The Ultimate Practice Routine

[jonj101]

This is not my routine - this was on another forum I was on. I searched for it on THP but I couldn't find it. I believe it was created by an instructor out in Georgia, but Im not sure. I started working on this last year and really made strides in the putting and chipping. Im thinking of starting over and making sure I punch through the entire thing. Ive included the back story from the original post and its a pretty long post, but I wanted to get thoughts on it here in the context of it:

The Ultimate Practice Routine
I've had a lot of people ask me about this & I've seen quite a few threads regarding practice & lowering their handicap, so I thought I'd post this in hopes that it will help someone.

Here's the story behind it, and the disclaimer. About 8 years ago, I had a student come to me who was a 36 hdcp - best round 110, ave round 120. His goal was to shoot par that year. I've seen the threads on here about doing this, and it is possible but it is not probable. I explained to him that it would take time, money, instruction, and a lot of work with no guarantee that it could/would be done. He was 28, not athletic at all, but had time, money, & desire. We spent 3 months working on his swing (very over-the-top, lot's of moving parts) just to develop a consistent, somewhat solid fade. Since his goal was to score, I developed a program that is scoring based - I have tweaked it some over the years, but basically it's about the same. After I created this, I gave it to 4 tour caliber players (1 PGA Tour, 2 Nationwide, 1 NCAA All-American) and asked them to run through the program and tell me how long it took them to complete & if they would change anything. It took them between 1 1/2-2 hours to complete and they felt it was great for someone looking to lower their handicap. I gave it to my student and he came back a few days later saying he'd spent over 6 hours on the program - and hadn't completed the 2nd stage (lag putting)! I knew then, it would work. We continued to work on his game, and he practiced the routine constantly. Over the next few months he became one of the best putters & wedge players at our club, and he shot 72 in October of that year. When he shot par, he didn't carry a driver or 3 wood and played a low, fade (almost a slice). He was recognized as the most improved player in the country that year - ending the year as a 6.2 handicap. Let me tell you, for a couple months, no one could touch him in a net game - it was fun to watch, and he credits this routine for allowing him to reach his goal. He worked his a** off, and he needed more than just this routine (technique, mental game, strategy, etc), but this is easily a guideline for players instead of just beating balls. This program is currently used by at least 8 NCAA golf teams as well.

The disclaimer: 1) I don't promise you'll shoot par doing this. 2) This is a good starting point. It's designed for mid-high hdcp players. I don't have tour players do this, and if you're already a low single digit hdcp, it's probably not much use to you, but you may find it helpful to identify a weakness 3) If it seems too easy, make the reps or targets match your level of play. This is designed to help you improve the scoring areas of the game.4) Go through your pre-shot routine before shots - I want this to simulate playing golf. 5) Once you've done the program a few times, add uneven lies, different shaped shots, etc to challenge yourself. The program can be done in one session or broken up into several - you must start at the beginning & can only move to the next section when you have completed a section. You cannot move to chipping until you complete putting, etc. So a player who can't lag putt will not hit full shots for a while. If you are "stuck" on putting, take a break every 20 minutes and stretch your back, get something to drink, just do something else, you can certainly hit balls, but don't skip part of the program.

It is based on a 2 week format - do program A for 2 weeks then program B for 2 weeks, then back to A, etc.

Sorry for the long intro- I just didn't want to drop the routine down without sharing the background & what it is designed to achieve. If you have questions or anything you believe I should add, please don't hesitate to let me know!

Here is the Ultimate Practice Routine, enjoy!

Program A, First 2 weeks, in this order:

Putting:
25 in a row from 3 feet
Lag Putting
20 in a row from 20 feet stopping in a 3 foot circle
20 in a row from 30 feet stopping in a 3 foot circle
20 in a row from 45 feet stopping in a 3 foot circle

Chipping:
8 out of 10 in a 3 foot circle from 20-30 feet

Pitching:
25 in a row landing & stopping on the green from 30 yards
25 in a row landing & stopping on the green from 50 yards
25 in a row landing & stopping on the green from 70 yards

Bunkers:
10 out of 10 out of bunker
6 out of 10 stop inside the length of a flagstick

Long Bunker shot:
5 out of 10 on the green from 30-50 yards

Irons:
9-iron 6 out of 10 land & stop on green
7-iron 6 out of 10 land & stop on green
5-iron 4 out of 10 land & stop on green

Driver:
6 out of 10 land & stop in fairway (if you're on a range set 2 targets the width of a common fairway).

Program B, Second 2 Weeks:

Putting:
25 in a row from 5 feet
Lag Putting
30 in a row from 20 feet stopping in a 3 foot circle
30 in a row from 30 feet stopping in a 3 foot circle
30 in a row from 45 feet stopping in a 3 foot circle

Chipping:
7 out of 10 in a 3 foot circle from 40 feet

Pitching:
25 in a row landing & stopping on the green from 40 yards
25 in a row landing & stopping on the green from 60 yards
25 in a row landing & stopping on the green from 80 yards

Bunkers:
10 out of 10 out of bunker
7 out of 10 stop inside the length of a flagstick
7 out of 10 out of bunker from uneven/buried lies

Long Bunker shot:
6 out of 10 on the green from 30-50 yards

Irons:
pw 7 out of 10 land & stop on green
8-iron 6 out of 10 land & stop on green
6-iron 5 out of 10 land & stop on green

Driver:
7 out of 10 land & stop in fairway

 

[ddec]

I like it, esp all the short game and putting stuff.

 

[captaincaution]

I like it, esp all the short game and putting stuff.

It certainly focuses on the important areas for scoring. Might have to adapt this for myself. I need to spend a lot more time on putting and short game.

 

[Miller Time]

That's a lot of range balls. I'd like to give this a shot.

 

[Agent Jay]

That's a practice routine for sure. I wish I had the time to put in to do something like this about 3 times a week or more, but I don't. Back in the day, this was similar to what I would do, but times (and life) have changed. Hopefully, sometime in the future I'll be able to do this again.

 

[musicmaster6921]

I like this and the parts that are 9 iron and lower i can do in my back yard. Might have to print this out and give it a chance.

 

[Erky]

This is pretty close to what I do now. The putting and chipping parts are exactly what I do, but I make 21 instead of 25 from 3 feet.

 

[Scarnici]

Very interesting for sure. I would love to give this a shot

 

[staticline]

Great stuff. That will make for some pretty intense practice sessions. Thanks!

 

[AmberLamps]

Thanks for posting this, I just picked up golf this year, currently a 20.3 HDC, I have a goal to be a 15 by the end of summer. I will report back on my progress. Thanks again, this is just what I was looking for.

 

[jonj101]

Thanks for posting this, I just picked up golf this year, currently a 20.3 HDC, I have a goal to be a 15 by the end of summer. I will report back on my progress. Thanks again, this is just what I was looking for.

Good deal - I think if you stick with it you can definitely achieve it. It took me hours on the putting green when I first started it, but I saw tremendous improvement in my putting. If you have any questions let me know and i'll try to answer anything I can.

 

[AmberLamps]

Shot an 85 today, not bad for me after just picking up golf this spring. Next stop is breaking 80.

 

[Philly Golf Guy]

Thanks for posting. I've been looking for regimented practice sessions and this one looks pretty good. I'd probably need to break down this program into multiple days just based on my schedule and likelihood I could complete each task.

I saw another similar program that caps the number of shots you take, then you calculate your success rate to chart your progress for each session. Granted, I like being forced to continue on one area until you can do it before moving on, but I might follow this other one just because it's easier on time.

 

[McRock]

I'm not saying it doesn't work, because I bet it does, but the putting and chipping is almost too static. If i'm putting from the exact same spot to practice my lag putting, eventually, I can just do it without thinking about it. But then when I get on a course, and am faced with a 40 foot putt on a different green than where I was practicing, I may not stroke it correctly. Same goes for chipping. It's nice to chip from 40 feet, but what's this guy going to do when he chips from 20 feet?

I like the premise. I think it is good for grooving a swing. But I also think there needs to be some sort of random practice to force one to focus and decide how to hit each shot. How about 25 in a row from random distances and spots around the green? How about 25 'lag' putts from all different spots from around the perimeter of the green.

I'm sure the routine would help anyone. But I'm also fairly certain a little bit of 'randomized' practice would go even further.

~Rock

 

[captaincaution]

I'm not saying it doesn't work, because I bet it does, but the putting and chipping is almost too static. If i'm putting from the exact same spot to practice my lag putting, eventually, I can just do it without thinking about it. But then when I get on a course, and am faced with a 40 foot putt on a different green than where I was practicing, I may not stroke it correctly. Same goes for chipping. It's nice to chip from 40 feet, but what's this guy going to do when he chips from 20 feet?

I like the premise. I think it is good for grooving a swing. But I also think there needs to be some sort of random practice to force one to focus and decide how to hit each shot. How about 25 in a row from random distances and spots around the green? How about 25 'lag' putts from all different spots from around the perimeter of the green.

I'm sure the routine would help anyone. But I'm also fairly certain a little bit of 'randomized' practice would go even further.

~Rock

I agree that the routine should move around the green. When I've been doing this, I've set 8 tees around the hole at 3 feet and make my 25 in a row going around the circle, then move on to lag putting from different directions towards the hole, uphill, downhill and across the hill. Definitely makes it more of a challenge.

I practiced putting only for two hours on Friday night, and I think it translates to the course we'll. I ended up only missing once inside of 5 feet during my round Saturday, and that was because I made a timid swing unlike my practice.

Make it as challenging as you need to. I think there is still a lot of value in repetitive training.

 

[CBaker]

This is an intense practice regimen, and while it would most likely prove very effective and I would love to try it, not too many people have the resources at their local range to do such a practice. Not only do you need a bunker/sand area, but you also need some sort of pitching green that allows you to back off of it by 70/80 yards, as well as a full range that has "greens" located on it. I don't see this as a possibility for most.

Although the putting/chipping is a great thing to use from this. It's a lot of putting, but it would probably prove extremely valuable.

 

[Awkward silence]

I'm not saying it doesn't work, because I bet it does, but the putting and chipping is almost too static. If i'm putting from the exact same spot to practice my lag putting, eventually, I can just do it without thinking about it. But then when I get on a course, and am faced with a 40 foot putt on a different green than where I was practicing, I may not stroke it correctly. Same goes for chipping. It's nice to chip from 40 feet, but what's this guy going to do when he chips from 20 feet?

I like the premise. I think it is good for grooving a swing. But I also think there needs to be some sort of random practice to force one to focus and decide how to hit each shot. How about 25 in a row from random distances and spots around the green? How about 25 'lag' putts from all different spots from around the perimeter of the green.

I'm sure the routine would help anyone. But I'm also fairly certain a little bit of 'randomized' practice would go even further.

~Rock

I have to disagree here. Have you watched the practice range at a PGA tour event? You will see Rory on the same 10 foot putt and make about 30 in a row. Reading the green isnt the point of this drill. Hitting a square putt is the point I believe. If you can do this from those locations you can train on reading greens and be confident you have ability to put the ball where you want because of this drill. Those are my thoughts on it.

 

[McRock]

I have to disagree here. Have you watched the practice range at a PGA tour event? You will see Rory on the same 10 foot putt and make about 30 in a row. Reading the green isnt the point of this drill. Hitting a square putt is the point I believe. If you can do this from those locations you can train on reading greens and be confident you have ability to put the ball where you want because of this drill. Those are my thoughts on it.

Unless you are lag putting. I have no issue with the short range putting in the drill. Rory does 10 feet, because that's what he likes to do. I typically max out that sort of 'repetitive' shorter putting at 7 feet. I use a ladder drill. But I think there will be a perpetually diminishing return on the practice of 40 foot lag putts from the exact same spot on a practice green. At 40 feet, if I get to a green that is downhill instead of the uphill I practiced, I will not have the feel using this Ultimate drill, as opposed to just randomized long putting practice.

~Rock

 

[Smallville]

I wish I had the time. I can say that this is something I will never do. If I win the lottery maybe, but there is not enough time in the day to get what I need to get done, done, let alone this.

Great routine though and I would love to be able to do this.

 

[Philly Golf Guy]

Here is the other regimen I found. Still intense, but time capped and probably more do-able at more ranges than the first one.

The routine is below. 255 total shots. Estimated completion time is 2 1/2 hours. All shot categories have a limited number of attempts for each shot. Successful shots (meaning the goal set for the shot was reached on attempt) are recorded so that successful shot percentages can be calculated. This will give you a clear perspective of where your weakest areas are. You then take extra time to work on your weakest areas.....Ideally with a coach.

Putting: (15 shots each...75 shots total)

3 foot circle (3 rounds of 5 balls surrounding hole at 3 ft...PW club is exactly 3 feet)

6 foot circle

9 foot circle

25 foot putt to inside 3 feet

50 foot putt to inside 3 feet

Chipping: 15 shots each (5 balls, 3 sets, 60 shots total)

2 yards off green to far side pin to inside 3 feet

2 yards off green to near side pin to inside 3 feet

5-10 yards off green to far side pin to inside 3 feet

5-10 yards off green to near side pin to inside 3 feet

Bunker and Pitch Shots: (15 shots each, 60 shots total)

Green-side bunker shots to inside 5 feet

30 yard pitch to inside 10 feet

50 yard pitch to inside 10 feet

80 yard pitch to inside 10 feet

Range: 15 Shots Each (60 Shots)

Whatever your 100 yard club is shot at 100 yd pin to inside 10 yards

Whatever your 150-160 yard club is shot at 150 yd pin to inside 10 yards

Whatever your 200 yard club is shot at 200 yd pin to inside 15 yards

Driver shot to inside imaginary fairway 10 times

 

[Lucutus]

Just started doing this Ultimate Practice Routine & I am hooked - currently stuck on the 45 ft lag putts which I will work on next time I am at the course.

 

[Lucutus]

Broke 100 - just!

Started off well, 46 on the front nine & thought I`m starting to get this game. Back 9 struggled, all my previous issues returned (3-putt, slice off the tee, poor chip shots) & shot a 53 & that was with some luck. Best round so far & never felt more disappointed.

 

[Tee/Ski]

Here is the other regimen I found. Still intense, but time capped and probably more do-able at more ranges than the first one.

The routine is below. 255 total shots. Estimated completion time is 2 1/2 hours. All shot categories have a limited number of attempts for each shot. Successful shots (meaning the goal set for the shot was reached on attempt) are recorded so that successful shot percentages can be calculated. This will give you a clear perspective of where your weakest areas are. You then take extra time to work on your weakest areas.....Ideally with a coach.

Putting: (15 shots each...75 shots total)

3 foot circle (3 rounds of 5 balls surrounding hole at 3 ft...PW club is exactly 3 feet)

6 foot circle

9 foot circle

25 foot putt to inside 3 feet

50 foot putt to inside 3 feet

Chipping: 15 shots each (5 balls, 3 sets, 60 shots total)

2 yards off green to far side pin to inside 3 feet

2 yards off green to near side pin to inside 3 feet

5-10 yards off green to far side pin to inside 3 feet

5-10 yards off green to near side pin to inside 3 feet

Bunker and Pitch Shots: (15 shots each, 60 shots total)

Green-side bunker shots to inside 5 feet

30 yard pitch to inside 10 feet

50 yard pitch to inside 10 feet

80 yard pitch to inside 10 feet

Range: 15 Shots Each (60 Shots)

Whatever your 100 yard club is shot at 100 yd pin to inside 10 yards

Whatever your 150-160 yard club is shot at 150 yd pin to inside 10 yards

Whatever your 200 yard club is shot at 200 yd pin to inside 15 yards

Driver shot to inside imaginary fairway 10 times

I did the putting piece of this Friday and Saturday and love it. It gives me focus. I'll incorporate the rest of it into practice sessions starting later this week. Thanks for sharing this.

 

[Lucutus]

Managed to complete the practice routine after a few days.

Started again today & struggled with the 20 ft lag-putts - was hoping that I had develop some sort of feel and today proved otherwise.

 

[joebute]

What's really cool is becoming rock solid inside of 3 ft. on the flat, furry practice green, and then having a downhill/sidehill 2 footer for par with 6 inches of break on the first hole!! I'm kidding.

I mean, that really does happen, but I think short game practice is valuable no matter how you get it. Hitting putts/chips solid is one of the few feelings that I seem to be able to take to the course with me. The long game comes/goes.