What is MOI in Golf?

When checking out different golf clubs, you may notice that there’s something called MOI. Standing for Moment of Inertia, it actually plays a key role in golf clubs, but there’s a problem.

The problem is that while most people have heard about MOI, fewer people are aware of what it actually is, or how it influences the clubs.

So that is what we are going to examine here, and get to the bottom of MOI and why you should perhaps pay more attention to it than you may have initially expected.

The Moment of Inertia

MOI in golf is something that can actually be measured. In this instance, it’s measured in grams per centimeter squared, and this is a measurement that lets you know how much resistance a club has to twisting through the shot.

Now this is important because the amount of twisting a club can do is going to be directly related to how the club then performs in the shot. That is something we are going to explain here, and by the end you will have a better understanding of why having a club with a high MOI may be the best decision you make when setting up your bag.

How it Affects the Club

In general, the higher the MOI, then the greater the resistance the club has to twisting. As a result, it then means the club is going to be far more forgiving thanks to the way in which it simply does not twist and turn like clubs with lower MOI.

You see, most players are going to want a club that has a higher MOI due to the way in which it is forgiving to the shot. But there’s a bit more to it than this simple explanation.

How a Club Works During a Swing

During the swing of a club, there are several things that can happen that may very well influence the way in which the club works.

In a typical setting, if you hit a golf ball off the toe of the club, then the face of the club is twisted open. Alternatively, if you hit a golf ball off the heel of the club, then it means the face has been twisted closed at that point.

This has a direct impact on what then happens with the ball, and this includes the direction it flies off in. You can easily lose some control of your shot as a direct result, and that’s not always a good thing.

But what happens when a club has a high MOI is that this twisting effect doesn’t really happen. In fact, that means a club with a high MOI has the ability to effectively eliminate the mishit that would then occur as a direct result of the twisting motion.

That is where the level fo forgiveness comes into its own. That is where the club is working with you to reduce the potential impact of a mishit and the very real prospect of your shot ending up significantly off the line you wanted.

But How Do They Do This?

A manufacturer has a number of ways in which they can increase the MOI of a club, and in this instance we will look at the driver and what is going to more than likely be happening in that situation.

With a driver, the manufacturer will play around with the weight distribution and the CoG to get a higher MOI. Typically, you are looking at the CoG being pushed not only backwards into the club, but also more downwards as well.

By getting the weight pushed back from the face of the club, it means the twisting motion is less likely to happen as a direct result of that action. But the key is the way in which it reduces the twisting at the moment of impact. 

By straightening up the club when you make contact, the mishit idea no longer applies as the club is really doing its bit to help you out in that situation.

It really is a basic concept in the overall design of a driver, but it’s an approach that is highly effective, and that is the key thing here.

So Who Needs This?

So who actually needs a club with a high MOI? The answer is pretty much everyone. Even pros will go for a club with a high MOI as anybody can produce a mishit at some point, and who wants to then deal with the consequences of a poorly hit shot?

But it becomes even more important when you have a high handicap and you have less consistency with your shots. You want a club that is forgiving and will be there to help you out with those wayward shots, and that is where this MOI concept really does come into its own.

However, you do need to pay attention to what the manufacturer says about the MOI before you purchase. Some will stress that the club has a high MOI while others will clearly be lower which means it’s less forgiving, but may give you more control over your shots.

In that instance, understanding where you are at with your game will prove to be important, so having that level of understanding is key.

Overall Conclusion

The MOI of a golf club refers to the amount of resistance the club has to twisting at the point where you are addressing the golf ball. You want a club that has a high MOI to make sure that it is as forgiving as possible.

MOI appears in every single club, to a certain extent. However, it is perhaps more important in a driver where a low MOI will result in a club that is less forgiving, and the potential for a bad mishit will skyrocket as a result.

If you struggle with making a clean connection off the tee, then make the sensible choice of getting a driver with a high MOI. That will make such a huge difference to your driving ability, and you will see vast improvements in your game overall.