Irons

Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke irons and hybrids: 3 things you need to know

callaway paradym ai smoke irons hybrids

Callaway's Paradym Ai Smoke irons and hybrids are designed to complement each other.

Jonathan Wall/GOLF

Realizing not everyone has the time to consume endless content on club launch day, we’re trying something different and offering a fresh version of our detailed tech write-ups that hits the high points. Here’s what you need to know about Callaway’s Paradym Ai Smoke irons and hybrids coming to retail on Jan. 26. 

Lofty goals

The modern iron spec package has gotten progressively stronger over the last decade — to the point that some golfers have started to wonder out loud if lofts have gone too strong. Commonly referred to as “loft jacking,” manufacturers turn down the loft to produce more distance. Some would contend there’s nothing wrong with a few extra yards, assuming the launch and spin are optimized.

Launch and spin are directly tied to swing speed, which means a golfer who can move it might benefit from a modern loft package, while someone who falls into the slower swing speed category might struggle to keep the ball airborne and achieve an optimal landing angle.

The Paradym Ai Smoke has a better-player look. Jonathan Wall/GOLF

“Swing codes are different depending on the iron,” said Brian Williams, Callaway’s VP of R&D. “You don’t see quite the exaggeration that you’d see on woods around the path and face angle. What you do see is wide variations in speed. What we saw is players with speed and those that had slower speed had fundamentally different outcomes from today’s irons.”

Instead of lumping golfers in the game-improvement category into one group, Callaway’s R&D team let Artificial Intelligence take the lead in designing the face architecture on Paradym Ai Smoke (available Feb. 9). Tap here to shop the Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Collection.

Callaway’s Paradym Ai Smoke iron at address. Jonathan Wall/GOLF

Similar to the “swing code” found on the drivers, each iron face was created using AI to benefit specific swing speeds. The standard, hollow-body Ai Smoke ($999.99/7-piece set steel) is geared for moderate to high swing speeds — someone who carries their 7-iron 130 yards or more — with minimal distance loss on off-center strikes for a tighter downrange dispersion.

NEW

Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Custom Irons

$142.86
Distance irons are obviously long, but discerning players also want an exceptionally high level of feel. So why not have both in one club? Our Paradym Shift Construction combines a Forged 455 Face with the all-new Speed Frame, giving you get the best of both worlds.

Of the three models in the lineup, Ai Smoke’s profile more closely resembles a players-distance iron with a thinner topline and minimal offset. The overall shaping is night and day from the Rogue ST it’s replacing.

“This is the aspirational profile in the lineup,” Williams said. “It has a thinner sole and topline for a clean hollow-body look that we’re seeing players gravitate towards these days.”

More of what’s needed

Recognizing not every golfer fits into a better-player profile, the Ai Smoke HL ($1,099.99/7-piece set graphite) is designed around a more traditional cavity-back shape with more mass positioned lower in the head to induce a higher launch and more spin — roughly 750 RPMs — for moderate swing speeds that typically struggle to keep the ball in the air.

NEW

Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke HL Custom Irons

$142.86
Distance irons are obviously long, but discerning players also want an exceptionally high level of feel. So why not have both in one club? Our Paradym Shift Construction combines a Forged 455 Face with the all-new Speed Frame, giving you get the best of both worlds.

“This one is a confidence builder,” said Williams. “It promotes MOI and forgiveness, but what we asked AI to do on the face was focus on launch and spin. So we wanted to get face deflection that would help this player get the ball up and hit peak apex heights to stop the ball on the green.” Consider Ai Smoke HL the anti-loft jacking spec. (From a loft perspective, Ai Smoke’s 7-iron is 28 degrees and HL’s is 30 degrees.)

Once again prioritizing a high launch and more spin, the lightweight Ai Smoke Max Fast ($1,099.99/7-piece set graphite) adds an additional 2 degrees of launch and 500 RPMs, when compared to its HL counterpart. The goal behind lengthening the blade and concentrating mass low in the head is to make it incredibly easy to get the ball in the air with consistent carry numbers, regardless of impact location.

NEW

Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Max Fast Custom Irons

$142.86
Distance irons are obviously long, but discerning players also want an exceptionally high level of feel. So why not have both in one club? Our Paradym Shift Construction combines a Forged 455 Face with the all-new Speed Frame, giving you get the best of both worlds.

Similar story

The standard Paradym Ai Smoke hybrid is designed to benefit moderate to higher swing speeds. Jonathan Wall/GOLF

The proliferation of high-lofted fairways has led some to wonder if hybrids are losing their position as the most popular long-iron replacement. In Callaway’s eyes, they still feature prominently in the set composition, as evidenced by the time spent crafting the Paradym Ai Smoke hybrids (available Jan. 26). Tap here to shop the Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Collection.

With a slightly larger profile than last year’s Paradym, the Ai Smart Face architecture on the standard Paradym Ai Smoke ($279.99); 3H-6H lofts) is designed to benefit moderate to higher swing speeds. To keep launch and spin on the lower side, a tungsten speed cartridge is situated in the sole — towards the face — to drive the center of gravity forward.

NEW

Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Hybrid

$279.99
Paradym Hybrids are redefining how golfers approach their long game. With our Paradym Shift Construction, the Cut wave Sole design improves the club’s performance through the turf, making this our most versatile hybrid we’ve ever made. And now we’ve adapted our best speed technologies from fairway woods and implemented them into hybrids for maximum distance.

While the adjustable Ai Smoke HL ($279.99; 3H-8H lofts) hybrid also features a tungsten cartridge in the sole, the lower face profile makes it easier to get the ball airborne with more spin. With AI continuing to shape the face designs, it’s important to note that the HL hybrids are designed to pair with the HL irons.

Callaway’s Ai Smart Face was designed using Artifical Intelligence. Jonathan Wall/GOLF

“The Ai Smart Face is unique for each of the models and lofts,” Williams said. “As you get into the HL, the parameters we’re putting into the face is all about high launch.”

NEW

Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke HL Hybrid

$279.99
Paradym Hybrids are redefining how golfers approach their long game. With our Paradym Shift Construction, the Cut wave Sole design improves the club’s performance through the turf, making this our most versatile hybrid we’ve ever made. And now we’ve adapted our best speed technologies from fairway woods and implemented them into hybrids for maximum distance.

Taking a page from the irons, the Ai Smoke Max Fast ($279.99; 4H-8H lofts) has a lower, flatter profile for those who fall on the slower end of the speed spectrum. To maintain a lighter overall weight than the standard and HL hybrids, the adjustable hosel was replaced with a bonded, non-adjustable version.

NEW

Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Max Fast Hybrid

$279.99
Paradym Hybrids are redefining how golfers approach their long game. With our Paradym Shift Construction, the Cut wave Sole design improves the club’s performance through the turf, making this our most versatile hybrid we’ve ever made. And now we’ve adapted our best speed technologies from fairway woods and implemented them into hybrids for maximum distance.

“[The lower, flatter profile] is a trend we’ve seen become very successful in the marketplace with slower swing speed players,” said Williams. “This is a shape that’s been very successful in the Asian market to help golfers get the ball up in the air and downrange.”

Want to overhaul your bag for 2024? Find a fitting location near you at True Spec Golf.

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