Is the Callaway Elyte driver worth upgrading for or should you keep your old driver in your bag? In this guide, I’ll compare the Callaway Elyte vs Paradym AI Smoke in detail to help you make the right decision!
Keep reading to find out what Callaway nailed on the new Elyte drivers!
What is the Callaway Elyte?
The new Callaway Elyte Driver is designed as a premium, lightweight option for golfers who want exceptionally fast ball speeds and maximum forgiveness off the tee. Released in January 2025 from Callaway Golf, the Elyte was built to help golfers with moderate swing speeds gain more distance without sacrificing control.
The first thing you notice when you hold the Elyte is how incredibly light it feels in your hands. It’s built with a lightweight titanium chassis and a carbon crown, making it noticeably easier to swing than standard drivers. Callaway also incorporated their advanced Jailbreak technology and an AI-designed face, which means the sweet spot feels massive, which is perfect for those of us who want more forgiveness on off-center hits.
This driver is tailored for golfers looking to add a few extra yards with less effort while keeping a solid, balanced feel. It has a Project X Denali Charcoal shaft and Golf Pride Tour Velvet grip installed.
How to Buy
Callaway Elyte drivers can be purchased off of Amazon, the official Callaway website, or various third party golf retailers.
Browse the entire lineup on the Callaway website and buy yours here.
Here’s the product listing page for Callaway Elyte on PGA Tour Superstore’s website.
If you just want the base right-handed, 10.5 degree loft driver, use the button below to buy it off of Amazon.
What is the Callaway Paradym AI Smoke?
The Callaway Paradym AI Smoke Driver, released in January 2024, was built for golfers who want cutting-edge technology to maximize distance and control. It was part of Callaway’s next generation of drivers, emphasizing AI-driven design for optimal performance.
The Paradym AI Smoke is incredibly sleek and modern, with its carbon crown and streamlined design. The AI Smart Face, built with micro-adjustments for different impact points, gives you impressive consistency, even on mishits. Plus, the Callaway Jailbreak technology stiffens the body for more energy transfer, giving you more ball speed off the tee.
The Paradym AI Smoke came available in four different models:
Paradym AI Smoke Max
Paradym AI Smoke Max D
Paradym AI Smoke Max Fast
Paradym AI Smoke Triple Diamond
The Paradym AI Smoke was an upgrade to the original Paradym golf clubs by Callaway.
Callaway Elyte Driver Models
The Callaway Elyte family of drivers comes in four different models, each offering something for different golfers. The Elyte driver range is a significant advancement in golf club performance, emphasizing improvement in distance and forgiveness with features like the AI10x Smart Face and advanced aerodynamics.
Callaway Elyte Driver
The new Callaway Elyte Driver is the standard Elyte model in the new Elyte range of drivers, offering a balance of forgiveness, distance, and adjustability. The core model features a 460cc head which provides a large sweet spot, making it ideal for a wide range of golfers, from mid-handicappers to experienced players seeking reliable performance.
The standout feature is the adjustable 13-gram weight, which can be moved across three rear ports for a neutral, draw, or fade bias.
This adjustability allows golfers to fine-tune their ball flight based on swing tendencies. The Elyte Driver also includes Callaway’s Thermoforged Carbon Crown, which reduces overall weight and enhances clubhead speed for added distance. The aerodynamic design incorporates fast head shapes, improving both speed and forgiveness.
The Advanced AI Face technology further improves ball speed and consistency across the face, making it a super consistent driver.
Callaway Elyte X Driver
The Callaway Elyte X driver is designed specifically for golfers who struggle with a slice or want a driver that promotes a draw. It shares the same 460cc clubhead size as the standard model but is engineered with a built-in draw bias for shot correction.
The weight setup includes two adjustable ports, one centered for a neutral shot shape and one near the heel for added draw bias.
This model emphasizes forgiveness, with a mid-spin rate and a high launch, making it perfect for mid-to-high handicappers looking to gain accuracy and distance. Its AI-designed face and lightweight construction help generate faster ball speeds while maintaining control. This driver is suited for golfers who want to control their slice off the tee and keep the ball in the ball.
Callaway Elyte Max Fast
The Elyte Max Fast is engineered for golfers with moderate to slower swing speeds who need help maximizing distance with minimal effort. This model prioritizes speed and ease of use, featuring a lightweight design with a reduced overall head weight, lighter shaft, and grip to promote faster swings.
The 460cc clubhead has a reshaped Thermoforged Carbon Crown, strategically redistributing weight for improved launch and forgiveness. It also comes with two rear weight ports, allowing adjustments for a neutral flight or slight draw bias. With higher loft options like 10.5° and 12°, the Elyte Max Fast helps players achieve optimized launch angles and greater carry distance. It’s perfect for senior golfers, beginners, or anyone who benefits from extra help generating speed.
The Elyte fairway woods, featuring a technology called Tungsten Speed Wave, complement the Elyte Max Fast driver by promoting fast ball speeds and enhancing playability for various golfer skill levels.
Callaway Elyte Triple Diamond
The Callaway Elyte Triple Diamond Driver is a low-spin, low-launch option for advanced players and low handicappers seeking workability and control. With a more compact shape and slightly smaller 450cc head, the Triple Diamond driver offers a smaller, tour-inspired shape that allows better players to shape shots more easily.
The Triple Diamond stands out due to its new shape and front and back weight adjustability. Shifting the weight forward helps reduce spin for a penetrating ball flight while moving it back adds forgiveness and stability on off-center strikes. The AI-enhanced face and Jailbreak technology ensure maximum energy transfer, even with a focus on control.
The clean, gloss carbon crown and minimalistic aesthetics give it a professional look, making it a favorite for golfers who prefer a more traditional driver feel. Although you may get a short ball flight compared to the other models, the workability outweighs this.
Key Similarities Between the Callaway Elyte vs Paradym AI Smoke
The Callaway Elyte vs Paradym AI Smoke drivers share several key design features, making them both top-tier choices for golfers.
Below are the key similarities between the two:
AI-Designed Face Technology: Both drivers feature Callaway’s advanced AI-designed face, which uses machine learning to optimize ball speed and consistency across multiple control points. This design helps reduce distance loss on off-center hits, providing a more prominent, effective sweet spot for golfers of all skill levels.
Jailbreak Technology: Each model incorporates Callaway’s Jailbreak technology, designed to stiffen the body of the clubhead for better energy transfer at impact. This results in faster ball speeds and added distance, even on mishits.
Multi-Material Construction: Both drivers utilize a carbon composite crown, which helps reduce overall weight while optimizing weight distribution. This new speed frame construction allows for better forgiveness and faster swing speeds by lowering the center of gravity (CG) for higher launch and lower spin.
Adjustable Weighting: The Elyte and Paradym AI Smoke offer adjustable weight systems, allowing players to fine-tune shot shape and ball flight. The Elyte provides rear and heel weight positions, while the Paradym AI Smoke includes a sliding weight for even greater customization.
Premium Forgiveness and Distance Focus: Forgiveness and distance are at the core of both driver models. Callaway designed them to maximize ball speed while minimizing dispersion, making them ideal for a wide range of golfers who want help off the tee.
Tour-Level Performance Options: Both lineups include a standard model for the general golfer, a draw-biased option (Elyte X and Paradym X), and a low-spin, tour-inspired model for advanced players (Elyte Triple Diamond and Paradym Triple Diamond).
Additionally, the Callaway Elyte irons feature advanced technology such as speed frame construction and urethane microspheres, which enhance performance and acoustics. This makes the Callaway Elyte irons one of the best new irons available.
If you are comparing the Callaway Elyte vs Paradym AI smoke to see if you should upgrade, Callaway doesn’t release that many new features each year!
Key Differences Between the Callaway Elyte vs Paradym AI Smoke
Looks: The Callaway Elyte Driver design incorporates an all-new Thermoforged Carbon Crown made from aerospace-grade carbon fiber, designed to enhance head speed while optimizing launch and spin. It also showcases a new, faster head shape aimed at improving aerodynamics. Callaway moved away from the dark colors in the AI Smoke and back to a green design on the bottom of the driver’s head reminiscent of the Epic driver lineup.
Sweet Spot Design: While the Paradym AI Smoke used the previous generation AI Smart Face, the Elytre Drivers incorporate a new AI 10x face, providing ten times more optimization zones for better control points and improved forgiveness across the face.
Adjustability: The Callaway Elyte Driver features a 13-gram adjustable rear weight with neutral, draw, and fade settings for simpler shot customization, whereas the AI Smoke features a sliding perimeter weighting system for more advanced shop shape adjustments.
What I Like About the Callaway Paradym AI Smoke Better
When it comes to the AI Smoke Driver, there are a few things I like better about it than the Callaway Elyte Drivers. First, the Paradym AI Smoke’s darker finish and visible carbon fiber details give it a bold aesthetic that I find more appealing. While the Elyte has a clean design, the Paradym just looks more high-tech and performance-focused.
Second, I found that the sliding perimeter weight in the Paradym AI Smoke offered more advanced shot-shaping options. I like having the flexibility to dial in a fade or draw bias precisely, which feels more customizable than the fixed rear and heel weight ports on the Callaway Elyte. This feature is a big win for someone who tweaks their setup often.
Lastly, with the release of the Callaway Elyte Driver, the price of the AI Smoke is sure to drop which is great for budget-conscious golfers. The AI Smoke was one of the best drivers on Tour last season and is a great golf club for any golfer looking to up their game off the tee.
What I Like About the Callaway Elyte Better
One thing I found with the Elyte driver is that the new AI 10x Face provided more forgiveness than the AI Smart Face in the Paradym AI Smoke. Even on slight mishits, the ball still traveled well with consistent speed and direction. It felt like the sweet spot expanded, which adds a lot of confidence on the tee box. This, along with the lightweight design and lighter overall head weight, will be great for golfers who don’t necessarily have the highest swing speed.
I also really enjoyed the Callaway Elyte Triple Diamond driver in practice. The new shape of the head was noticeable in a good way, and allowed me to shape golf balls easily. If you are a lower handicap golfer looking for workability and not necessarily maximum distance, the Triple Diamond will be the best choice out of all the models.
Is the Callaway Elyte Driver Worth the Upgrade?
Whether the Callaway Elyte Driver is worth the upgrade over the previous AI Smoke depends on what you’re looking for in a driver. If you prioritize forgiveness, easy launch, and lighter weight for extra swing speed, the Elyte could be a worthwhile upgrade. The Elyte driver is a great choice for seniors or golfers with a slower swing speed who still want maximum forgiveness and distance.
However, if you’re more focused on shot-shaping ability, lower spin, and a tour-inspired feel, the Paradym AI Smoke might still be the better choice. It offers more advanced adjustability with its sliding weight, and the added weight of the club offers better feedback on all of your hits.
The new release of the Elyte range will also make the Paradym cheaper, making it a better choice for budget-conscious golfers.
Browse the entire lineup on the Callaway website and buy yours here.
Here’s the product listing page for Callaway Elyte on PGA Tour Superstore’s website.
If you just want the base right-handed, 10.5 degree loft driver, use the button below to buy it off of Amazon.
Last update on 2025-02-21 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
