Method and apparatus for generating the optimum read timing for read and write offset of a magneto resistive head

A method for writing and reading data in a hard disk drive and compensating for an offset between a write element (22) and a read element (24) of a head. The method determines an offset time (t1) by determining the difference between a desired sync byte position and an actual sync byte position (SB) located between a preamble (106) and a data sector (110) of the disk. The difference corresponds to the offset between the read and write elements. The offset time is subtracted from the normal time for enabling the read gate of a disk drive pre-amplifier.