The Jazz CFO driver, like all its stable mates, is distinctive looking. In keeping with the CFO (Chief Financial Officer) theme, the color of the uniquely contoured head is a sparkling, almost iridescent gold. Matched to the burgundy and gold Grafalloy ProLite shaft, it makes an aesthetic statement that loudly declares itself. At first, most of our testers found this driver a bit too bright and loud for their tastes, but it should be remembered that the entire concept of “jazz” is a difficult one for many of our Vermonters to comprehend. After a period of social acclimation, all did eventually come to enjoy the bright, festive good looks.
The CFO is a very dynamic driver. The sculpted terraces on the back of the forged titanium head aid in relocating some mass down to impact level. This combines with the variable face densities to give the CFO some very noticeable punch at impact. The ball leaves this deep face hot. It flies with a trajectory that is comparatively lower and flatter than most 9-degree heads. Each tester has seen better than average distance with the CFO. With its substantial amounts of roll, all have found it capable of delivering the big hits. Those testers who prefer draws have had easy success in working the ball right to left. Low, penetrating draws that run well have been commonplace. Those who prefer to hit tee balls that climb higher with maximum carry, and those who prefer safe, predictable fades, have related to the CFO less strongly.
Feel with the Jazz CFO was judged by all to be very fine. At impact, it has a rich, deep titanium feel that is both sweet and vibrant. Much of this sweetness has to do with the famed silkiness of the ProLite shaft. It absorbs vibrations well and adds a mellow sensation without noticeably muting the vibrancy of the head. The sound of the CFO at impact is also pleasant – a nice cracking sound that echoes the feel at impact.
The Grafalloy ProLite Elite shaft is an ideal match for this head in terms of both performance and appearance. It is one of several shaft options available on the CFO. With less torque than the normal ProLite, (3.0 compared to 3.5 or 4.5 degrees) the Elite has performance parameters that better suit low-handicap players. Though our Stiff flex demo tested out as an average Stiff, the Elite’s soft tip, made it feel more like a Firm than a Stiff. Control was quite good, but those with very high swing speed might want to go with the BiMatrx or EI-70 shaft options. As nice as the ProLite Elite is, it is still a very sweet shaft that is geared more towards smooth swinging than it is towards power hitting.
Our testers grew to be quite fond of the CFO. It is a wood that makes people want to swing it. The bright, good looks and lively feel always made it enjoyable to use. Distances were consistently good. Accuracy varied from tester to tester, however. A couple of hitters had an unending problem with keeping their drives in play. This was due mostly to the unusual nature of the Jazz logo on top of the crown. Some hitters see it pointing one way; others see it pointing another. It is apparently there mostly as a decorative sweet spot marker, not as an alignment aid. Two found this marker to be quite confusing and were repeatedly thrown for a loop by it. One fader of the ball hit some of his longest drives of the season with the CFO. He loved it, but just could not keep it in the center of the fairway. Those who could ignore it completely had the most consistent results.
Summary
The Jazz CFO is an appealingly distinctive driver that is enjoyable to use. It provides good forgiveness with first-rate distances. This is a friendly driver that still allows for aggressive play. The unusual looks and alignment qualities mean that the CFO will appeal to some players much more so than to others. Those who do not like to draw attention to themselves will become uneasy with a CFO in hand. They did not choose the name, Jazz, for nothing.
