Never has a club innovation had the golf industry buzzing (or “holding its breath” as Puetz General Manager Michael Livingston put it) like the high MOI (Moment of Inertia) driver. Not cavity back irons, square grooves, broomstick putters or hybrids. It’s been, oh, about 100 years since the basic shape of the driver has changed. Sure, now they’re the size of a lunchbox and the materials come from a NASA lab, but the overall look and proportions of a driver head have been relatively the same from Francis Ouimet to Tiger Woods. Plenty of off-brand clubmakers have tinkered with the basic blueprint (with mixed results) but never the industry’s big boys. But with USGA caps on CCs and shaft length, experimenting with MOI was the next frontier … at least for the medium to high handicapper. Nearly every innovation in driver technology up to now has been sold around one thing: maximizing distance … with hardly a mention of accuracy. The high MOI line melds the two outcomes. By minimizing the twist of the clubface at impact, high MOI drivers result in more control without sacrificing distance. More MOI is achieved by pulling weight away from the face and to the corners, hence the square shape. But square isn’t the only option, as evidenced by Cleveland’s scooped-out Hi-Bore and more triangular models like the Titleist 907 and Cobra HS9. Whether lots of players will get past the unconventional characteristics remains to be seen — the fact is that you’ll hit the ball straighter with these drivers, which really means you’re hitting it further. But don’t expect to see many PGA players using them just yet, no matter how practical they might be (Phil never pulled his FT-i out of his bag at Augusta.) A square driver might just be a bit too experimental for most of them and these drivers may hit the ball TOO straight, preventing the pros from working the ball like they’re accustomed to.