In order to solve the problems of low power transfer efficiency (PTE) and limited distance in magnetic coupling resonant wireless power transfer (MCR-WPT) technology. In this paper, based on the magnetic field control ability of metamaterials (MMs), the way to improve the performance of MCR-WPT systems is studied. First, the influence of MMs on the coupling of MCR-WPT system is theoretically analyzed by establishing an equivalent circuit model. Through a series of simulations and experiments, the relationships between the PTE and the array and placement of the MM slab are investigated. The results demonstrate that when one MM slab is placed in the middle, near the Tx coil or the Rx coil, the optimal PTE can be obtained by inserting one slab with
$6 \times 6$,
$1 \times 1$, and
$6 \times 6$ arrays, respectively. Moreover, the systems with multilayer MM slabs are also studied. The measured PTEs on one, two, and three layers of MM slabs can increase by 20.6%, 29.3%, and 22.6%, respectively. The efficiency improvement capability of one MM slab is better than three slabs but worse than two slabs. This paper discusses the application of MMs in MCR-WPT systems, which has a certain reference significance.