The answer is pretty straight forward. Your short game. That’s what you should practice the most.
The typical 96 shooter on an 18 hole round spends 62.5% of their shots on his or her short game. Forty of those shots are putts.
When you go to the practice area, where do you see most people? On the driving range most likely. I can tell you on any given day I don’t usually have trouble finding room on the practice green or chipping green.
My focus
I find it interesting to look at the clubs in my bag given the facts in the graphic above. I’ve got 2 woods, 2 hybrids, 5 irons, 4 wedges and a putter. Out of 14 clubs, I would normally hit two thirds of my shots with my wedges and putter. (Just a note: I don’t always use wedges to chip or pitch…they are still short game shots)
Not everyone has hours to spend at the range and short game area. However, if you have an hour a week, spend 40 minutes putting, chipping and pitching. Then go and hit some balls.
I’m retired and I like to play golf, but practice is fun as well. I like to practice short game skills for an hour or hopefully two hours a week at the course.
If I can’t get to the course, I practice putting at home also. Some days I pitch and chip foam balls in the yard.
My goal is to try and eliminate 3 putts, make a birdie once in awhile and get up and down more often.
Has it made a difference in my game? Yes. My putting handicap is right in there. The short game is better. My scores have improved.
Pro Players
I was watching a video about a pro player the other day. He wanted to gain strokes by improving his putting from 8 feet and in.
He was using a dozen golf balls and arranging them in a circle at random distances from 3 feet to 8 feet around the hole. The object was to make all 12 in a row or he had to start over.
He said practice has allowed him to gain one stroke per round on the field in putting. I’m sure there is more to his practice routine, but that was the drill he was showing.
The best players in the world spend 60 percent of their practice time on short game and putting.