Golf Drills for Kids of All Ages That Make Things Fun

Here’s my top tip from 25+ years coaching juniors and as a US Kids Master Coach: if your “golf drill” looks like a mini adult range session, a child will be bored in five minutes and you’ll both want to bail.

Never forget that golf is incredibly hard, and children know that within seconds of starting to try the game out. So unless its fun they’ll simply be honest and say they don’t want to keep playing.

When we talk therefore about golf drills for kids think:

• short,
• game-based activities with simple rules
• clear scoring, and
• big, early wins!

These drills work with the natural attention span of a child (roughly one minute per year of age) and many of the best fun golf drills for kids use minimal kit for easy set up; just tees, balls, maybe a few cones.

Finders Keepers target games, ladder distance challenges, landing-spot squares, and simple driving-range gates are just a few examples.

Read on and I’ll share the exact drills I use with juniors across all areas of the game, how to adapt them by age and ability, and how to make everything almost free using what’s already in your golf bag.

Golfing Focused Takeaways For Time Pressed Golfers

• Make every ‘kids golf drill’ a game: Short, simple, high-success activities beat technical range sessions every time; think cones, tees, gates, and big early wins.
• Match drills to attention span: Use the one-minute-per-year rule, rotate activities often, and stop while they’re still smiling.
• Keep cues tiny: Soft Y for putting/chipping and three swing checkpoints (hot-dog grip, Y-to-L, show-the-shoe); skip technical talk!
• Let kids smash drivers and explore: Start with the driver for joy and confidence, use playful distance or target games, and avoid over-correcting.
• Adapt for age, safety, and budget: Bigger targets for younger kids, one swinger at a time, clubs sized for today, and use free spaces like putting greens for low-cost fun.

The rule that changes everything About Golf Drills for Kids: make it a game

Kids don’t fall in love with golf because of the beauty and history of the great game of golf — they fall in love because their ball rolled into a cone at the last second and they got to shout “YES!”

So when creating golf drills for kids, lean into games first and foremost, not technical swing mechanics.

And why this works?

• Attention is short – One minute per year of age. A 5-year-old = five minutes per activity before you move a cone, tweak a rule, or rotate stations.
• Child-centred wins – Most kids don’t want 18 holes. They want crazy golf, putting green adventures, or a bucket game on Toptracer. All count as golf.
• Your role as parent / golf teacher – Encourage, don’t correct. Praise effort, not outcome. Skip the dreaded words “focus!” and “why did you do that?”

And above all never, never attach treats to performance – cake, hot chocolate, ice cream or whatever the treat they want is for turning up. Not for holing five putts in a row!

So the next time your going to the golf course or driving range or golf simulator or even just to crazy golf pick one of the following games, set a two-minute timer. Play. Then stop while they’re still smiling!

Putting — three fun golf drills for kids you can set up anywhere

Putting is the easiest place to start: low strength required, quick feedback, and simple setups.

And the following are easy fun golf drills for kids, especially younger ones between 4 and 7 years old or complete beginners.

Drill 1: The Gate Game

• Goal: Roll the ball between two tees without touching them.
• Setup: Two tees slightly wider than the putter head; ball in the middle.
• Rules: Make a clean roll → narrow the gate slightly. Hit a tee → try again or widen it.
• Cue: “Make a Y with arms and putter.” Keep the Y back and through.
• Progression: Narrow to putter-head width. Count streaks.
• Common mistake: Moving to a narrow gate too soon.

Drill 2: Finders Keepers

• Goal: Hit any target to “win” it.
• Setup: 6–10 balls or cones as targets, 6–12 feet away.
• Rules: Hit a target → keep it. Play solo or versus a parent.
• Cue: “Small swing = small roll. Medium swing = medium roll.”
• Progression: Smaller targets, longer distance, or “two-in-a-row steals one.”
• Common mistake; Using small cones, too far apart. Large cones, close together = frequent wins.

Drill 3: Ladder Distance Control

• Goal: Stop one ball in each “rung” of the ladder.
• Setup: Lay 3–5 clubs on the green to form zones.
• Rules: Land and stop one ball in zone 1, then zone 2, then zone 3.
• Cue: Eyes on the landing area; match stroke length to distance.
• Progression: Narrow zones, move ladder farther, add penalties.
• Common mistake: Moving to small zones too soon.

Chipping — simple air-time without tears

Chipping involves sending the ball into the air, so the key for easy chipping drills for kids is minimal mechanics and big targets.

There is of course lots of equipment you can use to make up fun drills but here are a couple of games that are super easy to set up and try out with your young golfer.

Drill 1: Throw First, Chip Second

• Goal: Build feel.
• Setup: Pick a hole or large area. Or use a big towel or hoop as the target.
• Rules: Throw 3 balls to feel distance → chip 3 balls to match it.
• Cue: Same Y as putting. Feet close. Ball central. Let the club do the lifting.
• Progression: One throw, one chip; try different landing spots.
• Common mistake: Giving chipping ‘technique’ advice!

Drill 2: Landing-Spot Square

• Goal: Land the first bounce inside the square.
• Setup: Four clubs forming a square.
• Rules: Ten balls → 1 point for first-bounce-in-square.
• Cue: “Pick a landing spot first, then small, smooth swing.”
• Progression: Shrink square, move back, change clubs.
• Common mistake: Not making the square oversized to start and close to the player.

Optional extra chipping drill: Use the putting ladder again for chipping.

Swing time With Woods and Irons — let them smash it!

We talk in more detail about how to teach a kid to swing a golf club in another post but if I could say only one thing when it comes kids golf drills when it comes to longer golf shots it would simply be this – always start with driver and let them smash it!

And the reason for this is based on this simple formula

Biggest face + lightest club head = instant joy. That’s it!

Please please don’t get technical when it comes to the golf swing and golf drills. Save all that for later when they’re older and really want to get better.

To start just keep the technique cues should stay tiny and simple as follows:

• Hot dog in a bun — left thumb = hot dog; right hand = bun.
• Y to L — start in a Y, hinge to an L.
• Show the shoe — finish by showing the sole of the trail foot.

And from there the only golf drill you need to is to have fun getting them to beat their longest shot as often as they can!

With the great tech set ups you often find at lots of driving ranges these days they’ll lively be longest-drive leaderboards also to let kids compare themselves against others. Or points games such as ‘Go fish’.

If there is tech available though let the screen do the coaching; you do the high-fives.

If there’s no tech at the driving range you can also simply make a big “goal” between trees or posts in the distance. Score 1 point for every ball that starts between them.

For progression simply narrow ‘the gate’. Count streaks. Let the kids choose their target.

But please please remember – no swing talk!

Bunker Golf Drills for Kids — optional, messy, okay to skip

If we are being complete about all aspects of the game of golf we need to consider bunkers too.

But if I’m being brutally honest I don’t think there’s really need to get young kids working on bunker drills. Because in short bunkers are really hard for kids.

But if they are curious and want to try them out don’t stop them. Just keep it ultra-simple:

• Goal: ‘Hit the line’ to splash the sand. Five tries to erase it.
• Setup: Draw a line an inch behind the ball. Build a sandy tee if needed.
• Rules: None
• Cue: Same Y as putting. Feet close. Ball central.
• Common mistake: Asking to get the ball out the bunker. That’s purely a bonus! Celebrate sand, not shots.
• Bonus tip: Rake together — great etiquette lesson!

Age & Attention — adapt any drill fast

The one-minute-per-year rule makes every golf drill for kids easier and is a key thing to bear mind to keep things fun.

• Ages 2-3: 2-3 minutes per activity; huge targets; simple wins; perfect for free drills with tees and a putter.
• Ages 4-7: Introduce light scoring; small rule tweaks.
• Ages 8-11: Up to 10 minutes, add progressions, narrow gates, and mini-matches.

Different kids progress at different rates of course when they’re playing golf so whatever age your child is trying out from fun golf drills these are some simply easy ways to adjust any of them:

1. Distance: Closer or further.
2. Size: Bigger or smaller gates.
3. Rules: Add “steal,” “streak,” bonus balls.
4. Pressure: Final ball counts double. Stop before frustration.

Gear, safety, and cost — keep barriers low

Golf can be expensive game to play but it should not be a barrier for any kid wanting to try it out.

You can read much more on how much kids golf clubs cost and what children should wear golfing in our other in-depth articles but in summary these are the key points to bear in mind when it comes to kids golf gear, costs and safety for all golf drills.

• Clubs: Fit for now, not “to grow into.” Driver should be roughly chest height (~66% of height).
• Shoes & gloves: Optional.
• Safety: One swinger at a time. Clear zones.
• Cost: Many programmes and ranges offer loaner clubs. Putting greens are usually free, meaning loads of free golf drills for kids are possible with just a putter, tees, and imagination!

Whatever golf drills you get your kids playing though I would simply add these two reminders.

• Stop while it’s fun — ending early beats ending in tears.
• Let them choose the venue: crazy golf, putting green, range or golf course — it’s their version of golf that counts.

Tell me in the comments: which game will you try this week? I love hearing what works for your little golfer

Andy Little is a UK PGA Professional with over 25 years of coaching experience. As a Golf Monthly UK Top 50 Coach, the founder of Little Golfers and the first English PGA pro to earn U.S. Kids Golf Master Kids Coach status, he’s taught thousands of juniors from across the UK. Currently coaching online via Skillest (4.99/5 rating with 2000+ reviews – Use code GOLFINGFOCUS for 50% off the first month of lessons) Andy specializes in making golf accessible and enjoyable for all ages and abilities. 

Before You Go ….

If you’re thinking of junior golf lessons for kids and whether they’re worth it check out this next post to find out more.

How Much Are Junior Golf Lessons Really Worth?

Or if you’re wanting some ideas for golf games to play out on the course check out this post.

Forget Birthdays Regarding the Minimum Age for Golf Courses & Driving Ranges

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• Junior Golf Style Guide – What Do Kids Wear Golfing?
• How Much Do Kids Golf Clubs Cost? A Little Guide To Smart Spending
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