If you follow professional golf, you know that many tour professionals use Callaway drivers. These clubs offer great distance, a ton of forgiveness, and a feel that will satisfy a range of players. If you are looking for a Callaway driver, it helps to know your options.
What we did here was break up for you the Callaway drivers that are still available. Essentially the last three or four releases including the Paradym, Rogue, Big Bertha and Mavrik series.
We will tell you what you should know about each of these clubs, which is the best for your game and when it’s time to upgrade your Callaway driver.
What Are The Best Callaway Drivers?
The key to finding the best Callaway driver is to find one that works specifically for your game. However, here are a few that stand out as the overall best over the last few years.
Callaway Ai Some Max Driver – Best Overall
Callaway Paradym Driver – Runner-Up
Callaway Rogue ST Max D – Best For Fixing a Slice
Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond Driver – Best for Low Handicap Golfers
Callaway Great Big Bertha Driver – Best For New Players
Callaway Mavrik – Best Value
Callaway Paradym Series – Who Should Play?
The new Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke drivers have made it to the market. However, you will still find plenty of the original Paradym around.
It’s important to know the differences here. The Paradym Ai Smoke certainly offers the best of the best, but what does that exactly mean?
- AI Smart Face Technology: Callaway used machine learning and AI to optimize the face of the driver for a variety of golf swings. The face is more forgiving and helps maintain spin and speed regardless of where you hit it.
- Material Improvements: The Paradym Ai Smoke drivers blend titanium with carbon in the frame, so the clubhead is lighter yet more sturdy. The result is better weight distribution and stability.
- New Models: Callaway also released the Paradym Ai Moke Max Fast model, which differs from what we saw in the Paradym series. This model is specifically designed for players with slower swing speeds who want an easier launch and better carry.
If any of these benefits will have a significant impact on your game, then upgrade from the Callaway Paradym to the Paradym Ai Smoke Driver series. However, when we tested these models head to head they are both very good with subtle differences.
The entire Paradym and Paradym Ai line is for players looking for the latest and greatest technology.
This table should help you determine which of the Paradym Ai Smoke drivers could be best for you. The information applies to the Paradym series as well, except the fact that the Max Fast is a new model in 2024.
| Feature | Paradym Ai Smoke MAX | Paradym Ai Smoke MAX D | Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond | Paradym Ai Smoke MAX Fast |
| Design Focus | Max forgiveness | Max draw bias | Tour performance | Lightweight performance |
| Intended Use | All skill levels | Slicers needing help | Skilled players | Players seeking speed |
| Key Technology | AI Smart Face | Same as Max + draw bias | Compact, low-spin design | Super lightweight design |
| Typical Player Swing Speed | Average | Average | High | Slow to average |
| Launch | High | High | Low | High |
| Spin | Mid-Low | Mid-Low | Low | Mid-Low |
| Flight Bias | Neutral | Draw | Neutral | Draw |
Best Callaway Women’s Drivers
Callaway does a great job on drivers for women golfers. There are a few options here to choose from across the last few series. The best that we tested was the Paradym Ai Smoke Max Driver. If you slice, you may want to switch to the Max D.
For the slower swinging women golfers the Ai Smoke Max Fast Driver is a good choice as well as the Paradym Star or the Big Bertha Reva driver.
The Callaway Women’s Mavrik is a great deal right now, less than half of the price that it once was. It’s not quite as long or forgiving as the latest Paradym Ai Smoke, but it’s a great solution for an occasional golfer.
Rogue Series – Which Driver To Buy?
The Rogue series from Callaway is a few years old now. There’s good and bad news about this. All of the pricing is considerably lower than it once was. However, the technology is not quite as new.
We tested the Rogue drivers up against the Paradym and found them to be a few yards shorter, a little less forgiving and have a bit more of a bulky feel as opposed to a lightweight feel. The Paradym series really makes you feel like the golf ball just jumps off the face.
With the Rogue you’ll feel like you have to work for it a bit more.
If you are on a budget , go with the Rogue ST Max driver. It’s an all around good club that has enough relevant technology to carry you through the next few years.
To make sure you choose the right Rogue, here is what you can expect from each model.
| Feature | Rogue ST MAX D Drivers | Rogue ST MAX Drivers | Rogue ST MAX LS Drivers | Rogue ST Triple Diamond LS Drivers |
| Design Focus | Maximum Forgiveness | Balanced performance | Low spin, high MOI | Low spin, tour-level control |
| Intended Use | Players needing draw bias | All skill levels | Skilled players seeking control | Advanced players need precision |
| Key Technology | Jailbreak ST | Jailbreak ST | Jailbreak Speed Frame | Jailbreak Speed Frame |
| Typical Player Swing Speed | Moderate | Moderate to high | High | Very high |
| Launch | High | Mid to high | Low to mid | Low |
| Spin | Mid | Mid | Low | Very low |
| Flight Bias | Draw | Neutral | Neutral | Neutral with workability |
Big Bertha Series for Ultimate Forgiveness
If you are a higher handicap player and lightweight forgiveness is what your ultimate goal is, the Big Bertha driver and Great Big Bertha drivers could be a good choice. These will each have a bit more draw bias and the focus will be more on forgiveness than distance.
That’s not to say you won’t hit these far; it’s just not their top technology.
Although we don’t recommend against these drivers, I would highly suggest testing one against the Max D Paradym or Rogue drivers to see if the technology could be just as beneficial.
MAVRIK Series
If you can find a Mavrik driver with your specifications, you won’t find a better deal. I’ve had a Callaway Mavrik driver in the bag for several years, and it’s a great club. It has a more classic-looking driver head shape.
The clubface feels like it sits just a little open at address. However, when you hit shots, the ball goes incredibly straight.
Mavrik also has an impressive feel and sound. It may be a few years old, but if you are on a budget or just starting the game, give this one a try.
When Should I Upgrade My Callaway Driver?
If it’s been a while since you purchased a new golf driver, here are a few of the things you should look out for to know that it’s time.
- Not getting the same distance you once were able to get could mean the shaft or launch angle of your golf driver is no longer a fit for your golf game.
- Your game has changed, and the club’s technology no longer suits your needs (e.g., it’s a draw bias driver, and you are now more likely to hook than slice).
- If it’s been more than 5 years since your last upgrade, it could be time to test some of the new technology and see the differences.
For the most part, it’s very difficult for the average golfer to notice a real difference in technology from one model to the next. If you notice, when we talked about the Paradym vs. Paradym Ai Smoke, we mentioned the differences were subtle.
Be smart about investing large sums of money into drivers just one model year apart. Two or three years is really the sweet spot, and the 5 to 7-year mark is a must.
Final Thoughts
At this point, you are an expert on all thighs Callaway drivers!
Hopefully, you will now see the differences between these models and why you would fit into each one. All golf manufacturers try to create clubs that are more tailored to specific players.
However, if you would like to choose something more versatile, go with the Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Max. It’s one of the best drivers on the market this year and works for a wide range of players.
