What shape adjustment may benefit a player who has a tendency to hook the ball?

For a player who tends to hook the ball, an offset head design can be beneficial because it helps to counteract the closed face of the club at impact, which is often a contributing factor to hooking the ball. The offset design promotes a more delayed closing of the clubface, allowing for a straighter ball flight by giving the player more time to square the face at impact. This can help in achieving better control over the direction of the shot, reducing the chance of the ball hooking to the left (for a right-handed golfer).

In contrast, options such as a wider stance or a flatter swing plane may not directly address the cause of the hook. A wider stance can provide stability but does not inherently change the clubface position or swing path that leads to a hook. Similarly, altering the swing to be flatter could either exacerbate the issue or lead to inconsistencies if other fundamentals are not also adjusted. Increased height in the backswing could potentially create more issues with the timing and clubface control, which also might not be beneficial for someone struggling with hooking the ball.