Course Program

Stop Ball on Dime

Vary landing spot, for a 28-handicap player, ~20 minutes at Almaden Cc

Short GameAll teesProgram HCP 287 drills65% match to course practice profile

Program Snapshot

Handicap range

10 to 45

Average HCP

28

Duration (single session)

3 hr 2 min

or

1 drill/day: 7 days · 26 min/day

Ideal tee

All

Skill Distribution

Distance Control36%
Scoring14%
Precision13%
Trajectory10%
Alignment9%
Accuracy7%
Dispersion5%
Aim5%

Overview

Program Structure

Stop Ball on Dime. Vary landing spot and stop on a dime. Focus on Distance Control, Scoring, Precision, Trajectory, Alignment, Accuracy, Dispersion, Aim. For a 28-handicap player, in ~20 minutes.

Skill

Distance Control

Shot

Chip

What you will improve

  • Distance Control
  • Scoring
  • Precision
  • Trajectory

Program details

Sessions
7 focused drills
Recommended
2–3 sessions / week
Total duration
3 hr 2 min
or
1 drill per day
7 days · 26 min/day

Drill Framework

Program breakdown

Each drill is designed to prepare you for the course. Follow the program or repeat the drills to improve key areas of your game.

01

Chip | Parallel Ball Lines | Quadrants

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop a chip shot inside the quadrant(s). The player with the most points at the end wins the challenge. 25 balls per player are needed.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Chip | Parallel Ball Lines | Quadrants
1

Set up 4 lines of 9 balls each, 1 foot apart.

2

Put the lines on grass 5-20 yards/meters from the hole, not on the green.

3

On the green, make 4 quadrants using string or tees, each about 6 feet in radius.

4

Hit 36 chip shots in total, 9 to each quadrant.

5

Start at any ball line and chip 9 balls, aiming for Quadrant

6

Move to the next line and chip 9 balls to Quadrant

7

Do the same for Quadrants 3 and 4, 9 balls each.

8

Count each ball that stops in the target quadrant.

9

Add up the number of successful shots and enter the total out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score282624201612853
02

Chip | Perpendicular Ball Lines | 3 Landing Zones

Short Game

Align a bucket of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 2 perpendicular lines 20 balls per line and hit-and-land chip shots inside landing zones. Count the number of successes.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Chip | Perpendicular Ball Lines | 3 Landing Zones
1

Set up two lines of 18 balls each so they cross each other. Place balls 1 foot apart.

2

On the green, mark 3 landing zones spaced 6 feet apart in a row using sticks or string.

3

Hit 36 chip shots total: 18 from each ball line.

4

From the first line, hit 6 shots to each landing zone (18 shots).

5

From the second line, hit 6 shots to each landing zone (18 shots).

6

Count each ball that lands and stays inside the right landing zone.

7

Add up all successful shots, enter score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3129272318141174
03

Chip | Perpendicular Piles | Quadrants

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop a chip shot inside the quadrant(s). The player with the most points wins the challenge. One bucket of balls per player is needed.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Chip | Perpendicular Piles | Quadrants
1

Set up 10 piles of balls in two lines: 5 piles in each line, 3 yards apart, and the lines 5 to 10 yards away from each other. Piles are 5 to 30 yards from the hole.

2

Use string or tees to mark 4 equal areas around the hole, each 6 feet from the hole.

3

Hit 36 chip shots, split into 4 groups of

9

Aim each group at a different area.

4

Start from a pile, chip 9 balls at the first area, then move to another pile for the next area. Do this until all 4 areas have 9 shots each.

5

Each shot that stops in the right area is a success.

6

Count the number of successful shots out of 36 and enter your score in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3230282520161285
04

Chip | Scattered Ball Lines | 3 Landing Zones

Short Game

Scatter a bucket of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 8 equal lines of 5 balls and hit-and-land chip shots inside landing zones. Count the number of successes.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Chip | Scattered Ball Lines | 3 Landing Zones
1

Put 40 balls into 8 lines. Each line has 5 balls. Lines should be about 1 yard or meter apart. Put these lines anywhere on the grass 5 to 30 yards/meters from the hole but not on the green.

2

On the green, use sticks, clubs, or string to mark 3 landing zones in a straight line about 6 feet (2 meters) apart.

3

Divide the 36 chip shots into 3 sets of 12 shots.

4

For each set, pick 3 lines of balls and aim every shot at one landing zone.

5

Hit 5 chips from each line to the chosen zone. After 3 lines (15 shots), change zones until all 36 shots are done.

6

Count each shot that lands and stays in the target zone as a success.

7

Enter the total number of successful shots in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3230282520161285
05

Chip | Perpendicular Ball Lines | Bullseye 2x

Short Game

Align a bucket of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 2 perpendicular lines 20 balls per line and stop chip shots inside the Bullseye. Count the number of balls in the inner and outer Bullseye.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Chip | Perpendicular Ball Lines | Bullseye 2x
1

Arrange 36 balls in 2 lines of 18 each to form an L shape.

2

Keep each ball 1 foot apart in each line. Keep 5-10 yards between the two lines.

3

Place two circles around the hole on the green: one with a 6-foot radius, and one with a 15-foot radius.

4

From 5–30 yards away, chip 18 balls from the first line, aiming for the circles.

5

Chip the other 18 balls from the second line, aiming for the circles.

6

Alternate hitting 3 to 5 shots between the two lines.

7

Shots inside the small circle = full success. Shots inside the big circle only = partial success.

8

Count how many balls stopped in each circle and get your score. Enter your total successful shots out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score282624201612963
06

Chip | Scattered Piles | Bullseye 2x

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop a chip shot in the bullseye. The best final score relative to PAR wins the challenge. One bucket of balls per player is needed.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Chip | Scattered Piles | Bullseye 2x
1

Make two piles of balls for each player between 5 and 30 yards from the hole, anywhere in the chipping area, on any surface.

2

On the green, make two bullseye zones around the hole: inner circle with 6-foot radius and outer ring from 6 to 15 feet.

3

Each player hits 36 chips: 18 from each pile.

4

Try to stop the ball in the inner bullseye (best), then outer bullseye (good), or avoid missing both (bad).

5

Switch piles after 18 shots, finish all 36 shots.

6

Count how many balls stop in the bullseye zones.

7

After 36 shots, record the number of balls in the bullseyes as your score. Enter this total in the app out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302826221713963
07

Chip | Scattered Piles | 3 Landing Zones

Short Game

Scatter a bucket of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 8 equal piles of 5 balls and hit-and-land chip shots inside landing zones. Count the number of successes.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Chip | Scattered Piles | 3 Landing Zones
1

Put 40 balls into 8 piles, with 5 balls in each pile, between 5 and 30 yards from the hole.

2

On the green, mark 3 zones in a straight line, each zone 6 feet apart.

3

Hit 36 chip shots in total, split into 3 sets of 12 shots.

4

For the first 12 shots, aim to land the ball in Zone

5

For the next 12 shots, aim for Zone

6

For the last 12 shots, aim for Zone

7

Choose any pile to hit from, switch piles if wanted.

8

Count each shot that stops in the right zone as a success.

9

After all 36 shots, enter score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3230282520161285

Next Step

Ready to start this program?

Start the drills at your own pace or work with a coach to inside drills.golf.