Practice Plans by Skill Level

The honest answer: it depends on what score they're trying to shoot. Practice that helps a junior break 90 looks very different from practice that helps a junior break 75. Here are realistic frameworks by scoring level, plus what to avoid at every level. The universal principle Practice should be mostly short game and putting, weighted more heavily the higher their scores are. Most amateur golfers — junior or adult — practice the wrong things. They hit drivers on the range when they're losing strokes around the green. The PGA Tour leans 60–70% short game for a reason. A second principle: practice with intent, not volume. A junior who hits 30 wedges to specific yardages with a target gets more out of it than one who hits 200 balls hoping for the best. Breaking 100 / shooting 90s Most strokes lost: contact (topped, fat, shanked) and putting from inside 6 feet. - 50% short game and putting, focused on reliable contact from 30–60 yards - 30% full-swing fundamentals (grip, alignment, posture, balance) - 20% on-course play — 9 holes, no full ranges of clubs, just learning to score Three sessions a week of 60–90 minutes is plenty at this level. Breaking 90 / shooting 80s Most strokes lost: short-side misses, three-putts, and bad recoveries. - 40% short game (chipping, pitching from 30–60, bunker shots) - 25% putting (lag putting from 20+ feet, 6-footers, green reading) - 25% full swing — more iron and wedge work than driver - 10% on-course practice rounds with intentional drills (one ball played, one ball dropped from a problem area) Four sessions a week is typical for committed competitive juniors. Breaking 80 / shooting 70s Most strokes lost: tee-to-green misses, scoring-zone wedges, mental mistakes. - 30% short game (wedges from 60–125 yards is where these juniors live) - 25% putting (8–25 foot putts that determine birdie vs par) - 25% full swing — controlled distances, shot shaping, course management - 20% on-course play — playing 9 or 18 with a scorecard, simulating tournament pressure Five+ sessions a week, often including weight training and short workout blocks. Sub-75 / competing At this level, practice is structured around tournament prep: - 30% short game with pressure games (10-foot putts to a target score, up-and-down challenges) - 20% putting (mostly mid-range and lag, since make rates inside 4 feet are already high) - 30% full swing built around shot patterns the player relies on under pressure - 20% scoring rounds — practice rounds at tournament venues, course management, distance control Daily practice, with rest days and recovery built in. What to avoid at every level - Range bombing. Hitting driver after driver without a target produces nothing. - Practicing only what they're already good at. Comfortable practice is wasted practice. - Skipping putting. Most junior golfers under-practice putting because it's boring. It's also where most strokes are saved. - No measurement. If they can't tell you the shortest, longest, and average distance of their pitching wedge, they're not really practicing.