Question about hybrid offset

[duotone]

I play an adams 23* hybrid which has pretty much 0 offset. I built my wife an adams clone from diamond tour golf, which has a face offset much like a fairway wood, with the top line at 0, and the bottom of the face in front of the shaft.

My course has 2 holes which are ideal for a 17 - 19* hybrid, and I can get that same clone in 19*, but that offset or lack there of is concerning me. It's winter here so I can't go and hit it...

Can someone please explain to me the whole offset thing as it relates to this hybrid design?

Thank you,

Tony

[duotone]

As a follow up to my question....

I play a blade with 0 offset and thin top line, however I am considering going back to my set of X20's which are a compact cavity back with blade profile and 0 offset.

My hybrids will be going on the same shafts as my irons for consistency sake as they will replace my 2 and 3 irons.

[GaijinGolfer]

Offset helps you to hit the ball higher and gives you more time to close the face.  IMO, most people would benefit from offset, unless you hit the ball too high and your miss is a pull or hook.

[MS256]

I'm surprised that you have X20s with 0 offset. I thought even the X20 Tour had a millimeter or two.

I agree with Gaijin Golfer that offset is most golfer's friend.

[duotone]

Thanks... but let me re-phrase this a bit.

My X20's are pretty much 0.... you are right...

QUESTION: I have an Adams hybrid with the top line that is even with the shaft, and the bottom of the face is AHEAD of the shaft. I also have an Adams with the top line just behind the shaft, and the bottom of the face is flush with the shaft. - Why is there a difference in the face design, and what is the effect?

Is one hybrid designed like an iron and the other like a fairway wood?

Tony

[MS256]

Thanks... but let me re-phrase this a bit.

My X20's are pretty much 0.... you are right...

QUESTION: I have an Adams hybrid with the top line that is even with the shaft, and the bottom of the face is AHEAD of the shaft. I also have an Adams with the top line just behind the shaft, and the bottom of the face is flush with the shaft. - Why is there a difference in the face design, and what is the effect?

Is one hybrid designed like an iron and the other like a fairway wood?

Tony

I'm no expert on the offset on hybrids or fairway woods. I have two cheap hybrids that I bought a while back just to see if I liked them and both fall just about in between the description of yours. Shaft just ahead of the top edge and just behind the bottom edge.

I figure you just have one club with a lot of offset and another one without any. But that's just a guess.

[WUTiger]

Thanks... but let me re-phrase this a bit.

My X20's are pretty much 0.... you are right...

I'm not surprised you're unsure of the offset - Callaway usually omits offset from specs sheet. I had to e-mail Calla for the full engineer specs to find out. Here's a comparison of offset from irons circa 2009:

Offset (inches)	3i	PW
X20	0.270	0.200
X20 Tour	0.145	0.075
Miz MP57	0.161	0.114
Miz MX200	0.211	0.142

Here's a more detailed discussion of offset from club designer Ralph Maltby's site: http://www.ralphmaltby.com/forum/topic/33?page=1#number2

One thing offset does is promote better hand position for middle-HDCP golfers, which helps them launch the ball higher.

As for hybrids, I tested quite a few. The standard hybrids tend to have a fair amount of offset - and, although I have just average clubhead speed, I tended to hook them. The Tour or Pro heads have much less offset, and I hit them much straighter. The only problem: it's hard to find the Pro or Tour models with R-flex shafts.

As for hybrid design: Like wood or iron...

Hybrids have been around long enough to get complicated. The "traditional" hybrids (yes, we're there already!) were designed to fall between long irons and fairway woods in shaft length and loft. More recently, the club makers have come up with "iron replacement" hybrids. Case in point are the Mizuno JPX FLI-HI hybrids, which have the same shaft length and head loft as the numbered irons they are designed to replace. The 4H and the JPX family 4-irons both have 38.25" shafts and 22* loft.*

*Note: JPX-825 Pro 4i actually has 23* loft.

[iacas]

Offset helps you to hit the ball higher and gives you more time to close the face.  IMO, most people would benefit from offset, unless you hit the ball too high and your miss is a pull or hook.

Offset gives you almost no extra time to close the face. I've done the math on this elsewhere. It's negligible. Old wive's tale, basically, that it gives you more "time."

Offset makes the face look open to many people, so they simply set up with it more closed.

[duotone]

Ok, let me try again... See how the bottom of the face is in front of the shaft? My other hybrid is flush with the shaft. Is there a function that this design has?