Six youth golf drills that feel like games

The rule: every drill has a score

The six games

• 1. Gate Putting

  Two tees just wider than the putter head, 3 feet from the hole, 20 putts. Score: how many go through the gate and in. Beat 18 of 20. Cue: eyes over the ball, head dead still.

• 2. Ladder Speed Drill

  Putt to 15, 25 and 35 feet in sequence — each ball finishes past the last but inside 3 feet of the next marker. Score: rounds completed. Beat 5. Cue: long stroke for long putts, never a hit.

• 3. One-Hop Check

  Chip 15 balls to a hole 25 feet away. Score: how many finish within a putter length. Beat 10. Cue: weight forward, chest turns through.

• 4. Lead Hand Only

  15 half-swings with the lead hand only, 7-iron or 9-iron. Score: ball-first contacts. Beat 10 of 15. Cue: swing it back wide, brush the grass. Builds tempo and width with nothing to remember.

• 5. Feet Together

  20 seven-iron swings with the feet together. Score: balanced finishes held to the end. Beat 16. Cue: turn the chest through, hold the finish. The fastest balance-and-sequencing game there is.

• 6. Clock Pitching

  Lead arm to 8, 9 and 10 o'clock, 10 balls each. Score: three carry distances written down and repeated. Cue: same rhythm every swing, let the length change the distance.

How to run the session

• Two or three games per visit, 30 minutes maximum — stop while they still want more.
• Keep the scorecard: a column that goes up is the best motivator in junior golf.
• One cue per game. If it breaks down, shrink the target instead of adding words.
• Finish on the easiest win — a few gate putts they'll hole every time.