JUSTIN ROSE'S FREEDOM OF CHOICE

What is offset in a club, and is it an element I need to consider?

- Dan Parker

Stewart Pearson, via email

Offset is a term used to describe how far back the leading edge sits in relation to the shaft at address. Think of it this way: if you were to draw a straight line down the target side of the shaft, in an offset club, the hitting surface (the clubface) would be slightly behind that line.

Squaring the face is the primary benefit of having offset clubs. Because the face is set back, it arrives at the ball a split second later in the swing. This extra fraction of a second gives you more time to rotate your hands and square up the face at impact.

Offset can also help golfers get the ball up in the air more easily than clubs with little offset. By moving the club's CG further back from the shaft, it promotes a higher trajectory.