Practicing golf without a plan is like wandering in the woods without a compass - you might be moving, but you’re not getting any closer to your destination. To stop wasting time at the range and start seeing actual improvement on the course, you need to practice smarter, not just harder. This guide will give you a clear, structured approach to practice that focuses on building an effective swing, simulating on-course pressure, and sharpening the short game skills that truly lower your scores.
Walk onto any driving range and you’ll see it: golfer after golfer pulling a driver, aiming at nothing in particular, and hitting ball after ball as fast as they can reload. This is what we call “block practice” or, more simply, beating balls. It feels productive, but it rarely translates to better golf. Why? Because golf isn’t played in a rhythm on a flat lie, hitting the same club over and over.
Effective practice is purposeful. Every shot has a target, a goal, and a thought process behind it. It’s about building skills under a bit of pressure, not just grooving a temporary feeling. This is the fundamental shift you need to make. Instead of judging a practice session by the number of balls you hit, judge it by how well you accomplished a specific goal.
The first part of any good practice session, after a proper warm-up, should be dedicated to technical work. This is where you focus on one specific element of your swing. Not five things, just one. Overloading yourself with swing thoughts is a recipe for frustration. For most golfers, the best place to start is with the two elements that influence everything else: your grip and your setup.
Your hands are your only connection to the club, making your grip the steering wheel of your golf shots. An improper grip forces you to make complex compensations in your swing just to get the clubface square at impact. Let’s build a neutral, effective grip from the ground up.
For right-handed golfers (lefties, just reverse this):
It’s important to know this will probably feel strange at first, especially if you’re changing from an old habit. Stick with it. A neutral grip is a foundational piece for consistency.
A good setup pre-programs a good golf swing. It puts you in a balanced, athletic position from which your body can rotate powerfully and consistently. Like the grip, it can feel weird, but golfers who look like they know what they’re doing a have a good, structured setup.
Once you are in your setup, take a deep breath and let the tension go. You want to feel athletic and ready to move, not stiff and locked in place.
Now that you know what to work on, let’s build a routine for the driving range. Divide your session into three distinct phases.
The goal here is not to hit perfect shots, it’s to get your body moving and prepped for the work ahead. Forget the target for a moment.
Now it's time to focus on that "one thing" you're trying to improve--for example, your grip or setup. This is slow, deliberate practice. Hit a ball, then step back and evaluate. Did you do what you wanted to do? Use a practice aid like an alignment stick or even just film your swing with your phone to get feedback. Don't rush. The goal is quality of movement, not quantity of shots.
This is where you bridge the gap between the range and the course. The goal now is to put your swing under a little pressure and simulate real golf.
At least half of your practice time should be dedicated to shots from inside 100 yards. This is where you save pars and avoid double bogeys. Don't just chip and putt aimlessly. Use drills with a clear objective.
Understand the basic difference: chipping is a lower,running shot accomplished with minimal wrist action (like a putting stroke motion but with a lofted club). Pithing is a higher, softer-landing shot that involves more wrist hinge and body rotation, essentially a miniature full swing.
Drill: The Landing Spot Game.Pick a hole on the practice green. Place a small towel about halfway between you and the hole. The goal is to land every chip on the towel, ignoring where the ball ends up for a moment. This forces you to focus on the trajectory and carry distance, the two most important factors in distance control around the greens.
Good putting is a combination of starting the ball on your intended line and controlling your speed. Here are two simple drills to work on both.
Find a straight 4-foot putt. Place two tees on the ground just wider than your putter head, forming a "gate" about a foot in front of your ball on your start line. The goal is simply to putt the ball through the gate. This gives you instant feedback on whether you're starting your putts on line. Make 10 in a row before moving on.
Drop three balls at about 10 feet from a hole. Putt the first ball trying to get it to the hole. With the second, your only goal is to hit it just past the first ball. For the third, try in hit it just past the second. This takes the “make” out of the equation and locks in your feel for distance, which is foundational for eliminating three-putts.
Real improvement in golf comes from practicing with intention, not just putting in hours. By focusing on a structured plan that addresses technical skills, simulates on-course play, and hones your short game, you will build a game that holds up under pressure and finally start seeing those scores drop.
Thinking through what to work on during your practice and strategy on the course is one of the biggest challenges for amateur golfers and the exact reason we built Caddie AI. Our app acts as your personal coach and a world-class caddie right in your pocket. You can ask it to help you create a specific practice plan based on your recent performance, or get a strategy for how to play a tough hole. If you’re ever stuck in a tricky lie, you can even snap a photo of your situation and the AI will analyze it to recommend the smartest shot, turning a potential disaster into a manageable recovery in seconds.
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