Course Program

Keep Ball Close To Hole

Use a short swing, for a 35-handicap player, ~30 minutes at O'Connor

Short GameAll teesProgram HCP 356 drills

Program Snapshot

Handicap range

25 to 45

Average HCP

35

Duration (single session)

2 hr 36 min

or

1 drill/day: 6 days · 26 min/day

Ideal tee

All

Skill Distribution

Scoring23%
Aim23%
Distance Control18%
Alignment14%
Accuracy11%
Precision7%
Dispersion3%

Overview

Program Structure

Keep Ball Close To Hole. Roll the ball low and straight and use a short swing. Focus on Scoring, Aim, Distance Control. For a 35-handicap player, in ~30 minutes.

Shot

Bump'n'Run

What you will improve

  • Scoring
  • Aim
  • Distance Control
  • Alignment

Program details

Sessions
6 focused drills
Recommended
2–3 sessions / week
Total duration
2 hr 36 min
or
1 drill per day
6 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

Bump-n-Run | Scattered Piles | 3 Landing Zones

Short Game

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

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Bump-n-Run | Scattered Piles | 3 Landing Zones
1

Put 36 golf balls into 3 groups of 12 balls. Spread the groups around the green between 1 and 10 yards from the edge and 5 to 30 yards from the hole.

2

Mark 3 landing zones in a straight line at the edge of the green, each 6 feet (2 meters) apart.

3

Hit 36 bump-and-run shots: 12 to zone 1, 12 to zone 2, 12 to zone

4

Use the first set of 12 balls for zone 1, the second set for zone 2, and the last set for zone

5

Keep ball positions and distances the same for the whole test.

6

Count each ball that stops inside the target zone as a success.

7

Add your total successful shots and enter your score in the app out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3230282520161285
02

Bump-n-Run | Parallel Ball Lines | 9 Stop Zones

Short Game

Align a bucket of balls next to the green (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 2 parallel lines 20 balls per line and stop bump-n-run shots inside 9 Stop Zones. Count the number of successful stops.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Bump-n-Run | Parallel Ball Lines | 9 Stop Zones
1

Place two parallel lines of balls beside the green. Each line has 18 balls spaced 1 foot apart. The lines are 5 to 10 yards apart.

2

On the green, mark 9 stop zones using tees, string, or buckets. Arrange the zones in 3 rows of 3, spaced evenly.

3

Hit 36 bump-n-run shots. Divide them into 9 groups of 4 shots.

4

Hit 4 shots from one ball line toward Stop Zone

1

Try to stop each ball in that zone.

5

Switch to the other ball line and hit 4 shots toward Stop Zone

6

Keep switching ball lines and hit 4 shots at each stop zone in order (Zone 1 to Zone 9).

7

Count every ball that stops in the right stop zone as a success.

8

Add total successful stops and enter the score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3230282520161285
03

Bump-n-Run | Fairway | Uphill/Downhill

Short Game

Hit bump-n-run shot two buckets of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) from the sloped fairway; one bucket from the uphill slope and one bucket from the downhill slope.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Bump-n-Run | Fairway | Uphill/Downhill
1

Place 18 balls on the uphill slope and 18 balls on the downhill slope between 5 and 30 yards from the hole.

2

Set up 3 targets on the green, spaced evenly in a 10-foot wide area, labeled Target A, Target B, and Target C.

3

Hit 18 shots from the uphill slope and 18 shots from the downhill slope, for a total of 36 shots.

4

For each slope, hit 6 shots at Target A, then 6 shots at Target B, then 6 shots at Target C.

5

Keep the ball setup the same and do not move from your spot on the slope while hitting each group of shots.

6

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

7

After all 36 shots, count and enter the number of successful shots in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3129272318141074
04

Bump-n-Run | Fairway | Above/Below Feet

Short Game

Hit bump-n-run shot two buckets of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) from the sloped fairway; one bucket with balls above feet level, one bucket with balls below feet level.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Bump-n-Run | Fairway | Above/Below Feet
1

Gather 36 balls and split them into 2 groups of

2

Stand on a slope where the ball is above your feet for the first 18 shots.

3

Choose one target on the green to aim at.

4

Hit 18 bump-and-run shots, trying to get close to the target from this lie.

5

Move to a slope where the ball is below your feet for the next 18 shots.

6

Hit 18 bump-and-run shots at the same target from this lie.

7

Count how many balls stop close to the pin. Record that number as your score out of 36 in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3129262218141063
05

Bump-n-Run | Scattered Ball Lines | Bullseye 2x

Short Game

Scatter a bucket of balls next to the green (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 8 equal lines of 5 balls and stop bump-n-run shots inside Bullseye. Count the number of balls in the inner and outer Bullseye.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Bump-n-Run | Scattered Ball Lines | Bullseye 2x
1

Put 40 balls in 8 lines of 5 balls each around the green. Lines should be about 1 yard/meter apart and placed 1 to 10 yards/meters from the green and 5 to 30 yards/meters from the hole.

2

On the green, mark two circle zones around the hole: one with a 6-foot (2 meter) radius and another with a 15-foot (5 meter) radius.

3

Hit 36 bump-and-run shots—first 18 shots aiming for the small inner circle, then 18 shots aiming for the bigger outer circle.

4

Use any line of balls. Hit shots for the inner circle for 18 attempts, then switch to hitting shots for the outer circle for another 18 attempts. Change lines as wanted.

5

Count each ball that stops in the circle aimed for as a success.

6

After all 36 shots, add the number of successful shots out of 36 and enter your score in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3230282520161285
06

Bump-n-Run | Perpendicular Ball Lines | Bullseye 2x

Short Game

Align a bucket of balls next to the green (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 2 perpendicular lines 20 balls per line and stop bump-n-run shots inside Bullseye. Count the number of balls in the inner and outer Bullseye.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Bump-n-Run | Perpendicular Ball Lines | Bullseye 2x
1

Place a bucket of balls next to the green with 2 straight lines of 20 balls arranged perpendicular to each other.

2

Space the lines 5 to 10 yards/meters apart, with each ball about 1 foot (30 cm) apart in each line.

3

Mark two circles on the green: an inner circle with a 6-foot (2 m) radius and an outer circle with a 15-foot (5 m) radius around the hole.

4

Hit 36 bump-and-run shots in 2 sets of 18 shots, switching between the two lines.

5

Hit 3 to 5 shots from one line, then switch to the other line, until all 36 balls are played.

6

Try to land balls in the circles: inside the inner circle is best, inside the outer circle is okay.

7

Count how many balls stopped inside the outer circle (including the inner circle), and enter your score in the app out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302825201512964

Next Step

Ready to start this program?

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