Club Clothing

The Benefits of Golf Practice With a Raised Tee and Shortened Club

One of the most vital rules of playing good golf is to concentrate on hitting the ball forwards rather than hitting it into the air. Getting the ball off the ground is the job of the club, not the golfer.

Practising golf with a shortened club and raised tee is something that US godfather of golf Dr Gary Wiren has himself used.

The principles of the concept offer many benefits. Firstly, it teaches the golfer to stand squarely to a target line and enables the club to be less tampered with in the back swing so the golfer can make a more one piece action, taking the club through a smoother turn with a balanced pivot.

A major benefit of the raised tee and shortened club golf practice concept is that it tricks people into hitting the ball forwards rather than attempting to get the ball in the air, which as we have mentioned is the job of the club.

A raised tee means the ball is 12-14 inches off the ground and so already in the air. This means the golfer subconsciously turns to striking the ball forwards rather than attempting to lift the ball into the air by hanging back and flicking it with the wrists or slicing it.

The raised ball and the short club encourage the golfer to practice turning through the ball correctly, driving it forwards and allowing the loft of the club to lift the ball into the air.

All in all, if as a golfer you want to improve your game, then you must learn to hit the ball forwards rather than trying to get it into the air. If you practice with the ball raised off the ground and a shortened club then you will notice a distinct difference on the course because you will have learnt to let the club do the lifting while you do the driving forwards. Look for an indoor golf training aid with a shortened club and raised tee and practice throughout the winter, and come spring, you will be amazed by the difference in your game!

About the Author

For 30 years PGA Pro Paul Thornley has been teaching people to play golf. His students have ranged from five-year-old children to an 86-year old wartime doctor; from executives to priests; from actors to barristers. Paul has even risen to the challenge of coaching visually impaired golfers. With an inert ability to instil clarity at the heart of his teaching methods, Paul always manages to drill down to the core basics to help golfers establish swing consistency and add power and accuracy to their shot. For more information on Paul visit http://www.targetline.co.uk.

what shoes to wear when clubbing?

Is it ok to wear flats with a short clubbing dress or would that look weird? Any other alternatives to heels that aren’t so hard to walk in and uncomfy?

If you have long legs with a short skirt, you’ll be fine. My rule is the longer the skirt, the bigger the heels should be – but I have short legs.

Find yourself some really comfy heels, they do exist. I bought a pair of closed heels for $20 and I’ve since bought 3 more pairs exactly the same over the past 5 years I love them so much – they were from Payless Shoes

I also bought a pair of $90 open toed strappy heels from Valpied Shoes and they have a higher heel, but once again, they’re so comfy.

But, I bought a pair of boots with a high heel and although they were so comfortable when I tried them on, I can’t walk around in them for more then 30 minutes before they begin to ache.

So bottom line, if it looks hot, go with the flats. If not, shope around for heels. Try them on in the afternoon when your body temp is at it’s highest and your feet at their biggest. Walk around in the heels for as long as the sales lady/man will allow you. Couch down in them and jump up. Crunch your toes and wiggle them around. Notice any ‘hot’ spots that could cause blisters.