What Is a Good Golf Practice Routine?

Hitting a big bucket of golf balls feels productive, but does it actually make you a better golfer? A good practice routine isn’t about how many balls you hit, but the purpose behind each swing. This guide gets right to the point, showing you how to structure your range time to build a repeatable swing, sharpen your on-course skills, and finally see the scores you want.

Beyond Beating Balls: The Difference Between Practice and Purposeful Practice

Most golfers head to the range, pull out their driver, and swing away for 30 minutes before hitting a few irons and calling it a day. While it’s certainly great to be swinging a club, this kind of random, unstructured hitting rarely leads to lasting improvement. The feeling is common: you groove a beautiful draw on the range mat, but the moment you step onto the first tee with a little pressure, your old slice comes roaring back.

Why does this happen? Because mindless practice doesn't prepare you for the realities of golf. The course asks you to hit a different club and a different type of shot on every swing, often from a new lie. You have one chance to get it right. Your practice should prepare you for that.

Purposeful practice means every swing has a specific goal. It's about quality over quantity. Instead of just "hitting balls," you’re actively working on your technique, learning to transfer skills to the course, and honing your scoring shots. It involves two different types of practice that work together to solidify your game.

The Two Pillars of Powerful Practice: Block &, Random

An effective routine balances two distinct methods of training: block practice and random practice. Most golfers only do the first, which is why their game often falls apart under pressure. Understanding and using both is a game-changer.

What is Block Practice? (Working on Technique)

Block practice is what most golfers think of as practice. It's hitting the same shot with the same club to the same target over and over again. You grab your 7-iron and hit 20 balls in a row, focusing on a single swing thought.

• Purpose: To learn or change a specific motor pattern - a piece of your swing technique.
• When to use it: When you're trying to ingrain a new feeling or mechanical change, like working on a better setup, improving your takeaway, or feeling the proper body rotation through the ball.
• Example: Let's say your coach told you to feel more torso rotation in the backswing instead of swaying. You would grab a 7-iron and hit ball after ball with that one single thought: "rotate, don't sway." The repetition helps your brain and body learn the new movement.

Block practice is fantastic for building the *physical motion*, but it’s not golf. On its own, it creates a "range swing" that can feel robotic and is difficult to recall on the course.

What is Random Practice? (Learning to Play Golf)

Random practice, also called variable practice, is designed to simulate the decision-making and variability of a real round. You’re constantly changing clubs, targets, and shot types. You never hit the same shot twice in a row.

• Purpose: To teach your brain how to access and adapt your swing under realistic conditions. It builds your ability to perform, not just practice.
• When to use it: After you've spent some time on a technical change in block practice. This is how you test if the change is ready for the golf course.
• Example: You stand on the range and play your home course in your head. Hit a driver for the first tee shot. Did you picture it in the fairway? Great. Pretend you have 150 yards in. Pull out your 7-iron and hit to a specific target. Next hole, it's a par 3 over water. You need a 9-iron. Hit that shot. The goal is to go through your pre-shot routine and commit to every shot just as you would on the course.

This is harder, and your success rate will be lower than in block practice. That's the point! It forces you to adapt and strengthens the mental pathways you need to score well when it counts.

Building Your 60-Minute Game Improvement Session

So, how do you combine these concepts into a practice plan that works? Don't just show up and wing it. Have a plan. Here is a simple, effective structure for a one-hour session.

Phase 1: Your Warm-Up (5&ndash,10 Minutes)

Your first few swings shouldn't be full-power rips. The goal here isn't technique, it's getting your body awake and finding a rhythm for the day.

• Start with light stretching to loosen up your back, hips, and shoulders.
• Grab your most lofted club, like a sand wedge or pitching wedge.
• Make small, easy half-swings, focusing only on clean contact. Don't worry about where the ball goes.
• Gradually lengthen your swings until you are making a full, but still smooth, swing. You’re simply grooving your tempo before adding any technical thoughts.

Phase 2: Technical Work (15&ndash,20 Minutes) - Block Practice

This is where you zero in on one, and only one, specific part of your swing. Trying to think about five things at once is a recipe for disaster. What's the one thing that will give you the most benefit?

Let's say you're working on posture, a fundamental of a powerful, repeating swing. Your goal is to lean over athletically from your hips, letting your arms hang naturally, an odd but powerful position.

• Choose one mid-iron, like a 7-iron or 8-iron, and use it for this entire phase.
• For every shot, go through a checkpoint: "Hips back, arms hanging relaxed."
• Use an alignment stick for your target line so you can see if your change is helping your ball flight. Don't obsess over results, just focus on performing the movement correctly.

Phase 3: Skill Building (20 Minutes) - Random Practice

Now it’s time to take your swing to the "course." Put away the technical thoughts and focus on playing the game.

• Play imaginary holes: Pick the 1st hole at your regular course. What’s the shot? Driver? Hit it. Now, where did it go? Based on that, what's your next club? An 8-iron? A wedge? Pick your club and your target on the range and hit the shot. Continue this for 3-4 holes.
• Try a performance game: A simple game is to create a "fairway" on the range between two markers. Try to hit 5 out of 10 drives within that fairway. Then, pick a green on the range and see how many out of 10 iron shots you can hit onto it. Making it a game with consequences introduces a little bit of pressure.

Phase 4: Scoring Zone (15 minutes)

More than half your strokes come from within 100 yards. Neglecting your short game is the fastest way to stay stuck at your current handicap. Dedicate the last part of your session to chipping and putting.

• For Chipping: Don’t just hit to a flag. Pick a specific landing spot on the green and try to fly your chips onto it. See how close you can get the ball to finish by controlling carry distance and rollout.
• For Putting: Forget mindlessly stroking putts. Work on both speed and line.
  • Lag Putting: Drop three balls at 30 feet. Your goal is not to make them, but to get all three to stop inside a 3-foot circle around the hole. This trains your distance control.
  • Short Putting: Place 4-6 balls in a circle 3 feet from the hole and try to make all of them in a row. This builds confidence on the must-make putts.

Final Thoughts

Having a structured, purposeful practice plan like this one is the single biggest step you can take toward meaningful game improvement. It trains your body to make better motions and your mind to perform under pressure, addressing the two halves of what it takes to play good golf.

Of course, knowing what to work on during your block practice is a huge piece of the puzzle. That's why Caddie AI was designed to be your personal coach. If you're struggling with a recurring fault or aren't sure why your shots are going offline, you can just ask our app and get instant, clear advice tailored to your problem. It's like having a golf pro in your pocket, guiding you on what to practice so every minute on the range is spent getting better.