Golf training

Golf Glossary

Golf training

In short

Golf training covers all the practice you do to improve your swing, short game, putting and course strategy. It takes place on the driving range, on the putting green, in a simulator or with a coach. Good practice is planned, has a target on every shot and uses feedback such as video or measured data. On this topic page you will find the key terms, a practice plan and concrete drills.

Golf training: what it is about and how to start

Golf consists of many skills: the full swing, the game around the green, putting and thinking on the course. Golf training means practising these areas deliberately. Someone who only hits balls on the range usually improves the swing, but not what saves strokes on the course.

Three principles help when you start. First, practise with feedback. That can be a coach, a video or a launch monitor such as TrackMan that shows ball flight and club values. Second, practise in short, regular sessions. Two sessions a week of 45 to 60 minutes each often bring more than one long practice day a month. Third, give every shot a target. A ball without a target trains little.

If you are brand new, it is best to start with a beginner course or a lesson. There you learn the grip, stance and posture that later influence every shot. On that basis practising on your own really pays off.

Key terms around golf training

The golf glossary has its own pages on many training topics. These are the most important ones:

There are also drills for the short game. How chip, pitch and putt work is explained on the pages for those terms. If you like numbers, you will find the TrackMan values in the glossary.

Golf practice plan: a weekly model

A practice plan makes progress measurable. Here is an example for two sessions a week of 60 minutes each:

Session A, swing and irons:

Session B, short game and putting:

After each session note two values, for example how many of ten short putts dropped. That way you see in four weeks whether something has improved. Change the main topic every few weeks to keep the practice varied.

Golf drills: exercises for swing and ball contact

A drill is an exercise that deliberately simplifies or changes a movement. These golf drills suit the range:

Choose at most two drills per session and afterwards hit a few balls without aids. That way you transfer the feel to your normal swing.

Putting drills for more confidence on the green

Putting makes up a large part of your strokes but is often practised too little. These putting drills are simple and effective:

If you have trouble with twitches on short putts, you will find background in the entry on the yips.

Chipping drills: training the short game with purpose

The short game often decides whether a round ends well or badly. With these chipping drills you improve strike and distance feel:

As a guide, many coaches recommend spending about half of your practice time on the short game and putting. That makes it the solid foundation of your improvement.

Try it at Golf Lounge

At Golf Lounge Resort Hamburg every part of training can be covered. The taster course lasts 90 minutes with a coach, balls and rental clubs are included and you need no prior experience. The group course takes you through chip, pitch, approach and full swings in ten sessions. There are also one-to-one lessons with a PGA Pro and practice on your own on the covered range with 32 tee bays on two levels. At every bay TrackMan shows your ball flight. After an appointment you can add the PuttView green.

View the TrackMan range

Frequently asked questions

How often should I practise golf?

Two sessions a week of 45 to 60 minutes each bring most players more than one long practice day a month. Regularity and a target on every shot matter more than duration. The short game and putting belong firmly in the plan.

What does a good golf practice plan look like?

A good plan divides the time among swing, short game and putting and gives each session a topic. One example is two sessions a week: one for swing and irons, one for short game and putting. Note one measured value after each session to see progress.

Which golf drills suit beginners?

Simple drills are the gate drill with two sticks, the feet-together drill for balance, the pause-at-the-top drill for a calm transition and the target game with three zones. Choose at most two drills per session and hit a few balls afterwards without aids so the feel carries into your normal swing.

Which putting drills help most?

Proven are the gate drill for the face, the clock drill with putts from one metre around the hole and the distance ladder for pace. If you start each session with ten short putts and note the result, you quickly see whether your confidence on the green is growing.

How do I practise chipping?

Practise with a landing zone, for example a towel on the green, and watch how far the ball rolls. Chip to the same hole with several clubs and play an up-and-down game from ten lies. That teaches how club choice and landing spot decide the roll.

All terms on this topic

As of: October 2026

Back to the Golf Glossary