Review: Callaway Paradym X Fairway Wood
By Curated Experts
Alvin Laster, Brandon Beeson, Bobby Funkhouser and Paul Bancroft
Callaway Paradym X Fairway Wood
from:$249.99
$349.99
29% off
13 photos
The Curated Take
4.8/5
The Callaway Paradym X Fairway Wood is an excellent choice for golfers seeking forgiveness and ease of use in a fairway wood. Its sleek design and draw bias make it particularly suitable for beginners and those looking for consistency. The low center of gravity and AI-designed Flash Face technology contribute to a high launch with reduced spin, offering impressive distance. While it may not be ideal for shot shaping, it delivers a solid feel and pleasing sound on impact. Overall, the Paradym X is a powerful and forgiving fairway wood suitable for golfers looking to enhance their long game without sacrificing forgiveness.
Ideal for
- Sleek and aerodynamic design for improved clubhead speed
- Carbon composite crown for optimized launch conditions
- Great sound and feel at impact
- AI-designed Flash Face technology for enhanced ball speed and forgiveness
- High, soft-landing wood for approach shots
- Excellent wood for anyone looking for added forgiveness with no loss of distance
- Draw bias helps alleviate some unwanted left-to-right shot shapes that may go a little too far right
Not ideal for
- Not the best for shaping shots
- Can be tricky to dial in the sweet spot
- Certain players may require some adjustment to harness the Paradym X's power and launch characteristics fully
- High launch could lead more advanced players to additional spin, decreasing distance and accuracy
Workability
I own the 3 HL model (non-adjustable) because I wanted an easy-to-launch fairway wood. It's not that I can't work the ball, but it's made to aim and shoot. Only...Read more
I love shaping the ball right to the left with any club, especially my woods. The upright lie setting on the Paradym X allows that to happen even more effortlessly...Read more
Forgiveness
Forgiveness can mean different things to different people. For me, forgiveness is all about keeping the ball in play. With a slight draw bias, the Paradym X helps me virtually...Read more
With the Jailbreak Batwing Tech in this club, the perimeter weighting boasts a large, hot sweet spot. Regardless of whether it is a perfect strike, the ball will travel in...Read more
Feel
Feel with a fairway wood is a little hard to explain. I connect feel with feedback. The feel is solid and offers feedback that I compress the ball well. There...Read more
Feels great, like every ball is a marshmallow, and I smash it right on the screws every time. While not the typical player's 3-wood feel that boasts this hard-cracking sound...Read more
Sound
No one wants to hear their fairway wood echo throughout the golf course whenever they use it. However, one won't have to worry about that with the Paradym X. The...Read more
Beautiful sound to this fairway. It has a nice solid crack to it when I catch it right. Even when I don't catch it right, it still sounds like I...Read more
Launch
This fairway wood does what it says it's supposed to: High launch with a slight draw bias. I have always struggled with a 3-wood from the fairway. And that can...Read more
This tech allows for one of the highest launching woods on the market. One will have no issue getting this up quickly for those who need soft-landing approach shots. While...Read more
Distance
Callaway has used carbon in a unique way so that weight is redistributed to other areas. This allows for a high moment of inertia, stabilizing the face at impact. Combine...Read more
Hotter than a Texas day in August, this thing goes until it is gone. Distance is not a question of how far it will go. It's more of "When can...Read more
Curated Experts are not sponsored by brands. Their reviews are based on their honest experiences testing products.
Brandon Beeson
About the woods
- Model: Callaway Paradym X Fairway Wood
Test conditions
- When I bought this: N/A. (They were given to me to demo.)
- Where I’ve used it: Multiple courses and the driving range.
- How many times I've used it: 3
Expert Reviews of the Callaway Paradym X Fairway Wood
Alvin Laster Everyone wants to play better golf. And there is some equipment out there that can help us do that. I believe the Callaway Paradym X Fairway wood falls in that category.
Testing has shown that a key to distance is matching optimal launch with optimal spin. Most amateurs impart too much spin. What I like about the Paradym X is that the center of gravity is low and forward to lower spin and enhance speed. But it also still launches surprisingly high. The Paradym X can help those who struggle to get enough height with their current fairway wood. It also has a slight draw bias that will help those that fight a slice. So, golfers get launch, distance, and forgiveness all in one club.
Bobby Funkhouser This is a great fairway wood for anyone just getting into the game or a player needing more consistency from their fairway wood. It is the most forgiving Paradym fairway wood, and it is also the most draw biased. If a player struggles with a slice, this would be their best option.
Paul Bancroft After extensive testing and comparisons, I can confidently assert that the Callaway Paradym X Fairway Wood, particularly the 5-wood model, is a standout performer. Its design elements, such as the carbon composite crown and advanced AI-designed Flash Face technology, combine to deliver exceptional distance and forgiveness. The solid feel and valuable feedback further enhance the overall playability of this fairway wood. While individual preferences may vary, the Paradym X proves to be a worthy contender among top fairway woods, offering golfers a powerful and forgiving option that can significantly enhance their long game.
Brandon Beeson The Callaway Paradym X Fairway is an easy-to-hit fairway. It takes the question, "Can I get there and get it to stop?", and throws it out the window. This fairway is one of the easiest to hit on the market. Its high launch profile and slight draw bias make it even easier to turn the ball over, unlike its sister clubs, the Paradym and Paradym Triple Diamond. The Paradym X is aimed at every player, specifically mid-to-high handicap players. While low handicappers will like this club, the club profile may be a little too "stretched" to look down at, and the highest launching of the three fairways may add spin for those more advanced players. This fairway features Callaway’s latest in AI tech, including the Jailbreak Batwing Technology. The batwing tech has allowed Callaway to create an even hotter face (more flex) because of the weight distribution to the toe and heel of the club. This allows for an even hotter face if that was even possible. The "flex" in the middle of the clubface, created by perimeter stiffness (Jailbreak Batwing Tech), showed an average of 7 yards extra distance across the board. The Paradym X is ideal for someone who wants max forgiveness with a high launching, rocket ball fairway wood.
Product Specs
| Gender | Men's |
| Player type | Super game improvement |
| Used (Y/N) | No |
| Club Type | Woods |
| Shaft Material | Graphite |
| Model year | 2023 |
Review Ratings
Averaged between reviewers, view below how all experts voted.
Workability
4/5
Alvin Laster gave 4 of 5 stars. I own the 3 HL model (non-adjustable) because I wanted an easy-to-launch fairway wood. It's not that I can't work the ball, but it's made to aim and shoot. Only the 15° 3-wood offers adjustability, leading to more workability. I can only hit a slight fade when I try to fade the ball. But I'm okay with that because I want to eliminate shots to the right with this particular club.
Brandon Beeson gave 4 of 5 stars. I love shaping the ball right to the left with any club, especially my woods. The upright lie setting on the Paradym X allows that to happen even more effortlessly than with a traditional lie on a wood. It is easy to hit that high fade when necessary, which is also a big plus. The high fade sits much softer than the draw, which I need when coming in from a long distance.
Forgiveness
5/5
Alvin Laster gave 5 of 5 stars. Forgiveness can mean different things to different people. For me, forgiveness is all about keeping the ball in play. With a slight draw bias, the Paradym X helps me virtually eliminate right misses. I don't have to hit it perfectly to get results. The club itself isn't a cure-all, but it does have the technology to help improve someone's play if they struggle with fairway woods.
Brandon Beeson gave 5 of 5 stars. With the Jailbreak Batwing Tech in this club, the perimeter weighting boasts a large, hot sweet spot. Regardless of whether it is a perfect strike, the ball will travel in the direction and distance one needs. With a few mishits on the course, I noticed no severe penalty for those off-center hits. I'm impressed by the forgiveness.
Feel
5/5
Alvin Laster gave 5 of 5 stars. Feel with a fairway wood is a little hard to explain. I connect feel with feedback. The feel is solid and offers feedback that I compress the ball well. There aren't odd noises or vibrations. I rated this fairway wood high for feel because I know when I have a solid strike or am a little off.
Brandon Beeson gave 4 of 5 stars. Feels great, like every ball is a marshmallow, and I smash it right on the screws every time. While not the typical player's 3-wood feel that boasts this hard-cracking sound and firm feedback, it still feels as solid as it gets. Even if I miss the center, I get this positive feedback from the clubface.
Sound
5/5
Alvin Laster gave 5 of 5 stars. No one wants to hear their fairway wood echo throughout the golf course whenever they use it. However, one won't have to worry about that with the Paradym X. The sound is very pleasing and somewhat muted. It's unique. The sound is noticeable even as the head travels through the air on the downswing, but not in a bad way. It sounds solid at impact while offering a tone confirming a good strike.
Brandon Beeson gave 5 of 5 stars. Beautiful sound to this fairway. It has a nice solid crack to it when I catch it right. Even when I don't catch it right, it still sounds like I did. It doesn't have that familiar thud that I have become accustomed to using the player's 3 woods I have for years, but I love it nonetheless. It sounds excellent.
Launch
5/5
Alvin Laster gave 5 of 5 stars. This fairway wood does what it says it's supposed to: High launch with a slight draw bias. I have always struggled with a 3-wood from the fairway. And that can limit some scoring opportunities but not anymore. Higher launch can mean more carry distance. More carry distance can mean more total distance. The new AI-designed Flash Face optimization really helps with the launch and spin. What's also impressive is that the center of gravity is low and forward, but the ball still launches high while reducing spin.
Brandon Beeson gave 5 of 5 stars. This tech allows for one of the highest launching woods on the market. One will have no issue getting this up quickly for those who need soft-landing approach shots. While the center of gravity is moved back and away, allowing for high-launching shots, I can still get this flighted lower when necessary, especially coming off the tee for extra running distance.
Distance
5/5
Alvin Laster gave 5 of 5 stars. Callaway has used carbon in a unique way so that weight is redistributed to other areas. This allows for a high moment of inertia, stabilizing the face at impact. Combine this with the Batwing Technology, which enhances face flex, resulting in high ball speeds and increased distance. It all works together: High launch plus low spin equals distance.
Brandon Beeson gave 5 of 5 stars. Hotter than a Texas day in August, this thing goes until it is gone. Distance is not a question of how far it will go. It's more of "When can I get it back into the atmosphere?" It rockets off the face, whether I hit it dead center or off.
FAQs
What was your favorite moment with this gear?
Alvin Laster I was playing into the wind on a par 5. I hit a poor tee shot and had to punch out for my second shot. I was left with 230 yards uphill into the wind to reach the green. I gave it a good rip and, to my surprise, flew the green. I was able to escape with a par.
Brandon Beeson Finishing up on the longest par 5 on the course I played, I needed to hit a high cut to a tucked pin in the back right corner of the green. With a deep bunker short right, I knew it was death if I left it there. I was confident in this club, and the ability to cover the yardage needed, and I successfully did so, leaving myself about 26 feet for an eagle.
Why did you choose this product?
Alvin Laster I've always had problems with fairway woods. I can hit them off the tee but struggle from the fairway. I wanted a fairway wood that would launch easily from the fairway, and the Paradym X does just that for me.
Brandon Beeson The Paradym X is a phenomenal fairway. Its easy launching and draw bias tech allows the golfer to get total control over the long game. The high launch is particularly attractive because it allows me to get the ball to land softly on those long approach shots.
What do you love about this product?
Alvin Laster I love that it's easy to launch off the turf or the tee, and its slight draw bias helps keep the ball in play.
Brandon Beeson The Paradym X is one of the easiest-to-hit clubs on the market. The Paradym X features the Jailbreak Batwing Technology, creating a stiffer toe and heel profile that allows for more flex in the center of the clubface. This correlates to fast ball speeds and more forgiveness across the face. The Paradym X also sits more upright than a traditional fairway, allowing for easy golf ball drawing or alleviating some left-to-right ball flight. It also features a low and away center of gravity, allowing for higher launching balls so that I can get that soft landing on the greens with longer approaches.
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Alvin Laster
Golf ExpertBrandon Beeson
Golf ExpertBobby Funkhouser
Golf ExpertPaul Bancroft
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