I saw this elsewhere and wondered just how long it would take me to get through Program A:

quote:

---

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

---

I was actually going to look for a program like this to help improve my game because i've kind of hit a wall when I dipped to a single digit handicap. Thanks for posting. I'm hoping to try this and i'll report back later.

Hell no.

And I might have some opinions to share w the coach if I was on one of the NCAA teams that used that.

I definitely want to do this! Unfortunately, I don't believe I have the time or facilities to do so :/

So you're supposed to do that everyday?

"Aint nobody got time for that!"

Seems like it would be hard for the average golfer to practice the iron shots that land and stop on the green since most driving ranges don't have "greens". But the routine looks pretty solid and I might give it a try, or at least some portions of it.

I got to the practice green before the sun came up this morning and got through the following before heading to work:

Putting:
25 in a row from 3 feet
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

There's no way I'm setting myself up with the expectation that the entire Program A can be completed in (1) day. It's just not going to happen if you have a full-time job and kids.

So, tomorrow I'll start where I left off with 20 in a row from 45 feet stopping in a 3 foot circle.





[This message has been edited by jj9000 (edited 7/24/2013 8:26a).]

I think one general concern could be with hitting so many balls from the same spot. Is finding a groove by hitting the same shot repeatedly as beneficial as lagging from multiple spots on the green...

For me, I seem to be able to get in a groove when I do they same shot over and over. My problem is whether or not I can do it as well as I was if I walk away from it for 30 minutes and do something else.

this looks like a great program that would have to be done in parts for me due to time.

I like to do the Dave Pelz drill for short puts

4 from 1ft circle - if you make all 4 then move below

6 from 2ft circle - if you make all 6 then move below

8 from 3ft circle

***if you miss any then start over from beginning. Apparently, Phil still does this drill before every round till he makes 100 in a row. That's crazy, but as a high handicapper if I can get confident in those ranges then at least I can try not to lose a stroke on a missed short one.

I see someone else on here plays poker or reads 2+2. The guy that posted this is a coach named Rob Stocke. He is a solid coach and posts a lot on the 2+2 forums.

He actually mailed a Taylor made staff bag to college station for me one time and we have never met.

I tried it this morning and it took me 2 hours to get out of the 30 yard pitches and then I went to play. The two hardest for me was the 25 in a row from three feet and 20 in a row within 3' from 45'. For some reason every time I got to ball 13-15 on those 3' putts I would always lip one out. I putted 5 balls from fice different locations so that may have had something to do with it, but I wanted some variety to those 3 footers. The 45' lag putts were pretty damn hard. I'll admit that I left ball 13 or 14 short, but I already made two so I figured two makes would cover the one I missed outside of 3 feet. The easiest was the 30' chipping. I finished that in two tries.

When I went to play I felt really, really confident on the greens and it showed. I'm going to continue to do this routine and report back later. Off to the couch for me because after 2 hours of practice and walking 18 holes in 95* heat beat the crap out of me.

^
|
You sir have the golf practice ethic I wish I had. Back in college I put in time to practice and play like you described, but joining the work force took the drive out of me.

I need to make it a point to get back into that practice routine.

quote:

---

And I might have some opinions to share w the coach if I was on one of the NCAA teams that used that.

---

Just curious why

everyone plays a different game. at that level they have a somewhat developed game with different strengths and weaknesses. and everyone is struggling with something different at any given time.

i think plays at that level and beyond know what it takes for them to get sharper, and im just not a fan of the shotgun approach.

we had a few days where we did something similiar and i remember thinking 'man it would help me out a lot if i could just go work on this.'

My theory is that if you spent the kind of time that routine requires, you're going to get a lot better no matter what the details are.

I am at a point in my game where I can consistently hit good shots, but I have to mentally be in the shot. That is very hard to do hitting that many balls. After awhile I start getting worse and frustrated.

quote:

---

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

---

I assume the distance is based on how far you usually hit said club? i.e. pw from 140, 8 from 160 if those are the distances I hit those clubs.

I know Im reviving an old thread, but I finally tried this out yesterday. Little bit of background on me - Ive been playing 3.5 years, and currently have a 19.4 handicap. Lowest round ever was 89, but more commonly I'm in the high 90's to low 100's.

So I got to my home club yesterday and started at 8:00 am. I stopped close to 5:00. I only took a break for lunch, and a few water breaks as well. This will sound pretty bad, but I didn't finish the putting. I got to the 45 feet one, but the most I was able to get was 12 in a row. At one point I actually sunk 3 out of 6, got excited and thought I had it down, and then spun number 7 off the toe of the putter and had to start over. At 45 feet it just feels more and more like the slightest variation can take you way out of the three foot circle.

I was able to do the 3 footers pretty quickly - in four tries I think. But I think its because I did them from the same spot, and at a close distance I was able to manipulate or guide the ball instead of having a pure stroke on it. One of the reasons I think that is because later on the head pro at our place came out and told me he had been watching me, and he noticed I rotated my hips through my putts - which I think explains why I occasionally hit some off the toe.

Just from yesterday I noticed that over time and when I focused, I was able to hit a number of them square with a much smoother stroke. You kind of get in a practice zone or focus, until you think about how you're on number 17, then screw up and have to start all over. Despite not finishing, Im going to stick with this routine and see how much I improve. I think with work, it will reap much better results than just sitting on the range hitting balls.

Keep us posted. I don't have the time to take on something like this, but I'm curious to see how you do. I've worked my HC down to a 6.5, and I credit my improvement almost totally to chipping and putting a few times a week for about an hour after work or if I've got some free time on weekends.

Jon, keep it up and you'll be shocked at how fast you'll improve. Don't feel bad about the putting because that's by far the hardest and most time consuming. I dropped from a 10 handicap to a 7 within 2 months of doing this 3x a week. I had to quit because we're expecting our first child but I'll still go through a similar routine although easier once a week and it keeps me in tune.

Just a quick update - Saturday I started at 8 again, with the 45 foot lag putting. I worked on it constantly throughout the morning, and finally got it in the early afternoon.

I then started on the chipping from 30 feet out. I was doing decent on that, but then I asked my head pro about chipping technique, and he mentioned using 8 or 9 iron instead of the sand wedge. (To keep it lower) The only problem with this is that it would release too far out from me even when I got a decent shot on it, and wouldnt stay in the circle.

Im going to spend this week looking at pitching and chipping techniques before I resume again on Saturday morning. I have a basket at home I can practice on, but I want to have practiced a setup and method before I start again. Im being highly optimistic and hoping I can punch through the rest of it this Saturday.

I doubt many scratch golfers can finish that routine in a whole day.

Hey jonj,

It works best for green-side chipping, but check out the Rule of 12, it's a pretty easy way to control distances for chipping(it uses different clubs, as your pro was recommending).

Takes a lot of guess work out of the chipping game. I don't always use it, but when I'm struggling with distance control this is what I'll use.

Money Game, it can certainly be done in a day. I finished it several times within a few hours and I was a 7 at the time. Putting is truly the hardest thing on the list. Chipping to where the ball simply lands on the green and hitting greens 6 out of 10 times with your 9,8&7 irons are pretty easy for low handicappers. Putting always took up more than half the time when I did the routine all the way through.

We did something very similar to that putting and chipping routine when I was in high school. I can say for sure that it helps improve your confidence more than anything else and it does get easier the more you do it. It was always funny watching the freshmen come in and struggle for the first few weeks. We won state when I was in school and they've won multiple times since then so I guess it works.

Unfortunately Saturday I had to sacrifice my morning practice to help out family with some stuff, so I didnt get to the course until around 12:30.

I chipped a bit playing around with the rule of 12 info I found online, but then I broke my rule and went out for a round (I originally planned not to play until I got through part A of the program). I havent got to ptiching or full swing yet, and I struck the ball horribly.

However I finished the round with 34 putts. I realize that number in itself isnt amazing, but when I consider that I wasnt landing anywhere near the hole when I got on the green, and I three putted only once on the front and once on the back, I can see how this can impact scores greatly. The lag putting is what led to me two putting a bunch of the greens. If I get the full swing and wedge play under wraps, a number of those two putts could potentially become one putts.

I worked on this routine for about half an hour after my round and I am sad to say I didn't make it past step one. I missed my 23rd once and my 24th once. I'd say on average I was about 85-90%. I would typically get at least ten in a row but every once in a while I would have a terrible stretch where I couldn't make five in a row and go maybe 10/15. Definitely got some work to do. I think the mental part of it is a huge part of the practice. Handling pressure, sure, but also maintaining your focus on every single shot.

This sounds awesone. Maybe I can do it in about 15 years when my kids are older. I think I will save it in a word doc so I won't lose it over the next couple of decades.

Barry, my wife just gave birth to our first several days ago and I can see I won't be doing the routine for at least another 5-6 years. Lol. It's certainly time consuming.

Played full-time over the last year and worked my handicap down to a +3.5 and that list seems to cover the stuff that matters. I don't know if I could mentally get through that whole list without cracking a least once.

From the mini tour perspective- you have to be just as good from 200 yards+ as you are with the short stick to be able to take advantage of par 5's and not get screwed on long par 4's. So add something in there with the long sticks. All about adding birdies and eliminating the bogeys

quote:

---

Barry, my wife just gave birth to our first several days ago and I can see I won't be doing the routine for at least another 5-6 years. Lol. It's certainly time consuming.

---

Going to be longer than that. 5-6 years is when the kids' evening and weekend activities (and if you're like me, dad's coaching duties) just get cranked up. Wouldn't trade it for anything though.

We should make a rule that no one with a + handicap should give advice on the golf forum!