A 2024 Golf Digest Hot List Gold Winner, Callaway’s AI Smoke Max fairway wood has shifted the paradigm (no pun intended there) in the company’s AI journey.
Boasting an AI Smart Face and a lighter, stronger carbon chassis, this fairway wood offers performance that golfers could only have dreamt of mere years ago.
But the other half of the club is the shaft – so if you truly want to extract exemplary performance from this club, what Callaway driver shafts should you pair with it?
Let’s take a closer look at that quandary.
What the AI Smoke Max Fairway Wood Offers
With the Callaway AI Smoke Max fairway wood, a good deal of the proposition made by the club has to do with the AI Smart Face.
This so-called “Smart Face” has been developed utilizing real data points from thousands of player swings, leveraging them to create multiple sweet spots across the face of the club.
The club also sports enhanced weight distribution, with weights strategically positioned throughout the club head to support optimal launch, spin and energy-transfer characteristics.
One aspect of this advanced weight distribution is that the AI Smoke Max has a tungsten weight cartridge in the head that’s been used to lower the center of gravity and shift it forward.
This results in better energy transfer and optimal launch conditions that result in greater ball carry distance with less shot dispersion.
Suitable Callaway Driver Shafts
To determine which Callaway driver shafts would make the best pairing with an AI Smoke Max, we’ve decided to go right to the source: Callaway itself.
Here are some of the top recommendations.
- Mitsubishi TENSEI AV Blue series: The Mitsubishi TENSEI AV Blue is made with a medium-stiffness tip and midsection paired with a stiffer butt section, which together generate mid-launch and spin characteristics. This golf shaft uses the same structure as MCA’s popular AV RAW Blue, but has added XLink Tech Resin which is thinner and stronger than conventional resin media. As a result, the TENSEI AV Blue is lighter, thinner, and stronger than its predecessor, while still offering superior feedback. Aluminum vapor deposition also increases stability. When paired with the AI Smoke Max fairway wood, you get consistent launch and spin that don’t complicate the work being done by the driver head.
- Project X Cypher 2.0: The Project X Cypher 2.0 is another recommended Callaway driver shaft for the AI Smoke Max. This is an ultra-lightweight shaft that is actually 5% lighter than its predecessor. Anyone can benefit from this shaft, but it’s geared towards those that have slightly more deliberate swing tempos (regardless of speed). It also, interestingly, produces high launch and spin characteristics, complimenting the consistency and stability of the AI Smoke Max. It’s a shaft that lets you shoot high to generate more carry distance, leaning on the forgiveness and consistency of the driver head to produce results without complicating shot dispersion.
On the Importance of Getting Fitted Before Buying Callaway Golf Shafts
While the Callaway driver shafts mentioned here are two of those specifically recommended for this fairway wood by the company, they are only a couple of shafts that would make a good pairing with it.
The truth is only a golf club fitter can make a really well-informed recommendation as to what shafts any given player should pair with a specific club. And for that reason alone, you should work with a fitter. Don’t throw good money after bad on a club and shaft pairing that doesn’t make sense. Work with a fitter first and you’ll be much better served (and satisfied with) your new AI Smoke Max.
