Disk drive having a low inertia and narrow angle coil

A disk drive includes a voice coil motor (VCM) having a narrow coil angle and a magnet magnetized with two or three pole pairs. The VCM magnet may define first, second and third sections, the second section being magnetically polarized in an axial direction that is opposite to that of the first and third sections. The first radial leg of the VCM coil faces the second section and the second radial leg faces the third section when the head is positioned at a non-operational position. The first radial leg faces the first section and the second radial leg faces the second section when the head is reading and/or writing to the data portion of the disk. Alternatively, the VCM magnet defines first and second sections that are magnetized in opposite axial directions. The first and second radial legs of the VCM coil respectively face the first and the second sections when the head is positioned over the data portion of the disk and only the first radial leg faces the second section when the head is at a non-operational position.