Jon Rahm, Xander Schauffele expected to play Callaway’s new Paradym driver

The PGA TOUR is set to kick off the new year this week at the Sentry Tournament of Champions. Besides boasting a strong field and even stronger scenery, the Sentry also is known for being an annual site of big equipment news. This is where many of the TOUR’s stars unveil new equipment.

This year is no different. Two of the biggest names in Maui, Jon Rahm and Xander Schauffele, are among the players expected to put Callaway’s new Paradym driver into play. Rahm and Schauffele are Callaway’s two highest-ranked staffers at Nos. 5 and 6 in the world, respectively. They both showed up to Kapalua Resort’s Plantation Course with the new club in their bags for Tuesday’s practice round and are expected to use it in Thursday’s opening round.

Rahm making a switch is a strong testimonial for the new club, as he led the PGA TOUR in Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee in 2022. He employed Callaway’s Rogue ST LS (Low Spin) model last year, in addition to Rogue ST Triple Diamond T prototype fairway woods (16 and 18 degrees). Ahead of this week’s Sentry Tournament of Champions, however, Rahm had a Callaway Paradym Triple Diamond driver in the bag, as well as two Paradym Triple Diamond T fairway wood models (16 and 18 degrees).

Last year, Schauffele used a Callaway Rogue ST Triple Diamond S driver, which he’s likely to replace this week with a new Callaway Paradym Triple Diamond head.

“The biggest thing (with the new driver) is the sound, look and feel,” Callaway’s PGA TOUR manager Joe Toulon told GolfWRX.com on Tuesday. “The new construction of these drivers also saves weight from the crown, which is leading to more forgiveness and speed. The downrange dispersion is incredibly tight.”

Toulon told GolfWRX that the average ball speed increase with the Paradym is around a half-mile per hour faster than Callaway’s previous Rogue ST drivers. The new model also offers greater forgiveness, a slightly higher launch angle and lower spin. On average, Toulon says that Callaway is “seeing about 0.5 degrees higher launch and about 100 rpm lower spin.”

According to Callaway, Rahm’s average ball speed went from 177 mph with his previous model to 181 mph during testing with the new Paradym. That led to six yards of additional carry. Rahm ranked ninth on TOUR in carry distance last season (301.6 yards).

Seeing similar gains, Schauffele’s average ball speed increased from 175 mph to 179 mph, resulting in four yards of additional carry during his testing session. Schauffele ranked 34th in carry distance last season (293 yards).

The new Paradym drivers feature a brand new “360 Carbon Chassis” – consisting of a triaxial carbon crown and forged carbon sole – that eliminates titanium from the body of the driver. By saving 43-45% of weight with the new material, Callaway was able to reposition the weight in the heads to increase forgiveness on off-center hits.

Additionally, Callaway used artificial intelligence to optimize ball speed on strikes across the face, and there’s a 33% lighter Jailbreak system behind the face to provide enhanced stability.

There are currently three different models in the new Paradym driver family: a standard head with a sliding weight track in the rear of the head, the Paradym X that provides higher launch and a slight draw bias, and the Paradym Triple Diamond that has a slightly smaller 450cc head, which is made to lower spin and launch.

Rahm and Schauffele both opted for 10.5-degree Paradym Triple Diamond heads, which offer interchangeable back-and-front weights to dial in trajectory. Rahm Rahm is using an Aldila Tour Green 75 TX shaft in his driver, while Schauffele is using a Mitsubishi Kai’li Black 70 TX shaft.

Interestingly, Schauffele also drew light-colored marker lines on the grooves of his driver to see more of the face (see photo atop story). Callaway constructed a template to ensure the lines are straight and properly located around the face’s center. It should also be noted that Schauffele’s face additions are legal since the substance is not thick enough to make it protrude above the face, thus it does not impact ball flight.

The Paradym will become available to consumers Feb. 24 when the three new models officially hit retail, selling for $599.99 apiece. Callaway’s Paradym fairway woods (Paradym, Paradym X and Paradym Triple Diamond) will be available on the same date, selling for $349.99 each.