Course Program

Pitch 20–35 Yds From Fairway Or Rough

Up-and-down contest, for a 16-handicap player, ~15 minutes at Arrowhead Country Club

Short GameAll teesProgram HCP 15.97 drills64% match to course practice profile

Program Snapshot

Handicap range

6 to 25

Average HCP

15.9

Duration (single session)

3 hr 2 min

or

1 drill/day: 7 days · 26 min/day

Ideal tee

All

Skill Distribution

Scoring32%
Accuracy15%
Dispersion15%
Distance Control12%
Visualization10%
Precision8%
Aim5%
Alignment3%

Overview

Program Structure

Pitch 20–35 Yds From Fairway Or Rough. Up-and-down contest and save par clutch. Focus on Scoring, Accuracy, Dispersion, Distance Control, Visualization, Precision, Aim, Alignment. For a 16-handicap player, in ~15 minutes.

Shot

Pitch

What you will improve

  • Scoring
  • Accuracy
  • Dispersion
  • Distance Control

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

Pitch | Fairway | Uphill/Downhill

Short Game

Hit 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 Pitch | Fairway | Uphill/Downhill
1

Split 36 shots into two groups of 18 shots: one group for uphill, one group for downhill, both on the fairway.

2

Mark three target zones on the green at 30, 45, and 60 yards from the hole.

3

For each slope, hit 6 shots at each zone (6 at 30 yards, 6 at 45 yards, 6 at 60 yards).

4

Do not change the ball setup during the drill.

5

Finish all 18 shots on the uphill slope first, then do all 18 shots on the downhill slope.

6

A shot counts only if it lands and stops inside the zone you aimed for.

7

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3129262318141074
02

Pitch | Perpendicular Piles | 9 Stop Zones

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop a pitch shot in the stop zone(s). The player with the most points at the end wins the challenge. One bucket of balls per player is needed.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Pitch | Perpendicular Piles | 9 Stop Zones
1

Place 10 piles of balls in two lines that cross each other, with 5 piles in each line, spaced 3 yards apart.

2

Put these piles on grass, 30 to 60 yards from the hole.

3

On the green, mark 9 clear stop zones using buckets, string, or tees, spaced evenly.

4

Hit 36 pitch shots, aiming 4 shots at each of the 9 stop zones.

5

From any pile, hit 4 balls trying to stop them in the first zone.

6

After 4 shots, aim at the next zone and hit 4 more shots, repeating for each zone.

7

Keep hitting 4 shots per stop zone until all 9 zones are done (total 36 shots).

8

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

9

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3129262218141074
03

Pitch | Deep Rough and Other | Above/Below Feet

Short Game

Hit 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 Pitch | Deep Rough and Other | Above/Below Feet
1

Put 4 piles of 9 balls on a slope, 2 piles above feet, 2 piles below feet, 30 to 60 yards from the hole.

2

Mark 3 target zones on the green: left, center, right, each about 6 feet wide.

3

Hit 36 pitch shots, 18 from above feet piles, 18 from below feet piles.

4

For each area (above and below feet), hit 6 shots to each zone.

5

Switch between piles of the same area as you hit, aiming for the target zone.

6

A shot counts if the ball stops in the right zone.

7

Count how many shots went in the target zones and enter score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score292724201612964
04

Pitch | Parallel Ball Lines | 9 Stop Zones

Short Game

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

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Pitch | Parallel Ball Lines | 9 Stop Zones
1

Place 36 balls in 2 lines of 18 balls each, about 1 foot apart.

2

Set up 9 stop zones on the green using markers, arranged in 3 groups of 3 zones.

3

Hit 4 pitch shots into each stop zone, for a total of 36 shots.

4

Start at the first stop zone and hit 4 shots from the first ball line, aiming for that zone.

5

Switch to the second ball line and hit 4 shots at the next stop zone.

6

Keep switching lines and zones until all 36 shots are done.

7

A shot is a success if the ball stops in the target zone.

8

Count successful shots and enter score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score312926221713963
05

Pitch | Scattered Piles | Quadrants

Short Game

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

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Pitch | Scattered Piles | Quadrants
1

Make 4 piles of 9 balls each, with the piles 30–60 yards from the hole on different ground.

2

On the green, mark out a 15-foot circle around the hole and divide the circle into 4 equal parts.

3

Hit 9 shots from a pile to try and stop the ball in the first part of the circle.

4

Move to another pile and hit 9 shots for the second part.

5

Repeat for the third and fourth parts, from any pile.

6

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

7

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028252218141063
06

Pitch | Fairway | Above/Below Feet

Short Game

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

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Pitch | Fairway | Above/Below Feet
1

Choose two starting spots on a sloped fairway—one where the ball is above your feet, and one where it is below your feet.

2

Put 3 piles of 6 balls each above your feet, spaced between 30 and 60 yards from the hole.

3

Put 3 piles of 6 balls each below your feet, spaced between 30 and 60 yards from the hole.

4

Mark three target zones on the green: Left, Center, and Right, spaced about 6 feet apart.

5

Hit 6 shots from each above-feet pile, aiming at each target zone (18 shots total from above feet).

6

Hit 6 shots from each below-feet pile, aiming at each target zone (18 shots total from below feet).

7

Count a shot as successful if the ball stays in the target zone.

8

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score292724201512974
07

Pitch | Scattered Piles | Quadrants

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop a pitch 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 Pitch | Scattered Piles | Quadrants
1

Make 4 piles of 9 balls each, with piles placed randomly 30–60 yards from the hole.

2

Mark 4 quadrants on the green around the hole using string or tees, each about 9 feet wide.

3

Hit 36 pitch shots, 9 to each quadrant.

4

From any pile, hit 9 balls trying to stop them in the first quadrant.

5

Move to a new pile and hit 9 balls to the second quadrant. Repeat for all quadrants.

6

Count balls that stop inside the target quadrant.

7

Count total balls in the correct quadrant and enter the number out of 36 attempts in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302825201612853

Next Step

Ready to start this program?

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