How Pros Divide Practice Time for Putting and Full Swing

Most golfers spend too much time on full-swing practice, even though 65% of shots in a round happen within 100 yards of the hole, including putting. Professionals know this and prioritize their short game and putting, dedicating up to 60-70% of practice time to these areas.

Here’s how you can apply their strategies:

Track your weaknesses: Keep stats on missed putts, three-putts, and short-game errors.
Balance practice time: Split sessions between putting, short game, and full swing based on your skill level.
Use structured routines: For a 60-minute session, spend 20 minutes each on putting, short game, and full swing.

One Hour Golf Practice Routine: Practice Everything you NEED to Shoot Lower Scores

How Professionals Divide Practice Time

Instead of mindlessly hitting full-swing shots for hours, professional golfers rely on a thoughtful, data-backed approach to their practice routines. This strategy is reflected in the way they allocate their practice time.

Common Practice Ratios

Most professional golfers dedicate the bulk of their practice to the short game and putting. With about 65% of all strokes happening within 100 yards of the hole, it’s no surprise that these areas are prioritized. A typical practice session might include 60–90 minutes on full-swing shots, another 60–90 minutes on short-game work (like chipping, pitching, and bunker shots), and 45–60 minutes focused on putting. This adds up to around 300 swings per session and an impressive 2,000 shots each week.

Rory McIlroy has shared how he structures his practice, explaining:

the majority of my time is spent on the putting green and around the greens, because that’s where I can save the most shots.

Similarly, Bryson DeChambeau dedicates 60% of his on-course practice during tournaments to short-game work. These examples highlight how top players focus on the scoring zones that truly impact their performance.

Practice Changes During Tournament Weeks

When tournament weeks roll around, players tweak their routines to align with the specific demands of the course. Full-swing practice is scaled back to conserve energy, while more attention is given to mimicking the exact conditions they’ll face during competition. This often includes dialing in precise yardages and tackling course-specific challenges.

Putting practice, in particular, ramps up significantly. Whether on the greens or in specialized indoor labs, pros work to replicate the speed and feel of tournament conditions. This shift not only keeps them sharp but also helps prevent fatigue and reduces the risk of overuse injuries, ensuring they stay fresh for competition.

What Influences Practice Time Splits

Several factors influence how professionals divide their practice time. Performance data plays a crucial role, with shot-tracking analytics pinpointing areas where strokes are being lost. This allows players to focus their efforts on the specific parts of their game that need improvement.

Course conditions also play a part. For example, fast greens or tricky pin placements might lead to more time spent on putting drills. Physical and mental readiness is another consideration. Since full-swing practice is physically demanding, it’s often scheduled for the morning when players are at their freshest. Meanwhile, short-game and putting work, which are less taxing, can be tackled later in the day.

This combination of data-driven adjustments, course-specific preparation, and careful energy management ensures that professional golfers make the most of their practice time.

Practice Time Splits for Amateurs

Balancing daily responsibilities while trying to improve your golf game can feel overwhelming, but you don’t need endless hours to make progress. By focusing on the areas where you lose the most strokes and structuring your limited practice time wisely, you can see noticeable improvement.

Finding Your Weak Areas

Before you can effectively allocate your practice time, you need to understand where you’re losing strokes. Many golfers assume their long game is the main issue, but the stats often tell a different story.

Start by tracking a few key stats after each round: total putts, three-putts, missed short putts (especially those under 6 feet), up-and-down percentages, penalty shots, and errant approaches. After logging this data for three to five rounds, patterns will emerge. For instance, if putting accounts for a significant portion of your strokes, it’s clear where you need to focus your practice.

Once you’ve identified your weaknesses, adjust your practice time to target those areas. This data-driven approach ensures you’re working smarter, not harder.

Practice Ratios by Skill Level

Your handicap level plays a big role in how you should divide your practice time. Different levels of skill require different priorities.

High-handicap golfers (20+ or beginners): Spend 50–60% of your practice time on putting and the short game. For a 60-minute session, that might look like 20 minutes on putting, 15 minutes on chipping, and 20–25 minutes on your full swing. Focus on making solid contact and nailing the basics rather than chasing distance.
Mid-handicap golfers (10–20): Allocate 40–50% of your time to putting and the short game, with the remaining 50–60% on your full swing. Work on consistency and course management by incorporating drills like target practice and on-course simulations.
Low-handicap golfers (single-digit): Split your time evenly between the short game and full swing, using data to refine specific areas like bunker play or lag putting. Fine-tuning under pressure should also be a priority.

Handicap Level	Putting + Short Game	Full Swing	Focus Areas
High (20+ or beginner)	50–60%	40–50%	Basic contact, short putts, simple chips
Mid (10–20)	40–50%	50–60%	Consistency, up-and-downs, target practice
Low (single-digit)	40–50%	50–60%	Precision, handling pressure, bunker shots

How to Structure Practice Sessions

Having the right ratio is just the start – you also need a clear plan for each session to avoid aimlessly hitting balls.

The 20/20/20 format works well for a 60-minute session. Spend 20 minutes on putting (beginning with short putts and moving to distance control), 20 minutes on the short game (chipping, pitching, and basic bunker shots), and 20 minutes on your full swing with specific targets and a pre-shot routine.

For shorter sessions, like 30 minutes, try a 10/10/10 format to maintain balance. Alternatively, use a 50/50 split, dedicating half your time to putting and short game combined, and the other half to full swing. This approach is especially effective if your short game needs extra attention.

Start your sessions with putting and the short game while your focus is sharp, then move to the full swing. As one PGA professional with 16 years of experience points out, many golfers "spend 80% of their time on the shots they hit 20% of the time", leaving little time for the short game and putting.

Set clear goals for each segment of practice. For putting, aim to make a specific number of consecutive putts from a short distance. In the short game, focus on consistently chipping close to the hole. For your full swing, practice hitting a set number of shots along your target line.

A focused 45-minute session with clear objectives can often be more effective than hours of unfocused practice. By structuring your sessions thoughtfully, you’ll lay the groundwork for a solid weekly practice routine.

Building a Weekly Practice Schedule

Once you’ve got the basics of structuring individual sessions down, the next step is to organize them into a weekly routine. The secret to progress? Consistency. Practicing regularly over time is far more effective than trying to cram everything into one long session.

Practice Frequency vs. Session Length

Studies show that spreading out practice sessions leads to better results than packing everything into a single block. For example, three one-hour sessions spaced out over the week will do more for your skills than one three-hour session. This is because your brain needs time between practices to process and solidify movement patterns. That’s why professional athletes break their training into multiple shorter segments instead of grinding for hours on end.

For most people, practicing 2–4 times a week works best. Research suggests practicing every 48–72 hours strikes the right balance – giving your body time to absorb what you’ve learned without losing momentum.

Keep your sessions between 45 and 90 minutes to stay sharp and focused. A well-structured hour-long session is far more effective than two hours of aimless repetition.

Here’s how a weekly schedule might look based on your level of commitment:

2-day schedule: Two focused 60-minute sessions, plus a 10–15 minute short game routine during a warm-up round.
3-day schedule (ideal for most):
- Monday: 60 minutes of technical work (40 minutes full swing, 20 minutes short game).
- Wednesday: 60 minutes of scoring skills (20 minutes putting, 20 minutes short game, 20 minutes simulating game situations).
- Saturday: Play 18 holes, with a 45–60 minute warm-up session.
4-day schedule (for the dedicated):
- Monday: 75 minutes on full-swing technique using video feedback or training aids.
- Wednesday: 60 minutes focusing on putting and wedge play (30 minutes each).
- Friday: 45–60 minutes of pressure games or skill stations.
- Sunday: Play a round, with pre-round practice targeting weak areas.

If time is tight, shorter, more frequent sessions are better. For example, with just two hours a week, split it into two 60-minute practices. If you have four hours, aim for three 60-minute sessions and a shorter tune-up. Spreading practice across multiple days helps your brain and body retain what you’re working on.

Alternating Practice Focus

Once you’ve set your weekly schedule, vary your focus to keep things fresh and improve retention. Assign specific days to work on different aspects, like full swing or short game. This approach mirrors how professionals train and prevents mental fatigue from constantly jumping between tasks.

A good strategy is alternating between full swing and short game days. For full swing-focused days, spend about 60–70% of your time on ball-striking, with the rest on short game. On short game days, flip the ratio.

Here’s an example of a three-day alternating plan:

Day 1: Focus on full swing (40–50 minutes), with 10–15 minutes each on chipping and putting.
Day 2: Emphasize short game and putting (45–50 minutes), with a quick 10–15 minutes on full swing to maintain the feel.
Day 3: Simulate game conditions: 20–25 minutes of random full-swing targets (switching clubs each shot), 20–25 minutes of up-and-down drills, and 15–20 minutes of lag putting to avoid three-putts.

Use your performance data to adjust priorities. If your stats show you’re losing strokes around the greens, dedicate more time to your short game. Struggling with accuracy off the tee? Add an extra full swing session. This flexible approach ensures your practice aligns with what your game needs most.

Off-Season and In-Season Practice

Your practice focus should shift depending on the time of year. During the off-season – often the winter months in the U.S. – it’s all about building a foundation for future success. In contrast, in-season practice should prioritize scoring and game readiness.

Off-season:
Spend more time on technical drills and feedback. This is the perfect time to make swing changes, tweak your grip, or refine your putting stroke. Use tools like mirrors, video, or training aids to guide your practice. If outdoor practice isn’t an option, indoor putting mats or even carpeting can help maintain your feel. Many players also use this time to focus on fitness, improving swing endurance and reducing injury risks for the season ahead.

Keep in mind that making changes may temporarily affect your scores. That’s okay – your goal isn’t to post low numbers in January but to build skills that will pay off in April.

In-season:
When you’re playing regularly, shift your focus to scoring and feel. Research shows that about 65% of shots in a typical round happen within 100 yards, so your practice should reflect that.

In-season sessions should include more on-course simulations and random practice, like changing targets and clubs frequently. Add competitive pressure with games and challenges. For example, can you get up and down five times in a row? Can you make three lag putts in a row without three-putting? These exercises directly translate to better performance on the course.

Keep technical work short and specific – 10–15 minutes is plenty to fine-tune positions or feels. Save the bulk of your time for the skills that will help you lower your scores this weekend, rather than building a perfect swing for next year.

Practice Resources and Tools

Having a solid plan for practice is one thing, but knowing exactly what to do when you’re on the range or putting green is a whole different challenge. This is where structured resources come into play. The right tools and materials transform uncertainty into clear, timed drills that replicate professional training methods. These resources align perfectly with the strategies discussed earlier, giving you actionable steps to improve right away.

How To Break 80 Practice Materials

Building on professional techniques, How To Break 80 provides practice programs tailored to fit into 60- or 90-minute sessions. Their eBooks and video courses detail how to divide your time, with specific focus areas for putting, short game, and full swing – mirroring the approach used by the pros.

The How to Break 80 eBook ($29.00) offers step-by-step drills, weekly practice schedules, and checklists to help you allocate time effectively across different aspects of your game. The Precision Putting Video Course ($49.00) focuses on goal-driven, measurable putting sessions, while the Maximum Distance Video Course ($49.00) provides similar guidance for improving your full swing, ensuring that even the smaller portion of your practice time dedicated to ball-striking is used efficiently.

Here’s an example of a 90-minute "pro-style" session using these materials:

Putting (30 minutes): Start-line gate drill (10 minutes), distance-control ladder drill to 10, 20, and 30 feet (10 minutes), pressure circle drill from 3–6 feet (10 minutes).
Short Game (25 minutes): Practice chips and pitches to landing zones (10–15 shots) and play an up-and-down game from five different spots around the green.
Full Swing (35 minutes): Technical work with alignment sticks and impact tape (15 minutes), followed by "playing a course on the range" with club and target changes (20 minutes).

The Essential Golf Improvement eBook Bundle ($19.00) combines multiple guides into one resource, covering putting, short game, and full swing. It’s a great starting point if you’re building a practice routine from scratch.

This structured approach delivers results. A PGA professional with 16 years of experience explains that “most golfers practice completely backwards,” spending the majority of their time on shots they rarely encounter during a round.

Simple Tools for Big Gains

You don’t need to spend a fortune to improve your practice. Many effective training aids are affordable or even DIY. For instance, alignment sticks (under $20), tees for putting gates, a chalk line from a hardware store for straight-putt practice, a small towel for landing-zone drills, and foot spray or impact tape for clubface feedback are all inexpensive but useful. A simple notebook to track drills and progress can also make a big difference over time.

For putting, tools like tees or coins (used as gates), a putting mirror for checking stroke alignment, and distance markers (set at 10, 20, and 30 feet) can provide valuable feedback. These pair seamlessly with the structured drills from How To Break 80.

For your full swing, alignment sticks help with setup and swing plane, while impact tape or foot spray shows where you’re striking the ball on the clubface. If you have access to a launch monitor or range app, you can gather data on carry distance and shot dispersion. Structuring your full-swing practice into sets – for instance, 10 balls focused on technique followed by 10 "play a hole" shots with different clubs and targets – keeps this part of your session productive. Aim for specific goals, like hitting 8 out of 10 shots within a fairway corridor.

Tracking Progress

To see if these resources and tools are working, track your performance over several weeks. For putting, log your makes from 3, 6, and 10 feet, and keep an eye on three-putt stats. For your short game, record your up-and-down percentages from various lies. For your full swing, track fairways hit and greens in regulation. If your numbers improve over four to six weeks, you’re on the right path. If not, adjust how you divide your practice time or focus on areas where you’re losing strokes.

Consistency is key. Using structured resources like How To Break 80’s eBooks and video courses takes the guesswork out of your practice routine. By sticking to the right drills and focusing on the right areas week after week, you’ll see steady improvement as you refine your game.

Conclusion

The main takeaway from how professionals approach their practice is straightforward: focus your time on the areas where you’re losing strokes. Many amateur golfers still spend about 80% of their practice working on full swings, but the quickest way to lower scores is to shift that focus toward putting and the short game. This principle is at the core of every professional’s training routine.

Pros know this instinctively. When they’re committed to breaking through scoring plateaus, they often dedicate around 70% of their practice time to the short game. They structure their practice into specific segments – full swing, short game, putting, and physical training – setting clear objectives for each session. This level of focus is what separates productive practice from aimlessly hitting balls on the range.

For recreational golfers, adopting this structured approach doesn’t require fancy equipment or facilities. Short, consistent sessions – three or four focused practices of 60 to 90 minutes each week – can lead to noticeable improvements. The key is having a plan: knowing what to work on, how much time to spend, and how to track your progress.

To make this easier, structured resources can be a game-changer. Instead of guessing which drills to do or how to divide your time, programs like How To Break 80 offer practice plans and step-by-step routines that align with these professional priorities. They make it simpler to stick to a short-game–oriented plan rather than defaulting to full-swing practice.

Adopting this "score-first" mindset is just as important as changing how you practice. Evaluate your progress based on scoring improvements – not how far you can hit your driver at the range. Spending more time on putting and wedge play may not feel as exciting, but it’s the real key to lowering your scores.

Track your progress over four to six weeks by logging key stats, and adjust your practice routine if you’re not seeing improvements.

FAQs

Why do professional golfers focus more on putting and the short game during practice than the full swing?

Professional golfers spend a significant amount of time perfecting their putting and short game – and for good reason. These aspects of golf have the greatest influence on scoring. In fact, nearly 40% of the strokes in an average round come from putting alone. On top of that, short game shots often make or break performance in tricky situations. By refining these skills, pros can shave strokes off their scores and stay composed under pressure.

Amateur golfers can see big gains by taking a page from the pros’ playbook. Devoting extra practice to putting drills and short game techniques can lead to noticeable improvements on the course. Resources like How To Break 80 provide helpful tips and exercises to sharpen these essential parts of your game.

What’s the best way for amateur golfers to track progress and identify areas for improvement?

To monitor your progress and identify areas that need work, begin by logging your practice sessions and on-course performance. Tools like video analysis can help you review your swing and putting technique, while tracking stats such as fairways hit, greens in regulation, and putts per round can give you a clearer picture of your game.

Over time, analyze this data to uncover patterns and pinpoint weaknesses. Input from a coach or seasoned golfer can offer helpful guidance as well. Use these insights to tweak your practice routine, making sure to strike a balance between putting and full-swing practice.

How should golfers adjust their practice routines during tournament weeks or different seasons?

During tournament weeks, it’s all about keeping your skills sharp rather than overhauling your game. Put extra emphasis on your short game, especially putting and chipping, as these can make the biggest difference in your scores. Keep your full swing practice short and focus on precision rather than power – this helps conserve energy and avoids unnecessary fatigue.

Your practice routine should also shift with the seasons. In colder months, indoor drills or simulators can keep your game on point when outdoor practice isn’t an option. When it’s warmer, spend more time on the course, working on strategy and simulating real-game situations. By aligning your practice with the season and upcoming events, you’ll stay steady and ready throughout the year.