2023 Callaway PARADYM Driver Launch

[GolfSpy_KFT]

Watching the TXG Paradym fitting with Ian and Matty boy and I tell you what, they are really hard to beat when it comes to YouTube content. I enjoy every single one of their videos. As a fellow lefty, I love watching Matt swing the golf club. Wish I could generate that kind of club head speed!

[TylorJudd]

48 minutes ago, blackngold_blood said:

Will there be other models released to retail or is it just the 3?

They said there will be different versions for your players IIRC. I believe there is 3 different triple diamond versions.

[cnosil]

58 minutes ago, chisag said:

 

... Gotta love how he came straight from his assembly line job (judging by his clothes) and is still bombing his drives! I guess he just didn't have time to change into his Bib Overall Jeans. 

He does work for a manufacturing company and his bib overalls were in the wash.  . I think he is trying o represent the everyday muni golfer.  It’s warmer today so he will have on shorts during the testing session.   

[cnosil]

51 minutes ago, chisag said:

 

... I have not which is why I said "if it isn't obnoxiously blue". I just don't like golf clubs colored by Smurfs. 

IMO, It’s not an obnoxious blue on top; very deep blue to almost black but lighting will influence….bottom is a different story.   There have been far worse blues on other OEM drivers.   

[JohnnyCallaway]

49 minutes ago, Samsonite said:

Quick: favorite video review so far:  Finchy's is always top-notch, Robinson nearly lost his mind, Shiels seems to be a little bit in love with the standard Paradym, and Al just hits the ball so far it feels unfair. 

Are you seeing gains with "normal" golfers, especially on the off-center strikes (or, what I like to call, "strikes")?  

And for what it's worth, every reviewer saying it's "one of the best-looking drivers I've ever seen" is encouraging, because (as you said earlier), the pics don't do it justice.  Very curious to see this thing in person.

Last question: seriously, is your last name really "Wunder"?  This is like being a weatherman with the last name of Thunder, or Rains. Possible, sure, but...come on, man

(thanks for being here!)

1) Yes we are seeing serious gains downrange in dispersion with normal players and an uptick in speed. 

2) Yes thats my real name. My dad is John Wunder SR, it's German I've been told lol

[GolfSpy SAM]

When are these going out to fitting studios?  I see they're available for pre-order before official launch day, but is that date when they're hittable (I have a fitting lined up at TrueSpec on the 20th of this month)?  Would love to hit (at the very least) the irons and a hybrid/5 wood while I'm there.

And (real quick, I promise) speaking of Germany and fathers/sons, by older brother is "John Reid (last name here) II", as my Dad was the first.  My brother lived in Berlin/Stuttgart/Munich for many years after college, and people constantly thought he was some kind of royalty, because of the "II (second)" in his name - he is definitely not royalty, my parents just thought it had a good ring to it, lol.  Apparently you can't be a "second" unless your family has title.  I just always found that delightful, and still call him "Prince" every chance I get

[GolfSpy_BNG]

42 minutes ago, TylorJudd said:

They said there will be different versions for your players IIRC. I believe there is 3 different triple diamond versions.

I don’t personally care about tour pros clubs. My question was strictly just about retail as I’m not big on releasing other surprise variants months down the line. 

[GolfSpy_APH]

https://www.pgatour.com/equipmentreport/2023/01/04/golf-wrx-jon-rahm-xander-schauffele-expected-play-callaway-new-paradym-driver-sentry.html

Half wonder if now that Cantlay is a free agent we see him get talked into a Callaway driver from Xander.

[Golfspy_CG2]

2 hours ago, Samsonite said:

Quick: favorite video review so far:  Finchy's is always top-notch, Robinson nearly lost his mind, Shiels seems to be a little bit in love with the standard Paradym, and Al just hits the ball so far it feels unfair. 

Are you seeing gains with "normal" golfers, especially on the off-center strikes (or, what I like to call, "strikes")?  

And for what it's worth, every reviewer saying it's "one of the best-looking drivers I've ever seen" is encouraging, because (as you said earlier), the pics don't do it justice.  Very curious to see this thing in person.

Last question: seriously, is your last name really "Wunder"?  This is like being a weatherman with the last name of Thunder, or Rains. Possible, sure, but...come on, man

(thanks for being here!)

Shiels....was definitely smitten by it.   Alex is a blast, I've gotten to spend time with him at a few of the PGA Shows, he hits it just as far in person, and is even funnier in person than on video if you can imagine.

 

[Golfspy_CG2]

2 hours ago, Samsonite said:

Oh! Sheesh (this was the reason I was excited to ask you questions) - I'm not really in the market for a driver, but I AM very much interested in the Paradym irons - curious what kind of results you're seeing from people hitting those - I'm kind of at the high end of the recommended hcp (currently 11.6), but coming from a GI set and looking to segue into a PD set.  Curious what kind of things you're seeing (if you've started this process, that is), especially comparing against the Rogue Pro.

Also, thank you for designing the Paradym X to actually be attractive GI irons - they're a slick-looking stick.

Since you are into the YT reviews.   Check out Golfalot for these irons. 

If you haven't watched any of Sophies reviews before, she is great.  In additon to having the cute accent, she actually has swing speeds we can relate to 74 mph 6 iron going 150 yards.   

She did a great review of them.  

[rlb4]

3 hours ago, JohnnyCallaway said:

If you guys have any questions, FIRE AWAY!!

The Callaway videos mentioned that the core Paradym model had a higher MOI than the Rogue. I believe that the Rogue ST  Max MOI was around 5300. What is the Paradym's MOI?

[GolfSpy SAM]

44 minutes ago, Golfspy_CG2 said:

Shiels....was definitely smitten by it.   Alex is a blast, I've gotten to spend time with him at a few of the PGA Shows, he hits it just as far in person, and is even funnier in person than on video if you can imagine.

Oh, I 100% believe it - anyone who edits their own videos is definitely funnier in real life, because I guarantee they're editing out gems that are just TOO weird/inappropriate.  I think that's why he's so fun to watch - it's easy to recognize how fun he'd be to hang with.

43 minutes ago, Golfspy_CG2 said:

Since you are into the YT reviews.   Check out Golfalot for these irons. 

If you haven't watched any of Sophies reviews before, she is great.  In additon to having the cute accent, she actually has swing speeds we can relate to 74 mph 6 iron going 150 yards.   

She did a great review of them. 

Excellent! I'll for sure check that out!  I'm actually (lately, as I'm compressing the ball better thanks to some swing changes/lessons) wondering if I shouldn't be looking at (slightly) less-lofted clubs.  My 7-iron (Sim Max v.1) is 28.5, and current carry is right around 175-180.  I feel like I'd be happy with a 31-32 degree 7-iron, and have it be my 160-165(ish) club, to help with some gapping issues.  It's one of the reasons I was interested in watching a review, to see if 29 was going to be a bit much. 

But I will for sure check out Sophie's review!  Thanks!

[RollingGreens]

Fantastic review by TXG. I think the review really highlighted all the models. Even though Matt didn’t get the best numbers with the X it was cool to watch how much it turned over for him. Can’t wait to demo the paradym, maybe even the triple diamond if it suits me during my March driver fitting. Would love to see what the list of premium shafts will be!

[GolfSpy SAM]

(stupid duplicate post.  Apologies!)

Edited January 5, 2023 by Samsonite
duplicate post

[chisag]

5 hours ago, cnosil said:

IMO, It’s not an obnoxious blue on top; very deep blue to almost black but lighting will influence….bottom is a different story.   There have been far worse blues on other OEM drivers.   

 

... Thanks, the bottom can be an eye sore if it looks OK at address and it performs well. 

[cnosil]

10 hours ago, chisag said:

 

... Thanks, the bottom can be an eye sore if it looks OK at address and it performs well. 

I took one outside today and it does look pretty good.  It is like the carbon fiber interleave is blue and black and when at address it looks more black, but when looking at it to just look at it there seems to be more blue.    Based on the testing I have been doing it performs well, but not sure it is better than any other driver on the market or anything in the past couple of years.   If I had to pick a driver from 2023 right now, the Callaway and TM would be my top 2, PXG 0211 and Cobra would be next tier; Followed by Ping and Mizuno

[GolfSpy_APH]

8 minutes ago, cnosil said:

I took one outside today and it does look pretty good.  It is like the carbon fiber interleave is blue and black and when at address it looks more black, but when looking at it to just look at it there seems to be more blue.    Based on the testing I have been doing it performs well, but not sure it is better than any other driver on the market or anything in the past couple of years.   If I had to pick a driver from 2023 right now, the Callaway and TM would be my top 2, PXG 0211 and Cobra would be next tier; Followed by Ping and Mizuno

That's really interesting (your tier list). I don't think I would have guessed that at all.

[cnosil]

17 minutes ago, GolfSpy_APH said:

That's really interesting (your tier list). I don't think I would have guessed that at all.

a lot of it is about the order in which the clubs are tested and what I haven’t tested;   I still have 3 more sessions so about 9/10 more drivers to go.  I’ve been swinging well during the testing and all the drivers are performing pretty well.   TItlest should probably be in there but I haven’t hit all the models.  I hit Phillips Titleist gamer a few weeks ago and really hit it well but it isn’t stock.  The  0311 PXGs  have that gray crown and didn’t seem to perform as well as the 0211.  With the Ping and Tour Edge I seemed to struggle to get my full swing speed. Probably the best Mizuno drivers I’ve hit, I just tended to push everything.  I am not struggling with spin so the Cobra performed pretty well.  Wilson also performed pretty well, but the looks are uninspiring.    If I had to pick today, I’d have a shootout between TM and Callaway to see which model works better for me 

[GolfSpy_APH]

11 minutes ago, cnosil said:

a lot of it is about the order in which the clubs are tested and what I haven’t tested;   I still have 3 more sessions so about 9/10 more drivers to go.  I’ve been swinging well during the testing and all the drivers are performing pretty well.   TItlest should probably be in there but I haven’t hit all the models.  I hit Phillips Titleist gamer a few weeks ago and really hit it well but it isn’t stock.  The  0311 PXGs  have that gray crown and didn’t seem to perform as well as the 0211.  With the Ping and Tour Edge I seemed to struggle to get my full swing speed. Probably the best Mizuno drivers I’ve hit, I just tended to push everything.  I am not struggling with spin so the Cobra performed pretty well.  Wilson also performed pretty well, but the looks are uninspiring.    If I had to pick today, I’d have a shootout between TM and Callaway to see which model works better for me 

It will be interesting when srixon gets thrown in there too. Thanks for the insight!!

[cnosil]

2 minutes ago, GolfSpy_APH said:

It will be interesting when srixon gets thrown in there too. Thanks for the insight!!

I’ve hit them too; forgot about them .  They all blend together after a while and I tend to remember the  best and worst.  Probably a tier 2 in my mind.   The Callaway, TM, and Titleist just make so many models it becomes easier  to find a good fit.  

[HDTVMAN]

MARKETING-MARKETING-MARKETING...Callaway is the KING of Marketing! So the driver and irons you bought last year for thousands are JUNK and you need to buy these new super duper never before built clubs. They will give to 10-20 Yards??? Well, maybe 1-2 yards more, OR LESS! So I have a bridge to sell cheap which spans San Francisco Bay. Been to Callaway, as well as other manufacturers in SO CA & Phoenix, and certified to fit. Callaway makes good clubs, no better than any other, but they are the King of Marketing! Don't believe everything you see or hear. Don't waste you money. New clubs every 4-5 years is fine.

[cnosil]

15 minutes ago, HDTVMAN said:

MARKETING-MARKETING-MARKETING...Callaway is the KING of Marketing! So the driver and irons you bought last year for thousands are JUNK and you need to buy these new super duper never before built clubs. They will give to 10-20 Yards??? Well, maybe 1-2 yards more, OR LESS! So I have a bridge to sell cheap which spans San Francisco Bay. Been to Callaway, as well as other manufacturers in SO CA & Phoenix, and certified to fit. Callaway makes good clubs, no better than any other, but they are the King of Marketing! Don't believe everything you see or hear. Don't waste you money. New clubs every 4-5 years is fine.

Marketing is how products are sold.  I didn’t see in any if the marketing material where they say last years clubs are junk or will add 10-20 yards; can you point that out so we can get someone to test those stated claims.   I don’t see much of that type of marketing anymore where you have to read the fine print to see the details of that claim.    
 

my driver is 4-5 years old, so I guess I can read and gain information from the marketing material? I’ve hit the Callaway drivers and they are pretty good and like you said so are the other OEMs.  Will they perform better? Maybe, maybe not, but that is what I am  trying to figure out.  Maybe same distance on center hits, but maybe they perform better on heel or toe strikes.  It also isnt all about distance.  

[GolfSpy_APH]

16 minutes ago, HDTVMAN said:

MARKETING-MARKETING-MARKETING...Callaway is the KING of Marketing! So the driver and irons you bought last year for thousands are JUNK and you need to buy these new super duper never before built clubs. They will give to 10-20 Yards??? Well, maybe 1-2 yards more, OR LESS! So I have a bridge to sell cheap which spans San Francisco Bay. Been to Callaway, as well as other manufacturers in SO CA & Phoenix, and certified to fit. Callaway makes good clubs, no better than any other, but they are the King of Marketing! Don't believe everything you see or hear. Don't waste you money. New clubs every 4-5 years is fine.

Marketing will always be part of it. They do spend a lot in making these things so it is only fair that they market it as best as they can. 

I will say the nice thing callaway has talked about a lot is downrange dispersion which is a focus more on accuracy vs distance. A nice change from the more distance story we always get. Yes, they still talk distance but this year again a larger talking point has been accuracy. 

[chisag]

1 hour ago, cnosil said:

Marketing is how products are sold.  I didn’t see in any if the marketing material where they say last years clubs are junk or will add 10-20 yards; can you point that out so we can get someone to test those stated claims.   I don’t see much of that type of marketing anymore where you have to read the fine print to see the details of that claim.    
 

my driver is 4-5 years old, so I guess I can read and gain information from the marketing material? I’ve hit the Callaway drivers and they are pretty good and like you said so are the other OEMs.  Will they perform better? Maybe, maybe not, but that is what I am  trying to figure out.  Maybe same distance on center hits, but maybe they perform better on heel or toe strikes.  It also isnt all about distance.  

 

... I post this much too often. Marketing is necessary for those looking for a new club. I pay no attention whatsoever to refrigerator marketing BUT I needed a new fridge last fall so had to read up and Marketing was just as prevalent for refrigerators as it is for golf clubs. I didn't read the Fridge Forums (of course there are fridge forums) but appreciated all the marketing for the bells and whistles on new fridges. Haven't looked at a fridge ad or marketing since. 

... Golf marketing is the same for most. I have yet to speak to an OEM that is looking to Market this years clubs over last years clubs. Most will tell you they want customers for life, not a single equipment cycle. Titleist went so far as saying they would not recommend moving to new clubs for at least 2 generations and even then you need to get fit and compare. The last thing any OEM wants is someone "upgrading" from the '21 Rogue to the Paradigm and finding no difference in performance which leads to product dissatisfaction which leads to trying a different OEM driver. 

... I would add going to the show every year and demoing every new club that was in my wheelhouse, it was rare for me to find something that performed noticeably better than what I was playing. Yet it did happen. It could be a myriad of things that made a product perform better for me and more distance was not my #1 requirement. So I like demoing every new offering every year. Playing the Sim2 for instance I had fittings for the Rogue and the Stealth and neither was much different than my Sim2 for performance. I also preferred the look, feel and sound of my Sim2 so the extra yard I got from both new drivers without and increase in accuracy or forgiveness wasn't even worth considering. That said, had either looked better, sounded better and felt better, they would be in my bag without any increase in performance. But that's me and ymmv ...

... Like refrigerators, most won't demo new clubs or pay serious attention to Marketing until they need new clubs so roughly 5-10 years for the average golfer. Yes, there are eager forum golf nuts that will buy any new club that comes out but they are such a small minority to be statistically insignificant. I doubt anyone is interested in seeing this *NEW* non marketing ad from Callaway for their Paradym driver:

"We have a another new driver here at Callaway. It has some different stuff than the last model. You may or may not find a performance difference so it might not be a bad idea to demo one to find out. But if you like your current driver, continuing to play it is cool too. Just thought we would mention the new driver and didn't bother with pictures because well you know, it's just another driver. (It's kinda blueish black by the way)."

[GolfSpy SAM]

i think something that gets lost sometimes is that, and maybe i shouldn’t admit this out loud, but…. Here goes: looking at new shiny things is fun. 

Fewer and fewer people are buying into the “hype” part - but it’s fun to read all the new things and look at all the pretty pictures. 

I’m not buying one. It’s still enjoyable.

 You know, like window-shopping. Sometimes it’s just nice to look at petty things and continue down the sidewalk

[cnosil]

18 minutes ago, Samsonite said:

 

 You know, like window-shopping. Sometimes it’s just nice to look at petty things and continue down the sidewalk

And this is why I enjoy being one of the most wanted testers.  I not only get to look at the pretty things, but I get to touch them too

[chisag]

... If anyone is interested in the difference between Marketing and Hype, just watch the 1/2hr Callaway 2023 Product Launch on the Golf Channel. Look close and you can see the $100 bills sticking out of everyones pockets. 

[Duxman130]

How many yards will the average golfer gain going from a Callaway Epic to a Callaway PARDYM? Maybe 0.5?

You want more distance and hit more fairways? Too many golfers think a new driver is the elixir that will deliver.  "Forged Carbon" - wow.

Go out and buy a previous year model driver for $300 and spend another $300 on lessons.  Then stretch a lot, get a good fitness routine, and practice.

The big golf manufacturers want to sell clubs. They've got way too many people fooled into thinking it's equipment. 

 

[Dweed]

Pretty to look at I guess and test out but to spend $600?  IRS season right around the corner. Might have to wait a couple of years I suppose.

 

[Golfspy_CG2]

What I don’t get is all the people getting worked up telling people not to upgrade over last year, it’s a waste of money for 3 yards.  To only buy if your driver is 5 years old or more.   Both are legit comments 

But guess what….there are readers here who fit that category that have 5-10 year old drivers. I know many of them personally.
So they want to know.  So what’s the big deal about companies putting out new product and heaven forbid actually promoting it.   
 

Take the larger view of things people, not the easy pot shots