Embodiments in accordance with the present invention ensure that the pitch of a servo write track is accurately controlled. According to one embodiment of the present invention, a Self Servo Write (SSW) uses different methods and sequences to identify read-write offsets (RWOs) and calculate target positions in inner and outer diameter sides of a magnetic disk. In the inner diameter-side area, the SSW controller uses the readout of a radial pattern written on a recording surface and a reference value to identify the RWO. The SSW controller uses the RWO value identified in the inner diameter-side area to anticipate an RWO value in the outer diameter-side area. In the outer diameter-side area, the SSW controller uses the anticipated RWO value to determine the target position of each servo write track.