Practice Resources
Download the latest practice worksheet to give some structure and fun to your golf practice time.
This is a great place to start to get your junior golfer on the right track and looking forward to playing and practicing.
“Our 10 Best Golf Tips For Kids” - by Golf Digest
List of games to make practicing more fun, especially with kids. My kids and I play the “Par 18” just about every time we go to the golf course to practice. There is usually ice cream on the line for the winner.
“The 15 Best Golf Practice Games”- by Golf Digest
- Putting / Chipping Drills -
3 Foot Circle Drill
Setup 10 balls around the hole around 3' from the hole (or a putter length for each ball). If you miss then you start over at the beginning. Try and make as many in a row as you can. Set a goal like 50 balls in a row before you stop.
3', 5', 7' Compass Drill
Same as 3' circle drill except you have to make all 3', then all 5' and then all 7'. You can also change it up and pick your own routine of which ball to putt next. Only 4 rows of balls for this drill similar to a compass (N, S, E, W). Keep track of how far you get or set a goal in mind and don't stop until you meet that goal.
40', 50', 60' Lags
Create a box around the sides and behind the hole to try and have the ball end up in. Alignment sticks work well for this. The ball has to make it past the hole and less than 18" behind the hole to get a point.
Ladder Drill
Place three balls in a row along the same line. Any length will do, but maybe start with 10’, 15’ and 20’. Putt starting from the ball closest to the hole and moving outward. This is a great drill to find rhythm before heading out on the course, or when you’re finishing up your practice for the day.
Meter Stick
Get a meter stick and place it six feet away from the hole (or any target) on the line where the ball should start off the putter face. Set the ball on the end and hit your putt. If the ball stays on the meter stick the whole way, it means your putter face was square at impact and you put a good roll on the ball. This is also a great putting drill that you can do at home.
Pull Back Putting Drill
1. Start with one ball 10 feet away from the hole. Roll your best putt.
2. Wherever the ball ends up (if you make it move to number 4), pull it one putter length further away from the hole and putt again.
3. Repeating this process until you make the putt. Keeping your score as you go (1 putt = birdie, 2 putts = par, 3 putts = bogey) and so on.
4. Next move back to 20 feet and repeat the process.
5. Do this drill from 10, 20, and 30 feet three times in a row. Playing a 9-hole round, trying to improve your rounds week to week.
18 Holes
Pick nine spots around a green and try to get up and down. Play out each shot into the hole before moving onto next hole. Chip/Pitch and then putt it in.
Gate Crasher
“This game will improve your accuracy. Find a dead-straight putt of eight to 10 feet. Place two ball markers about halfway between your ball and the hole. Set them just wide enough apart that a ball could roll between them.
Your goal for this game is simple: Hit putts that not only roll between the markers but also go in the hole. If you’re playing against another player, give yourself a half point for getting a putt through the markers and a full point for sinking it. The player with the most points after hitting a predetermined number of putts is the winner.
I like to play this one at the start of my putting warm-up to dial in my accuracy before I go on the course. To be good at this game, you have to steady your body and make solid strokes. It’s perfect pre-round practice.” - Jordan Spieth
Slam Dunk Chip
The concept is simple: try to slam dunk your chip shot.
Pick a distance between 10-30 yards and try to slam dunk as many shots as you can (if any) straight into the cup without touching the green.
It’s a lot of fun and will train you hit your chips and pitches exact distances.
100 Straight Putts
Find a flat spot on the practice green and stick a tee 2-3’ away from the cup. Line up that short straight putt and knock it in. Then do it 99 more times. During this drill make sure you’re focusing on form and alignment. Not only is this a great drill to work on technique, but seeing the 100 putts drop in a row will give you the confidence to make more putts during your round.
Do this drill with a putting alignment mirror to guarantee you never miss a short one again.
Drop 10 Balls
Ten different stations around a green. Chips, pitches, sand, etc. If you land within the designated circle on the first shot then you move on to the next station. If you miss your first shot then you have to get five in a row within that circle. Do this for each station. It could take you an hour or it could take you 4 hours. The size of the circle depends on the difficulty of the shot.
Alignment Stick Carry
Set an alignment stick at a distance on the ground before the hole. The ball needs to land past the alignment stick and get close to the hole. Can also use a Hula Hoop.
Tigers Gate
3-4 feet away from the hole place two tees just wider than the head of your putter, creating a gate for your putter to swing through.
Alternate hitting 12 putts with your right hand only (right handed golfers), then 6 putts with both hands. Set a number of putts that you need to make in a row before ending the drill.
For Tiger it was 50 or 100 depending on the day. The key for this drill is to make sure that your putter head is going straight back and straight through to the hole. Seeing the short putts drop over-and-over will build your confidence and not let you give away any strokes on the course.
Leap Frog
“This game is great for speed. Place a ball marker on the green five feet away on a gentle upslope or downslope. Putt to the marker, trying to stop the ball no more than six inches past it. But that’s only half of the challenge. The tough part is that you have to predict right after you strike the ball whether you’ve hit a successful putt. Regardless of the outcome, roll another putt with the goal of reaching the first ball but not going more than six inches past it. Again, try to predict the outcome as soon as you hit the putt. Keep going until you get out to 10 feet. You can keep score, too. Your objective is to avoid getting points. You add a point every time you’re unsuccessful with the putt and the prediction, or even the prediction. (Remember, you’re trying to develop feel here, so the prediction is the key.) If a putt is unsuccessful but you predict the failed attempt, you get a half point. Hit a good putt and predict it, and you add no points. If you’re playing against someone, the player with the fewest points when you reach 10 feet wins. If you’re playing alone, try to beat your lowest score.
You can tailor this game to putts of any length. If you struggle with speed on long putts, play from 20, 30 or 40 feet. Keep in mind that the longer the putt, the bigger the roll-out zone should be. For example, on a 30-footer, you’ve hit a good putt if it rolls as far as 18 inches past the mark. Don’t forget to make a prediction while it’s on its way!” - Jordan Spieth
10x10 Chipping
Find yardage markers (you can use alignment sticks and get them for around $1 a piece) and mark off 10-yard distances from 10-100 yards.
Practice carrying your shots EXACT distances.
Find out what swing produces each distance between 10 – 100 yard carries in 10-yard intervals.
For instance, I figured out that with my 58 degree wedge, the ball in the back of my stance, and 70% of my weight on my front foot: A 25% swing produced a 15 yard chip, a 50% swing produced a 30 yard chip, etc.