About this Review: This review is my honest opinion of the driver, which I purchased with my own money in February of 2023.

My take

The Callaway Paradym X Driver is Callaway's first carbon-built driver. Designed with an overall emphasis on forgiveness, high MOI (moment of inertia), and higher launch, this driver is built for golfers looking for added forgiveness.

About the club I own

• Model: 2023 Callaway Paradym X Driver
• Loft setting: 10.5
• Shaft type: Project X HZRDUS Gen 4 Silver
• Shaft flex: Stiff

About me

• Average score: 78–84
• Handicap: 9
• Experience: 10+ years of golf
• Right/Left-Handed: Right
• Typical ball flight: Low baby draw
• Golf ball used: Callaway SuperSoft
• Club swing speed: 130mph

Test conditions

• When I bought the club: February 2023
• Days tested: 1 month
• Where I’ve used it: Simulator, range, and a few courses
• Weather and wind conditions: Dry and hard conditions

How it performs

What I was looking for

For me, consistency with my driver is key. Finding one built with a stretched clubface and increased MOI is a must for golfers seeking increased forgiveness and consistency. The Paradym promotes all these features without drastically sacrificing yardage.

Why I chose this club

This club’s carbon design is becoming very popular, and the even distribution of the carbon chassis gives results in more yards and more forgiveness. I also considered the Stealth HD, which has a similar build and a carbon design. Both feature very similar designs and price points, but the stretched clubface and increased MOI on the Paradym X stood out to me.

What I love about it

• Forgiveness: If I miss the center of the clubface, my ball still travels relatively straight. I find it very difficult to routinely hit a slice with this club due to its draw-bias design. The stretched clubface, tied in with the higher MOI and carbon chassis, plays a huge role in this.
• Feel: Even on mishits, this club feels pure. Its stretched face and increased MOI play a major role in that. It gives me an overall sense of confidence when walking up to the tee box.
• Sound: Instead of a high-pitch titanium sound at impact, this club’s carbon design promotes more of a crisp clap.
• Adjustability: This driver’s adjustability includes three different loft changes (9, 10.5, and 12 degrees). There is also an adjustable 5g rear weight on the back of the clubhead for increased MOI.
• Shaft Performance: The HZRDUS Gen 4 Silver shaft helps me to keep a mid-high ball flight and provides great feedback at impact.
• Aesthetic Appeal: I love the look of this driver. At address, the stretched clubface and larger clubhead build gives me confidence.
• Grip Feel: The Golf Pride Tour Velvet is the standard grip at 52g. It offers excellent feel and grip for being a standard stock option. In both dry and wet conditions, it still offers excellent feedback through my hands on both well and poorly hit shots.
• Launch Angle: The new A.I. design in the clubface results in mid-high launch angles. This year’s model is 33% lighter, with higher stability in the Jailbreak system of the clubhead. This promotes more ball speed and an overall higher-launching ball flight.

Issues I’ve encountered

• Distance: With this club, what I gain in forgiveness I slightly lose in yardages. My average yardages are down about 10–15 yards. That’s the price one pays for consistency.
• Workability: This driver is designed to promote a draw ball flight. It’s not designed to be a workable club. A golfer looking to really work the ball would struggle with this driver.
• Spin: It is difficult to keep spin rates below 3,000rpms with the Paradym. However, this is to be expected with a more forgiving driver. For me, losing 15 yards to find the middle of the fairway more often is an easy compromise.

Best shot with this club

It was a short par 4 at 265 yards. The green was tucked in behind some timber on the left-hand side with water up the entire right side—a very narrow fairway to work with. My only plays were laying up 100 out or hitting a high draw around the timber and over the sand. I launched a high baby draw right around the timber; it was just long enough to clear the fairway bunkers and roll nicely up to the fringe.

Value for the money vs. other options

While the Paradym is on the higher end in its price category, it is worth every penny in my opinion. The consistency and forgiveness it provides are unmatched amongst similar drivers like the TaylorMade Stealth HD, which retails for a similar price point.

Final verdict

In my opinion, this driver is a must-have for golfers looking to increase their forgiveness and consistency while ensuring no huge drop off in yardages.