Drivers went from being solid and made out of persimmon or laminated maple to metal in the early 1980's. Even though the size of the heads is approximately the same, the metal woods increased their MOI over their wooden predecessor by about 25%. This is because the metal heads were not solid, but a hollow shell with a very lightweight density foam injected to dampen sound. All the weight that would have been in the center of the head was distributed to the perimeter, thus the term "perimeter weighting". Since the advent of the petite size metal drivers of the early 1980’s, the MOI has increased nearly three-fold in modern drivers.

In an attempt to cap technology to not diminish the skills of the golfer, the USGA and R&A of St. Andrews put a limit on the moment of inertia of a golf club at 5900g-cm² or 32.259 oz-in². To obtain this type of measurement, precision instruments are available to accurately measure the MOI of a clubhead, usually taking 6 or 9 measurements about different coordinates.