Practice
What is the 70/30 rule in golf?
The 70/30 rule in golf is a commonly-cited practice guideline — not an official rule — suggesting golfers spend roughly 70% of practice time on the short game and 30% on full swing, since most strokes are lost and gained close to the green.
It's a coaching rule of thumb rather than anything written into the Rules of Golf, and the exact split varies by who's teaching it — some coaches argue for an even higher share on chipping, pitching and putting, on the reasoning that half or more of a typical round's strokes happen within a hundred yards of the green. The logic holds up even if the precise number is debatable: driving range sessions are the most visible form of practice, but they address the smallest share of shots that actually separate a good score from an average one. Most club golfers do the opposite in practice to what the ratio suggests, which is part of why it gets repeated so often as a corrective. Whatever the split, the number that actually moves is the handicap it eventually shows up in. Reward the graft with our golf gifts.
Written by Craig Fearn, The Golf Gift Co.
From the journal