention of the benefits of a penetrating ball flight. I have seen that claim many times before and as someone who hits the ball flight and has never had a truly penetrating ball fligh with a fairway, the Smoke TD is the first I have ever had to actually deliver on that. I am playing the Smoke 3w at -1* (14*) with a Ventus TR Black 8x. I can hit it high when needed and have no issues hitting it off the deck, but the default ball flight has a noticeable lower peak height than what I have seen before.

The Smoke TD is noted as neutral, which has been my experience and is not as fade biased as the Paradym TD. My preferred shot shape is a fade and when I mishit it, my miss is typically a slice or push. I have not seen as penal as a miss and my dispersion has tightened up with the Smoke TD.

Consistency is key:

As with the Ai Smoke TD driver, the ball speed, spin, and carry distance on the Ai Smoke TD 3w is remarkable. The spin window I am seeing with the TD is quite tight, which has lead to consistent carry and performance.

All of this has led to the Ai Smoke TD to being a worthy successor to the Paradym TD. As someone who needs a reliable secondary option off the tee, I have no complaints or fear pulling the Smoke TD when needed.
 
TD 7W experiment is over. It’s one hell of a clubhead, but, apparently I’m meant to be a UW guy rather than a 7W guy.

So, that head has got to find a new home.
 
Jman said:
TD 7W experiment is over. It’s one hell of a clubhead, but, apparently I’m meant to be a UW guy rather than a 7W guy.

So, that head has got to find a new home.
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Bummer it didn’t work out but it was fun following along with it. The good news is you get the UW back in the bag.

The TD is the best 3w I have ever hit, so there’s that.
 
Jeff Spicoli said:
Bummer it didn’t work out but it was fun following along with it. The good news is you get the UW back in the bag.

The TD is the best 3w I have ever hit, so there’s that.
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The UW is…it’s just a cheater club. Hahaha

If not for my Tour super deep faced Paradym head at 3w, I’d have a Smoke version.
 
Jeff Spicoli said:
While I am terrible at describing feel, the best way I think of the feel is similar to a flushed iron shot.
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I experienced this magical feeling on the range Wednesday. When I flushed my Ai Smoke Max 3W HL! This contradiction of making the range rock feel soft, coupled with seeing the ball launch and FLY! Describing it as a flushed iron...I can absolutely get behind that description.
 
Mmaynard11 said:
While I feel like the loft increase on a 5w would almost put me in a gapping issue.
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Possibly. For me, if I hit 20 balls with 5W versus 20 with 3W (especially off the deck), my average distance would probably be close, but 5W would be a lot more consistent.

I do have a gap between driver and 5W, but it was honestly there, on average, anyway.
 
brians said:
I got to try the 3 max and 3HL max D at my fitting. Both super easy to hit off the turf. As someone who uses fairway woods off the turf a ton this matters.

Shockingly- there was no visual difference to my eye in the setup. Normally to me it always looks a bit weird with an offset club. This isn’t. They followed the club tech as if it was the only 3w they had for each one.

As far as flight: I can’t speak to the difference because after the 3 max we went right to the HL max D and it took off like a missle. Dead straight. I’m a high handicapper and my normal 3w is a lazy slow fade. Consistent and solid, but the HL and D combo was something else.

What is your normal shot shape? I never got to hit the standard max D so I can’t offer you the perfect side by side but I hope this helps a bit.?
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Thanks for all that. My shot shape typically is a fade but it can turn to a banana ball really fast if I’m not careful. Which is what makes me think D over standard Max if I did it.

I’ve been working one some swing changes and am seeing a more straighter ball, or even a hook on occasion.

I’d also agree with you in that visually at address there’s no real difference. When I hold them up to my eye the D could be a touch shallower, but not by much if so.

I’m not the longest guy so ease off deck is important to me as well.

Thanks again, big help.
 
Fairway woods have always been a problem for me. I’ve had one in the bag but if I use it more than once per round (off the tee only), then that’s a very surprising day. I have long resigned myself to a 5w for ease of striking, sacrificing distance for better strikes.

When we were getting fit at the Grandaddy, my fitter asked me which fairway wood I wanted. After a few quiet moments, I let her know about my issues. She immediately said we will get you sorted.

We tried a UW, and a 5w. Neither provided good gapping distances with my driver. Ultimately, we landed on HL. The Gals were and remain super easy to launch which takes away my biggest issue - trying to “help” the ball up and flipping it early.

The Smoke 3HL has been a bomber for me. Easy swings produce 200-210 yards of smooth distance. This will never be an attack the green club for me, and I’m good with that. Finally a wood I can hit from the fairway or off the tee with confidence! It’s hard to break out of the habit of reaching for a hybrid, but when I do. Oh my - this is the gamer for me!

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If you are doubting that you can hit a fairway well, this may be the choice for you!

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These say 5w but only because I haven’t yet updated Arccos, but they are from my 3W HL
 
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hartman29 said:
Thanks for all that. My shot shape typically is a fade but it can turn to a banana ball really fast if I’m not careful. Which is what makes me think D over standard Max if I did it.

I’ve been working one some swing changes and am seeing a more straighter ball, or even a hook on occasion.

I’d also agree with you in that visually at address there’s no real difference. When I hold them up to my eye the D could be a touch shallower, but not by much if so.

I’m not the longest guy so ease off deck is important to me as well.

Thanks again, big help.
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I'm playing the 3HL Max D. I don't understand all the wizardry behind club design, but somehow they managed to make the Max D so it eliminates the slice without turning it into a hook monster.

I was fit into the Max D in the FW, but not in the driver (driver is a standard Max). I was leery of it at first because the last 3W I carried (a number of years ago) would hook into an adjacent ZIP code on mishits. It was so bad that I quit carrying 3W altogether, because a shorter 5W was much better for my scores than an unplayable/OB 3W. My fears were for nothing and my fitter got it right, the Ai Smoke 3HL Max D is a great fit for me.

I use it about 60/40 off the deck/tee respectively (my course has several doglegs that take driver out of my hands), and I'm equally comfortable and confident with it either way. I've never hit a 3W that was so easy to hit off the deck.
 
Absolutely love this club. We had a few tough weeks but I turned to it today and it was absolutely on. It nearly drove the green on a par 4 if not for a terrible bounce. I have to think my 18 birdies wasn’t reading the hits from the tee right as it was showing 210-220 which is less than my hybrids. Plus last check on launch monitor was 250-260. Maybe the tees were off on the app? Very nice to know I can lean on that as I’m preparing for events coming up. Gonna need that three wood. One of the wild moments was one tee shot going over some of the tallest trees cutting the corner of a hole. I had no idea it could get that high. I just thought I would try it in a casual round in case I ever had to. Mind boggling.
 
I have been really lacking in the fairway review, I'm sorry.

I for the most will only use mine off the tee. At the range it has been a ton of fun to play around with and to see how forgiving it is, even with being the TD. I'm usually very picky about the size and shape of all my clubs, fairways being very difficult for me. I used an old 915 Fd before and loved it. When comparing the size the TD is so much bigger, but strangely enough, when setup behind the ball it looks crazy good and the shape is better than the 915. The face squares up really nicely and doesn't have any goofy lines to make it look rounded or closed.

Last week I used it twice, once off the tee and once off the fairway. Pulled my tee shot from a terrible swing. The shot from the fairway though....that shot got me to fall in love with this club. Was probably the best shot I've ever had with a fairway. Was about 260 out to a up hill green and pured it. The turf interaction was so so good, it just felt like it glided through like the Apex irons. The feel with a real ball instead of range balls is also so satisfying. I really cant get enough of this club and how easy it is to hit.
 
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Kmench said:
I have been really lacking in the fairway review, I'm sorry.

I for the most will only use mine off the tee. At the range it has been a ton of fun to play around with and to see how forgiving it is, even with being the TD. I'm usually very picky about the size and shape of all my clubs, fairways being very difficult for me. I used an old 915 Fd before and loved it. When comparing the size the TD is so much bigger, but strangely enough, when setup behind the ball it looks crazy good and the shape is better than the 915. The face squares up really nicely and doesn't have any goofy lines to make it look rounded or closed.

Last week I used it twice, once off the tee and once off the fairway. Pulled my tee shot from a terrible swing. The shot from the fairway though....that shot got me to fall in love with this club. Was probably the best shot I've ever had with a fairway. Was about 260 out to a up hill green and pured it. The turf interaction was so so good, it just felt like it glided through like the Apex irons. The feel with a real ball inserts of range balls is also so satisfying. I really cant get enough of this club and how easy it is to hit.
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Love to hear this Keith! Fantastic
 
I'm 90% sure an Ai Smoke Heavenwood with LINQ Purple is going to happen later this month. Hoping to hit good shots more often with it than the Apex UW.
 
Kmench said:
I have been really lacking in the fairway review, I'm sorry.

I for the most will only use mine off the tee. At the range it has been a ton of fun to play around with and to see how forgiving it is, even with being the TD. I'm usually very picky about the size and shape of all my clubs, fairways being very difficult for me. I used an old 915 Fd before and loved it. When comparing the size the TD is so much bigger, but strangely enough, when setup behind the ball it looks crazy good and the shape is better than the 915. The face squares up really nicely and doesn't have any goofy lines to make it look rounded or closed.

Last week I used it twice, once off the tee and once off the fairway. Pulled my tee shot from a terrible swing. The shot from the fairway though....that shot got me to fall in love with this club. Was probably the best shot I've ever had with a fairway. Was about 260 out to a up hill green and pured it. The turf interaction was so so good, it just felt like it glided through like the Apex irons. The feel with a real ball inserts of range balls is also so satisfying. I really cant get enough of this club and how easy it is to hit.
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love this. My absolute favorite shot in golf is the 3W off the fairway. For some reason it feels like stepping back in time.
 
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