Callaway has embarked on a mini-driver revival to suit golfers who struggle with the 3-wood

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Callaway is entering a mini driver revival with the addition of the Paradym Ai Smoke to the lineup.

The Paradym Ai Smoke Ti 340 mini driver from Callaway was introduced at a time when advanced players and even beginners are looking for something to bridge the perceived gap between drivers and fairway woods.

A version of the Paradym Ai Smoke Ti 340 Mini Driver was seen in action at the RBC Heritage in April and now Callaway have revealed their intention to bring the club to market.

The Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Ti 340 Mini Driver features the same Ai Smart Face technology as the rest of the Ai Smoke family of drivers while launch and spin can be customized with their adjustable dual iron system.

The club is designed like another tee club and will be available in 11.5 and 13.5-degree lofts.

The full drivers favored by Tour pros are loaded with distance-enhancing technology and sometimes come at the expense of control. Callaway suggests that this club is aimed at golfers who want to gain additional benefits by having that consistency and seeing that play through their shots without the reduced spread.

“This is not really your definition of a “bomb”; this doesn't account for the added extra distance compared to your driver,” said Paul Winterhalter, Product Manager at Callaway.

“But this is another club where they give you that consistent range. It's that little bit of a player that maybe a little bit higher, that you want to control.”

Callaway Advanced R&D manager Nick Yontz added that they expect players who currently use a 3-wood as their swing are the most likely to use a smaller driver.

Yontz added that the mini driver is 43.75 inches long, two inches shorter than the traditional driver.

Callaway foundi described it as “easy to swing and easy to hit straight, thanks to that short shaft that you can skip and control a little.”

Yontz also suggested that the Paradym Ai Smoke Ti 340 is well-suited for players who strive to hit their 3-woods with great accuracy, especially off the tee.

“What we've seen in the Tour aspect is that Tour players don't often hit their 3-woods on the green like approach shots,” Yontz said.

“The 3-wood is almost a club for a few players, so I think we're going to see tour players lean on this on certain golf courses and in certain programs as a club that they can use to hit more fairways.”