Golf Monthly
UK magazine, season-long testing
“an early Contender for my favorite Drive of 2025”
All of the AI Smoke Triple Diamond's speed and low spin but noticeably more forgiving, making it an early contender for his favourite driver of 2025.
+ the facts · 5 pros− the facts
- +Glossy black compact head looks great behind the ball
- +Smooth, muted, solid feel with no unwanted vibration
- +Ball speed, spin and distance match last year's Triple Diamond
For: Faster players wanting low spin without last year's strike sensitivity
2nd Swing Golf
Master fitters, Trackman-heavy testing
Top challenger in the low spin category; fitters said if it were purely a ball speed contest, Callaway probably wins.
+ the facts · 2 pros · 1 cons− the facts
- +Very consistent ball speeds, even on slight mishits
- +Long-running proven low spin, slight fade bias design
- −Overall package ranked behind the more forgiving Ping G440 LST
For: Higher-speed players chasing maximum ball speed in a low spin head
“It's a flipping monster”
Already hit off-camera and called a flipping monster, but its heavily glossy crown is a dealbreaker for his matte preference.
+ the facts · 1 pros · 1 cons− the facts
- +He describes it as a monster from early hits
- −Only comes in a heavy gloss finish, unlike the matte standard and X models
For: Better players who like gloss crowns
James Robinson Golf
Mid-handicap everyman reviews
“a fantastic offering from the guys at Callaway”
Gaz's number two: a proper low spin monster that performs year after year, though James doesn't think it feels or sounds as nice as the previous Paradigm triple diamonds.
+ the facts · 4 pros · 2 cons− the facts
- +Sits a fraction open with a clean, uncluttered look
- +AI smart face; low heel strikes still fly 10-15 yards past your friends
- +14g front weight makes it a genuine low spin monster
- −Only front-to-back adjustable weighting, no heel/toe fine-tuning
- −James finds the feel and sound a step behind the Paradigm triple diamond heads
For: Low spin players who trust Callaway's year-after-year performance and don't need heel/toe weights
Mark Crossfield
Coach, famously hard to impress
“it's nowhere near as fadey”
A low-spin head that is refreshingly neutral rather than a fade machine, which he thinks opens it up to far more golfers than usual.
+ the facts · 4 pros · 2 cons− the facts
- +Much more neutral flight than typical low-spin heads, stuck to the middle in testing
- +Only 200 to 300 rpm less spin than the standard, so it is controllable
- +Front and back flip weights to tune spin and stability
- −Shiny patent-style crown he personally likes less than the matte heads
- −Smaller head, and no speed gains over his older comparison driver
For: Regular golfers who manage strike well and want a little less spin, not just elite players
“that's come out like a bullet”
The compact, tour-preference gloss head gave him the fastest ball speed of the three and kept spin very low even on low-face strikes.
+ the facts · 5 pros · 3 cons− the facts
- +Fastest ball speed of the three models in his test
- +Very low spin, down toward 2,000 even on low strikes
- +Clean, compact 450cc gloss head with tour-preferred finish
- −Slightly open face won't suit everyone
- −Spin can dip too low for high-face or toe strikers, so strike pattern needs to be tight
- −Less forgiving smaller head
For: Faster players with a consistent centered strike wanting a compact head and neutral-to-fade flight, or high-spin players needing spin knocked down
“that lack of control and just not being able to draw the ball”
The compact tour head was his longest on pure strikes, including his longest ever drive, but a constant right miss and low-spin mishits made it too inconsistent for him.
+ the facts · 3 pros · 4 cons− the facts
- +Longest when struck from the centre: one drive at 140 ball speed and 237 carry
- +Compact shiny tour-inspired head he likes the look of
- +More muted sound for those who dislike loud drivers
- −Every ball leaked out to the right and he couldn't draw it
- −Spin dropped very low on mishits, losing distance and control
- −No shot-shape adjustability, just front and back weights
For: Stronger players who deliver centre strikes and want a low-spin tour head