Pros And Cons Of Offset Golf Clubs – Who Should Use Them

What ball flight do you desire the most? Are you looking for a straighter ball flight to diminish the risk of a slice? Or do you prefer to work your shots in both directions for maximum control?

The degree of offset of your clubface promotes varying shot shapes, to help make the lives of us average golfers easier. In this article, we are assessing the pros and cons of offset golf clubs to determine who should use them.

 

Intro To Offset Golf Clubs

For the first ten years that I played golf, I used blade irons and a driver with a 270 cc wooden head. To put it politely, I knew nothing about offset golf clubs.

Naturally, I hit a fade, which made me prone to a slice. My coach suggested I switch to offset clubs to promote a straighter ball flight, which was a game-changer for me at the time.

However, as my handicap dropped, I was looking for more workability. There were times when I needed to hit a fade, and times a draw was in order. I needed more versatility from my clubs, which prompted me to switch back to blade irons, and a less offset driver head.

 

What Exactly Is Offset In Golf Clubs?

Golf Monthly’s Sam Tremlett explains that “offset golf clubs have a leading edge that sits back from the shaft.”

In other words, if you hold the club in front of you, you will notice that the hosel is bent and the clubhead is positioned behind the shaft and not in line.

Added to Tremlett’s explanation, Arias Golf defines offset as the distance between the leading edge of the clubface and the front point of the hosel at address.

 

How Does It Perfect Performance?

Offset helps manufacturers to set your clubhead in a draw bias position. That promotes a squarer face at impact, leading to straighter ball flight.

It is beneficial to the average golfer who suffers from a slice. The draw bias reduces the side spin leading from left to right for right-handers and right to left for lefties.

 

Advantages Of Offset Golf Clubs

Square Face

The offset position of a clubhead helps golfers to square the face up at impact.

If you operate with an inside-out swing, you may find that your clubface opens up at impact leading to a severe slice.

Straighter Ball Flight

Although superior golfers prefer to work their shots from all directions, we average golfers just want to keep the ball straight and in play.

The enhanced level of offset in a club helps you to keep the clubhead square at impact. Promoting a straighter ball flight.

Reduced Risk Of Slice

The core advantage of offset clubs is their ability to reduce your risk of slicing a shot.

As we covered above, the square face at impact limits the chance of this happening, keeping you straight and in play.

Higher Launch

According to Sam Tremlett, offset clubs also enable manufacturers to place the center of gravity (CG) low and back to promote a higher launch. It helps you achieve a longer carry and total distance.

Low and back CG is specifically prevalent in longer irons, which have traditionally been more challenging for the average golfer to achieve a high powerful launch.

 

Disadvantages Of Offset Golf Clubs

Limited Workability

Offset clubs are an enemy for superior golfers looking for the ability to draw and fade a shot, depending on their position.

The draw bias setup of offset clubs makes it difficult for players to generate sufficient side spin to shape their shot in the desired direction.

 

Increases Risk Of A Hook

While offset clubs are designed to reduce slices, they increase your risk of a hook.

Right-handed players will find that offset clubs promote more right to left sidespin off the face. That can cause a hook if your swing rhythm is off.

 

Who Should Be Using Offset Golf Clubs?

All higher handicap players should be using offset golf clubs to help you improve your accuracy and reduce the possibility of slicing your shots.

However, mid and low handicap players that tend to swing from in to out.

And who are prone to slicing shots, may appreciate the corrective measures provided by offset golf clubs.

 

Do Any Pros Use Offset Clubs?

For the most part, pros will use clubs with minimal or no offset that helps them shape their shot in their desired direction.

However, it is becoming more common to see Pros carry offset long irons with low and back CG.

These irons are easier to launch, and according to Golf.com’s Jonathan Wall, the higher launch promotes drop and stop shots, to hold any green.

 

Offset Driver Vs Regular – What Are The Key Differences?

As we have discussed, offset clubs tend to feature low and back CG that help you achieve a consistently high launch. Furthermore, the offset promotes players with an in to out swing to square the face up at impact for a straighter ball flight.

A regular driver contains minimal or no offset. It allows you to generate sufficient side spin to initiate a draw or fade. The downside of a regular driver is that if your rhythm is off, it can lead to a nasty slice or hook.

 

Offset Irons Vs Regular – What Are The Key Differences?

Similar to an offset driver, the irons also set the scene for a consistently high launch and straighter ball flight.

Conversely, regular irons enable you to shape your shots and promote a lower launch for more control.

 

Offset Putter Vs Regular – How Does Offset Affect Putting?

Top 100 golf teacher Kevin Sprecher is quoted as saying that offset impacts your aim more than anything else when it comes to putting.

Regular putters help you aim directly at your target. Whereas offset putters cause you to aim to the left of your target, requiring you to adjust your setup to compensate for this.

 

Best Offset Irons –  #1 – Callaway Big Bertha B21

Callaway’s Big Bertha B21 driver is built to deliver optimal distance and forgiveness to the average golfer.

The A.I designed flash face prompts accelerated ball speeds. And it combines with a unique low and forward CG to provide a high powerful launch. Finally, the draw bias profile of the driver combats slices to keep you straight and in play off the tee.

Pros

  • Delivers additional distance
  • Rapid ball speed
  • Lower spin
  • Promotes straighter ball flight
  • Forgiving
  • Reduces the risk of slices

Cons

  • Limited workability
  • High launch leads to ballooned shots and a loss of distance for faster swinging golfers
  • Draw bias can cause you to hook shots
  • No interchangeable weights

Overall Score: 96/100

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#2 – Cobra Speedzone Irons

The Speedzone irons are Cobra’s first carbon fiber top-line irons, with ultra-low CG to deliver optimal ball speed and a high, powerful launch.

A forged PWRSHELL face insert increases the sweet spot by 35% for maximum forgiveness on off-center strikes.

Finally, the lightweight medallion combines Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU), acrylic foam, and aluminum to eradicate unwanted vibrations on off-center strikes.

Pros

  • Produces optimal ball speed
  • Maximum forgiveness
  • Creates more MOI than most irons
  • Soft feel
  • Crisp acoustics
  • Arccos embedded grip sensor

Cons

  • The strong lofted longer irons may be challenging for slower swinging players to get their ball consistently airborne
  • Chunky profile

Overall Score: 95/100

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Best Offset Putter – Ping Anser

The Ping Anser putter offers a superb feel at impact, and a consistent roll, owing to its shallow, uniform grooves and dual durometer insert.

The dual durometer-insert features a front layer of Pebax for accuracy on short putts. And, a firm back layer improves your distance control on longer strokes.

Furthermore, the multi-material construction of the putter optimizes the MOI and the CG of the putter to offer maximum forgiveness and an attractive appearance.

Finally, the putter’s soft ballast surface combines with the centerline, ensuring the clubhead is always aiming at the target.

Pros

  • Attractive clean design
  • Convenient alignment
  • Promotes a square face at impact
  • Soft feel
  • Consistent roll
  • Increased forgiveness

Cons

  • The length is not adjustable
  • The feel of the putter may not be as soft when using harder cover golf balls

Overall Score: 95/100

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Overall Conclusion

To summarize our review on the pros and cons of offset golf clubs. We now understand the significant benefits these clubs have in helping to keep us, average golfers, straight and in play.

Furthermore, offset golf clubs are excellent at delivering a consistently high launch and reducing sliced shots. However, the draw bias profile of these clubs reduces shot workability and can cause you to hook your shots.

Those of you who are in the market for new offset clubs can refer back to our list above to find the right driver, irons, and putter for you.