Callaway Paradym vs TaylorMade Stealth 2 Fairway Wood: Read our Head-to-Head Verdict

Callaway Paradym vs Taylor Made Stealth 2 Fairway Wood: Read our Head-to-Head Verdict

The fairway wood is often considered the hardest club to hit in the bag, especially when struck off the deck, but as each passing year brings advancements in technology the goal of flushing a fairway wood into a par 5 becomes more attainable for the average golfer.

In this feature we take a look at two of the very best fairway woods on offer from two of the biggest brands and attempt to break down which one is best for your game. 

The new Callaway Paradym line up includes three adjustable fairway metals designed to target golfers of all abilities with the standard Paradym suiting the broadest spectrum of players and topping our list of the best Callaway Fairway Woods. 

The Callaway Paradym TD (triple diamond) is a lower spinning model aimed at the better player with a faster swing speed while the Paradym X is the most forgiving model with a slight draw bias. 

The TaylorMade Stealth 2 fairway, meanwhile, was one of the most anticipated launches of 2023 following on from the success and buzz caused by the original Stealth franchise last year. Three fairway wood options are available in the Stealth 2 range. There is the HD (for those seeking more forgiveness and draw bias) and the Plus (which is adjustable, more compact and designed for the better player), but our focus is on the Stealth 2 - which is suitable for the majority of golfers.

So which one should you buy? Let's find out.

Looks

One of the first things you’ll notice about the Paradym fairway is the beautiful carbon sole panel, which is due to a new construction model from Callaway where weight from the head has been repositioned to increase MOI for greater stability and forgiveness as well as faster ball speeds. 

It catches the eye in the Callaway Paradym driver but also in the fairway woods too - and even more so when sparkling off the sunlight giving it extreme shelf appeal. Additionally, the Paradym gave me a lot of confidence at address, due to a matte black topline marked with Callaway's traditional V alignment aid, which made setting up to my target extremely easy. 

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With a new refined look, featuring a clean carbon gloss crown, the TaylorMade Stealth 2 certainly boasts shelf appeal and a premium look, making it one of the best TaylorMade fairway woods to date. The iconic black and red colorway carries over from the previous generation and is featured in the shaft and head cover also.

The new gloss carbon crown contrasted well against the jet black topline, which was then supported by a white stripe on the top of the face. This three-step alignment aid really made setting up square to target much easier than I found with the original Stealth fairway wood. 

The club sat fairly shallow, which for me inspires confidence and makes me feel as though I can really launch the ball, even when hitting off the fairway. This seems to be a trend in fairway woods for 2023 as both the Callaway Paradym and Ping G430 Max both hug the turf in exactly the same way.

The aesthetics run parallel with all of the best fairway woods released this year and the option of lofts from 15° all the way to 24° mean this versatile fairway wood will not only suit low handicappers, but make it one of the best fairways for mid-handicappers.

Feel

Where I thought the Callaway Paradym fairway really excelled was the feeling off the face. It was about as soft as I’ve felt from a fairway wood, meaning there were no ‘dead’ feeling shots even when not striking it quite as intended. I felt it still delivered a serious amount of power which for me is the perfect combination for a fairway and will undoubtedly be one of the best fairway woods released this year.

The TaylorMade Stealth 2 also produced exceptional feel and a muted yet powerful ‘thud’ through impact. I was particularly impressed with how good the Stealth 2 felt on off-center strikes. Low struck shots didn't feel less powerful and the ball flight replicated what I was feeling, almost mimicking a well struck shot.

Performance

Compared to its competitors, the Stealth 2 fairway appeared to come off the face quicker than most. The ball flight was an extremely high trajectory, producing a peak height of 113ft when struck off the deck. Its impressive performance on poorly struck shots off the bottom or toe definitely saw the Stealth 2 as one of the most forgiving fairway wood options of 2023.

The versatility of this club is actually something that surprised me more than anything. I knew the Stealth 2 fairway would come loaded with an abundance of power, but would it perform from various lies and could it conjure up varying ball flights? Well I'll to cut straight to it, yes! 

Despite being a bonded head in a world of adjustable hosels, the Stealth 2 fairway was super impressive and really brought out my creative side on the golf course. I normally find bonded heads sit slightly closed, but this was certainly not the case with the Stealth 2. In fact it sat almost perfectly square which really encouraged workability off the tee and into greens. 

The V Steel sole design continued to offer tremendous turf interaction, while gliding through damp first cuts of rough like it’s wasn't even there. Because of the revised center of gravity, this head launched extremely high and so hitting out of more buried lies was less of an issue than what I have found in the past from TaylorMade fairway woods. There is even the option of a HL model which comes set at 16° for those seeking even more assistance in launching the ball.

I tested the Callaway Paradym fairway indoors using a Foresight GCQuad as well as on course at North Hants Golf club, set at 15° using a Project X HZRDUS Black 70g X-Stiff shaft and Titleist Pro V1x golf balls. 

The new tech incorporated seemed to provide noticeable gains over Callaway's previous model the Rogue St Max when looking at the data. The Paradym had an average launch angle of 11.7°, nearly a degree higher than the Rogue ST Max, while average ball speed also saw the Paradym faster by 2mph with an average of 161mph. 

Moreover, the Paradym did produce more spin, 200rpm on average to be precise, which resulted in only a two yard carry margin on the Rogue ST Max. However, this spin and carry was beneficial when hitting into a par five off the fairway or out the first cut of rough as the ball popped up a little higher, resulting in a steeper descent angle and therefore making it easier to hold the green.

The Paradym fairway wood joins the Paradym driver in being included in our Editor's Choice awards for 2023.

Value

Both of these are at the high end of the market in the US at $349.99 but in the UK the Stealth comes in a little cheaper. You can expect to pay around £279 compared to £329 for the Callaway Paradym.

Which one should you buy?

Choose the Callaway Paradym if…
- You want adjustability
- You want a mid-spin option
- You like a bit of reassurance with your alignment

Choose the TaylorMade Stealth iron if…
- You want a club with a high launch
- You want something with good workability
- You want extra distance