There aren't many brands around who produce as many golf clubs year after year than Callaway, and the Paradym AI Smoke is no different this year with four new fairways in the range.
The Triple Diamond model in Callaway's golf club ranges always refers to the lowest launching, lowest spinning and most workable club which started out life as a tour-only option and is best suited to the better player.
Who Is It Aimed At?
With four different fairways in the Paradym AI Smoke range, the Triple Diamond model should only be used by golfers who are really confident with their ball-striking and able to generate high club head speeds and ball speeds, otherwise they're just not going to see the benefits that this club provides.
It's best suited to golfers with fast swing speeds who want a little more workability, whilst retaining a penetrating ball flight that keeps spin rates down.
The Tech
Callaway have used AI technology in their clubs for a few years now, but they claim that the AI Smoke offers a big leap forward in their offering thanks to what they are calling the 'most sophisticated' face in their history.
This new AI Smart Face has used thousands of different player swings to create the perfect face design, with each face optimising launch and spin by creating sweet spots across the face, improving the performance even if you don't hit it out of the middle.
The Triple Diamond fairway has a deeper face and a compact shape that is said to be preferred by better players. There are also grooves which extend right across the face, which is designed to encourage a more neutral to fade-biased shot.
Unlike the other models in the AI Smoke range the fairway features a steel sole and is fitted with a forward weight screw, which helps to produce that penetrating ball flight with low spin. There's also an adjustable hosel, helping golfers to further fine-tune their ball flight.
The TD Fairway is offered in three different models - 3W (15*), 5W (18°) and 7W (21°) - with a Golf Pride Tour Velvet 360 grip and a choice of Tensei AV or Project X Denali shafts.
Callaway Paradym AI Smoke Triple Diamond Fairway Review
Looks and Feel
The Triple Diamond Fairway is by far the best looking of the new AI Smoke range. I have to be honest and say that I'm not a big fan of the smoke finish that Callaway chose this year - I actually preferred last year's Paradym - but the Triple Diamond head has done away with that loud finish in favour of a steel sole which looks much smarter.
Everything looks premium though, and I was a fan of the two-tone finish on the crown with the grey band on the top lip. The Triple Diamond head doesn't have any alignment cue which will not be to everyone's taste, but it does ensure a really clean look from above.
The compact profile sits perfectly behind the ball with a nice straight topline, with the grooves on the face still just about visible at address.
Off the face I expected more of a solid feel, as you often tend to get from these better players clubs, but I was surprised by just how firm it was off the face. This didn't bother me too much as it made the club feel powerful and fast, but it may take a bit of getting used to.
Performance
I tested the Triple Diamond Fairway out using the Foresight GC Hawk, and hitting from the deck the numbers produced weren't quite as good or as predictable as I would like from a fairway wood, probably because I don't swing fast enough or hit the ball consistently enough to get the best results from this club.
When hit well the fairway was able to give me some decent shots, carrying over 220 yards with a nice penetrating ball flights. However the drop-offs were pretty clear to see once I mis-hit a shot with my carry distance dropping down by more than 15 yards.
The other issue that I found was that I was just not launching it high enough or spinning it quite enough to get any consistent carry. A spin rate of around 2500rpm is more like driver spin than a fairway wood, with a couple of shots even dipping below 2000rpm which just weren't staying in the air.
Out on the course I found that the fairway performed nicely off the tee, particularly as I tested it on a pretty windy day and found that the ball was able to cut through the wind without losing too much distance. Callaway claim that this is the most workable club in their Paradym Ai Smoke range and I was impressed with how easy it was to shape the ball, and I think some of this is thanks to the neutral look at address.
I tried hitting a couple of shots out of the rough and found that the launch and spin rates seemed to be very low, so much so that it felt like the ball was dipping out of the air.
The main takeaway that I got from my testing was that, whilst I was able to hit some great shots with the TD Fairway, it just felt like it was a little bit too much hard work for me to be able to do so consistently. I was standing over the ball without full confidence that I was going to strike it well, and unsurprisingly my results were just a bit too inconsistent.
Callaway Paradym AI Smoke Triple Diamond Fairway Verdict
The Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond is exactly what Callaway present it as: a good club for good golfers. If your handicap is anything more than low single figures, then I just don't think it's worth it, as the consistency levels probably aren't there to be able to hit it well enough every time.
It looks fantastic, particularly at address, and I do think the design is much better than the standard Ai Smoke models. It's got one of the worst names I've ever seen for a golf club, although if it performs well then you're probably able to get past that!
This fairway wood is only for a small minority of golfers but if you do fall into that category then it's as good as you're going to see. Luckily there are three other options if you don't quite have the speed or skill to use this one, so you're bound to find a model that suits your game...
Would I Use It?
Based on how it looks, I wish I could, but I don't hit the ball well enough every time to be able to use this club and get the most out of it, and I struggled with the low spin rates too as I just felt unable to keep the ball in the air.
Callaway Paradym AI Smoke Triple Diamond Fairway Pros and Cons
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