The Callaway Paradym TD is a great driver that does exactly what it says it’s going to. If you’re a player who likes to shape the ball off the tee, then this model – the more compact and traditional of the three in the range – ticks a lot of boxes.
For
- Premium looks
- Traditional, compact appearance at address
- Impressive distance gains over the previous generation
Against
- Not as forgiving as the other options in the range
An exceptional driver in the low spin market. The looks, sound, feel and ball data are exactly what I look for in this category. Some aesthetic improvements from the previous model and a slight tweak to the face technology make this a standout product for 2024.
For
- Super strong, low spin flight
- The new grey colorway looks fantastic
- Felt a touch more playable than the original Paradym TD
Against
- Face sits a fraction open which won’t appeal to slicers
Callaway Paradym Triple Diamond vs Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond Driver: Read Our Head-To-Head Verdict
The Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke range of drivers are new for 2024 and replace the popular Paradym drivers from last year. The Paradym Ai Smoke Max is the more ‘standard’ head of the range, sandwiched between the low-spin, tour-influenced Ai Smoke Triple Diamond driver and the spinnier, draw bias Max D driver.
As a big fan of the original Paradym family, I was extremely keen to see what Callaway had in store for the new line-up and if the Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond driver could take its place among the best drivers in the game. The original Paradym TD driver was one of the most played on Tour last year so it would be a tough act to follow.
Whether you are seeking the most forgiving drivers or the best golf drivers for distance you won't go far wrong with Callaway. The standard Paradym driver and the new Paradym Ai Smoke Max are the two that will suit the widest range of golfers, but in this head to head we're looking at the lower spinning drivers which are tailored for the more accomplished golfer.
Having been rigorously tested by Golf Monthly, we take a look at the performance of both the Paradym Triple Diamond and the Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond and put them head-to-head to help you decide which one you should choose.
Technology
The key technology behind the original Paradym was a 360˚ carbon chassis. For the first time, Callaway's engineers did away with any trace of titanium in the body of the driver, saving weight to use elsewhere for more forgiveness. They retained the Jailbreak A.I. technology that was present in the Callaway Rogue ST drivers, but it had a new design for 2023, allowing for improved stability.
There's a lot packed into this driver, which also has an A.I. Optimized face to improve downrange dispersion, as well as a Face Cup for faster ball speeds. The Paradym was ahead of its time but by really utilising their market leading A.I. technology Callaway claim to have made even further advancements with their 2024 offerings, and having tested all of the drivers in the Paradym Ai Smoke family I'd have to say that I agree.
Callaway’s tag line with the new Ai Smoke range is ‘Sweeter From Every Spot’, and this is a concept they have created by advancing their Ai Smart Face technology, which entails gathering swing data from thousands of golfers. This data includes dynamics such as swing speed, club delivery, and face orientation just prior to impact. The information is then entered into their Ai system and the net result was a whole new face which Callaway says creates micro deflections across various points of the striking area, essentially producing multiple sweet spots. In other words, if you miss the center of the face you might still hit a sweet spot anyway.
Looks
The 2023 Paradym saw Callaway say goodbye to the matte black finish of the Rogue ST drivers as they replaced it with a gloss crown that had a dark blue carbon effect. It was different, to say the least. It wasn't to my tastes but lots of people loved it. Each to their own.
The blue does subtly contrast with the black of the leading edge and the color scheme was very different to any other models released in 2023. It looked high tech and premium, with the blue crown providing something a little different. It certainly stood out, but it's debatable whether that was in a good way or a bad way. I've made my feeling known!
With its 450cc clubhead, the TD driver is the smallest of the three in the range and there is no alignment aid on this version of the driver. Although only 10cc smaller than the standard Paradym driver and Callaway Paradym X driver, it appears significantly more compact at address, similar in size to the Titleist TSR4 driver. I liked this as a clear point of difference - the compact shape will not be for everyone but for those in search of a more traditional look, this will immediately strike a chord.
The 2024 Paradym Ai Smoke family sees a return to a more understated finish on the crown with a sleek and stylish grey colorway.
I have always been somewhat conservative in terms of my driver color preferences, favoring either a black or grey, and the crown of the Ai Smoke Triple Diamond really delivers for me. That’s not to say it’s vanilla in any way. The combination of visual carbon and the grey give a really sophisticated and cohesive visual, and the grey to grey blend just looks so much cleaner to my eye.
A small ‘Ai Smoke’ logo is positioned towards the back, heel side of the crown which is new, and maybe feels a little unnecessary to disrupt the clean flow of the address position, but it really is tiny and far from offensive.
In addition to that, the topline stripe between crown and face has had a slight upgrade too. The new strip of the Ai Smoke Triple Diamond remains a lot more parallel to the top edge which, again, looks a lot neater to me than the on the original Paradym Triple Diamond where this tapered away more dramatically.
It's the sole that ultimately dictates the shelf appeal of a driver though, and it’s another huge well done to the Callaway design team from me! The smokey pattern from the original Paradym Triple Diamond continues but is sharper, and with the grey accent looks even better. The vibrant blue that Callaway has selected for the logo and the weights is the perfect accent to the grey. The sole geometry is very similar to its predecessor with only slight refinements in this area.
Feel
I'll start with the original Paradym Triple Diamond. The sound is very muted for a modern driver. It provides a very deep, satisfying thud and absolutely minimal echo. With sound being such a large contributor to feel, the Paradym Triple Diamond transfers that sound into its impact sensation.
A dull but powerful thud gives almost a soft feel which is somewhat of a contradictory feeling to the impressive ball speeds it produces. As someone who is not a fan of a high pitched clunk, I was really impressed with the sound and feel of the Callaway Paradym Triple Diamond.
I tested the Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke TD outdoors at Royal North Devon Golf Club using a SkyTrak+ launch monitor and Titleist Pro V1x golf balls, and subsequently indoors using Foresight Sports GCQuad with again the Pro V1x.
From a feel and sound point of view, I didn’t notice any dramatic change from the Paradym Triple Diamond original, which I was very pleased with as I had very much become a fan of the muted thud it produced.
Performance
The original Paradym TD driver was considerably longer than the other drivers in the Paradym family but it was, as you'd expect, less forgiving and therefore not suited to golfers of average or below average abilty. Even really good players might find it a little too challenging, but the good news is that the 2024 version does offer a bit more help in that regard.
On well-struck shots with the Ai Smoke TD, ball speed, launch and spin numbers were basically identical to its predecessor, with good hits producing very low spin numbers and a really strong, penetrating ball flight.
The original Paradym TD was a driver you needed to be at your best with. Any mishits were punished fairly severely for me, which is often the case with many of the best drivers for distance, however, the Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond gave me a bit more peace of mind.
Some of my poorer strikes (which come predominantly out of the heel) really weren’t punished too harshly from either a ball speed or directional point of view. My standard heel strike began marginally left of my intended start line and through the gear effect, gently cut back nearer to target than I expected. On the rare occasion I struck one out of the toe, I found similar levels of forgiveness. This is a real plus point for a driver really geared towards low spin rather than ultimate playability and could well be a testament to the updated face.
There is a notable fade bias to the Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond, both from an internal weighting perspective and from the slightly open face angle at address. As a fade is my preferred shot shape, this suited me down to the ground, but those looking to maximize a raking draw may want to look elsewhere. I found this driver almost impossible to shape right to left, which again is fantastic for me as it eliminates the left side of the course, but is something to be aware of.
Which one should you choose?
Choose the Paradym Triple Diamond if..
- You want something a little less expensive
- You prefer the striking navy color
- You want more workability
Choose the Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond if..
- You want a little more forgiveness
- You prefer a more understated look on the crown
- You want to take the left side of the fairway out of play
