Looks

The most eye-catching thing about the Callaway Paradym driver is the blue that covers most of thead. When I saw early pictures, I was a bit skeptical, worried that it would be too much.  When I go it in hand, I saw that it is much more subdued. In bright sun, the blue does pop, but it’s dark enough that it doesn’t look like a toy. The texture of the blue, particularly on the sole, is unique and visually engaging. At address, the standard Paradym driver has a very nice shape. It’s not overly large in any dimension, and it’s nearly symmetrical. It hits a sweet spot where better players and high handicappers alike will feel confident standing over it.  I particularly like how the matte blue front edge holds your focus right next to the ball.

Sound & Feel

The Paradym driver threads the needle by having an impact sound that’s distinctive without being obnoxious. It’s a poppy “thwack” that’s average in volume and mid-pitch. Additionally, it’s extremely consistent. At the launch event, I listened to literally hundreds of shots and was not able to distinguish a pure strike from a miss. Through the hands, the Paradym is very solid. Your hands also are responsible for delivering most of the feedback. This driver is very stable, so you will need to pay attention if you want to precisely locate your impact point. 

Performance

My first experience with the Callaway Paradym driver put its forgiveness to the test. I’d barely swung a driver in two months, and I had been standing or on a plane for the last ten hours. Despite the deck being stacked against it, the Paradym showed off the 15% improved dispersion that Callaway is touting. I was all over the club face, but every shot was playable and several were laser straight. When I got my own Paradym driver in hand for more testing, the forgiveness was even more impressive. I continued to see the same tight dispersion, but I got to put numbers to the standout ball speed. Every shot that I hit near the center of the face produced a smash factor of 1.48 or better.  When I wandered out toward the toe or heel, I was still in the mid 1.4s! Between the consistency of the sound and ball speed, your playing partners may think you never miss the center of the face.