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In this review, I’ll be taking a look at the Callaway Paradym hybrid.
Mid-sized and with a wood-like shape, the Paradym is designed for versatility in a modern package: plenty of distance, control, and high launch. It features an all-new A.I. Jailbreak Batwing Structure, Tungsten Speed Cartridge, and new Cutwave Sole for improved turf interaction.
How does the Paradym hybrid actually perform? How does it compare to the Rogue ST MAX? Who is it best suited for? Is it worth putting in the bag?
Read on to get the answers to these questions and learn what you need to know to make an informed purchase.
Note: Unless otherwise stated, stock shafts and stock grips are used when evaluating this club. In most cases, the golf clubs reviewed on Golfstead are acquired temporarily for testing purposes and are not purchased. The review that follows is based on the personal experience and research of the author. Because everyone’s swing and body are different, results with a particular club may differ from person to person.
What are the reviews like?
The Paradym hybrid has been rated highly overall, with its versatility, distance and ball flight being praised by critics. It earned a gold medal on the 2023 Golf Digest Hot List.
What People Like
- tremendous speed off the face
- highly forgiving
- adjustable hosel
- excellent turf interaction
- very consistent from shot to shot
What People Don’t Like
- somewhat of a low launch
- only marginal improvements over the Rogue ST MAX
The Features
Jailbreak A.I. Batwing Technology
The Paradym features the latest iteration of the Jailbreak concept used in previous Callaway hybrids.
The two Jailbreak blades (designed with artificial intelligence) have a “batwing” shape and are pushed to the perimeter. This has the result of enhancing stiffness and stability, and allowing the face to flex for unprecedentedly high ball speeds.
Cutwave Sole
The Paradym hybrid features a new Cutwave design on the sole. This wing-like pattern is aimed at streamlining the movement of the club through the turf, particularly thick rough.
Turf interaction is further improved through an increased camber on the leading edge.
Tungsten Speed Cartridge
Callaway has brought their revolutionary Tungsten Speed Cartridge to the Paradym hybrid. Made of high-density tungsten, it sits behind the face and pushes the center of gravity (CG) low and forward for reduced spin and higher ball speed.
A.I.-Optimized 455 Face Cup
The wraparound cup face of the Paradym hybrid is made of a strong 455 steel alloy. It’s designed using an artificial intelligence process that uniquely optimizes the face architecture for each loft and model in order to improve speed, spin and launch conditions across the face.
Stock Info
The Paradym hybrid is available in 18°, 21°, 24° and 27° lofts.
An included Optifit hosel allows you to adjust loft and lie. The loft settings are -1, +1, 0 and +2 (a range of 3°). The lie settings are N (neutral) and D (draw), giving a total of 8 possible configurations.
The stock graphite shafts are the Project X HZRDUS Gen 4 Silver 65 & 75 and ALDILA ASCENT PL Blue 50 HB/IR. The stock grip is the Callaway Universal. Custom options are available.
If you’re interested, full information on the hybrid, shafts, grips and their specs can be found here.
Below are the specs of the Paradym hybrid. Click or zoom to enlarge.
The Performance
Distance
Ball speeds off the face are similar to the Rogue ST MAX. On average, I saw a very marginal increase of 1-2 mph during my tests.
The Paradym really has more of an advantage in distance. A slightly lower launch allows for a more optimal ball flight, and with just as much if not more rollout than the Rogue ST MAX, it adds up to a considerable distance gain of around 10 yards depending on the loft.
Forgiveness
One of the things I’m most impressed by with the Paradym hybrid is how well speed is maintained across the face, given the fact that it’s not marketed as being forgiving like the Paradym X is.
Mild to moderate mis-hits resulted in hardly any lost ball speed for me during testing. And dispersions are not the tightest I’ve ever seen but they are better than average.
Playability/Trajectory
First off, Callaway markets the Paradym as having a high launch, but I personally found the apex height to be mid or mid-high. It was a little lower than I expected, but I still find the hybrid to be easy to hit and get airborne.
Spin is mid-range, but more than that, it’s extremely consistent from shot to shot. Descent angles are low enough that you get some rollout when trying to reach the green, but not too low to where your shots will roll through the green.
The flight bias is pretty neutral, which lends itself to great workability. Carving out fades and draws should be no issue for capable golfers.
The Look
Compared to the Rogue ST MAX, the Paradym hybrid moves in the direction of looking more like a wood, with more elongation from front to back. The head is mid-sized.
I’ve said in the past that I prefer when a hybrid feels less like a wood and more like an iron, but in the case of the Paradym, I actually don’t mind it much at all because it’s so easy to hit.
The Paradym hybrid has fantastic bag appeal, although the rich dark teal theme found in the fairway woods and driver are much more subtle, with only a couple of blue accents on the sole. I would have liked to see more of a focus on that milky teal texture the Paradym line is known for in order to differentiate it more from past models.
Nevertheless, the glossy crown looks great, and the club sets up clean behind the ball with very minimal offset.
The Sound & Feel
The one word that stood out in my mind when hitting the Paradym hybrid is “responsive”.
The sound seems to be a little more dull and muted than the Rogue ST MAX, but the feel is soft, solid and smooth at impact.
This thing is like butter when you catch it solidly, with a beautifully touch of explosiveness. Feel towards the heel and toe is impressive too.
I found the sound & feel consistency across the face to be comparable to the Rogue ST MAX, but perhaps marginally worse. It’s not the best feedback I’ve seen in a hybrid, but it should be more than enough to diagnose your mis-hits.
Last but not least, there’s turf interaction. I did find during my tests that the Paradym was especially smooth through the impact zone. This is particularly important in a hybrid, and the Paradym certainly delivers.
Where To Buy This Hybrid Online
Currently, the best place to order a Paradym hybrid with custom specifications (loft, length, shaft, grip, etc.) is this page on the Callaway store.
If you want to save some money, you can find discounts on eBay.
Alternatively, look at what’s available on PGA TOUR Superstore or Amazon. The first offers club trade-ins, a performance guarantee, and financing plans to help you minimize the risk of purchase.
Conclusion
The Callaway Paradym is an excellent middle-of-the-range hybrid that offers the best in distance, good forgiveness, and a high level of versatility.
In may not be quite as forgiving and high-launching as the previous Rogue ST MAX, but it has some of the best turf interaction I’ve ever seen, and I reckon it’s just what low and mid handicappers need to supercharge their long game.
Have any thoughts or opinions about the Paradym hybrid? Go ahead and leave a comment below.
