Offset in Golf Club Heads

[riquet]

Hello,

Could anyone offer an explanation of what an offset does to a club head?
Somehow I do not like the feel of standing at an OFFSET iron, as compared
to a NON offset. But I know the offset in a club has a reason.

Thank you very much,

Regards,

Riquet

[SpacklersEdge]

From what I know, it is intended to get the head "behind" the shaft. This give you a split second long to square it up before it hits the ball. If someone who has been playing clubs with 0 offset were to pick up some Game Improvement irons with a lot of offset, they would probably hit large draws or pulls.

It is mostly intended for beginners who tend to slice/push, and should allow them more time to square the clubhead before impact.

[Cornbread]

any more thoughts?

[WUTiger]

Most clubs have some offset; it's just that SGI and GI models have more than Players models. Higher amounts of shaft torque and clubhead offset try to achieve the same thing - helping player square clubface.

The 2010 Titleist clubs show differences across models:
AP1... 3 iron = 20* loft, .245" offset | 9 iron = 41* loft, .110" offset
MB.... 3 iron = 21* loft, .125" offset | 9 iron = 43* loft, .075" offset

In wedges, MacGregor has a model which actually has onset:
The Pro MT DW wedges from a couple of years ago.

The more clubhead speed you generate, the less torque and offset you need. So, shaft flex figures in also.

[enis750]

pretty good responses so far
main thing - help to square club fac at impact, hense making the ball fly straighter

personally - i hate offset

i bought a set of MP-57's, now although the club it self was good, the combo os a shaft that was too weak and the offset in the heads, they were HOOK MACHINES
i have been through a few sets of irons to find the right combo - i now have it
my current irons have very little offset and a shaft that fits my swing

keep in mind the shaft is very much as important as the head itself

[sean_miller]

any more thoughts?

Did you have any?

Here's mine: Offset promotes sucking and buying more bandaid solution game improvement clubs.

[Fourputt]

Did you have any?

But tell us how you really feel about it.

I agree though... I hate noticeable offsets. All I see when I address the ball is that huge hosel sticking out to help promote a hose rocket shot. Give me a nice clean design which encourages me to make a good swing if I want a good shot.

[NativeTxn]

Offset has nothing to do with extra time to square the club face at impact. Not sure where that originated from, but it is incorrect. I've seen plenty of other posts where people have emailed the club manufacturers and someone in customer service simply copied the standard reply, which included a statement that it gives you more time to square the face. But think about - trying to make the argument that a few millimeters of offset are going to give you "extra time" to square the face when you're swinging the club at 75+ MPH simply does not add up.

Furthermore, when you set up to a shot, you've already "used up" any offset anyways because you have set the club square to the target line and directly behind the ball. The face travels from address back to address position - at least that is the goal. Therefore, offset does nothing to allow you to have extra time to square the club face.

It has nothing at all to do with extra time to square the face or helping correct a slice. If that were the case, the draw irons would have massive offset. Instead, they have additional weight towards the heel of the club face (i.e. closer to the shaft) which helps the face close faster to promote a draw (which would naturally help reduce a slice).

The reason for higher offset is that it moves the COG further back, which in turn helps make it easier to get the ball in the air. Getting the ball in the air is often one of the biggest problems for beginner and high handicappers. So it makes perfect sense that SGI and GI clubs have more offset than clubs geared toward better players since the vast majority of beginners and high cappers will be using SGI and GI clubs.

[enis750]

Offset has nothing to do with extra time to square the club face at impact. Not sure where that originated from, but it is incorrect. I've seen plenty of other posts where people have emailed the club manufacturers and someone in customer service simply copied the standard reply, which included a statement that it gives you more time to square the face. But think about - trying to make the argument that a few

sorry Mr. 25 handicapper

but your answer is only 1/2 right you are correct in saying that it helps get the ball in the air BUT....it does help square the clubface up at impact as well too......TRY GOOGLE...it works great

[iacas]

BUT....it does help square the clubface up at impact as well too......TRY GOOGLE...it works great

Eh, not really, and no need for the 'tude.

Offset is far more about what a player wants to look at than it is about performance. The CG moves a bit further back and the player will often set up with a clubface slightly closed (the toe and the leading edge of the hosel will often line up for a player), but that's about it. There's no "extra time" really to square the clubface. Common myth that - yeah - is perpetuated on Google. Doesn't make it right.

[JWL1957]

When heavy offsets came out............. it was intended more towards getting the hands ahead of the ball. The following years of advertisment claimed that it helped to square the clubface as well.

[NativeTxn]

sorry Mr. 25 handicapper

1) Ah yes, the old "if it's on the internet, it must be true."

2) Just because I have a high handicap (because I started playing less than a year ago), doesn't mean I don't have common sense or an understand of physics. 3) It'd be like arguing that a baseball player moving an inch back in the batter's box gives them "extra time" to hit a pitch. When things are moving that fast (e.g. a golf club head moving at 75+ MPH), that small amount of distance (i.e. offset of a couple millimeters ) simply is not going to make an appreciable difference at all. While you're certainly welcome to disagree with me, I'm going to continue to believe that the argument that offset helps reduce slice or gives you extra time to sqaure the face is inaccurate, at best.

[enis750]

1)

then i guess i should believe what you are saying then right??? cause its on the internet u know.........

[NativeTxn]

then i guess i should believe what you are saying then right??? cause its on the internet u know.........

I don't care what you believe or who you believe (including me) - but I'm also not the only one that thinks the claim that offset gives you extra time to square the club face is a BS. All I'm saying is use some common sense and don't just accept something as true because you found it on the internet (Google included).

And I think if you actually thought about the idea that a few millimeters of offset is going to make a difference on squaring the face when swinging a golf club 75+ MPH that you'd come to the conclusion that it doesn't add up. But maybe not. . . Like I said before, you (and anyone else for that matter) are more than welcome to disagree with me.

[Weezy]

sorry Mr. 25 handicapper

Thats a myth. Google just gets you more answers from more people who buy into that myth. Offset can promote a hook but it's because the tendency is to set up with the face shut not because it gives you a split second to shut the face. Thats ridiculous as the ball does not stay on the face long enough for this to happen and no one's timing is a millisecond off. It does promote a higher ball flight and helps keep your hands head of the ball some too.

[Gordon McTavish]

I decided to "google" this subject and located the following four sources that all parrot the same information.

"An offset clubface gives the golfer a little more time to square the clubhead thus reducing slices."

"Therefore if your drives have a tendency to slice then it is better for you to hit the ball at a later time in your swing to allow for a squarer hit in your follow through."

"Because an offset golf club's neck is in front, it is easier for the golfer to adjust her swing. In the last few moments before the head connects with the ball, a golfer can rotate her hands, preventing a slice or hook." Wow, this author must see the Golf swing in Bullet-Time to make this kind of adjustment at 75+ MPH!

"Thus the second benefit of offset is to help reduce the amount the golfer may slice or fade the ball."

It's interesting that none of the above articles actually seem to understand why a Golf ball curves right / left during its flight. My default shot flies straight at the target, and then takes a bend to the right as it reaches the peak of its trajectory... this is the same whether I'm hitting a Ping Rapture (huge off-set) or a Titleist ZB (minimal off-set).

Maybe this ball flight has something to do with my divots point left rather than at the target...

[Weezy]

It's interesting that none of the above articles actually seem to understand why a Golf ball curves right / left during its flight. My default shot flies straight at the target, and then takes a bend to the right as it reaches the peak of its trajectory... this is the same whether I'm hitting a Ping Rapture (huge off-set) or a Titleist ZB (minimal off-set).

Well actually the face angle is the major factor in where the ball starts so if your ball starts at the target but moves to the right (cut) then your most likely swinging a little out to in with a club face that is pointing at the target. You cant swing to the left of the target and have the ball start at the target and move right at least according to the new ball flight rules. Its impossible to hit a fade with a club face that is square to the target and an in to out swing as you are suggesting.

[jamo]

Well actually the face angle is the major factor in where the ball starts so if your ball starts at the target but moves to the right (cut) then your most likely swinging a little out to in with a club face that is pointing at the target. You cant swing to the left of the target and have the ball start at the target and move right at least according to the new ball flight rules. Its impossible to hit a fade with a club face that is square to the target and an in to out swing as you are suggesting.

No, Gordon is right. He said his divots point left, which is out-to-in for a right, producing a fade.