What is MOI in relation to a driver? I stumbled on a limitation for drivers that said that they can’t be more than 5900 g cm (32.259 oz in). Supposedly the closer you get to 5900 the more forgiving it is, why? Is it really relevant to the average golfer? Does Maltby list these numbers for their driver/clubs?
MOI is the buzz these days with the 10K hype, but what they don’t tell you is that is the combined MOI in multiple positions. In the simplest explanation I can give, the USGA limits MOI in the playing position to the 5900 number. MOI is the resistance to twisting and when drivers became 460 cc in size, the improvement in this aspect was great. Definitely the major factor in the overall forgiveness of drivers we enjoy today vs the smaller heads from years past. Can players tell a difference in 5000 and 5900? I would say probably not. 4000 and 5900? Maybe, depending on how much off center they hit it.
Of course we design and measure MOI on our designs and try to maximize for the design concept we develop. We have listed it on some and others we have not, for no particular reason. I will get the numbers on the web sight. The TC Pro, our newest, is 4455 g-cm2. The Max driver is around 4700. The Tour TC 4400, the STw 4300, the M890 4800. All very high MOI’s and thus very forgiving on off center hits. How much more forgiving if we reached 5500-5900, I can’t tell you for sure. I do know that when drivers were under 300 cc and weighed 200 grams, 1/2 inch mishit would cost you up to 7% of your distance. Now that they are 460 cc, and still mostly 200 grams, a 1/2″ mishit will in much less than the 7% loss. I can’t put an exact % on it, but the higher MOI of todays 460 cc drivers will result in less lost distance and less shot dispersion. My guess, with todays drivers, the 1/2″ mishit might cost you 2 to 3%. Personally, I would not concern myself over small differences in MOI with todays modern drivers. If they are 440-460 cc, they will have a high MOI and you should see the performance benefits of less loss of distance on off center hits and tighter shot dispersion on off center hits.
Britt Lindsey