Right now they are averaging about half to 2/3 club longer. I’m hoping as my strikes improve with them I’ll see a full club improvement
Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Irons & Hybrids Review
I love seeing the consistent hits that aren’t dead center that day and still walking away with good scores. Just amazing (and offers a ton of hope)
First round with the hybrid. No big left miss. Lots of forgiveness. Ball go far. This is a recipe for success
Mongo only pawn in game of life.
I believe @Just_Brad may have gone with HL irons!
Nope, Standard Smoke irons for me. Fitters figured I was ok without the HL option. They were definitely nice to hit though. Looks down at them, not really a different foot print.
I was longer, and with a more optimal ball flight with Smoke. Pretty sure the trade off was just a better height (ie. Lower), to snag more distance.
What setup did you go with?
Smoke 5-AW UST Recoil Dart 105 F4 1* up
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This is similar to my set right now, although not upright, actually 1 flat.
Awesome. I am feeling good about adding the Smoke 4i to the bag. Will hopefully get out this weekend.
I am still a little lazy with the irons (read OTT) so the 1* up helps me a ton
Honestly I was hesitant to move on from my JPX 921 Forged because of the performance and feel, but hitting these I didn't get the "click" at impact I feared I would. Distance can't be denied and off center the ball speed retention is pretty special. I am excited to get these and practice to dial in my distances.
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Me too, but I am working on it with GolfTEC haha.
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I thought maybe the HL would be more helpful for us sweepers but I will see soon enough.
My Smoke Irons came this week! With Easter this weekend won't be able to get out to the course, but cannot wait to get out there next week to give them a try.
Now if only Callaway could figure out how to get the rest of the stuff I ordered to me sooner
Now if only Callaway could figure out how to get the rest of the stuff I ordered to me sooner
Definitely try all of them and see!
I was convinced I was going to be either HL of Fast in presentations before fitting.
We went Apex Pro/Smoke HL/Smoke Max in order, but the difference for me from HL into Smoke was definitely visible on range.
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I don't get the click either you are talking about. No issues putting it into play with the Apex Pro Cbs.
And they have shipped!
Love this! Can’t wait to read your thoughts
I now have 13 rounds with my Ai Smoke irons in the bag. Time for a bit of an update on them and their performance for me.
Details: 4i - AW with MMT 85 R shafts. 1* upright. Stock loft & lie. I was previously gaming Cobra FTX irons (1 deg weak) with Recoil 95 R. For me the Ai Smoke are elevating higher than my previous set. This is very good thing, as I struggle with launch. Im a 17 to 19 handicap. So have that wild swing tendencies and just starting to really understand my golf swing. In other words I need all the forgiveness I can get. I have fair swing speed for a 49 year old. (driver 94-96 mhp range) and I am a sweeper. Thus the Ai Smoke irons are made with me in mind.
These irons promote excellent launch and give a golf like me the forgiveness I need. I find myself living on the toe. then 3 weeks later im hozzel adjacent. As Im starting to find the center more often, these irons reward you with an absolute amazing feel. I've played forged irons in the past. These are as close to that experience as I've ever felt from a non forged product. If you are familiar with the previous Paradym irons....Ai Smoke feels exactly like them....even though they do not have a forged face. That is a major achievement for Callaway R&D.
My ball speed and launch is up. As a result these irons play longer than all my past irons. A lot of that IMO is due to them producing controlled launch while retaining ball speed across the face. The Ai Smart Face created by the use of Swing Code really helps a golfer like me.
Here is my Shotscope Performance Average based on my last 10 rounds. The "46" is my set AW.
Wen I'm having a good day, I've had a lot of my long time golf buddies turn to me with an amazed look on their face. Then comment on how the ball sounds different that they ever hear it when coming off the face of my irons. Ai Smoke is producing a ball flight that is new and very exciting. I can't wait to keep playing these irons while also working on my golf game (GolfTec lesson pack secured). In certain my handicap will be going down this season. which is very exciting.
As a hint to what's to come....here is a outdoor launch monitor data from a range session last week. Ai Smoke 7i!
Details: 4i - AW with MMT 85 R shafts. 1* upright. Stock loft & lie. I was previously gaming Cobra FTX irons (1 deg weak) with Recoil 95 R. For me the Ai Smoke are elevating higher than my previous set. This is very good thing, as I struggle with launch. Im a 17 to 19 handicap. So have that wild swing tendencies and just starting to really understand my golf swing. In other words I need all the forgiveness I can get. I have fair swing speed for a 49 year old. (driver 94-96 mhp range) and I am a sweeper. Thus the Ai Smoke irons are made with me in mind.
These irons promote excellent launch and give a golf like me the forgiveness I need. I find myself living on the toe. then 3 weeks later im hozzel adjacent. As Im starting to find the center more often, these irons reward you with an absolute amazing feel. I've played forged irons in the past. These are as close to that experience as I've ever felt from a non forged product. If you are familiar with the previous Paradym irons....Ai Smoke feels exactly like them....even though they do not have a forged face. That is a major achievement for Callaway R&D.
My ball speed and launch is up. As a result these irons play longer than all my past irons. A lot of that IMO is due to them producing controlled launch while retaining ball speed across the face. The Ai Smart Face created by the use of Swing Code really helps a golfer like me.
Here is my Shotscope Performance Average based on my last 10 rounds. The "46" is my set AW.
Wen I'm having a good day, I've had a lot of my long time golf buddies turn to me with an amazed look on their face. Then comment on how the ball sounds different that they ever hear it when coming off the face of my irons. Ai Smoke is producing a ball flight that is new and very exciting. I can't wait to keep playing these irons while also working on my golf game (GolfTec lesson pack secured). In certain my handicap will be going down this season. which is very exciting.
As a hint to what's to come....here is a outdoor launch monitor data from a range session last week. Ai Smoke 7i!
Ok, I’ve spent some time recently on the irons - but let’s talk about the hybrids. I really don’t know why Callaway doesn’t get more love for their hybrids. In my opinion, they are the workhorses each year and are just getting their work done day in and day out. They tend to be outshone by the fairways and drivers, but they more than get the work done
Looks 8/10
I love the way they setup. The profile of the head isn’t too thick (they aren’t a mini-fairway) and it’s still significant enough to give you confidence you can launch the ball
Aesthetically, very pleasing to the eye. My only grumble here is I prefer matte finishes on the top. That’s just the way i am and realize that may be a bigger deal for me than others
Sound/Feel - 9/10
Much like the driver, these sound very good. They have a muted sound and aren’t as obnoxiously loud as other clubs (I’m looking at you Ping). You feel, particularly on well struck shots like you really compressed the ball and the sound is quite addictive… you want to chase those well struck ball sounds!
Not much to really complain about here. If Callaway could tweak the sound a bit to be closer to the driver, this would easily be a 10/10
Forgiveness - 10/10
Oh my, do they perform well. I’ve hit them off the heel and off the toe, high and low and they perform exceptionally well on mishits. My typical flight with these is a nice baby draw and they launch mid-high, exactly where I want my hybrids to be. Penetrating ball flight in Texas winds is important to keep the course in play and the ball advancing to the hole.
Mishits lose a small bit of distance 10 yards or so, but far lesss than my previous gamers (Paradyms), where misfits would incur closer to a 18+ yard penalty.
Performance - 9/10
On well struck balls in the center of the face there isn’t tremendous improvement from Paradyms. Maybe a yard or two. It’s the forgiveness that’s the story here. Still, well struck shots are well rewarded and the distance is exactly where you want them to be.
Many OEMs struggle with distance vs forgiveness and there’s often tradeoffs there (see Vosh’s video about maxing out MOI). Callaway has done an excellent job in blending the two and managing those trade offs with these. They are true weapons on the course and I only wish there was a 2h option (a recurring complaint of mine!)
Summary
I think even among great Callaway hybrid releases, these stand out in a fantastic way. They have all the DNA of previous Callaway hybrids from a looks and distance perspective with improved sound/feel and greatly improved forgiveness. If you live all over the face and prefer the shape of a hybrid - definitely give these a long look!
Callaway, if you are reading this, pls consider a 2h in the future!
Looks 8/10
I love the way they setup. The profile of the head isn’t too thick (they aren’t a mini-fairway) and it’s still significant enough to give you confidence you can launch the ball
Aesthetically, very pleasing to the eye. My only grumble here is I prefer matte finishes on the top. That’s just the way i am and realize that may be a bigger deal for me than others
Sound/Feel - 9/10
Much like the driver, these sound very good. They have a muted sound and aren’t as obnoxiously loud as other clubs (I’m looking at you Ping). You feel, particularly on well struck shots like you really compressed the ball and the sound is quite addictive… you want to chase those well struck ball sounds!
Not much to really complain about here. If Callaway could tweak the sound a bit to be closer to the driver, this would easily be a 10/10
Forgiveness - 10/10
Oh my, do they perform well. I’ve hit them off the heel and off the toe, high and low and they perform exceptionally well on mishits. My typical flight with these is a nice baby draw and they launch mid-high, exactly where I want my hybrids to be. Penetrating ball flight in Texas winds is important to keep the course in play and the ball advancing to the hole.
Mishits lose a small bit of distance 10 yards or so, but far lesss than my previous gamers (Paradyms), where misfits would incur closer to a 18+ yard penalty.
Performance - 9/10
On well struck balls in the center of the face there isn’t tremendous improvement from Paradyms. Maybe a yard or two. It’s the forgiveness that’s the story here. Still, well struck shots are well rewarded and the distance is exactly where you want them to be.
Many OEMs struggle with distance vs forgiveness and there’s often tradeoffs there (see Vosh’s video about maxing out MOI). Callaway has done an excellent job in blending the two and managing those trade offs with these. They are true weapons on the course and I only wish there was a 2h option (a recurring complaint of mine!)
Summary
I think even among great Callaway hybrid releases, these stand out in a fantastic way. They have all the DNA of previous Callaway hybrids from a looks and distance perspective with improved sound/feel and greatly improved forgiveness. If you live all over the face and prefer the shape of a hybrid - definitely give these a long look!
Callaway, if you are reading this, pls consider a 2h in the future!
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So a question to the masses…what are your thoughts when you hear someone mention the word Hybrid?
For me in the past it was a club that I had in the bag because I thought it was easier to hit than long irons. Unfortunately that was not always the case. The hybrid slot in my bag tended to be just that a slot in the bag where the club was rarely used.
Fast forward to this year and the Smoke 4HL. When I went into my fitting I was worried when we got to this area of the bag. I had in my my UW and UT and lone behold when GP asked me what I was looking to achieve my response was launch high and land soft. From that point we landed on the 4HL, what I didn’t know was that the 4HL would be just that and so much more. This club delivers both that high launch and decent angle that achieves a soft landing. Fortunately that is just not it.
Benefits for me:
- My 180yd - 207yd club. Yep you may be saying that is a huge gap in yardage, and while it may be, this Smoke 4HL is so easy to ask more or or ask for less.
- Forgiveness - Forgiveness is there but I rarely feel that I need it or maybe I’m getting it without even knowing.
- Confidence- I will pull this club in varying scenarios and feel confident if I put a good swing on the ball this club will deliver. I can’t even begin to tell you how often I will pull it on longer par 3’s where I am seeing a GIR of upwards 80% more when I do.
So for those looking for a hybrid that does so much more than a hybrid look no further than the Smoke Ai HL line. High launching and distance seeking is what you will find with an added confidence in this area of the bag.
For me in the past it was a club that I had in the bag because I thought it was easier to hit than long irons. Unfortunately that was not always the case. The hybrid slot in my bag tended to be just that a slot in the bag where the club was rarely used.
Fast forward to this year and the Smoke 4HL. When I went into my fitting I was worried when we got to this area of the bag. I had in my my UW and UT and lone behold when GP asked me what I was looking to achieve my response was launch high and land soft. From that point we landed on the 4HL, what I didn’t know was that the 4HL would be just that and so much more. This club delivers both that high launch and decent angle that achieves a soft landing. Fortunately that is just not it.
Benefits for me:
- My 180yd - 207yd club. Yep you may be saying that is a huge gap in yardage, and while it may be, this Smoke 4HL is so easy to ask more or or ask for less.
- Forgiveness - Forgiveness is there but I rarely feel that I need it or maybe I’m getting it without even knowing.
- Confidence- I will pull this club in varying scenarios and feel confident if I put a good swing on the ball this club will deliver. I can’t even begin to tell you how often I will pull it on longer par 3’s where I am seeing a GIR of upwards 80% more when I do.
So for those looking for a hybrid that does so much more than a hybrid look no further than the Smoke Ai HL line. High launching and distance seeking is what you will find with an added confidence in this area of the bag.
Candidly I shake my head and say nope as I've not found one that I've been able to get along with. Now full disclosure, I've only tried a handful and have improved my game a bit since the last couple experiments. I'm open to it, just need someone/something that clicks.