Course Program

Can you stop the ball close from a tight lie?

Feel the distance, for a 17-handicap player, ~15 minutes at Apple Mountain Gr

Short GameAll teesProgram HCP 16.99 drills64% match to course practice profile

Program Snapshot

Handicap range

7 to 45

Average HCP

16.9

Duration (single session)

3 hr 53 min

or

1 drill/day: 9 days · 26 min/day

Ideal tee

All

Skill Distribution

Distance Control30%
Alignment14%
Accuracy13%
Aim12%
Trajectory10%
Precision10%
Dispersion7%
Scoring3%

Overview

Program Structure

Can you stop the ball close from a tight lie?. Vary landing spot soft and stop close from tight lie. Focus on Distance Control, Alignment, Accuracy. For a 17-handicap player, in ~15 minutes.

Skill

Distance Control

Shot

Flop

What you will improve

  • Distance Control
  • Alignment
  • Accuracy
  • Aim

Program details

Sessions
9 focused drills
Recommended
2–3 sessions / week
Total duration
3 hr 53 min
or
1 drill per day
9 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

Flop | 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 flop shots inside landing zones. Count the number of successes.

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

Arrange 36 balls in two lines of 18 balls each. Lines cross each other and are 5 to 10 yards apart. Balls are 1 foot apart in each line.

2

Put three landing zones in a row on the green, 6 feet apart.

3

There are 36 shots. Aim 12 shots at each landing zone.

4

From one line, hit 6 shots at the first landing zone.

5

From the other line, hit 6 shots at the second landing zone.

6

Go back to the first line and hit 6 shots at the third landing zone.

7

Switch lines and keep repeating until all 36 shots are done, with 12 shots at each landing zone.

8

Count each shot that lands and stops in the right zone as successful.

9

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3129262218141074
02

Flop | Deep Rough and Other | Above/Below Feet

Short Game

Up to 5 players hit flop shot two buckets of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) from the sloped deep rough and other extreme grass types; one bucket with balls above feet level, and one bucket with balls below feet level.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Flop | Deep Rough and Other | Above/Below Feet
1

Prepare two sets of 18 balls: one set for above-feet shots, one set for below-feet shots.

2

Mark three target zones on the green: left, center, and right.

3

Divide 36 shots into three groups of 12: each group has 6 above-feet and 6 below-feet shots. Each group aims 2 shots at each zone.

4

From deep rough and sloped lies, hit two flop shots at each target zone: first above-feet, then below-feet, for all zones.

5

Keep the ball setup the same for all shots. Only change the target zone.

6

Count a ball as a success if it lands and stops in the intended zone.

7

Add up total successes out of 36 attempts and enter the score in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028252218141074
03

Flop | Perpendicular Ball Lines | 9 Stop Zones

Short Game

Align a bucket of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 2 perpendicular lines 20 balls per line and stop flop shots inside 9 Stop Zones. Count the number of successful stops.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Flop | Perpendicular Ball Lines | 9 Stop Zones
1

Put 36 balls in two crossing lines with 18 balls in each line. Balls are 1 foot apart.

2

Make 9 stop zones on the green using tees, strings, or markers. Keep them spaced out and easy to see.

3

Hit 4 flop shots to each stop zone. This makes 36 shots total (4 shots for each of the 9 zones).

4

From the first line of balls, hit 4 shots, one to each of the first 4 stop zones.

5

From the second line, hit 4 shots, one to each of the next 4 stop zones.

6

Use the rest of the balls to hit 4 shots to the 9th stop zone, then enter score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

7

Count a shot a success only if the ball stops inside the right stop zone.

8

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3230282520161285
04

Flop | Deep Rough and Other | Flat

Short Game

Up to 5 players hit flop shot two buckets of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) from the flat deep rough and other extreme grass types.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Flop | Deep Rough and Other | Flat
1

Set up 3 target zones on the green, spaced about 4 feet apart in a row.

2

Place all golf balls together in a pile 10 yards from the green, outside the deep rough.

3

Hit 36 flop shots from the rough, aiming 12 shots at each zone.

4

Hit 12 shots to Zone

5

Hit 12 shots to Zone

6

Hit 12 shots to Zone

7

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

8

Add how many successes out of 36, and enter the score in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score312926221713963
05

Flop | Scattered Ball Lines | Quadrants

Short Game

Scatter a bucket of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 8 equal lines of 5 balls and stop flop shots inside quadrants. Count the number of successes.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Flop | Scattered Ball Lines | Quadrants
1

Scatter 40 balls in 8 lines, with 5 balls in each line, spaced about 1 yard or meter apart between 5 and 40 yards or meters from the hole.

2

Divide a 10-foot or 3-meter circle around the hole into 4 equal parts using string or tees.

3

Hit a total of 36 flop shots.

4

Assign 9 shots to each of the 4 parts.

5

Pick 5 balls from the scattered lines and try to land and stop the ball in the assigned part, then move to a different line and part.

6

Always hit each shot from where the ball was placed, aiming at the assigned part.

7

Count a shot as successful if the ball stops inside the intended part.

8

Do all 36 shots (9 in each part) and then count all successful shots and enter score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302825211612853
06

Flop | Rough | Uphill/Downhill

Short Game

Up to 5 players hit flop shot two buckets of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) from the sloped rough grass; one bucket from the uphill slope and one bucket from the downhill slope.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Flop | Rough | Uphill/Downhill
1

Set up 2 target zones on the green: one uphill, one downhill, about 10 feet apart.

2

Put 18 balls in the uphill rough, and 18 in the downhill rough.

3

Hit 18 flop shots from the uphill rough and try to land each ball in the uphill target zone.

4

Hit 18 flop shots from the downhill rough and try to land each ball in the downhill target zone.

5

If the ball lands and stays in the target zone, it counts as a success.

6

Always keep the way you set up each ball the same; only the target zone changes.

7

After all 36 shots, count how many were successful out of 36 and enter your score in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302825211612853
07

Flop | Scattered Ball Lines | Multiple Targets

Short Game

Scatter a bucket of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 8 equal lines of 5 balls and stop flop shots close to multiple targets. Count the number of successes.

25 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Flop | Scattered Ball Lines | Multiple Targets
1

Make 7 lines of 5 balls each (35 balls total), with balls 1 yard apart. Put the lines on grass 5 to 20 yards from the hole, not on the green.

2

Put 5 markers on the green, each 6 feet apart.

3

Match each line of balls to a marker on the green.

4

Hit all 5 balls in the line as flop shots at the marker. Move to the next line and repeat with the next marker.

5

Count how many balls land within 10 feet of the marker.

6

When done, count total balls inside 10 feet, and enter score in the app out of 35 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions35
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028252218141074
08

Flop | Parallel Ball Lines | Quadrants

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop a flop 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 Flop | Parallel Ball Lines | Quadrants
1

Set up 4 lines of 9 balls each, spaced 5 yards apart between lines and 1 foot apart between balls.

2

Mark 4 quadrants on the green, each a 9-foot circle.

3

Hit 36 flop shots, aiming 9 shots at each quadrant.

4

For each shot, hit from any line and aim at the assigned quadrant.

5

Always keep the ball setup the same and only switch quadrants after 9 shots.

6

Count each ball that stops in the right quadrant as a success.

7

Enter your number of successes in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302825221713963
09

Flop | Parallel Ball Lines | 3 Landing Zones

Short Game

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

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Flop | Parallel Ball Lines | 3 Landing Zones
1

Place 40 balls in two lines of 20 balls. The balls in each line are 1 foot apart. The two lines are 5 to 10 yards apart.

2

On the green use sticks or string to make 3 landing zones in a straight line. Each zone is 6 feet apart.

3

Hit 36 flop shots from the ball lines to the landing zones.

4

Make 3 groups of 12 shots.

5

For each group aim for only one landing zone.

6

After each group of 12 shots, switch to the other ball line.

7

Count every shot that stops in the right landing zone.

8

When all 36 shots are done, add up your successful shots out of 36 attempts and enter your score in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028252218141074

Next Step

Ready to start this program?

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

Can you stop the ball close from a tight lie? | Apple Mountain Gr