Practice

This is something I tell the kids on my high school golf team:

O  Thoughts about practicing…

o   From the tee, with your driver, your target is 30-40 yards wide.

o   From the fairway, with your irons, your target is 10-15 yards wide.

o   From just off the green, chipping, your target is 6 feet wide (that 6-foot circle around the hole, leaving a 3-foot putt)

o   On long putts, your target is 4 feet wide (leaving a 2-foot putt)

o   On makeable putts, your target is 4 ¼ inches wide.

The smaller your target, the more you need to practice those shots!

I don't like to pick a general area while practicing. I like to pick a line and a distance and hit the dot. I usually practice at the range for a few hours here's my routine.

10 balls each for warm up, Pick a line and not worrying about distance.

SW, 8 iron, 6 iron, 4 iron, 20 degree hybrid, Driver

3/4 swings/tempo swings 10 balls each, line and distance regardless of ball flight:

SW 75 yds, PW 100 yds, 9 iron 125 yds, 7 iron 145 yds, 5 iron 170 yds, 3 iron 190 yrds, 3W 230 yds.If there is a sign/flag +/- 10 yds within the distance then try to hit the sign by on the fly or rolling it to the sign. 

Full swings 20 balls each 5 low 5 high 5 draw 5 fade, line and distance:

8 iron 150yds, 6 iron 170 yds, 4 iron 195 yds, 20 degree, Driver.

If I still have time/balls then I'll use the rest for everything 125 yds and in. 

A good practice session feels great, especially when you've fixed something that's been troubling you for a while.

I'm going to have to disagree with this.  You should simplify the formula to be a specific point for every single shot.  I understand how on a drive you look 280 yards down the fairway and pick a 3 foot circle to aim at, but you can't do that with a putt (especially a makeable one).  Your kids should be picking a specific spot in the hole (for 5>) or a specific spot on their line for putts longer than that.  Mainly I think your philosophy reflects too much of the "outcome based thinking" instead of the "process."  I try and not care at all where my ball ends up, I'd rather focus on why it didn't go in, or why I missed a fairway/green and then fix that instead of fixate on the fact that I missed a 5 footer.

Tom Watson has an interesting and I'm sure very controversial warmup procedure.   He starts with the 3 iron because he feels if he can hit the longest iron first, his confidence level is up right away.   Then 5,7 9, ending with his wedges.  Can't argue with his success.

Deno

This thread is pretty old, but...

A good session is a great feeling. A good session builds confidence. Confidence is much needed to have a good game. When you practice, you always want to leave on a "good note". Like, if you're experiencing some issues, don't leave until you're satisfied. Everybody has their own routine. For me, if it's a practice day, I'll start when the sun comes up, and stay until it goes down.

By the way, I hope that you had a good weekend!

A good warm up for me is at least a large bucket before going out.  First 5 balls are just 3 quarter pitches with a PW just to get loose then i streach. good streach is important. Then i take either a 7 or 6 iron and i hit 15 to 20 balls with out even looking up. all im fosused on is swinging and making good contact. i dont care if its a slice, hook, draw or dead straight. i never look up for the first 15 or so. Its all about getting loose and feeling comfortable. then i'll take that 6 or 7 iron and pick a target line. with every shot i use my routine pick a line set up at adress ceck my intended target and swing away with a normal controled swing. after about 3 or 4 of these i have a good idea how my shot looks and i can adjust from there to get my desired shot for the day. then once im comfotable i'll move on to the driver couse its a major componet in my game im a long hitter with the driver to making sure i can hit on a target line is important with that club as well. im not worried about practicing draws and fades with a driver in a pre-round routine. just making sure i can put it straight or straight ish you know what i mean i'll take a Good miss over long and wrong.  once the driver is good for the warm up i should have about 25 or so balls left and i'll work on hiting cut draws and cut fades with my irons just so i know i can use that shot if its needed witch is more than the straight shot just couse you know if its a deep pin i wana draw it an run it up and if its a tight pin i wana fade it try and get that ball to sit down. 

    Now then an actual practice is done in sections when i work irons i'll only swing the 3,5,7 or 5,7,9 old saying of you swing all your clubs the same applies here. yes you might move the ball forward or back as you progress threw the irons but if i cant hit a 5,7 right that day why would i be able to hit a 6 right you know. hahahah about once every 3 to 4 months i'll range my self and go threw the set and get a good refrence to distances but for working on trajectory and shot shape and traget lines i'll just work 3 clubs at a time and spend about 2 hours or so on it with a few brakes in there.  after the first 100 balls your swing tempo may breack down if your repeting it to much. you feel its the same but its changing as your mucles are tireing so i give short breaks to regenerate.  I'll spend about an hour on woods and the old boom stick. for me its all about the swing. once i get the swing down i can pick lines and i'll be close when i hit them.

Wedge work takes time i do 50yard shots with the 60 56 and pw i'll do the same from 75 with the sw and pw then i'll move inside 20 and work diffent shots over bunkers up the center back right back left pins short right short left. this will work the chips flops and pitches.  i can spend about 3 hours on that. now the old faith full flat stick or for some of us the dirty sluty flat stick you can trust hahahaahahahhahah we've all had those days.  this takes work its all about smooth swings with a light grip. i have an odessye putting mat that is marked 3 5 and 7 foot. when i first started i was like what good is this its flat and has a line on it i cant miss. then i learned that its all about training my self  to have a smooth putting stroke. so i practice that when ever the wife isnt looking hahahah and when i get out to the course i'll  take my own markers and put to them.  I try to get yardage books for every course i play and on the notes section of these books i'll try to draw the out line of the green and anotate the breaks of the green and i'll work on my distance control and putting stroke with this information. if i find a course i know i'll play alot i spend a full day reading the greens and anotateing diffrent infor about the course. refrence markers distances what club to use if its a consitant spot. you know all those things pros pay there caddie to do. i dont have my own caddie so i have to do it my self. there are 3 courses in my area i play and i have notes on all three of them. Im a military guy so i keep all my notes incase i go back to a base or if i have to visit a base for any reason can play the local course. thats my practice and prep.

A good warm up for me is at least a large bucket before going out.  First 5 balls are just 3 quarter pitches with a PW just to get loose then i streach. good streach is important. Then i take either a 7 or 6 iron and i hit 15 to 20 balls with out even looking up. all im fosused on is swinging and making good contact. i dont care if its a slice, hook, draw or dead straight. i never look up for the first 15 or so. Its all about getting loose and feeling comfortable. then i'll take that 6 or 7 iron and pick a target line. with every shot i use my routine pick a line set up at adress ceck my intended target and swing away with a normal controled swing. after about 3 or 4 of these i have a good idea how my shot looks and i can adjust from there to get my desired shot for the day. then once im comfotable i'll move on to the driver couse its a major componet in my game im a long hitter with the driver to making sure i can hit on a target line is important with that club as well. im not worried about practicing draws and fades with a driver in a pre-round routine. just making sure i can put it straight or straight ish you know what i mean i'll take a Good miss over long and wrong.  once the driver is good for the warm up i should have about 25 or so balls left and i'll work on hiting cut draws and cut fades with my irons just so i know i can use that shot if its needed witch is more than the straight shot just couse you know if its a deep pin i wana draw it an run it up and if its a tight pin i wana fade it try and get that ball to sit down. 

    Now then an actual practice is done in sections when i work irons i'll only swing the 3,5,7 or 5,7,9 old saying of you swing all your clubs the same applies here. yes you might move the ball forward or back as you progress threw the irons but if i cant hit a 5,7 right that day why would i be able to hit a 6 right you know. hahahah about once every 3 to 4 months i'll range my self and go threw the set and get a good refrence to distances but for working on trajectory and shot shape and traget lines i'll just work 3 clubs at a time and spend about 2 hours or so on it with a few brakes in there.  after the first 100 balls your swing tempo may breack down if your repeting it to much. you feel its the same but its changing as your mucles are tireing so i give short breaks to regenerate.  I'll spend about an hour on woods and the old boom stick. for me its all about the swing. once i get the swing down i can pick lines and i'll be close when i hit them.

Wedge work takes time i do 50yard shots with the 60 56 and pw i'll do the same from 75 with the sw and pw then i'll move inside 20 and work diffent shots over bunkers up the center back right back left pins short right short left. this will work the chips flops and pitches.  i can spend about 3 hours on that. now the old faith full flat stick or for some of us the dirty sluty flat stick you can trust hahahaahahahhahah we've all had those days.  this takes work its all about smooth swings with a light grip. i have an odessye putting mat that is marked 3 5 and 7 foot. when i first started i was like what good is this its flat and has a line on it i cant miss. then i learned that its all about training my self  to have a smooth putting stroke. so i practice that when ever the wife isnt looking hahahah and when i get out to the course i'll  take my own markers and put to them.  I try to get yardage books for every course i play and on the notes section of these books i'll try to draw the out line of the green and anotate the breaks of the green and i'll work on my distance control and putting stroke with this information. if i find a course i know i'll play alot i spend a full day reading the greens and anotateing diffrent infor about the course. refrence markers distances what club to use if its a consitant spot. you know all those things pros pay there caddie to do. i dont have my own caddie so i have to do it my self. there are 3 courses in my area i play and i have notes on all three of them. Im a military guy so i keep all my notes incase i go back to a base or if i have to visit a base for any reason can play the local course. thats my practice and prep.