Junior Golf - Sample Practice Plan

First of all, I want to state that I am not a professional golfer or even a golf coach. I have simply been around the game of golf for several years, and most recently, have watched my son go through the junior golf circuit. With this exposure, I have watched several of his practice sessions, both on his high school golf team, as well as with his personal golf instructor. Here is a sample 2 hour practice plan that I think is really effective:

(10 minutes) Warm-Up and Stretching

(45 minutes) Short Chip Shots from the fringe of the green.
First, start off with a small bucket. Place your bucket 5 feet off the practice green. Begin chipping each ball to the flag (if your practice green has two flags on it, rotate each shot to the different flags). The goal is to get each shot 3 feet from the flag. After you hit the entire bucket, pick up the ball and repeat. Repeat three times.

Next, take the bucket, and spread the balls around the green (5 feet off the green). You should end up with balls that completely circle the practice green. Hit each ball to the flag. Pick up the balls and repeat. Repeat three times.

If you have a practice bunker, hit two buckets out of the bunker.

(45 minutes) Short Chips from 20 - 50 feet away
Place your balls about 20 feet off the green. Hit chip shots to the green. Repeat. Next, spread your balls around the green (approx 20 feet away). Hit each chip shot to the flag (rotate each shot if you have two flags on the practice green). Pick up your balls and repeat.

Continue this process by moving back in 20 foot intervals.

(30 minutes) Driving Range

Take your bucket of balls to the range. Start with your mid-irons and work your way up to your driver. Hit each shot at a specific target. Never hit more than two shots with each club. A great way to practice is to "play a practice round" on the range. For example, start with a par 4. Pick a spot on the fairway to hit your driver. Estimate the distance you hit the ball, then pick a club for your second shot. After you hit your second shot, figure out what club you need for your third shot. Etc..Etc..My feeling is you should rotate clubs on the driving range. You'll never improve by hitting your driver or three wood 30 times in a row.

(30 minutes) On the Green
Practice your putts. The goal should be to never have more than two putts. Play a game on the practice green. Start with 3-4 foot putts. Tell yourself, "I'm going to hit 20 putts in a row." Once you do that, move back 3-4 feet. Another great drill is to hit several putts from 30 feet away. The game is to hit each putt within 3 feet of the hole. See how many in a row you can hit.

I think if your junior golfer uses this practice session 2-3 times per week, plus playing his/her rounds on the course, they will show a dramatic improvement in their score.

I sure hope this helps. As I have stated earlier, I am not a professional golfer. I picked up a lot of useful information from reading and viewing information on the internet. I welcome your comments.

I would recommend checking out the following site. It is a wealth of information:
http://www.PlayJrGolf.com

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