We’ve all heard the term when reading reviews of irons, wedges, putters and even woods – but what is offset in golf and what do you, the golfer, need to know about it?
What is offset in golf?
At its simplest, the word ‘offset’ within golf refers to how far behind the shaft the leading edge of the club is.
Originally built into putters, offset was designed to help the golfer to place their hands in front of the ball at impact by pre-setting this at address. To this day, leading manufacturers will still refer to things like a ‘one-shaft’ offset within their putter line-ups, meaning the face of the putter is one-shaft-width behind the shaft itself.
However, much like everything else in the sport, the concept of offset has been developed since its first introduction, helping to make the game easier for golfers throughout the bag, with this element of club design now mostly referred to when discussing both irons and wedges.
The offset is created in the club at the hosel – the point on the head where it meets the shaft – meaning each club will leave the factory with a pre-determined amount of offset already built in, unaffected by your choice of shaft. The amount of offset a club has will also affect the way the club presents itself at address, although your preferred head shape, including the amount of offset, will be an entirely personal decision!
There isn’t a standardised amount of offset within modern day irons, although a general rule of thumb is that the more offset a golf club has, the easier it will be to create an optimised strike for most golfers, and the more assistance it will give you in preventing a slice! Modern day irons are designed to be hit with a firm ‘thump’, with the loft and grooves of the club face imparting spin onto the ball to produce the ideal launch.
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