Callaway Ai-Smoke Max Fast Fairway Wood Review
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At a glance
- TG Rating
- Owner Rating
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Pros
- If swing speed is your nemesis the Max Fast simply has to be tried.
- A very friendly and forgiving fairway if you like the lightweight feel.
- The head doesn't sit outrageously closed in the play position.
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Cons
- A costly option if you need more than one.
- RRP £349.99
What we say...
The Callaway Paradym Ai-Smoke Max Fast fairway wood is said to be sweeter no matter where shots hit the face. My review finds out if it delivers.
The Callaway Ai-Smoke Max Fast fairway wood is packed with the same AI-assisted Swing Code technology as the brand’s new 2024 drivers. It’s taken a huge amount of time and research but the company has tracked the impact locations of 250,000 swings from all types of golfers across the globe.
They then cleverly used the data to task their super-computer with designing different faces to optimize the speed, launch, accuracy, and forgiveness of each of their four new Ai-Smoke fairway woods. The company says these are their most player-tailored fairway woods ever.
Callaway reckons there are definite similarities in their AI and Swing Code story from drivers to fairways. But in designing the best fairway woods, which are hit from the turf much more often, there’s also a huge difference in impact location and misses compared to drivers.
Much more often, club golfers, impact shots low on the face with a huge percentage of golfers (bar very elite players) chopping down onto the back of the ball. The company says there’s a need for four different fairway wood models to ensure a good fit no matter what your speed or ability.
Here’s my guide on how to choose which Callaway Paradym Ai-Smoke fairway wood best suits your game.
What’s new and different?
No Batwing or Jailbreak tech
MOI boosting Batwing tech and ball speed enhancing Jailbreak bars have been part of Callaway fairway woods for several years. Both don’t make an appearance on the Ai-Smoke. The reasoning is that Callaway says their super-computer has got so good at optimizing faces for each model’s intended audience, that it’s now possible to build both technologies into the design of the springy-maraging steel face.
Full carbon fiber chassis
Callaway has stuck to using full 360 carbon fiber chassis’ on their most recent drivers as the design is the best way to optimize weight placement and forgiveness. The tech hasn’t spread though to fairway woods as the demands of hitting carbon fiber sole heads from the tee and turf, can throw up some durability issues.
This time around though they’ve taken a similar approach to their 360 carbon fiber chassis drivers. Thanks to improving the support structure inside, the head of the Ai-Smoke (barring the Triple Diamond) is the brand’s first ever carbon sole fairway wood.
The move sees a significant weight saving of 24g, which in terms of golf club design is absolutely huge. 12g has been repositioned within the tungsten weight cartridge low and forward on the sole, which helps up launch and lower spin. A further 12g has been moved lower and deeper to elevate MOI forgiveness levels well above the original Paradym fairway wood.
There’s a degree of adjustability
Hosel adjustability, which allows you to customize loft, face angle, and lie is great so long as it gets used. But you’ve got to appreciate building the housing to accept a hosel adaptor ties up 8g of weight in a position you really don’t want it.
For the Ai-Smoke family, Callaway has built-in adjustable hosels on the Max, Max D, and Triple Diamond 15° 3-wood and 16.5° High Launch 3-wood. As they believe this is the area adjustability most often comes into play. All other lofts and the whole Max Fast family come with fixed hosels, as the choice of lofts more than adjustability allows golfers to choose the ball flight they desire.
How to decide which Callaway Ai-Smoke fairway wood suits you
Callaway Ai-Smoke Max fairway wood
RRP: $349.99
Lofts: 3W – 15° / 3 HL – 16.5 ° / 5 – 18° / HVN – 20° / 7 – 21° / 9 – 24° / 11 – 27°
Stock shafts
Project X Denali Black
Mitsubishi Tensei AV Series Blue
Project X Cypher 2.0
Mitsubishi Tensei Silver (Max Fast Men’s)
Mitsubishi Eldio (Max Fast Women’s)
Stock grip: Golf Pride Tour Velvet 360, Winn Dri-tac Lite (Max Fast)
Typical golfer traits
Swing Speed: Mid Speed
Impact:
Uses most of the face
Moderately down attack angle
Slightly out to in path
The Max is the core Ai-Smoke model, which means it will fit the most amount of golfers. For average and above-speed players it will be the most forgiving fairway wood within the family and will likely outstrip the others put together in terms of sales.
Expect a very shallow face profile which is incredibly easy to launch high off the turf. If you hit a lot of fairway woods from tee’s, check you’re comfortable with the face depth before making a purchase. As someone who usually struggles to launch a 15° fairway from the deck, I had absolutely no issues with the Max, which was a real surprise.
I really like how the face sits extremely square at address, much like the Ping G430 Max which really boosts confidence and encourages you to go at it full tilt. A great fit for most club golfers, who are comfortable with their speed, and don’t naturally fight a slice. Expect a high launching, low spin, and neutral ball flight. Seven lofts give plenty of fitting options.
Callaway Paradym Ai-Smoke Max D fairway wood
RRP: $349.99
Lofts: 3W – 15° / 3HL – 16.5° / 5 – 18° / 7 – 21°
Stock shafts
Project X Denali Black
Mitsubishi Tensei AV Series Blue
Project X Cypher 2.0
Mitsubishi Tensei Silver (Max Fast Men’s)
Mitsubishi Eldio (Max Fast Women’s)
Stock grip: Golf Pride Tour Velvet 360, Winn Dri-tac Lite (Max Fast)
Typical golfer traits
Swing Speed: Slower
Impact:
Mostly low on the face from heel to toe
Significantly downward attack angle
Out to in path
Like the Callaway Paradym Ai-Smoke Max D driver, the matching fairway should only come into play for golfers who have counteracting a slice as their number one goal. Remember the model has an AI-designed face specifically to aid this player’s natural impact location.
Expect a larger volume and more flattened, squashed appearance at address than the Max, which will help up forgiveness for more moderate-speed players. A more upright lie angle aids turning shots over from right to left (for a right-hander) and will help keep a severe slice in check.
To my eye, the black carbon fiber crown is a huge step forward over last year’s Paradym blue. Just make sure you’re comfortable with the gloss finish which is prone to glare in bright sunlight.
Callaway Paradym Ai-Smoke Max Fast fairway wood
RRP: $349.99
Lofts: 3W – 15° / 5W – 18° /7W – 21° / 9W – 24°
Stock shafts
Project X Denali Black
Mitsubishi Tensei AV Series Blue
Project X Cypher 2.0
Mitsubishi Tensei Silver (Max Fast Men’s)
Mitsubishi Eldio (Max Fast Women’s)
Stock grip: Golf Pride Tour Velvet 360, Winn Dri-tac Lite (Max Fast)
Typical golfer traits
Swing Speed: Slower
Impact:
Mostly low on the face heel to toe
Significantly downward attack angle
Out to in path
The Max Fast is a brand-new model in the US and Europe, but Callaway has made something similar in Japan for several years. It replaces the previous Paradym Star fairway wood which cut their teeth on being super lightweight and easy to launch.
The idea is very much like that found in the Wilson Staff D300 fairway wood which simply boosts club speed thanks to being so lightweight and lively. Expect a fixed hosel as this design is optimized to deliver speed to those that don’t
have it. Thanks to a 40g shaft and a very lightweight grip this hi-tech model is a strong option for slower-speed players, many of whom are likely to be senior-aged golfers.
Callaway Paradym Ai-Smoke Triple Diamond fairway wood
RRP: $349.99
Lofts: 3W – 15° / 5W – 18° / 7W – 21°
Stock shafts
Project X Denali Black
Mitsubishi Tensei AV Series Blue
Project X Cypher 2.0
Mitsubishi Tensei Silver (Max Fast Men’s)
Mitsubishi Eldio (Max Fast Women’s)
Stock grip: Golf Pride Tour Velvet 360, Winn Dri-tac Lite (Max Fast)
Typical golfer traits
Swing Speed: Higher Speed
Impact:
Mostly centred
Slightly downward attack angle
Neutral path
The Triple Diamond is the only Ai-Smoke fairway with a steel sole (the others are all carbon fiber), which comes down to the durability concerns of this head being predominately played by higher-speed players. Expect Callaway’s most compact fairway wood shape with a deeper face and simple non-offensive look at address, there’s also no alignment aid unlike the others within the family.
This model is best suited to stronger players with higher head speeds, as a more forward CG helps deliver the lower more penetrating ball flight that decent players feel generates maximum control. This model will be played by world #3 Jon Rahm and #6 Xander Schauffele which says everything you need about who it’s aimed at.
Product Information
Callaway Paradym Ai-Smoke Max Fast fairway wood
RRP: $349.99
Lofts: 3W - 15° / 5W - 18° / 7W - 21° / 9W - 24°
Stock shafts
Project X Denali Black
Mitsubishi Tensei AV Series Blue
Project X Cypher 2.0
Mitsubishi Tensei Silver (Max Fast Men's)
Mitsubishi Eldio (Max Fast Women's)
Stock grip: Golf Pride Tour Velvet 360, Winn Dri-tac Lite (Max Fast)
Visit the Callaway Golf website here
