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

My take

The Callaway Paradym X Fairway Wood is an extremely forgiving and high-launching wood. Its higher-launching and draw-bias ball flight design is geared toward the mid-to-high handicapper.

About the club I own

• Model: 2023 Paradym X Fairway 3 Wood
• Loft setting: 15°
• 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-handed
• Typical ball flight: High draw
• Golf ball used: Callaway SuperSoft
• Club swing speed: 115mph

Test conditions

• When I bought the club: February 2023
• Days tested: 1 month
• Where I’ve used it: Simulator, range, and multiple rounds
• Weather and wind conditions: Hard and dry outdoor conditions

How it performs

What I was looking for

I wanted to find a fairway wood with maximum forgiveness and an overall higher launch. I would consider any option that didn’t drastically sacrifice my yardages to gain these forgiving features.

Why I chose this club

The Batwing Tech in the clubface promotes extra yardage. And the forged carbon sole adds tremendous forgiveness and enhanced MOI (moment of inertia). I did also consider the Stealth HD wood, though I prefer this Batwing-enhanced design and the overall aesthetic appeal of the Paradym Wood.

What I love about it

• Distance: For being a club geared towards forgiveness and high launch, it still promotes excellent yardages. I saw seven more yards on average compared to the previous model from Callaway, the Rogue St Max Wood. The Batwing Jailbreak and forged carbon design play a huge role in this.
• Forgiveness: To me, I feel like it offers unlimited forgiveness. The carbon-forged toe in this club makes it easier to ensure I turn the club over, coming through the ball, leading to more of a draw-favoring ball flight and increasing the MOI throughout the clubface.
• Adjustability: A golfer has the ability to strengthen or weaken the loft on this fairway wood.
• Aesthetic Appeal: The overall design of this club just looks sharp. At address, the club gives a slender, lower-to-the-ground look, which aids my confidence when standing over the ball.
• Grip Feel: The stock Golf Pride Tour Velvet grips (52g) provide plenty of grip and are very durable. I tested them in both dry and wet conditions.
• Launch Angle: The launch angle with this club is mid-high. Golfers requiring a high-ball flight will see this club as an excellent option. The slightly upright angle and neutral face at address gears this club towards a higher-launching ball flight.
• Spin: The spin rates this club generates are relatively low for a forgiving fairway wood. The club's center of gravity is pushed to the lower front of the clubhead, optimizing the club's spin rate and overall forgiveness.
• Sound: When I catch it flush with the clubhead, it gives off a metallic ping.

Issues I’ve encountered

• Feel: While mishits still tend to see good results, obtaining good feedback on where the mishit took place is a struggle. Typically, if I toe or heel the ball, I am going to see the result in my ball flight. With this stretched clubface, these shots stay relatively straight. This may not be the best option for someone needing that feel and feedback to make adjustments throughout the round.
• Workability: As it is a forgiving and draw-biased club, the ability to work the ball is limited. Weight is redistributed to the heel in this club, helping to get the clubhead to fully turn over when coming through the ball and aiding the draw-biased ball flight.

Best shot with this club

Playing a long par 5, my drive on this hole had to be a slight fade to be able to approach with my second shot. I didn’t quite get the fade on the ball I wanted, and I was tucked in on the right side of the fairway—245 yards out. Timber along the entire left side and the hole tucked in just behind it. I aimed to run my ball the entire right side of the fairway and draw it back toward the hole. I caught the ball clean with the exact flight I was working towards, and it rolled through the back of the green, leaving me with an eagle chip from 15 yards.

Value for the money vs. other options

This club is on the higher end of the price range for its category, but its tremendous technological advances make it definitely worth the money. I also considered the Stealth HD 2 Fairway Wood, but I find the Batwing Technology and overall aesthetic of the Paradym to be much more appealing.

Final verdict

I believe this club is a must-have for any golfer looking to add some yards to their fairway woods. At the same time, they could see more consistency and higher ball flights.