Callaway Paradym Irons - 2023 Forum Review

[tony@CIC]

On 4/4/2023 at 1:05 AM, Golf2Much said:

Paradym X Irons - Official MGS Forum Review by Golf2Much

Introduction (April 6, 2023)

This has been an incredible MyGolfSpy last couple of days.  First, I received my “500” forum ranking.  That was followed by winning Season 1 of the MGS Championship Tour.   Last, but not least, I was selected as a Callaway Paradym X irons reviewer.  I still find it all hard to believe!

I was born and raised in Rochester, New York.  After graduating with degrees in Plastics Engineering (yes, I know, “The Graduate”) I returned home and had a 27-year technology, business development and management career at Xerox.   In 2007 I left Xerox, moved to Key West, Florida and have enjoyed island living ever since. 

Since retiring, I’m living up to my display name, Golf2Much!  Last year I played over 130 rounds of golf with all but 2 on my home course.  My index currently is 11.4, but within the last year it was as low as 9.2.   

When I’m not playing, I’m still busy with golf. I’m the Vice President of the Lower Keys Golf Association which raises money to support local junior golf and high school golf teams.  I also maintain the local GHIN system. If that wasn’t enough, about six months ago I became a Florida State Golf Association/USGA course rater. 

My home course is the Rees Jones designed Key West Golf Club.  The classic layout has narrow fairways, small greens with false fronts and penalty areas, water or mangroves on each hole.   The course demands driving and approach shot accuracy to score.

My playing style is easy to describe:  I’m the golfer I used to hate when I was young!   On par fours I drive the ball 170-190, come up short of the green with a fairway wood second shot, chip on and one putt for par.   The shots gained numbers against my handicap peer group below highlights exactly what I’m talking about. 

Seeing those numbers, you can almost hear “hey you kids, get off my lawn!”

Some of the above shortfalls are due to being 66 years old and having enough physical limitations that many wonder how I can even play golf at all!   I’m expecting a few more yards out from my new Ping G430 Max driver, so my focus has turned to my iron approach shots.

I currently play Ping G30 irons with Fujikura EXS 60i R2-Flex shafts that I bought the used seven years ago.  My data suggests that maybe it might be time to upgrade!

Enter the Paradym X’s.   Callaway refers to them as player type, game improvement irons with “distance and forgiveness.”  Given my situation, they seemed a perfect fit. 

I use the Shot Scope H40 and tags for shot tracking, so I will be providing comparable data between both sets.   I'll be sharing some of that baseline G30 shot tracking and performance data leading up to my review and why the Paradym X's might be a game changer for me.  My expectation is to use that data as the basis for whether the Paradym X's stay in my bag.  Even as a lifelong Ping iron player, if the Paradym X's out perform they will stay in my bag!

The last new set of irons I owned were Callaway Big Berthas back in the mid 1990’s.  Now almost 30 years later I have the pleasure of trying their latest irons.  I can’t wait to put the Paradym X’s in play and share my findings with you!

Link to my Paradym X iron fitting:  

Unboxing (April 14, 2014)

Before I dive into the unboxing of the Paradym X’s, I have to give kudos to Callaway.  Their ability to quickly turn around my custom order was impressive.  Within a week of getting my specifications, Callaway built the custom clubs, shipped them from their Mexico facility, and delivered them to my door at the Southernmost end of US1.    

 

The clubs came very well protected in the box.  There were cardboard dividers at each end and in the middle to prevent clubs rattling during shipping.   The middle divider did a great job isolating the clubs at the bottom and top of the box.  Each iron head came shrink wrapped and inside a bubble wrap sleeve.   Altogether, the irons themselves were protected and very well secured.

    

Included in the box was the expected packing slip and a nice summary of the custom certified iron build specifications.  This will be filed away in a safe place.

As I started carefully unwrapping each iron, I realized that (other than my wedges) I’ve never owned a set of forged irons.   With one unwrapped, I stood back and was impressed how good the overall iron looked.  The iron's polished finish went well with the black Aldila shaft with silver and blue highlights and the Golf Pride CP2 Pro Wrap grip which has the white and blue accents. 

All I could think about is a paraphrased Billy Crystal Saturday Night Live line:  “It’s much better to look good than to play good..and you look marvelous!”

  

The back of the club has a simple and uncluttered look.  Certainly, different than the Ping hollowed out back I’ve been accustomed to.  Don’t let that simple look fool you.  Reading the Callaway’s Paradym X’s description, behind that simple back is a lot of embedded technology to enhance launch conditions and improve forgiveness.  At first I was a little worried about the polished look reflecting too much sun off the club at address.  But I noticed the less reflective finish on the club face continued over the topline of the iron which should make any reflection less of a distraction.  

As I said above, they looked marvelous! 

At first glance, the Paradym X’s club head seemed to be a bit more compact than previous irons I’ve owned.  When I place the Paradym X’s next to the Ping G30’s I realized the overall differences were not that big as I had thought.

  

Both clubs had somewhat comparable top line widths.  Not too thin to question their forgiveness and not too thick to be a distraction.  The amount of offset appeared to be roughly the same.  Checking the published specifications for both showed the Paradym X 7 iron has 4.83 mm (0.19”) of offset, only 0.25 mm (0.01”) less than the Ping G30 7 iron.   Overall, very close what I'm currently playing.

    

The G30’s has a marginally longer face, wider sole and stands a little taller especially at the club’s toe.  The groove portion of the Paradym X’s face is not as wide as the Ping G30.  What overall impact that will ultimately have will remain to be seen.

  

The clubs’ specification comparison also showed stronger Paradym X lofts.  The chart below highlights the differences.

The stronger Paradym X’s loft difference should have an impact on the overall distance of the Paradym X’s.  Callaway suggests that their frame construction, thin forged 455 face and tungsten weighting yields higher launch conditions and greater forgiveness.   I’ll likely need those higher launch conditions to help me hold my home course’s small, well protected greens!

Overall, was impressed with Callaway’s fast turnaround on my custom order, how well the clubs were packaged and the overall look of the Paradym X’s.  It’s forged shinny finish and more rounded edges seemed to give the impression it was significantly smaller than it really was.   The comparable top line and offset gave me confidence looking down on the club that I've hit this before.  I’ll have to see if the slightly shorter head length and less grooved hitting area on the face will impact my ability to consistently hit quality shots. The combination of Paradym X head, Aldila graphite shaft and CP2 Pro Wrap grips combine to make one beautiful looking club.  I can only hope they performs as well as they look!

Once unboxed, I performed the accession of the Callaway Paradym X to my bag.  As I began inserting the clubs, I realized I had an extra iron that I didn’t account for:  the approach wedge.  Given the Paradym X loft gapping and that I rely on my approach and short game to score, the AW had to remain in the bag.  Reviewing my Shot Scope performance data, it was easy to conclude that the 3 wood would be the odd club out.  Since the first of the year, I hit the 3 wood less than 8% of my fairway wood shots and the performance distance between the three and five woods is less than 10 yards.   No brainer!

Finally, in search of a second opinion, I asked my beagle Scout what she thought of the new Paradym X irons.  From the picture, you can see wasn’t too happy that I woke her up from her nap.

 

Final Review:

I’d like to thank MyGolfSpy and Callaway for the opportunity to review the Paradym X irons.  It’s an honor and a privilege to provide my feedback on these irons.

First Impressions (19 out of 20)

From the shots gained graphic above illustrated the need to improve my approach game from 100-150 yards in, I viewed the Paradym X irons as a potential game changer, especially if Callaway’s claims held true. 

Callaway claims that the Paradym X are a game improvement iron with “forged performance with enhanced distance in a more forgiving shape.”  The forged 455 face is optimized for more speed, higher launch, and increased spin consistency.  These characteristics are critical to hitting and holding my home course’s small greens.  The forged face and urethane microsphere insert are intended to yield an ultra-soft feel and premium sound.  The tungsten weights enhance launch conditions and improved speed on mishits.

I deducted two points for my initial apprehension of playing forged irons after having cast heads my whole adult life.  I added one point back for Callaway’s quick response in getting these well packaged, custom clubs to me at the end of the earth in Key West in a week.

Together, these features seemed perfect for my area of need.  If they performed half as good as they looked, the Paradym X irons could be a winner!

      

Aesthetics (10 out of 10)

The Paradym X’s are some of the best-looking irons I’ve ever seen.  The Paradym X’s wider topline and more offset than its sister Paradym irons helped convey a feeling of confidence and forgiveness for this Ping G30 player.  I thought the shiny chrome-like finish might be a distraction.  However, Callaway continued the matted finish up the face and over the topline eliminating any glare.  The back of the club badging and tungsten weights are simple giving it a clean look.  There’s no way to knowing how much innovation lurks behind the unassuming exterior.   

The Paradym X impact sounds has more of a muted “clicking” sound.  I found that the lack of feedback is feedback in itself.  When I know I hit the Paradym X's well, I don't feel a thing.  There’s a crisp feel, no vibration and faint "clicking" sound at impact for good shots.   On mishits, there’s only a slight increase in vibration and sound.

The Numbers (9 out of 10)

To get a handle of the numbers I conducted a few exercises to assess the Paradym X performance with respect to my G30s.  Here are the MGS links to them: 

·         Paradym X Versus Ping G30 Five, Seven and Nine Irons:  https://forum.mygolfspy.com/topic/58484-2023-mgs-forum-member-test-callaway-paradym-irons/?do=findComment&comment=913711

·         Paradym X Irons Only Round:  https://forum.mygolfspy.com/topic/58484-2023-mgs-forum-member-test-callaway-paradym-irons/?do=findComment&comment=920620

·         Paradym X Versus Ping G30 Driving Range: https://forum.mygolfspy.com/topic/58484-2023-mgs-forum-member-test-callaway-paradym-irons/?do=findComment&comment=922527

·         Paradym X Chipping:  https://forum.mygolfspy.com/topic/58484-2023-mgs-forum-member-test-callaway-paradym-irons/?do=findComment&comment=917700

Taken all together, here’s how the numbers panned out:

Accuracy:  In each case, I found the Paradym X’s to be marginally more accurate than my Ping G30’s.  The Paradym X’s tended to start straight at the target and stay there.  During the driving range test with “experienced” range balls, the Paradym X nine and seven irons exhibited three yards less distance and lateral dispersion when compared with the G30’s. 

 

Chipping with the Paradym X approach wedges proved to be as accurate as my existing wedges.

Distance:  I consistently found the Paradym X’s anywhere between 5 to 11 yards longer than the G30s.  With range balls and almost identical club head speeds, the average Paradym X ball speeds were 4-5 mph greater than the Ping G30’s contributing to the longer distance.

Trajectory:  With the stronger lofts, I found the Paradym X’s had a lower 2-3 degree lower overall trajectory than the corresponding G30 iron. 

Forgiveness:  The Paradym X’s exhibited marginally better forgiveness.  Good and fair Paradym X iron shots tended to showed less distance and lateral dispersion. 

Control:  Since correcting some of my swing issues, I feel more confident that the Paradym X’s will go where I aim.  With my G30’s, I tended to straight/slight fade shape.  For the Paradym X’s, it mostly straight/slight draw. 

Workability:  The ability to work the ball on demand is beyond my skill set! 

On-Course (17 out of 20):

The 5-11 yard longer iron shots held true through my on-course experiences.  The graph below plots each iron and the relative distances I got from each during the review period.   

If you overlay each the distances for each against the loft for each respective iron, you can see that the overall distances for similar lofts were somewhat comparable (see table below).  For me comparable lofts yielded comparable distances.

The shots gained from approach shots marginally improved 0.25 shot gained with the Paradym X irons with a majority coming from the Paradym X’s 100-150 yards in.

  

The greens in regulation improved roughly 10% (27 to 30%), the number of short approach shots dropped almost 15% and the number of iron shots past the green doubled to 6%. 

  

The Paradym X irons exhibited a 13% improvement in average proximity (60 to 52 feet), with a majority of the improvement in the 15–45-foot range.   

All taken together, the Paradym X irons proved to be more accurate hitting the greens than my Ping G30’s.

  

How does all of this relate to scoring?  There was a 0.1 stroke gained per hole improvement seen with the Paradym X irons than the Ping G30’s (0.9 versus 0.8 respectively).  My biggest take away from this data was a 33% drop in the double bogeys from 18% to 13% with the Paradym X irons.

How did my Paradym X’s iron experience compare to Callaway’s promotional claims?  The 455 forged face and frame did provide a 3-5 mph increased ball speed and greater distance.  The improved stability yielded more consistent distance on a variety of shots and a narrower shot dispersion.  The face and microsphere insert did help provide an improved feel and sound. The more consistent distances on good and marginal shots supports Callaway’s claim of improved speed on mishits.

I found the Paradym X irons had a lower launch angle (not higher) and generated less overall spin which contradicted some of Callaway’s claims. 

Overall, the Paradym X iron results met a majority of Callaway’s claims.

The Good, the Bad and the Inbetween (18 out of 20)

The “good” starts with Callaway’s quick turnaround for custom ordered clubs. 

The Callaway Paradym X irons look great.  The shiny chrome-like finish and the simple badging on the back make it a sight to behold.   The thicker topline and offset similar to my Pings implied forgiveness and inspired confidence.   

I ended up getting 5 to 11 yards longer hits with the Paradym X irons.  I saw some improvement in the area where I needed help:  hitting more greens from 100-150 yards in.  The Paradym X irons consistently hit the ball closer to the pins and exhibited less lateral and distance dispersion with both good and marginal hits. 

The “inbetween” included the fact that the distance gained seemed to be more related to the Paradym X’s stronger lofts.  I deducted point for that.  Right now, it’s too early to tell if my observed lower overall trajectory will ultimately be good or bad for my game at my home course.  I deducted one point for the lower trajectory.

I have nothing bad to say about the Paradym X irons!

 

Play It or Trade it?  (17 out of 20)

The arrival of the new irons coincided with of some poor swing mechanics.  Early on it was hard to separate the “archer” from the “arrow!”  Since then, I’ve seen some improvement in my swing and the corresponding improved performance the Paradym X’s bring.   I deducted a point for that uncertainty leading to an “incomplete” grade.

I also need more time to work out if the lower overall trajectory is a true benefit or liability on my small greens.   For that reason, I had to deduct a couple of points. 

For now, they are staying in the bag until I exorcise my swing demons and resolve the positives and negatives of the lower overall trajectory.

Conclusion

As someone who has played Ping cast head irons pretty much their entire adult life (original Ping Eye 2’s through G30’s) any apprehension I had hitting forged player irons quickly disappeared after hitting the new Paradym X irons.  Callaway has a winner here.

Aesthetically, the Paradym X’s are a beautiful iron.  The shiny chrome like finish, clean and rounded lines as well as the understated back (which hides all the innovation) make for an attractive iron. 

The Paradym X’s thicker topline, more offset, wider sole and the slightly larger head size gave me confidence I could hit these irons. 

On the course, the Paradym X’s did not disappoint.   Collected shot data indicated the Paradym X’s were 5-11 yards longer and more accurate than the G30’s which resulted in more greens in regulation, fewer short iron approach shots and improved proximity to the pin.    My Paradym X iron results validated a majority of Callaway’s performance claims.

For now, the Callaway Paradym X irons are staying in my bag while I improve my swing and get more acquainted with my new trusted friends! 

Final Score (90 out of 100)

 

Great review! What struck me is how much stronger the lofts are not only compared to your Ping clubs but also to my Cobra Speedzones which are only 4 years old. My Speedzones were built 1* stronger and as an example my PW is 44* . The stronger lofts would definitely shake up my bag. 

[frazzman80]

Excellent writing all! Nice to see these sticking in everyone’s bags! Thanks for the time to share your experiences!

[JeremyD]

Great reviews! The look great, and fly off the club face.

[Fyrmedic]

Excellent reviews by all. I definitely want to try those irons  as a high handicap golfer it is nice to see even better golfers liking the game improvement clubs

[billpierce]

Well done. Amazing how thorough the reviews were.  

[xOldBenKenobiX]

Very nice write ups, thank you for the in depth look at these irons.

[CB Lobo 4 Life]

On 4/3/2023 at 10:07 PM, funkyjudge said:

INTRODUCTION:  

On this forum most know me as “funkyjudge” (it’s a nickname given to me by my former boss and later business partner of 11+ years; don’t ask, it’s not that interesting how he came up with that nickname). As a few forum members who were regulars at the original Golf Equipment Aficianados (4GEA.com, where I was a moderator) know, my real name is Doug and I have been a golf equipment “junkie” for at least 35 years.  I am currently 74 years old and have been playing this great game of golf for about four decades.

I live in Bucks County, PA (about 25 miles northeast of Philadelphia, and 10 miles from Trenton, NJ, but I grew up in Western NY State (near Buffalo), and lived in NY City from the late 1970s through the early 1980s.  My “home” golf course is Makefield Hghlands Golf Club in Yardley, PA, and I play for their “Challenge Cup” team that plays matches against other clubs in the area (PA and NJ).  I also play for teams at two other golf courses in Eastern PA and Central NJ.

In a former life (1990s to early 2000s), I worked for Golfsmith International. I started out working in the golf retail division, and spent four years training clubfitters and club repair technicians who worked at the various Golfsmith superstores. During this time, I also worked in the Golfsmith equipment trailer (a/k/a “tour van”) at various stops on the PGA and Senior PGA Tours, plus at a few men’s and women’s major golf tournaments.  Following my days with Golfsmith, I went on to represent several OEM golf club and component manufacturers and although I am now semi-retired, I still hold the title of Fitter/Dealer with a few manufacturers (mostly high-end shaft companies), and do a limited amount of clubfitting and club building in my semi-retirement.

I am a bit better than a bogey golfer, with a current USGA Handicap Index that varies from 14-16 depending on the time of year and how much competitive golf I am playing (that Index actually dropped as low as an 11 in the last couple of years). I was once a single-digit handicapper, with an index as low as 6.5 to 8 from my 40s through about age 60.

Speaking of competitive golf, I play in several competitive golf leagues - including the statewide New Jersey Senior Men’s Golf League (my team has won three state championships in the 8+ years that I have played on the team). I also play on the John Caliendo Winter Golf Tour, which has been in existence for 54 years, and which currently has more than 150 members, including close to 40 PGA Professionals and several NCAA golf coaches. Not all of the competitive golf that I play is limited to senior golfers, as many events include golfers from 20-something years old to age 80+.

When I am not playing golf, I play music with two bands, and still do some recording sessions. I have written or co-written songs that have appeared on the “albums” of rock-and-roll and modern country artists, and I also play jazz, funk, R&B and blues music.  My main instrument is bass guitar, but I also play a variety of brass instruments (I played trombone and baritone horn in my college jazz ensemble).  In addition, I am a vocalist.  My wife and I also enjoy travel, both to play golf and to do non-golf things together, and we have visited more than 35 states domestically, most of Canada, England, Ireland, Scotland, and much of continental Europe.

My work history, in addition to the time that I worked for Golfsmith, was in the construction industry (management of a $1.5 billion international commercial construction company) and in the print and electronic media industry, including working for a magazine and website that served the private golf resort and country club industry.

I am very thankful for this opportunity to test the Callaway Paradym Irons, and look forward to providing thorough and valuable feedback on these irons to the mygolfspy.com community!

 

MY EXPECTTIONS FOR THIS TEST:

First and foremost, I am looking to fairly evaluate the performance of the new Paradym irons. Since I have specified my tester set with as near to identical specifications as I have in my 2021 Cobra King Forged Tec X irons (lengths, lie angles, shaft weight and flex), I should easily be able to evaluate the irons on an equal basis regarding performance.  These irons also have a similar construction to the custom-fitted set of Tour Edge Exotics C721 irons that I have been playing for nearly three years prior to receiving the Cobra irons from a fitter friend of mine about six weeks ago.

The timing of this test could not have been any better for me for a few reasons;

1. Our golf season is ramping-up into high gear with all leagues and competitions underway as of April 1.
2. My annual Myrtle Beach golf trip takes place from April 27 - May 4 this year, so I will have plenty of opportunities to play 18 to 36 holes per day with the irons.
3. My golf swing (or at least my iron swing) is in especially good shape right now, thanks to a full winter outdoor golfing schedule, plus playing in two indoor winter leagues on golf simulators.

WHAT WOULD CAUSE ME TO KEEP THESE IRONS IN MY BAG AS MY #1 SET?:

If these irons perform better than the Cobras, they will definitely make it into my bag on as "permanent" a basis as any clubs can have with me.  I go into this test with no lofty expectations, but I also enter the process with a completely open mind and will give the Paradym irons every opportunity to make it into the #1 position for me!

 

UNBOXING, IN-BAG PHOTOS, COMMENTS & OBSERVATIONS:

Clubs arrived within the last hour; notifications from both Callaway and UPS, plus UPS tracking information and updates were both timely and accurate. Here’s a few photos.  In addition, I am adding photos showing the clubs in my bag, along with my observations and impressions based not only on the unboxing, but also on the measurements that I took on the clubs and frequency measurements on the HZRDUS Silver 75-S shafts:

Observations —

Callaway did a great job in assembling these irons to my requested specifications (1/2 to 1 degree flat, standard length in the 7 iron through AW, but 38” vs 38.25” in the 5 iron and 37.5” vs 37.625” for the 6 iron).  All irons are D1 swingweight, which is a bit light for me and is probably a factor in the stiffer than expected frequency numbers on these shafts — more on that later.

Packaging was extremely secure and well-supported/padded; better than I have seen from several other equipment manufacturers, who shall remain anonymous.

Now, regarding those shafts — HZRDUS shafts have a history and reputation for being stiffer than many other shafts of a similar weight and flex designation from other manufacturers, and these 75 gram graphite shafts are no exception to that trend. They frequency at about 40% stiffer than other similarly-weighted graphite iron shafts, including KBS Tour Graphite Iron (TGI) 80-S shafts. The D1 swingweights on these irons may have something to do with this phenomenon, as the “industry standard” for measuring a shaft’s butt frequency is a D3 swingweight at “standard length” (eg - 38” long 5-iron). I suspect that adding a few strategically-placed strips of lead tape to the backs of these iron heads would make the irons play to a “standard stiff flex” for mid weight graphite iron shafts, but I definitely would not do that for the duration of the testing period, because not many people who buy these irons will have that option available to them, and I want to test the irons as they were built.

Overall, these are very good-looking irons, with just enough offset and a medium topline width (neither too thin, nor too thick). They have a very similar profile and size to the Tour Edge Exotics C721 irons that I played from January, 2021 until about 4 weeks ago, so I feel comfortable with the Paradym irons right out of the box. 

I was going to keep the Paradym irons out of my bag until I had an opportunity for a launch monitor test and evaluation plus one range session, but because I feel comfortable with the look and specs of this set of irons, they are staying in my bag and I will play them in tournaments tomorrow and on Saturday.

(more to follow; stay tuned)

 

 

Callaway Paradym X Irons – Official MGS Forum Review by Doug Mael (funkyjudge):

I also wish to thank both Callaway Golf and MyGolfSpy for providing this fantastic opportunity to test and play the new Paradym Irons; it has been both a blast and a great learning experience!

Just a brief refresher - As stated in my initial comments, I am currently a 15-handicapper (my USGA Handicap Index is exactly 15.0), and I am 74+ years old.  I played to a single-digit or a 10 handicap as recently as five years ago, but still I had some apprehensive thoughts regarding whether I am still a good enough golfer to game the standard Paradym iron model.  Those apprehensions were quickly put to rest within the first range session and round that I played with these irons.  If you have been following my many updates throughout the nearly (15) 18-hole rounds and (5) 9-hole rounds that I have played with these irons, you will see that I have shot rounds of 78, 84 and 80 while using the Paradyms, and my handicap index has dropped more than a full stroke since this test began.  To be fair, I have shot a few rounds in the 90s while using these irons, but very little of those higher scores had anything to do with the irons, with the exception of some iron shots that I hit over the greens or well past the pins to which I was playing (more on that later in this final review).

Virtually all testing of these irons was done on-course, following an initial "shake down cruise" at an all-grass practice range at the club (Makefield Highlands Golf Club in Yardley, PA), where I am a member and where I play about 1/3 of my competitive golf.  I am a Professional Clubfitter, and as such I not only have two personal launch monitors, but also have access to four $100,000+ launch monitors and simulators at Baylinks Golf in Newtown, PA, where I do much of my clubfitting work.  I did collect data both outdoors (at Makefield Highlands) and indoors (at Baylinks Golf) immediately after receiving the Paradym Irons.  In addition, I measured all aspects of these irons on my various gauges and frequency analyzing equipment prior to my first round with the clubs.  NOTE: All specifications as received out-of-the-box from Callaway were spot-on, or within 1/2*, and all swingweights and club lengths were 100% dead-on!

First Impressions: (19 out of 20)

As I said in the final paragraph above, I was greatly impressed with the quality and looks of these clubs, as well as the attention to detail in assembling the clubs to my slightly non-standard specifications.  The job that Callaway did in packing the clubs was also excellent (not quite a PXG or Sub 70 job of packaging, but far better than I have seen from many OEM golf club manufacturers.  There are photographs of the unboxing and the clubs in my Vessel golf bag on day one after receiving them within this post in my April 4, 2023 Initial Impressions, and there are more to come in this section of the Official Review.

Callaway Golf says the following about the Paradym Irons: "Distance irons are obviously long, but discerning players also want an exceptionally high level of feel. So why not have both in one club?"  I have found this to be 100% true in the case of the standard version of these Paradym Irons, and there will be more on this subject when I get to the portion of this Final Review entitled "The Numbers", as well as in the "On-Course" section.  Meanwhile, here are a couple of "beauty shots" of the irons in my bag (taken yesterday), as well as a couple different views of the 7-iron:

 

Aesthetics: (9 out of 10) 

As you can see from the photos above, and as you'll see in other photos which will follow, the Paradym Irons are certainly a thing of beauty.  I am not a fan of colors (other than black) in the cavity or on badging on golf irons, and that is where my one point deduction came from here.  However, they are good-looking clubs, and the blue section plus the three-section badging on the back of these irons would not prevent me from continuing to play the Paradym Irons.  I have played a variety of different Tour Edge Exotics "Player's Distance" irons, as well as Cobra's latest version of the King Forged Tec X irons in recent years, and I find those irons to have a slightly "cleaner" look, but the Forged Tec X irons are far too bulky and have more offset and a thicker topline than I prefer.  But, to be fair, the Forged Tec X is more of a direct competitor to the Paradym X model, so that's not a true "apples-to-apples" comparison!  Here's a few more views of the Paradym 7-iron behind the ball in my front yard's "rough", plus one without a ball from the top, and one showing the sole width; I think you'll agree that these have a contemporary "player's distance profile":

 

The sound from these irons is a solid "THWACK" when you strike the ball cleanly, and the feel is quite soft (not as soft as my Tour Edge Exotics C721s or some PXG irons that I have had the opportunity to hit, but very nice, nonetheless).  When you miss the sweet spot by any significant amount, you'll certainly feel that you have missed it, particularly on thin (or even slightly thin) shots, but to me this is what irons are supposed to do!  You shouldn't feel that you have hit a perfect shot when clearly you have not hit one.  I didn't feel in any way that the differences in feel from well-struck to poorly-struck shots affected my performance; in fact, I think that this helped me to hit (or strive to hit) better golf shots.

 

The Numbers: (8 out of 10)

I played these Paradym Irons in a real variety of playing conditions, in 35* F. and in 86* F. temperatures, in little to no wind, and in 25-35 MPH winds with gusts of more than 40 MPH.  Thus, I had ample opportunities to hit a variety of shot types, including lots of punches and knock-down shots into those strong wind gusts.  On one of my bad driving days, I decided to play nothing but irons on the back nine, and I teed-off with the Paradym 5-iron on all par-5 and par-4 holes, plus one 189 yard par-3.  Therefore, I have lots of data to go by in on-course playing conditions, which I will discuss in this section. Before I get to that discussion, just a few words about the data that I collected from my indoor and outdoor launch monitor sessions - I found trajectory with these irons (I have the Project X HZRDUS Gen 4 Silver 75-S shafts in mine) to be high, and I can stop shots on most greens with no problem.  I did encounter some rock-hard greens on two courses that I played during this testing period, and no shot, even one that reaches a 120-foot apex as mine do, will stop quickly on those types of greens!  Spin rates with the Paradym Irons is a bit lower than I would expect (I generally expect to see backspin numbers within 85-90% of 1000 x the iron number for today's stronger-lofted irons; in other words, a 7-iron should generate about 6,000 RPM of spin, a 5-iron close to 4,000 RPM, and a PW about 8,500-9,000 RPM).  These Paradym Irons were falling short of those numbers by about 500 RPM in each club.

Distance is VERY good with these irons, and that actually created a dilemma for me that took most of the testing period to sort-out. If you have read my in-progress reviews and reports throughout the testing period, you'll notice that I have hit many iron shots over greens or to the back of greens with front pin positions with these irons. I adjusted as I went along, but still had the occasional "flyer" or unusually-long iron shot, right up through this past week.  Here's the most recent example from just a few days ago: On a 185-yard+ par 3 hole, I pulled the 6-iron because I know that over the green on this hole is the worst possible place to be.  We had no significant wind behind us or into us, and yet I still hit the ball close to 10 yards over the back of the green.  I just DO NOT hit 190+ yard 6-irons unless there is LOTS of wind behind us.  This shot was an extremely well-struck 6-iron, but still I shouldn't have hit it 195 yards in the air!  This alone is the reason that the Paradym Irons didn't get a 10 of 10 from me in this category.

Control (other than occasional distance control issues), is great with the Paradyms, and workability is OK -- but workability isn't really something that you should expect in great abundance with this type of iron design.

I discussed forgiveness earlier in this Final Review; just a quick recap: You aren't going to get a lot of forgiveness when you miss the sweet spot by a significant amount; however, the Paradym Irons are plenty forgiving on small misses.

Here's a chart that I put together that compares the Paradyms in terms of loft and distance vs. the two iron models that I have played most recently prior to receiving these irons for testing early last month:

IRON LOFTS AND DISTANCES

                 Callaway Paradym        Cobra Forged Tec X      T. E. Exotics C721

5-iron       23* - 180 to 188 yds.      21* - N/A                        23* - 170 to 178 yds.

6-iron       26* - 165 to 175 yds.      24* - 170 to 175 yds.      26.5* - 160 to 165 yds.

7-iron       29* - 152 to 158 yds.      27* - 155 to 163 yds.      30* - 148 to 153 yds.

8-iron       33* - 138 to 145 yds.      31.5* - 140 to 148 yds.    34* - 132 to 140 yds.

9-iron       37* - 122 to 130 yds.      36.5* - 122 to 128 yds.    39* - 115 to 122 yds.

PW           42* - 114 to 120 yds.       42* - 112 to 118 yds.      44* -107 to 112 yds.

AW           47* - 103 to 110 yds.       48* - 100 to 108 yds.      49* - 98 to 105 yds.

 

On-Course: (20 out of 20)

I am not sure whether the 2 points that I deducted in "The Numbers" should have been deducted there or here, but I am not going to double-ding these irons, because the performance that I got from them was generally excellent.  In the areas such as performance under pressure, and being able to execute shots when they counted most, these irons were stellar -- in fact, this was probably their strongest suit! I was happy with my ability to hit approach shots close to some difficult pins and win several closest-to-pin prizes on my recent Myrtle Beach trip.  I have also been able to pull-off some remarkable approach shots in my two-man better ball tournament, where I shot 78 and in my travel golf leagues.  The shots that I flew past pins or over greens were already factored in when I dinged the Paradym Irons by two points above; otherwise, they have been remarkably-good performers!

Did they help improve my scores?  Does a 16.8 handicap drop to a 15.0 and does that golfer shoot three scores of 78 - 84 within a 6-week period?  I think the fact that I can answer "yes" to both of those questions says it all here.

 

The Good, the Bad, and the In-between: (18 out of 20)

I've posted a lot about the good (distance, sound and feel, plus generally great looks), and a little about what I find at least mildly annoying (busy looks in the three-section "badge" on the back of the irons, and to me the blue color accent looks a bit "tacky").  Here's a few more factors:

Good: Other golfers do notice these irons, and they ask a lot of questions about them (maybe the blue is doing it's intended job here, after all); Most others who comment on the clubs like their looks (again, maybe it's just me who doesn't like the blue and the three-piece badge)

Bad: I don't know why there seem to be the occasional "flyer" from the rough, plus extra-hot shots from off the tee and on tightly-mown fairways, but it has happened to me more than it has in nearly three years when playing my two sets of irons mentioned earlier and shown in the chart embedded above in "The Numbers" section.

 

Play It (them) or Trade It (them)?: (18 out of 20)

I think that I will probably keep these irons in my bag, but I am not 100% sure, due to the factors that I have detailed above (mostly, the "flyer" issue).  They generally look great, they perform well and feel fantastic (sound is very good, too!).  I would rate them up there with my Tour Edge Exotics C721 irons, and they give me several more yards than the C721s, particularly in the shorter irons. One thing that I am definitely going to do now that the "official" testing period has ended is bend the lie angles another 1/2* to 1* flatter (they came at 1/2* flat, but since almost all of my misses seem to be left with the Paradym Irons, it looks like they need to be flattened a bit more).

I think that the standard version of the Paradym Irons, as I have been testing, are best-suited for good ball-strikers.  However, this is not to say that a low to mid-teens handicapper cannot have great success with these irons, as I am living proof.

 

Conclusion:

If you read nothing else here (and I know MGS fanatics too well to think that you will just jump to the conclusion, but still there may be a few who do that), know this:  The Paradym Irons are terrific clubs; they perform exceptionally well, look pretty darned good (some say that they are "beautiful"), sound and feel great, and should appeal to better golfers -- maybe not scratch guys like chisag, but very good golfers would probably do exceedingly well with these irons in their bags!

 

Final Score:  92 out of 100

Those who know me, who have had me as a professor at Drexel University or an instructor at NYU, or who were ever graded by me in the hundreds of clubmaking and clubfitting classes that I have taught as a Golfsmith instructor, will know that 92 out of 100 is a pretty danged good grade from me.  These are solid irons and getting a 92 from me means that they are in the top 10% of all irons, which makes them a great choice for you decent ball-strikers!

 

Loving the review so much so far! Going to keep reading but can't help but comment on the flex of the garage with all the clubs in there. Consider me a jealous man!

[GolfSpy BOS]

Finally had a chance to read through all your reviews on the Paradym Irons.  Great job by all!  I'm not at all surprised with the success you all found after talking with the Callaway folks.  It seems their genuine excitement over the product line has been validated by your experiences during the review period.

 

Looking forward to future updates over the summer!  

[GolfSpy_KFT]

Great final reviews, guys! Sounds like these irons were a big success and Callaway really hit the nail on the head this year!

[funkyjudge]

26 minutes ago, CB Lobo 4 Life said:

Loving the review so much so far! Going to keep reading but can't help but comment on the flex of the garage with all the clubs in there. Consider me a jealous man!

That is mainly because I am a custom clubfitter and clubmaker and a Fitter/Dealer for Tour Edge Golf, Fujikura, Mitsubishi, True Temper/Project X/ACCRA, and Graphite Design.  You should have seen that garage before I sold off about a half-dozen of the demo sets and at least as many demo drivers, fairways and hybrids.

I was also a dealer for Krank Golf (not just the Long Drive stuff; all of their clubs) for several years (at one time, when I was in my 40s to early 50s, I competed on the old ReMax Long Drive circuit, winning a few regional long drive events and placing top three in the National Quarterfinals in 1993).

[jaz29]

Thank you for all of the testing reviews. Just a question for the testers on your specifications... Any of you feel the need for a 4 or 3 iron? I was not sure if you were allowed to request your set or not.  I realize that the manufacturers are pushing down the angles to make us feel that we are hitting it further, but I still miss my 3 iron. I feel that when I moved to a hybrid to cover the yardage, I lost the consistency that I had with the longer irons. I understand that many are not able to hit those clubs, but I still put my old Tommy Armour 845 1 iron in the bag for a tight course.  Just curious. Thanks for the time that you put in and shared.

[russtopherb]

Nice writeups and reviews, everyone. I think there's some "funky" judging going on here, but I'm not the one who played them and wrote them up, so that's personal opinion when it comes to how these irons were scored. Either way, glad to see how well these were hit by everyone.

[Golf2Much]

9 minutes ago, jaz29 said:

Thank you for all of the testing reviews. Just a question for the testers on your specifications... Any of you feel the need for a 4 or 3 iron? I was not sure if you were allowed to request your set or not.  I realize that the manufacturers are pushing down the angles to make us feel that we are hitting it further, but I still miss my 3 iron. I feel that when I moved to a hybrid to cover the yardage, I lost the consistency that I had with the longer irons. I understand that many are not able to hit those clubs, but I still put my old Tommy Armour 845 1 iron in the bag for a tight course.  Just curious. Thanks for the time that you put in and shared.

Ever since my bad scooter accident (broken neck, learning  to walk let alone swing a golf club, etc.), I struggled hitting any iron longer than m g30 six iron and I rely on my more loft irons to score.  We were given the choice of 4-PW or 5-AW and I chose the 5-AW.  No only did it challenge me with a less lofted 5 iron, but the gapping at the more lofted irons fell right into my gap, sand and lob wedge lofts.  

While I've been working to overcome some swing mechanic issues lately, I found I could hit the five iron (21.5-degree loft and all) more consistently than my G30 27-degree six iron.  I had some challenges getting it up in the air, but it went straight and ran.  Other testers had no issue getting the ball airborne (so it likely me issue and not the club's).

Looking at the Callaway site, both Paradym irons start at the 4 iron.  The Paradym is 20 degrees loft and Paradym X is 18.5 degrees.  I see you play the Callaway X Hot Pro irons.  The three iron for that set is actually a 1/2 degree weaker than the Paradym X 4 iron and only one degree stronger the Paradym 4 iron.  So, I would guess that either Paradym 4 iron should act like your 3 iron.

[Golf2Much]

35 minutes ago, funkyjudge said:

That is mainly because I am a custom clubfitter and clubmaker and a Fitter/Dealer for Tour Edge Golf, Fujikura, Mitsubishi, True Temper/Project X/ACCRA, and Graphite Design.  You should have seen that garage before I sold off about a half-dozen of the demo sets and at least as many demo drivers, fairways and hybrids.

I was also a dealer for Krank Golf (not just the Long Drive stuff; all of their clubs) for several years (at one time, when I was in my 40s to early 50s, I competed on the old ReMax Long Drive circuit, winning a few regional long drive events and placing top three in the National Quarterfinals in 1993).

Honor working with you @funkyjudge on the Paradym reviews.  Your insight and help were much appreciated!  

[GolfSpy_BEN]

Well done, testers. Each one of these reviews was thorough, well-written, and offered unique insights into why these irons did or didn’t work for your games. That’s why these testing opportunities are so special, they offer us a chance to go down the rabbit hole, see what we find, and report back to the membership. I enjoyed reading these and can appreciate the effort that went into them. Well done indeed.

[Javs]

58 minutes ago, jaz29 said:

Thank you for all of the testing reviews. Just a question for the testers on your specifications... Any of you feel the need for a 4 or 3 iron? I was not sure if you were allowed to request your set or not.  I realize that the manufacturers are pushing down the angles to make us feel that we are hitting it further, but I still miss my 3 iron. I feel that when I moved to a hybrid to cover the yardage, I lost the consistency that I had with the longer irons. I understand that many are not able to hit those clubs, but I still put my old Tommy Armour 845 1 iron in the bag for a tight course.  Just curious. Thanks for the time that you put in and shared.

I guess it would depend on how far you hit the 4 or 3 iron. We did not get to pick our set. We all received 5 iron to AW or 4 iron to PW. I chose 5 iron to AW.I think you might find the 5 iron in the Paradym goes as far as a normal 3 to 4 iron. I routinely am hitting it around 205. However, I do prefer to carry three hybrids in my bag. So, my small hybrid and the 5 iron are on a rotation right now. If I get a little more consistent with the 5 iron it might be a permanent fixture. I have found the Paradym irons 7 to 21 yards farther per club than my PXG Gen 5 P’s. Hope that helps. 

Edited May 22, 2023 by Javs

[Javs]

59 minutes ago, russtopherb said:

Nice writeups and reviews, everyone. I think there's some "funky" judging going on here, but I'm not the one who played them and wrote them up, so that's personal opinion when it comes to how these irons were scored. Either way, glad to see how well these were hit by everyone.

Do you mean funky judging because everyone scored them in the 90’s? I would say demo some and see what you think. I can honestly say these are the longest irons I have ever hit. I love my PXG’s, but these irons are just too amazing in length and ease to hit solid. I did not have to work hard to hit shots that just jumped off the club. If you get a chance to hit them out of a range or the course you will be surprised!

[russtopherb]

1 minute ago, Javs said:

Do you mean funky judging because everyone scored them in the 90’s? I would say demo some and see what you think. I can honestly say these are the longest irons I have ever hit. I love my PXG’s, but these irons are just too amazing in length and ease to hit solid. I did not have to work hard to hit shots that just jumped off the club. If you get a chance to hit them out of a range or the course you will be surprised!

I mean dinging them points for things that make no sense to ding them for. I think they should have scored higher based on some things reviewers wrote about, but again - personal opinion.

[Javs]

10 minutes ago, russtopherb said:

I mean dinging them points for things that make no sense to ding them for. I think they should have scored higher based on some things reviewers wrote about, but again - personal opinion.

Oh I got you. Some of it might be personal preference items. Things like top line size or color are in that category. Especially for the players distance clubs. However, I think having all the reviews in the 90’s is pretty good. I think the 96 I gave them was a good score. 

Edited May 22, 2023 by Javs

[Navart]

On 4/4/2023 at 12:06 AM, MattWillGolf said:

Introduction

I would like to thank My Golf Spy and Callaway Golf for the opportunity to be a tester for the Paradym X Irons. This is my third testing opportunity for the Forum: I previously tested the Evnroll ER11v putter and the Shot Scope Pro LX+.  I have been an off and on golfer since my mid-20s, after getting out of the Army in the late 80s. I was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area and grew up across the street from Sharp Park Golf Course (an Alister MacKenzie design) in Pacifica, CA but I never played the game as a kid. I once came home from school to find a broken bedroom window and a golf ball on my bed. The first course I ever played a full 18 holes on though was Harding Park, host to the 2020 PGA Championship. Speaking of the PGA Championship, I am excited to be attending my first major, the PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, NY this year. I have Saturday tickets. I hope to run into some fellow spies.

My professional life started in the U.S. Army where I was trained to maintain and repair medical equipment. Upon my discharge from the U.S. Army, I joined a medical imaging equipment manufacturer where I worked for 31 years specializing in Cardiovascular X-Ray. That company had moved me all over the U.S. My first move took me from California to Connecticut for several years. Work then moved back across country to the Seattle area. In 2018, my wife and I moved cross country once again to be closer to family, this time to Central New York, just outside of Syracuse. In 2019 my job changed and joined the ranks of semi-retirement which now allows me more regular golf, weather permitting as I am fair weather golfer. At the end of April, I will be joining the ranks of the fully retired. We have one son, a former Navy FMF Corpsman who is now in nursing school in California. We are also excited to have a daughter in law join our family next February.

My current home course is Radisson Greens in Baldwinsville, NY. It is an 18-hole par 72 course at 6360 yards from the white tees. The course was designed by Robert Trent Jones, Sr. I have a Monday through Thursday membership there and I get out a couple of times a week. The course is very challenging, but I love the layout. It is tree lined and tight in spots with water that I have a real skill in finding.

I play golf because I enjoy being out walking the course and if good scores come then it is a bonus. I also am an equipment junkie. Not that I have the budget to truly act upon this addiction, but I do enjoy the design and aesthetics of golf equipment. And if I ever won the lottery, I’d become a putter collector.

On the equipment front, my first set of clubs was a Wilson box set with wooden woods. At lot has changed in the equipment world since then. My Ping G400 Max was the first time I was fitted for a club, and I have yet to find a reason to change it. I have two sets of irons that I switch between depending on course conditions. They are Ping G25 irons (I won these through work) and a set of PXG 0211 irons. I play the Pings in the wet conditions we have at the start of the season then switch to the PXGs as the course dries out. I have a PXG 0341 3 wood, a PXG 0211 3 Hybrid and the 4 iron in my set was swapped out for a Ping G410 Crossover #4. My current sand wedge is a Callaway Mack Daddy CB 54°/14°. It was a My Golf Spy review and Most Wanted win that led me to trying Evnroll putters. I ended up with a mallet putter for the first time when I purchased the ER7. I was initially attracted to the idea of a higher MOI putter but really like the feel and consistency of the roll the ER7 gave me. I tested the Evnroll ER11v putter and gamed that for a bit but switched back to the ER7 due the “feel”.

  

I am also a member of the “Pushcart Mafia” with a Clicgear 3.5+ pushcart. This is probably the single best golf accessory item I have ever owned. The Grooveit Brush ranks a very close second.

This will be my first experience with Callaway irons. The Paradym X irons fit firmly in the game improvement category and as a high handicap golfer they should fit into my game. This is what drove me to put my name on the list of test candidates. In what I have read about these irons at their release the lofts are much stronger than any irons I have gamed to date. The 7 iron loft for example sits in between the 5 and 6 irons of my Ping G25 irons. I don’t really anticipate getting caught up in the number on the club in comparison with my Ping irons but will have to keep in mind the lofts. I am concerned about the build of the set as there will be a hole in my bag with regards to not having a wedge in the 50°degree range.

I won’t have access to a Trackman or any similar device to provide measurements. But I will install the tags from my Shot Scope Pro LX+ to see how these irons perform on the course. Most of the testing will occur on course. I will be looking at ball flight and accuracy. I would like to see higher ball flights and more forgiveness. Based on my readings, these clubs should offer me both of those things. And should I get those from these irons, these clubs will remain in my bag. The bottom line will be, am I hitting more greens and more fairways.

4/5/2023

The Fitting

I visited the Turning Stone Golf Sportsplex for my Paradym X iron fitting. Turning Stone Golf Course is in Verona, NY. The Turning Stone Atunyote Course hosted the Turning Stone Resort Championship four times. Notable winners include Dustin Johnson and Matt Kuchar.

My fitting experience is limited. I was fitted for my Ping driver and measured for Ping irons. As I learned there is difference between fitting and measuring. My Ping iron fitting was for a Green Dot in the Ping world which is 2 degrees upright. So this was what I considered my starting point.

I met my fitter Pat. I informed him that I wanted to be fit for Callaway Paradym X irons as I was selected to test them for the My Golf Spy Forum. He has never heard of My Golf Spy. But the person I scheduled the fitting with had and was excited when I showed up for the fitting. We then headed to the indoor range at Turning Stone. He had me take a few warmup swings with my 7-iron. He quickly stated, “That club is too short for you, you will need to go 1 inch longer”. Admittedly as a high handicapper I was a bit nervous to be fit and watched in such an open environment. Pat used humor and some tips to settle me down. The fitting fee was $100 as I wasn’t buying the irons from them. The “lesson” from Pat made the fee a real value.

After the warmup we headed over to the club area to configure the iron to be tested. Pat selected a Paradym X 7 iron head, 2 degrees upright. I let him know that I was limited to stock Callaway offerings, and he selected three shafts to try. Two steel shafts, an Elevate MPH 85 gram and an Elevate MPH 95 gram. He also selected the HZRDUS Silver 65. All the shafts were Regular flex and plus 1 inch. Pat stated up front that he didn’t think the graphite shaft would be right for me. And the fitting subsequently bore this out.

With my swing dialed in after the help from Pat, I started hitting golf balls. Everything was being monitored by a Trackman. This was my first experience with a Trackman. I have to say it's pretty cool. We started with the 95-gram shaft which I hit it pretty well and the best in terms of total distance was 165 yards. He then had me try 85-gram shaft which performed even better topping out at 171 yards. With the steel shafts I had a nice high ball flight that was between straight and a fade. Pat then had me try the graphite shaft. I was hitting them almost as far, but the shots were going left in a draw that Pat was afraid could turn into a hook. He felt I was more consistent the steel shafts. So, steel it is.

My final configuration is Paradym X irons, 5 through AW at 2 degrees upright. The shaft are True Temper Elevate MPH 85 grams, regular flex plus 1 inch. For the grips I chose Golf Pride - Z Grip CHEV Black (50g) with one extra wrap. The 7-iron session topped out at 171 yards total distance with 78.7 MPH swing speed.

 

I’m pretty excited to get the clubs now. I was very happy with my fitting experience with Pat. I even took his card and will set up some lessons with him in the future.

4/12/2023

Out For Delivery 

I just received notification that the Paradym X irons are out for delivery. Testing will be started soon.

 

The Unboxing

The Paradym X irons arrived today. The turnaround time from order to delivery was impressive. From order to delivery took 6 days.

 

The clubs arrived safely and nicely boxed with dividers between the clubs and bubble wrap sleeves on the heads. Nicer than some unboxings I’ve seen but just a shade below how PXG packs their irons. The heads are in foam blocks and the shafts are in foam dividers. The box was labeled with my build instructions, a nice touch. These irons look even better in person than they do in pictures. They feel super solid, and I can’t wait to get them out on the course.

 

Prior to loading them in my bag, I installed the Shot Scope tags for the H4 GPS. I will then have to learn the new distances with these irons.

 

 

The lofts are much stronger than my gamers. I’ve included their specs for reference. The Paradym X irons are configured 5 – AW. With the lofts as follows:

Paradym X                                                           PXG 0211 Gen. 1                                 Ping G410

5 Iron – 21.5°                                                      5 Iron - 24°                                           Crossover 4 23°

6 Iron – 24.5°                                                      6 Iron - 27°

7 Iron – 27.5°                                                      7 Iron - 31°

8 Iron – 31.5°                                                      8 Iron - 35°

9 Iron - 36°                                                          9 Iron - 40°

PW - 41°                                                               PW - 45°

AW - 46°                                                               GW - 50°

GW - 51°

 

This is the first time I have ever been fitted for irons. I was previously measured for Ping irons as being a Green Dot, which in the Ping world is 2°. This will be my first-time playing irons with shafts that are 1 inch longer. I am also curious as to how I will get along without a 50° wedge replacement. My initial thoughts on the set make up when selected for this test because of the lofts was a set configured 6 – GW but that wasn’t an option. Part of this test will include an evaluation as to whether I really need that Gap wedge. Should these become my gamers and the test reveals the need, I think I would go ahead and order a 51° Paradym X GW to round out the set.

I look to taking them out to the course tomorrow. 

4/24/2023

To create are more representative comparison against what I would carry in my bag I ordered a Paradym X GW in my specs today. In my mind I have been ignoring the number of the club and matching club for club based on loft. The Paradym X 5 iron (21.5°) has replaced the Ping G410 Crossover 4 (23°) in my bag. 

5/19/2023

 

Callaway Paradym X Irons – Official MGS Forum Review by Matt Gomez

I want to open by thanking My Golf Spy and Callaway Golf for this wonderful opportunity. I am still blown away at my selection for this testing experience.

First Impressions (20 out of 20)

I feel the need to establish upfront that I do really appreciate aesthetics in design and in golf equipment. I am big fan of BB and F Co ferrules. I sent my PXG 0211 irons to forum member Jim McCleery of McGolf Custom Golf to install a set of ferrules. I was blown away during the unboxing of the Paradym X irons. The pictures I had seen posted online at the release of these irons do not do justice to just how good looking these irons look in person.

My high handicap pointed me towards the more forgiving offering in the Paradym Iron lineup, so I was eager to learn about the technology behind the Paradym X Irons. Callaway describes the irons as utilizing an all-new Hollow Body design that features “Speed Frame” construction for added stiffness to the body in order to support the high strength “Forged 455 Face Cup”.  A.I. designed face technology is applied to a high strength Forged 455 face for distance and feel. These irons use Urethane Microspheres to improve feel and sound. Up to 79g of external and internal tungsten weights are placed precisely to enhance launch conditions and improve speed on mishits.

Aesthetics (10 out of 10)

The blue and gunmetal grey badging with the silver and gold text just blend so well with the bright chrome finish of the irons. In general, I do prefer a more satin finish to my irons, but this combination seems to work rather elegantly. My initial thoughts were that the chrome may be too shiny on the course. More on that later. In this category of irons, I have these to look much better than other game improvement irons on the market. These irons have shelf appeal over the Ping G430, the TaylorMade Stealth and any of Callaway’s previous game improvement irons.

A well struck shot rewards you with a nice crisp sound and a really nice feel. Even on less than perfect shots the sound is still quite good and the feel is not harsh at all but you can feel the difference when compared to a well struck shot. Even on less than perfect shots I have found these irons to be more forgiving than my gamers. Shots are less offline. These irons sound and feel better than my PXG 0211 irons and especially so with less than perfect shots. These clubs have more offset than the Paradym irons, but offset has never been something I’ve ever taken notice of. The topline is quite thick but once again that isn’t something that has ever been an issue for me. I like the size of the irons as they give me confidence when putting them down behind the ball. I think if someone handed me a Miura iron, I’d probably be sweating the fact that I’d actually make decent contact with the ball.

The Numbers (10 out of 10)

It took a bit to get acquainted with these irons as the lofts are definitely stronger. That being said, I don’t want to compare 6-iron to 6-iron for example but would rather compare degrees of loft to my regular gamers. Speaking of the 6-iron. According to Shot Scope I can get 170 yards out of the Paradym X 6-iron. In my regular set the 24° 5-iron was my 160-yard club. I was seeing about 10 yards of distance gain for comparable lofts.

 

 

Generally speaking, these clubs are 8 -10 yards longer than my 0211 irons when compared loft for loft. The trajectory is much higher, especially at the short end of the bag. Mishits with the Paradym X irons are not as punishing as my 0211 irons. I really can’t comment on workability as that has never been part of my golf game. These irons are the closest things I have gamed to be called “point and shoot”. I look for forgiveness in my clubs and these irons deliver that more consistently than any irons I have ever gamed. My misses tend to be towards the toe and these don’t severely punish that miss. As I have mentioned, I did not keep the 5-iron in my bag, I was much too inconsistent with that club.

On-Course (20 out of 20)

I found these clubs to perform well for me on the course. It was especially noticeable at the short end of the bag. These clubs just plain get the ball launched. I get greater height at longer distances with these irons. It is readily apparent from the 8-iron through to the Gap Wedge. The only negative for me is the 5-iron. I just can’t seem to get that club to get the ball in the air. Another area of concern for me was just how shiny these irons are, but when you put them down to get the ball it is not a distraction at all as the forged face has a dull satiny appearance. Another area that these clubs performed really well at was with turf interaction. I found they didn’t get hung up in thick rough. My 0211 irons would regularly get caught and the face would open up which put me in more trouble more often than not. These irons did not do that. One thing that didn’t carry out to the course from my fitting was the distance I saw from the 7-iron which according to Trackman was 171 yards with a swing speed of 78.7 mph. LOL. My on course experience with the Paradym X 7-iron was 160 yards.

The Good, the bad, the in between (18 out of 20)

This is the first set of irons I was fit for and would advise getting fit for these irons as well. But with a caveat on set make up. For this review we were given limited ability to select the set makeup. My set make was for 5-iron through Approach wedge. I was very conscious of the lofts of these irons and if given a broader choice I would have chosen 6-iron through Gap Wedge. During this test I purchased the 51° Gap Wedge to add to the bag which narrowed the gap to my Sand Wedge

Play it or Trade it? (20 out of 20)

Play it? 100%. These will remain in my bag for a long time to come. These irons honestly exceeded expectations. I thought I was happy with my current irons, but the Paradym X irons just performed for me. Even mishits went straighter and longer than with my previous irons. I did a test with the 5-iron but soon discovered that it did not suit my game. At 21.5° I struggled to get it up in the air. The 5-iron will be replaced with my Ping G410 Crossover at 23°. It may not seem like much difference but on the course, I do see a real difference as don’t struggle to get the G410 in the air.

Conclusion

If you are a higher handicap golfer and are looking for a set of irons to make the game much more enjoyable than I would strongly recommend, getting fit for a set of Callaway Paradym X irons. They look and feel really good. They are extremely forgiving and long. They launch the ball higher than any iron I have ever gamed. But be honest with yourself as to the makeup of your set. Pay attention to the lofts. For my game, my set is 6-iron through Gap Wedge. To steal from that golf classic, these irons can turn you into the Dalai Lama. “Big hitter the Lama.” – Carl Spackler

Final Score (98 out of 100)

Fantastic review, sir!! I love all the photos and lucky these irons are so sexy or your push cart setup might have stolen the show!!!

Can't say that I am surprised at all with the top notch scores by really all testers. A paradigm shift from the Paradym X? Sounds like maybe for distances among Callaway's product lines since original Big Bertha and boy do these look better.

[Rickp]

Well done and written everyone!

[Sluggo42]

Great reviews guys!

so the general consensus is they’re strong lofted- obviously gaining distance as one would expect.

I didn’t see a lot of discussion on spin, other than a brief few sentences from the funkyjudge. 
I’m an old school loft player with my 7 iron at 34°, which would be an easy 8 or 9 iron with the paradyms- but that club will still spin ~6k, and stop pretty quickly.

so how did you guys feel about these clubs green holding abilities? Do they generate enough spin to carry pins, or is it safer to aim a little short, and allow a little roll to get to the pin? Did you feel that they’re basically one club less for an approach?

again- good job guys

[hartrick11]

These reviews are collectively some of the best executed reviews I have read on MGS. Others grade on different metrics, but from where I sit these had great data mixed with helpful insight, and a little bit of color on your respective backgrounds without getting too wordy or picture/video happy. I have a zero percent chance of ever buying either of these irons but was still very interested in reading through the reviews. Truly great stuff, and I hope you guys get selected for more tests next year.

[Javs]

1 hour ago, Sluggo42 said:

Great reviews guys!

so the general consensus is they’re strong lofted- obviously gaining distance as one would expect.

I didn’t see a lot of discussion on spin, other than a brief few sentences from the funkyjudge. 
I’m an old school loft player with my 7 iron at 34°, which would be an easy 8 or 9 iron with the paradyms- but that club will still spin ~6k, and stop pretty quickly.

so how did you guys feel about these clubs green holding abilities? Do they generate enough spin to carry pins, or is it safer to aim a little short, and allow a little roll to get to the pin? Did you feel that they’re basically one club less for an approach?

again- good job guys

Great question and I thought I added something on the holding ability. I have been hitting penetrating shots with the 6 and 7 iron from 195 to 173 and they hit and stop. That is also with a lower spin ball. When I shot 69 Saturday, I used the Callaway soft X LS. These clubs still generated great stopping power. If I hit a high spinning 8, 9, PW or AW I can back it up quite a bit. When I went over it was from the flight in the air never because the ball didn’t hold the green. So, while they are hot and fly long, they still hold greens perfectly. Hope that answers your question. Feel free to ask away. 

[Golf2Much]

1 hour ago, Sluggo42 said:

Great reviews guys!

so the general consensus is they’re strong lofted- obviously gaining distance as one would expect.

I didn’t see a lot of discussion on spin, other than a brief few sentences from the funkyjudge. 
I’m an old school loft player with my 7 iron at 34°, which would be an easy 8 or 9 iron with the paradyms- but that club will still spin ~6k, and stop pretty quickly.

so how did you guys feel about these clubs green holding abilities? Do they generate enough spin to carry pins, or is it safer to aim a little short, and allow a little roll to get to the pin? Did you feel that they’re basically one club less for an approach?

again- good job guys

If you check out my fitting post, there are some spin numbers there.  Here's the graphic from that post:

Looking back on the experience, I'm not sure I had my best swing mechanics that day!   I drove four hours to the fitting, was excited and likely overswung a bit.  So, take the absolute numbers with a grain of salt.    

For me, I'm experiencing lower overall trajectory (validated with my play and Rapsodo driving range session) and more runout than my G30's.  Other reviewers have mentioned being to launch the Paradyms higher which I expect will hold greens much better.  I continue to work through some swing improvements which I hope will yield the higher launch my colleagues have seen.  My home course is a Rees Jones course with small, well bunkered greens with false fronts.  Any chance of holding them requires a higher overall trajectory and more spin.  Fingers crossed as I work on it.

[fixyurdivot]

Great reviews/write-up's spies!    No real surprise how well everyone liked the Paradym's.  Having hit these recently at a demo day, I really liked them too. It seems like the OEM's have pretty much cracked the code on offering more aggressive lofts while still being able to maintain acceptable launch and descent angles.  I know everyone likes to say it's just a number on the bottom of a club, but psychologically, I believe, most amateur's feel more confident grabbing the club one number closer to those wedgie-things that are easier to hit. 

I may have missed it my reading the reviews, but did anyone look at the Recoil Dart shafts?

Have fun with them this summer and keep us posted on how your games progress using them.

[Javs]

12 minutes ago, fixyurdivot said:

Great reviews/write-up's spies!    No real surprise how well everyone liked the Paradym's.  Having hit these recently at a demo day, I really liked them too. It seems like the OEM's have pretty much cracked the code on offering more aggressive lofts while still being able to maintain acceptable launch and descent angles.  I know everyone likes to say it's just a number on the bottom of a club, but psychologically, I believe, most amateur's feel more confident grabbing the club one number closer to those wedgie-things that are easier to hit. 

I may have missed it my reading the reviews, but did anyone look at the Recoil Dart shafts?

Have fun with them this summer and keep us posted on how your games progress using them.

I did not look at those shafts. My fitting was for the true temper dynamic gold 120 tour in stiff. I am very pleased with those shafts!

[funkyjudge]

1 hour ago, fixyurdivot said:

Great reviews/write-up's spies!    No real surprise how well everyone liked the Paradym's.  Having hit these recently at a demo day, I really liked them too. It seems like the OEM's have pretty much cracked the code on offering more aggressive lofts while still being able to maintain acceptable launch and descent angles.  I know everyone likes to say it's just a number on the bottom of a club, but psychologically, I believe, most amateur's feel more confident grabbing the club one number closer to those wedgie-things that are easier to hit. 

I may have missed it my reading the reviews, but did anyone look at the Recoil Dart shafts?

Have fun with them this summer and keep us posted on how your games progress using them.

In my fitting, the Recoil Dart shafts were suggested as  good fit for me, but there were two reasons that I didn’t go with them:

1.) they were too light, at just 65 grams,

2.) they were not among the stock shaft offerings available to us as testers.

[funkyjudge]

8 hours ago, russtopherb said:

I mean dinging them points for things that make no sense to ding them for. I think they should have scored higher based on some things reviewers wrote about, but again - personal opinion.

Since you didn’t have the ratings sheets nor did you know how and on what factors we were directed to evaluate and rate the clubs, you also do not know what “makes sense” and what does not. When you are a tester, you can allocate rating points as you see fit.

[russtopherb]

8 hours ago, funkyjudge said:

Since you didn’t have the ratings sheets nor did you know how and on what factors we were directed to evaluate and rate the clubs, you also do not know what “makes sense” and what does not. When you are a tester, you can allocate rating points as you see fit.

I will once again state that it was my personal opinion that dinging the clubs for doing exactly what they were designed to do was, in my own personal opinion,  a funky thing to do. It's like buying a Ferrari and saying that you really like it, but not as much as you should because it was designed to go fast. 

I've been very lucky to have been a tester here in the past, and I've seen the testing criteria for irons. I don't think it's changed too much in the intervening couple of years, so I don't think the factors have changed too much since then. 

Once again - MY. PERSONAL. OPINION. Overall I think it's great these irons scores so highly. Callaway is one of those companies whose drivers and irons always seem to just work for me, and obviously they do for so many others. Glad to see full-on testing back here at MGS.