Is 10K MOI Really a Cheat Code for Golfers?

The number 10 in golf can carry different meanings depending on the scenario. If you’re a 10 handicap, that means you’re solidly “good.” If it’s the score you shot on a hole? You might need a lesson. But if it’s part of the branding on a new driver, it’s short for 10K MOI, and that means it’s almost like a cheat code.

10K in this scenario has nothing to do with karats of gold, but it might be even more valuable to golfers in their pursuit of lower scores. Standing for 10,000 g-cm², it once only meant something to product designers and club fitters, but all of a sudden the public has become armchair experts on the matter. Let’s see if we can dive a bit deeper.

Pretty much any conforming club will produce a good shot when the ball is struck out of the center, or “sweet spot.” The issue is that the average golfer just doesn’t find the sweet spot that often. So when the player makes contact on the end (toe) or inside (heel) of the club, or mishits it high or low on the face, the way the ball reacts is referred to as forgiveness.

But forgiveness is more than a theory, it can actually be measured. That’s where the number 10K comes into play. The higher the number, the more forgiving the club. And the more forgiving the club, the better shot it produces on off-center hits. This year, for the first time, multiple club manufacturers have produced a driver that exceeds 10K MOI (moment of inertia).

The thing is, the most forgiving driver isn’t necessarily the right choice for everyone. Each player is different, so what’s best for a professional and what’s best for a beginner are not one and the same. While a professional has no problem finding the middle of the club face and creating speed, most amateurs need a club that corrects misses and generates height and spin for them. That’s why today’s drivers are primarily separated into three categories: low spin (for low handicappers), standard (a one-size-fits-most) and max (for high handicappers).

The latter is where 10K MOI comes into play. TaylorMade named its entire Qi10 line of drivers using the moniker, but only the game improvement Max model is rated at 10K. PING’s new G430 MAX 10K driver, meanwhile, is a new addition intended to complement its current offerings. The remaining driver lines out there, the Cobra DARKSPEED and the PXG Black Ops, have a model that comes close to 10K, but doesn’t quite reach the number.

And to help differentiate all the new drivers on the market this year, we asked product designers and marketing teams alike across all the major OEMs how 10K can help the average golfer, and how it influenced (or didn’t influence) their 2024 products.

Representative at PING

Ping

“The ‘10K’ in the name refers to its record-setting combined MOI that exceeds 10,000 g-cm². It’s a great addition to our G430 driver line, giving golfers another custom-fitting option loaded with innovations.

It fits a wide range of golfers, from players who rely heavily on forgiveness for more distance and accuracy off the tee all the way to tour pros, who are seeing lower spin and increased ball speed as the result of swinging more aggressively, knowing the forgiveness will help them find more fairways. Whether it’s the new MAX 10K, the MAX, the LST or SFT, we’re confident there’s a PING G430 driver for every golfer.”

Brad Schweigert, Chief Product Officer at PXG

Pxg

“There is nothing magical that happens at 10K, but the number represents a very high value of combined MOI that is achieved by only a small number of products in the market. Since average golfers tend to have a much larger impact pattern, they can definitely benefit from a high MOI Driver, that is why maximizing the MOI was one of the top priorities in the design of our new Black Ops Driver.

With our adjustable weighting technology the Black Ops Driver can be built to exceed a combined MOI of 10K, but more importantly, the adjustable weights can also help tune the driver to make it easier for the players to square the clubface with their natural swing.”

Jose Miraflor, Vice President Marketing & Product Architecture at Cobra

Cobra

“10K to the golfer means the sum of the number associated with the inertia or resistance to twisting or acceleration of either heel to toe or crown to sole. If you can add them up to 10K, that means that your driver is super stable. Is that good for you? Of course it is.

For our Max driver, the MOI total is 9,200. It’s pretty close to 10K, but it’s not quite 10K. We sacrifice that 800 MOI because we have adjustability, we have a draw setting. As someone learns to close the face more, maybe they want forgiveness. They can take that same driver, move the weight to the back and have a very forgiving setting. The question is: is it forgiving enough for that golfer, or do they need more? We think there’s plenty of forgiveness in our current Max driver.”

Representative at TaylorMade

Taylormade

“When a golfer makes off-center contact, the club twists and sends the ball offline, either increasing or reducing spin from the baseline. The extent to which a club resists that twisting is measured with our g-cm² unit.

The 10K forgiveness of Qi10 Max can benefit players of all skill levels, from the everyday golfer to major champions like Nelly Korda and Collin Morikawa, who have both gamed the club in competition.

As a very smart person once said: Women lie, men lie, numbers don’t lie. 10K is no lie. The math maths to a never-before-seen combination of forgiveness and distance.”