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What do pro golfers do that amateurs don t?

Author

Emily Sparks

Published Jan 24, 2026

There are three main things that make pros different from amateurs. Pro golfers are different from you and me. They play the nicest courses, have the nicest clubs in the bag, and have a seemingly unlimited supply of apparel at their disposal at all times. They swing the club differently, too.

Do pro golfers use the same balls as amateurs?

In PGA Tour, most professional and high-level amateur tournaments, golfers are bound by the One Ball Rule, meaning they can only play a single golf ball -- same manufacturer and model -- throughout a stipulated round. So professional golfers can carry as many of the same golf ball in their bag as they'd like.

Do any pro golfers swing out to in?

Craig Stadler, Craig Parry and many other champion golfers swing this way. Bruce Lietzke made a wonderful career on the PGA Tour with an “in-and-over” move.

How many hours a day does a pro golfer practice?

In a day, the average tour pro spends about three to four hours concentrating on the full swing and an equal amount of time on the short-game. But tour pros are not just beating balls or blindly rolling putts.

Who is the most disliked professional golfer?

Rory Sabbatini

He was not well-liked prior to a nasty split with his ex-wife, and her revelations about Sabbatini have done further damage to his reputation (a feat few thought possible). Consider this, via Golf Today: "Rory Sabbatini is the most hated man in golf.

21 related questions found

Who is the rudest golfer?

1. Tiger Woods. One thing is certain: Tiger Woods is the most arrogant golfer and perhaps the most arrogant athlete ever.

Do pro golfers talk to each other?

Most players have a bit of a chat with their playing partners during a round. If they are buddies, they may talk a lot, it just depends on the pairings. I work primarily on the PGA Tour Champions now. I feel like guys on our Tour talk a fair amount to each other during rounds.

How many balls do pros hit before a round?

The ideal number of golf balls to hit at the driving range before your round is 30 balls. This allows you to warm up the body by hitting each club twice, but won't be enough to tire yourself out before you tee-off. I also asked a few golf coaches about this and none of them said to hit more than 30 balls at the range.

How many balls a day do the pros hit?

How Many Golf Balls Do Pros Hit Every Day. On average, a pro golfer hits about 500 shots a day, but only about 50-100 of those are on a driving range. Most of them are hit from around the greens and on the course itself. But, hitting golf balls is a tiny part of a pro golfers' training day.

Do pro golfers use a new ball on each hole?

If you're a PGA Tour pro, you might swap out every few holes because, well, you get your pellets for free. But what about for those of us that pay for our spheres? According to Frederick Waddell, Titleist's senior manager of golf ball product management, play it until you lose it.

Do pros have swing thoughts?

Indeed, a study found 75 of PGA Professionals have no swing thoughts at all. At most, a typical golfer should refrain from having more than one swing thought at a time when playing a round of golf. However, whenever practicing and trying to groove a swing it can be helpful to experiment with various swing thoughts.

What should my swing thoughts be?

"A good swing thought is to keep your height. Feel tall. Like your chest stays nice and high when you hit shots. This will help you maintain the width of your arms and prevent you from getting scoopy."

What happens if a pro golfer runs out of balls?

If you happen to run out of balls, you can borrow one from any other player, including a practice or X-Out ball (which are generally conforming balls). If you play a wrong ball, you lose the hole in match play or get a two-stroke penalty in stroke play.

Do golf balls wear out?

Without visible damage, a golf ball can last up to seven 18-hole rounds without any loss of performance. In fact, you are more likely to lose a golf ball on the course before it just wears out. But as soon as the ball feels rough, you should replace it.

How many balls can a PGA pro carry?

How Many Golf Balls Can a Pro Have in His Bag? How many balls can a pro golfer carry in his bag? Essentially, they can carry nine golf balls at a single time, but this isn't some crazy rule. In truth, they can carry around as many as they want, or as many as their caddies are willing to carry.

How many golf balls should I bring for 18 holes?

Most amateur golfers will be fine bringing nine golf balls with them for a rough of 18 holes. Some will like to keep a dozen balls in the bag, and that is fine, although it is rarely necessary.

How often do pros hit driver?

Pros hit just under 1.0 percent of tee shots into one-stroke penalties and only 0.4 percent into two-stroke penalties. Think about that. Pros hit into stroke-and-distance trouble just one in 250 par-4 or par-5 tee shots — or about one big miss every 18 rounds. How do us weekenders do?

Should you go to the range before playing golf?

A pre-round range session is just a way to warm up the engine, that's all. So many players judge how they are going to play by how they hit it on the range in warm up. I have seen Tour players flush every shot on the range and skank it on the course and vice versa, so the same applies to the club golfer.

How long do PGA pros warm up?

Short game warm up [5 – 10 minutes]

A great chipping and pitching warm up should make you feel comfortable with your striking and confident playing the shots you will face out on the golf course. Pick a simple 8-10 yard chip just off the green and hit 5 – 10 chips trying to hole each shot. This gets you target-focused.

How do pros practice putting?

1. Putt through tees. Using a few tees — either by placing them outside the heel and toe of your putterhead, and/or trying putt your ball through a set if tees — is a very common way pro golfers practice.

Can you practice too much golf?

Practicing Golf Too Much

If you're not practicing golf the right way, it's very possible to practice too often. If you repeatedly practice the same golf swing technique, you won't be able to switch into a competitive mindset when you're in competition. This will be counterproductive to your golf game.

Who is the most liked golf player?

70% of golf fans said they have a favorable opinion of Tiger Woods, placing him in a virtual tie with Phil Mickelson as golf's most popular player. Bubba Watson (59%), Rory McIlroy (59%) and Jordan Spieth (55%) rounded out the top five most popular golfers on tour.

What do professional golfers do between rounds?

Professional swing coaches follow their golfers around the course during practice rounds and help with golf course strategy. They also spend hours on the driving range and putting green as their clients hone their swings and putting strokes.

Do pro golfers pay their own expenses?

A PGA Tour player who's exempt from qualifying doesn't have to pay entry fees for tour events. He does pay a $100 initiation fee, then $100 in annual dues. The only expense he must pay to play in a tournament is a mandatory $50 locker room fee.