How do you spend your practice time, and what is your favorite drill?

[bossfrog]

For me, I like to go to the course about an hour before dark.  The manager doesn't care if you go out and hit around for free at that point if he knows you.  So I'll go out and practice various things for an hour or so 2 or 3 times a week.  Here is how my practice tends to break down over the course of say... a month (estimated, of course):

Driving - 5%

Long irons/hybrids - 10%

Mid irons - 20%

Short irons/wedges (full swing, pitches, chips) - 40%

Putting - 25%

As you see, I spend very little time with my driver when practicing.  As a 25+ handicapper, I figure for me the best way to shave off strokes is to focus on the short game.

My favorite drill, which I made up on my own (but I'm sure others use as well) is to drop a ball about 40, 60, 80, 100, 120 and 140 yards from the front of the green.  Then I start at the back and work toward the green with the goal of getting each ball in the hole within 3 strokes.  If I land on the green, I just need a 2-putt.  If I miss, I have to pitch/chip it close enough for a 1-putt.  My overall success rate is probably about 40-50% right now.

Where do you tend to focus your practice time and what other good, practical drills do you like to use?  I'm always up for new ways to practice the practical aspects of the game.

[billchao]

Driving - 5%

Long irons/hybrids - 10%

Mid irons - 20%

Short irons/wedges (full swing, pitches, chips) - 40%

Putting - 25%

As you see, I spend very little time with my driver when practicing.  As a 25+ handicapper, I figure for me the best way to shave off strokes is to focus on the short game.

You should probably check out this thread:

I recommend buying a copy of Lowest Score Wins , too. You are underestimating the importance of the long game in golf scoring.

---

My favorite drill is the one I need to work on at any given time. Currently, it's the Hit and Stop. I practice at the range about once a week. I'll do my drills for three or four balls, then throw in a full swing incorporating that feel:

I practice a lot at home, too, by making swings without a club. Usually when I start a new piece, I'll do it in front of a mirror to make sure I'm doing the motion properly, but I'm familiar enough with what I'm doing at the moment that I don't need to. I'll practice in the yard with a club, too. Same thing, slow motion drill swings with no ball.

[MS256]

Best practice ever for me was when my son and I would start at 100 yards apart and hit the ball back and forth to each other. In the yard we could work back to 140 yards by the time we were done. Would have been even better if we could have continued to move back further than that.

We basically just changed our normal daily game of "catch" from baseball and football to golf. After a couple of hours we would practice flop shots over a tree in the yard and then waste some balls with a driver down into the woods.

Now that he doesn't live at home anymore I don't have that practice (and it shows on the course). I'm not even close to as accurate on those shots as I used to be.

[mvmac]

As you see, I spend very little time with my driver when practicing.  As a 25+ handicapper, I figure for me the best way to shave off strokes is to focus on the short game.

I would highly recommend you get this book

http://lowestscorewins.com/

And as @billchao said, check out this thread

[Patch]

Most of my practice time is spent on various approach shots up 150 yards. A lot of those are in the 65-85 yard range. All of my practice shots  are hit at "smallish" landing zones. When I get a chance to practice at the nearest golf course, I spend a lot of time on putting, chipping, and shorter pitches.

About the only drill I use is one I call the "Rabbit, and the Dog". (R&D;) It consists of two balls. As I am walking across the practice green, I will drop one of the balls behind me, (Rabbit) with out looking, while walking  way from it.  When I stop walking at some point, I drop the second ball (Dog).  I then read the putt, and putt the second ball I dropped, with the intention of rolling it into the first ball I dropped. I don't get to use this drill as much as I want to. I started using this drill several years ago, because I was always practicing on the same greens, with the same hole placements. There was no challenge to making the same putts. With my R&D; drill, I was always practicing different putts, to a much smaller target.

I also practice hitting from side hill lies, balls below, and above my feet. I also practice hitting balls from thin lies.

That's about all I do when practicing with my clubs. .

[mvmac]

Most of my practice time is spent on various approach shots up 150 yards. A lot of those are in the 65-85 yard range. All of my practice shots  are hit at "smallish" landing zones. When I get a chance to practice at the nearest golf course, I spend a lot of time on putting, chipping, and shorter pitches.

Just in case you missed my post

I would highly recommend you get this book

http://lowestscorewins.com/

And as @billchao said, check out this thread

[MrDC]

I can't say any one area gets more attention from me, I'm fairly equal all around but putting, I spend the least time putting.

Driving has and will probably always get a great deal of attention in my range time, for me it's super important.

But I've recently spent a lot of time around the practice greens, the longer grass just off the fringe and bunkers have been killing me.