Sign up Closed: 2023 MGS Forum Test: Callaway Paradym Irons

43 minutes ago, Golf2Much said:

During my Paradym X fitting for my review, I found out I’ve been living a lie for almost 40 years!  Here’s what happened.

After being informed I was one of the lucky testers for the Callaway Paradym irons I decided it best to get fitted so I could pass along an accurate set of build specifications.  One disadvantage of living at “the end of US1” in Key West, is that we have to travel to “America” for exotic shopping, like Target, and to get fitted for golf clubs.   Thankfully, Golftec in Miramar, Florida was happy to work with me on this one.

The drive was four hours up and back, with carefully timed departure and fitting times to cheat the Miami area rush hour(s).  When I arrived, I went right into a studio, warmed up a bit and was anxious to start the process.  We started with creating a baseline with my current seven iron.  My current gamer irons are yellow dot (1.5 degrees upright) Ping G30 with graphite Fujikura EXS 60i R2-Flex shafts.  I hit about a dozen balls.  Then it was time to launch into the Paradym X irons.

Given my normally slow swing speed, we tended to focus on Callaway’s offering of a light flex Aldila Ascent PL 50 graphite shaft offering.  My fitter assembled a standard lie/standard length Paradym X seven iron and had me give it a try.  We started with a few practice swings with the face sprayed with foot powder to see where on the face I was hitting the ball.  It was likely the excitement, but my swing speed was a little faster than normal and many impacts were toe hits.   

Next, we focused on the club lie.  He placed a sticker on the club face that looked like a protractor and placed a thick green line on the back of a ball.  He explained that if I were a standard lie, the green line would transfer a line straight up and down on the sticker.  If it were tilted to the toe or heel, the lie needed to be flattened or made more upright.  To my surprise, it was perfectly up and down!  I’ve always been anywhere between 1.5 to 4 degrees upright in my irons, but not now!  I had him run it again and we got the same result.  Relying on the saying, “once is an accident, twice is a coincidence and three times is a trend” we got a 2 degrees up head and repeated the test.  To my surprise, the line was tilted towards the toe meaning I had to flatten the lie.  I shook my head and came to the realization I have been living a lie about my club lie for the last 45 years!  I’m standard, I’m really standard!  Well, at least with the Paradym X's.  

Next, we played with iron length.  I’m 6’2” (at least I used to be and what my license says) with somewhat long arms.  The fitter measured me from the floor to my wrist and said again, I was standard.  I had him humor me and he build a Paradym X version that was ½” longer for me to try.  The resulting marks on the powdered spayed face seemed to suggest I hit it less on the toe and more on the sweet spot.  The fitter didn’t seem to share my perception and concluded that the standard lie and length were right for me.  I thanked him, settled up and I was off for my return home.

Here are the performance numbers summary that I got for my current and Paradym X seven irons.

I got five more mph on my swing speed.   That could just be just adrenaline as I caught myself overswinging a couple of time.  So realistically I'd take those swing speed numbers with a grain of salt.  The stronger lofted Paradym X irons launched lower with less spin.   The good news is that I less offline with the Paradyms and got about 10 more yards.  If I could carry that from the studio to the course, I’d be happy.

The problem with four hours of drive time alone in a car is that it gives you too much time to think.  In this case, it gave me too much time to recap the fitting.   I got over “living the lie” of now being standard lie but I just felt that I hit the ½” longer seven iron more in the sweet spot that the standard length. 

After reading the excellent introductions of my fellow Paradym reviewers, I reached out to the seasoned club fitter @funkyjudge to share my experience and asked for his expert opinion on what I should do.  He confirmed the standard lie was probably right and suggested I could go either way, standard or +1/2” in length but only in the 7-AW.  He felt lengthening the 5 and 6 irons would make them more difficult to hit for me.  I thanked him and revised my specifications to lengthening the shorter irons. 

Doubt can sometimes be a self-fulfilling prophecy.  We overthink something we think may not be right, it interferes with our normal mental and physical preparation and voila, we hit a bad shot.  “Living my lie” doubt about my club lie was overcome by evidence.  My length doubt was eased by my fellow reviewer and moderators’ comments.  Thank you all for your help in easing my doubt and I’m looking forward to the unboxing and first impressions.

 

The reason that I advised against lengthening the 5 and 6 irons is that Callaway already builds the 4, 5 and 6 irons in the Paradym and Paradym X iron sets at extended lengths. Rather than using the standard 1/2" increments between all irons in the set, Callaway (and several other manufacturers) are using 5/8" length increments in these irons, and by the time you lengthen the 5-iron by another 1/2", you will have a 38.75" long club.  Unless you need a club that is actually 3/4" over standard length, this is a recipe for disaster, in my experience.

My recent experience would suggest me hitting any four or five iron would be a recipe for disaster, longer or not!

 

1 hour ago, Golf2Much said:

During my Paradym X fitting for my review, I found out I’ve been living a lie for almost 40 years!  Here’s what happened.

Great stuff,  you might consider moving it to the testing thread and not continue in  the apply here thread.  

On 4/12/2023 at 9:51 AM, Golf2Much said:

My recent experience would suggest me hitting any four or five iron would be a recipe for disaster, longer or not!

 

I can relate. I am not getting along with the 5 iron but the 6 iron, that is a different matter. 

I played 9 this morning with the Paradym X irons. I continue to struggle with the 5 iron (21.5°) The six iron is a most different matter. I was able to hit that consistently well including one shot of 171 yards according to Shot Scope. I still am finding my best results at the shorter end of the bag. Today for example the hero was the AW which Shot Scope thinks is the 46° wedge. I am definitely seeing improvements in the height of the ball flight and accuracy at the bottom of the bag with these irons.

 

 

 

Another great round with the Paradym Irons. Great ball striking day with the Callaway Paradym Irons. Shot of the day had 189 to the hole and had to hook it around a tree. Hit 7 iron to 13 feet. That shot went like a rocket and still hit soft! Love these clubs more each round!!

How do you find the longer irons (5 and 6) ? Are they difficult to hit Javs? Btw what is your handicap?

 

1 hour ago, ORIGINAL SCARP said:

How do you find the longer irons (5 and 6) ? Are they difficult to hit Javs? Btw what is your handicap?

 

I am a 5 handicap, but depending on course and tees we play that changes. I find the 6 iron easy to hit. I really haven’t fallen in love with the 5 iron like the other irons in the set. I would have ordered 6 to GW myself. Especially since the 6 iron is like a 5 iron in most sets. I am gaining between 7 to 21 yards per club. I have a hybrid that is more reliable than the 5 iron in the set. 

Wow....thanks.

4 hours ago, ORIGINAL SCARP said:

How do you find the longer irons (5 and 6) ? Are they difficult to hit Javs? Btw what is your handicap?

 

I am not JAVS, but I am the other tester of the standard (non-X) Paradym irons, and I'm a 15 handicap golfer -- much closer to your handicap level.  I find the Paradym irons, including the 5 and 6 irons to be incredibly easy to hit.  If you are a reasonably decent ball-striker, these irons are suitable for a mid-teens handicapper; if not, the Paradym X model is probably a better choice.

30 minutes ago, funkyjudge said:

I am not JAVS, but I am the other tester of the standard (non-X) Paradym irons, and I'm a 15 handicap golfer -- much closer to your handicap level.  I find the Paradym irons, including the 5 and 6 irons to be incredibly easy to hit.  If you are a reasonably decent ball-striker, these irons are suitable for a mid-teens handicapper; if not, the Paradym X model is probably a better choice.

Thank you for jumping in and helping with the feedback for Original Scarp. I also believe you stated yardage gains with these irons as well, correct? 

7 minutes ago, Javs said:

Thank you for jumping in and helping with the feedback for Original Scarp. I also believe you stated yardage gains with these irons as well, correct? 

Thanks for all the info gents...it has been very helpful and I think I will buy the Paradymx irons starting with the 6 iron because I believe I need the help that they offer.

39 minutes ago, funkyjudge said:

I am not JAVS, but I am the other tester of the standard (non-X) Paradym irons, and I'm a 15 handicap golfer -- much closer to your handicap level.  I find the Paradym irons, including the 5 and 6 irons to be incredibly easy to hit.  If you are a reasonably decent ball-striker, these irons are suitable for a mid-teens handicapper; if not, the Paradym X model is probably a better choice.

Thanks for that info 

2 minutes ago, ORIGINAL SCARP said:

Thanks for all the info gents...it has been very helpful and I think I will buy the Paradymx irons starting with the 6 iron because I believe I need the help that they offer.

Thanks for that info 

Your welcome and hope they work well for you!

It's been about six weeks since I posted my final review of the Callaway Paradym X irons.  In that review, I indicated I was still working out some issues with some swing mechanics.  Since that final review, I've played several rounds and hit balls our small netted in driving range to work out the kinks to see if it was the arrow or the archer!  

I can report with a high degree of confidence is that I'm no closer to that answer!  I hit iron shots that make me say "Wow, that was great!" and some that make me way "What was that!!!"  What could be causing this uncharacteristic lack of consistency on my part?  I've got a couple of possible answers and both call for professional help!  One is an endodontist and the other is an assistant golf pro!

During my Paradym X review, I got an infection around a broken tooth (too many metal filled so-called cavities in the 1960's as a kid leaving little tooth enamel).  Even after a Z pack, it wouldn't go away.  I found out there was a good deal of infection and I needed my first root canal!   Whenever I get even the slightest infection, my body stiffens up which becomes a barrier to my normal golf swing.  Next Tuesday (after golf of course), I'm due in the endodontist's chair to get that fixed.  I have a new crown already waiting and hopefully I can put the unwanted stiffness behind me.  

For my degraded swing mechanics, I've decided to take a risk with one of the young assistant pros at our golf course.  At minimum, it will be a set of fresh eyes that might be able to see one or two things that may help.

Hopefully, between the two I can rid myself of both infection and bad swing mechanics so I can once and for all answer the question:  play them or trade them?   

So, since my final review I have continued to dial in these irons. Highlights a 69, 68 and 72. Multiple birdies each round. My game is now down to driver and putter. The Paradym irons are money! I absolutely love these sticks! Each shot I have confidence and know it will be at the worst acceptable. At the best, I have almost holed shots from the fairway. To top it off I pulled the plug and purchased a Callaway Paradym Triple Diamond Driver. This driver is hot as well. What was more surprising is the ease at working the ball and finding fairways. These clubs have absolutely taken my game to a new level! Prior it was a goal to break 80 now I look to break par!