When structuring a practice session, the goal is to balance purpose, feedback, and variety.
The core principles of effective practice are as follows:

• Having intent: Does each shot have a basic target and shot intent?

• Absorbing feedback: Are you keeping track of where your shot finished relative to your target? Or other forms of feedback, like carry distance, or even launch monitor metrics like spin rate or club path?

• Challenging yourself: Are you going through the motions? Or are you applying pressure through various games or drills that simulate on-course pressure?
  
  

These ideas are the foundations of effective practice, and a launch monitor can amplify their impact.

Golfers often complain that their practice performance never translates to the golf course. Here are some tried and true methods to prevent that from happening!

Before you can even begin practicing with a a lunch monitor, you'll need to decide which launch monitor to buy. The Indoor Golf Shop offers the highest grade technology with a wide array of price points for launch monitors. We have another blog post here helping you decide what launch monitor is best for you!

Decide what you want to work on before you start. Are you focusing on driving accuracy, wedge control, or dialing in distances?

Use what’s going on in your rounds as your guiding light. What shots are making you uncomfortable? If you keep statistics, which parts of your game are deficient?

Break the Session into Segments: Allocate time for different areas of your game (e.g., 20 minutes on wedges, 20 minutes on irons, 20 minutes on driver).

Set Measurable Objectives: For example, “Hit 8 out of 10 drives within a 30-yard dispersion” or “Achieve consistent spin rates on wedge shots.”

Using your launch monitor to gain some baseline data is a great way to warm up in your sessions.

Start with a few relaxed “awkward wedge yardages” to measure your carry distances and dial in your feel. Additionally, this will help gently warm your body up.

In other words, just don’t start smashing your driver!

A tried and true method to work on specific technical changes is by hitting the same shot repeatedly. But don’t just go through the motions and lose focus.

Use your launch monitor to track metrics like spin rate, launch angle, and carry distance. If you are working with an instructor, and you know you are targeting specific metrics on swing path or angle of attack, that feedback is valuable too.

Example Drill: If you’re working on driver distance, hit 10 drives while trying to stay within an optimal spin range (e.g., 2,000–3,000 RPM). Keep track of your impact location as well, using Dr. Scholl's Foot Spray to see how different strikes affect your numbers.

Use your launch monitor to measure carry distances for partial wedge shots (e.g., 40, 60, 80 yards). As mentioned earlier, this is a great way to warm up.

Also, you can experiment with feels and intention. Practice hitting the same distance with different swing lengths or trajectories. This builds versatility and confidence.

You can also experiment with using different lofts to land the ball at desired distances to see which ones work the most effectively for you.

Aim for tight dispersion patterns and consistent spin rates - those are your answers for the types of shots and clubs to play on the course!

For example, some might find using their lob wedge on different distances works best. Other golfers might need to change between a 60, 56, and 50 degree wedge to land the ball to different distance windows.

A lot of launch monitor software now comes equipped with practice challenges, or you can make your own.

Use games like “Up-and-Down” or “Fairway Finder” to simulate competitive pressure. For example, hit 10-15 drives and see how many land within a defined fairway width.

Use your launch monitor to keep score and measure improvement over time.

A small part of your practice sessions should be devoted to hitting shots that you might not try on the course, but they will help build your ball-striking skills and make your “stock” shots more effective.

The goal is to try to manipulate your ball flight. Practice hitting draws, fades, low shots, and high shots. Use the launch monitor to see how these changes affect your club and ball data.

You can also test different clubs. Experiment with hybrids, fairway woods, or even knockdown shots to see what works best in various scenarios.

After each shot, review key metrics like ball speed, spin rate, and dispersion. Use this feedback to make adjustments.

But don’t chase perfection! Remember, no one’s numbers are perfect. Focus on trends and patterns rather than obsessing over individual shots.

Find your numbers that are “functional” with metrics like spin rate, face angle, club path, etc.

Go through your pre-shot routine on more shots, especially during random practice. This builds consistency and confidence for the course.

You want to make it so comfortable and familiar that when you are under pressure on the golf course, it feels like you are pressing an autopilot button.

Finish your session with a few shots you know you can execute well. This leaves you with a positive mindset.

Effective practice isn’t about hitting hundreds of balls mindlessly. It’s about having intent, absorbing feedback, and challenging yourself. A launch monitor can be a powerful tool to help you practice smarter, but it’s only as good as the structure and purpose you bring to your sessions.

By following these steps, you’ll not only improve your skills but also make your practice sessions more enjoyable and productive.