What is Golf School?

Golf School is the structured training system within 18Birdies, designed to help you improve your skills and shoot lower scores. Inside Golf School, you select and follow a specific Practice Plan tailored to your development goals.

Golf School accommodates all skill levels. Beginners can utilize foundational plans, while advanced players can select plans targeting specific weaknesses and more advanced concepts. If you’re looking to improve your game and add structure to your practice, Golf School is the perfect tool for you.

How can I access Golf School?

To find Golf School in the app:

Open the 18Birdies app.
Tap the Improve tab on the bottom menu bar.
Scroll to the Golf School module (located below the swing tools) and tap Start Improving.

Troubleshooting: If you do not see the Golf School module, ensure your app is updated to the latest version in the App Store or Google Play Store.

Selecting and Managing Your Practice Plan

Practice Plans focus on specific areas of improvement. You can review your game statistics within the app to identify which part of your game to improve first, or manually select a plan based on your current needs.

Available Practice Plans

You can choose from eight distinct plans:

All Around Game: The best plan to get started with golf, covering everything you need to get onto the course.
Swing Fundamentals: Core mechanics for consistent ball striking.
Putting: Setup, alignment, and distance control on the green.
Driver: Maximizing distance and accuracy off the tee.
Fix My Slice: Drills designed to correct outside-in swing paths and open club faces.
Mental Game: Course strategy, focus techniques, and emotional control.
Break 100: Structured guidelines and benchmarks to score under 100.
Pitching & Chipping: Short game techniques around the green.
Sand Shots: Proper execution from green-side and fairway bunkers.
Stop Flipping: Managing early extension and proper ball striking technique.

Customizing and Resetting Your Plan

How to Start: Open Golf School, tap "Set Up My Personalized Plan," and choose your desired areas. We will recommend a plan for you to get started.
Changing your Plan: You can alter your selections at any time by returning to the Golf School settings in the “...” menu and selecting new focus areas.
Plan Adjustments: As you progress through your plan, drills and assessments will change to reflect your skill level.

How do Practice Plans Work?

Tier Progression

When you select a Practice Plan during onboarding, you are automatically placed into Tier 1 of that plan. Tiers are designed to break your progress down into manageable stages. As you advance from one tier to the next, the drills and assessments automatically update, becoming more advanced to match your improving skill level.

Home Drills vs. Range Drills

Every Practice Plan includes a mix of Home and Range drills so you can practice anywhere, anytime. Every drill is clearly labeled with its estimated completion time and required equipment.

Home Drills: Designed for quick sessions that do not require hitting live golf balls. They generally take less than 5 minutes and can be done in limited indoor spaces.
Range Drills: Focused on live-ball practice. These require a hitting area (like a driving range) and typically take anywhere from 5 to 30 minutes to complete.

Logging Practice & Weekly Goals

Whenever you complete a drill, log your practice in the app to track your total volume and activity.

Weekly Practice Time Goal: Every logged session directly contributes to your weekly practice time goal, split out by Range Time and Home Time.
Recommendation: To see steady improvement, aim to hit your weekly practice time goal consistently and complete assessments whenever they are available.

The Assessment Index

Assessments are used to test your skills objectively and determine when you are ready to move to the next tier.

The 20-Shot Format: Every assessment consists of 20 total shots, with each shot evaluated on a simple success/fail condition.
Tier-Specific Testing: A plan may contain one or multiple assessments. These assessments change and become more difficult as you move up in tiers.
Calculating Your Assessment Index: Your total number of successful shots out of 20 across the most recent 3 assessments within your active plan are used to calculate your Assessment Index—a score from 0 to 100 that measures your plan progress.

Important Note: You will not receive an assessment index for your plan until you complete the assessment 3 times. This is to ensure we get a more consistent average instead of an outlier performance.

Tier Thresholds & Graduation

Your current Assessment Index determines your tier placement and when you complete a plan:

0-25: Tier 1
26-50: Tier 2
51-80: Tier 3
81-100: Graduation (Plan Completed)

Make sure to track your assessment progress early and often so you can track your progress effectively!

Is Golf School Free?

All of the content within Golf School is free to access for all users. However, the training system – including practice logging and assessment tracking – are behind a paywall. You are able to log up to 7 practice sessions and assessments in the free tier.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I access all the drills at any time?

Yes. You can access all available drills at any time.

To find them:

Tap the Improve tab.
Tap View All Practice Tools.
Tap Drill Library.

From there, you’ll be able to access drills across all available skill areas.

Is Golf School available on both iPhone and Android?

Yes. Golf School and its accompanying Practice Plans are fully supported and available on both iOS and Android devices.

Why don’t I see or why can’t I access Golf School in my app?

If the Golf School module is missing, ensure your device is running the latest version of 18Birdies by checking the App Store or Google Play Store. If the app is up to date and the module still does not load, try logging out of your account, closing the app completely, and logging back in.

How do I know which Practice Plan is right for me?

You can choose a plan based on personal goals, or you can review your playing statistics inside the 18Birdies app. Your tracked stats highlight the specific areas of your game (e.g., driving, short game, putting) costing you the most strokes, making it clear which plan to start first. If you’re unsure where to start, the All Around Game plan is a great way to get started!!

Can I focus on multiple plans, change my plan, or restart from the beginning?

Yes. While it is recommended to start with 1 focus area during setup, you can change or reset your selections at any time. Simply open Golf School, tap the “...” menu, and select new focus areas to adjust your active plan. Your progress on your current plan will be saved if you ever want to switch back.

Can I complete Golf School drills at home or at the driving range?

Both. Every Practice Plan contains a strategic mix of Home Drills and Range Drills:

Home Drills: Take less than 5 minutes, require no live golf balls, and are built for limited indoor spaces.
Range Drills: Take between 5 to 30 minutes, require hitting live golf balls, and are designed for a driving range or practice facility.

Do I need to complete drills and lessons in a specific order?

We recommend that you complete all of the drills in the current tier of your plan. Drills will be updated each time you advance to a new tier. While you can browse alternative content in the Drill Library, you must complete the required assessments to advance to new tiers.

Can I skip or repeat drills and lessons?

You can repeat any drill or instructional video as many times as you like to reinforce your muscle memory. In fact, this is recommended, as repetition is a great way to get better!

How often should I practice and how long are the sessions?

For steady game improvement, aiming to practice 2 to 3 times per week is recommended. Sessions vary depending on where you are training: home drills take under 5 minutes, while range drills span 5 to 30 minutes. If you miss a week of practice, there is no penalty – your plan progress will save exactly where you left off.

What are the different Golf School Tiers and how do I move up?

Plans are broken down into three progressive stages: Tier 1 (Foundational), Tier 2 (Intermediate), and Tier 3 (Advanced). As you step up a tier, your drills and assessments update automatically to match your growing skill level. Progression is entirely based on your performance data, which is tracked through your Assessment Index.

What is the Assessment Index and how is it calculated?

The Assessment Index is a progress metric scored from 0 to 100. Every assessment requires you to take 20 total shots, evaluating each on a strict success or fail condition. Your total successful shots across your most recent 3 assessments within an active plan are averaged to calculate your final index score.

Why don't I see an Assessment Index score yet?

You must complete a plan's specific assessment at least 3 times before the app generates your initial Assessment Index. This 3-completion requirement prevents single outlier performances (exceptionally good or bad days) from skewing your data, ensuring a reliable average baseline.

How do I graduate or complete a Practice Plan?

Your tier placement changes as your Assessment Index crosses specific scoring thresholds:

Index 0–25: Tier 1
Index 26–50: Tier 2
Index 51–80: Tier 3
Index 81–100: Graduation (Plan Completed)

Once you complete a plan, we recommend that you move on to a new one, but you can always go back to see the drills that were recommended.

How do I log my practice and track if my game is improving?

Whenever you finish a drill, select "Log Practice" or "Log Assessment" on the Golf School homepage, enter your time spent or test scores, and tap submit. This data populates your Weekly Practice Time Goal (broken down by Range Time and Home Time) and updates your Assessment Index so you can monitor your data trends.

Can a friend or a real-world coach track my Golf School progress?

Yes, using the Coach Connect feature. By navigating to your Student Side Homepage, you can share a unique link or a scannable QR code with your coach. Once linked, your coach can view your practice logs, review your performance trends, and analyze your swing videos.

Is 18Birdies Golf School free or does it require a Premium subscription?

All instructional text, video content, and drill instructions within Golf School are 18Birdies Free Features accessible to all users. However, utilizing the automated tracking system—which includes logging practice sessions, calculating your Assessment Index, and tracking assessments over time—is a Premium Feature. Free tier users can log a lifetime maximum of up to 7 total practice sessions and assessments before a Premium subscription is required to continue tracking data.