Gear: Callaway Paradym, Paradym X hybrids
Price: $299.99 with Aldila Ascent PL Blue shaft or Project X HZRDUS Silver shaft and Callaway Universal grips.
Specs: 455 stainless steel cup face, tungsten weight and adjustable hosel.
Available: Feb. 24
Who They’re For: Golfers who prefer a fairway wood-style hybrid and want more distance and forgiveness.
The Skinny: Callaway is utilizing a new shape to lower the center of gravity in the Paradym hybrids, making it easier for players to hit high-flying, soft-landing shots.
The Deep Dive: To complement the Paradym drivers and fairway woods, Callaway is offering two new hybrids, the Paradym and Paradym X.
Both clubs were designed to be long-iron replacements for golfers who prefer fairway wood-style hybrids with rounded faces, toe areas and back sections.
The Cutwave Sole helps the Paradym hybrids work through the turf, rough and sand. (David Dusek/Golfweek)
On the sole of both the Paradym and Paradym X, golfers will see a reshaped area that includes three seams. Callaway refers to this as a Cutwave Sole, designed to help the Paradym hybrids skim through the turf and rough to maintain speed through the hitting area.
Golfers also will see a large gold-toned tungsten weight directly behind the leading edge called a Tungsten Speed Cartridge. Adding weight to this area helps lower the center of gravity, reducing spin and increasing ball speed.
Tungsten positioned forward in the sole helps increase ball speed and lower the center of gravity. (David Dusek/Golfweek)
What golfers can not see is the updated Jailbreak with Batwing system. While the adjustable hosel stiffens the heel side of the club at impact, a triangular piece of steel internally connects the bottom of the club, heel area and crown. Callaway said that by stiffening the Paradym hybrids in the front heel and toe areas, energy normally lost in the deformation of the head at impact is instead redirected back into the shot, increasing ball speed and distance.
The standard Paradym (left) is smaller than the Paradym X. (David Dusek/Golfweek)
The standard Paradym hybrid is available with lofts of 18, 21, 24 and 27 degrees. It has a small head and shorter blade length, so it should appeal to lower-handicap golfers. The Paradym X is bigger and comes in lofts of 18 (3), 21 (4), 24 (5), 37 (6) and 30 (7) degrees.