What is Moment of Inertia (MOI) and How Does It Affect Your Golf?

The latest buzz word in golf equipment2) MOI of the club head
manufacturing is "Moment of Inertia" or MOI forThe club head itself has a MOI related to the
short. But what exactly is it and how does iteffort required to twist it about its centre of
affect your golf?gravity at impact with the ball. The higher the MOI
What is MOI?the less the club head will twist. The less it twists,
Very simply, MOI can be described as a measurethe higher the chances of a straight shot.
the resistance an object has to turning about itsNot Just for Drivers!
axis.In marketing terms you will only really ever hear
What does MOI mean when applied to a golf club?about the MOI of a club head, and even then it is
There are several factors relating to golf clubsmostly referring to drivers. However all clubs have
and MOI.a MOI. For instance perimeter weighting in a
1) MOI of the whole clubputter increases its MOI, allowing it to resist
Each club will have an overall MOI i.e. atwisting when you strike the ball, leading to more
measurement of the effort required to swing theconsistent putts.
club. This is akin to the Swing Weight scale whichWhy is MOI important to your game?
was developed as an easy way to get all clubs inA higher MOI will not give you more distance with
a set to feel the same when you swing them. Ayour driver, but will reduce the chance of the club
club with a high Swing Weight feels heavier tohead twisting, and therefore increase the
swing. Similarly, a club with a high MOI takes moreprobability of straight hits. The more you can hit
effort to swing.straight shots, the better scores you will produce.