Course Program

Thread Needle: Narrow Landing Zone

Pinpoint mixed shots, for a 21-handicap player, ~20 minutes at Avalon Lakes Golf Club

Short GameAll teesProgram HCP 21.49 drills58% match to course practice profile

Program Snapshot

Handicap range

10 to 45

Average HCP

21.4

Duration (single session)

3 hr 54 min

or

1 drill/day: 9 days · 26 min/day

Ideal tee

All

Skill Distribution

Precision31%
Aim26%
Distance Control10%
Alignment10%
Dispersion9%
Scoring6%
Trajectory4%
Accuracy4%

Overview

Program Structure

Thread Needle: Narrow Landing Zone. Precision from tough lie and pinpoint mixed shots. Focus on Precision, Aim, Distance Control, Alignment, Dispersion, Scoring, Trajectory, Accuracy. For a 21-handicap player, in ~20 minutes.

Skill

Precision

Shot

Chip

What you will improve

  • Precision
  • Aim
  • Distance Control
  • Alignment

Program details

Sessions
9 focused drills
Recommended
2–3 sessions / week
Total duration
3 hr 54 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

Chip | Parallel Piles | 3 Landing Zones

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop a chip shot inside the landing 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 Chip | Parallel Piles | 3 Landing Zones
1

Set up three landing zones on the green in a line, 6 feet apart.

2

Make three piles of 12 balls each at the edge of the green.

3

Use the first pile to chip balls into the first landing zone, 12 shots.

4

Use the second pile to chip balls into the second landing zone, 12 shots.

5

Use the third pile to chip balls into the third landing zone, 12 shots. Count how many balls land and stay in each zone.

6

After all 36 shots, enter the number of successes out of 36 in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028252218141074
02

Chip | Parallel Piles | Bullseye 2x

Short Game

Align a bucket of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 10 equal parallel piles of 4 balls 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 | Parallel Piles | Bullseye 2x
1

Set up 10 piles of 4 balls each in two rows. Each row has 5 piles.

2

Keep piles about 2 meters apart, rows 5–10 meters apart.

3

Place piles 5–30 meters from the hole, not on the green.

4

Mark two circles around the hole on the green: a small one (2 meters out) and a big one (5 meters out).

5

Take turns hitting balls from different piles, trying to stop balls in the circles.

6

Hit 36 balls total: 18 try for the small circle, 18 for the big circle.

7

Count how many balls finished in each circle.

8

Add these for a score and enter your total out of 36 tries.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score282623201612853
03

Chip | Parallel Piles | 9 Stop Zones

Short Game

Align a bucket of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 10 equal parallel piles of 4 balls and stop chip shots inside 9 Stop Zones. Count the number of successful stops.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Chip | Parallel Piles | 9 Stop Zones
1

Set up 10 piles of 4 balls each in two rows (5 piles per row), spaced 2 yards/meters apart. Put the rows 5 to 10 yards/meters apart and place the piles 5 to 30 yards/meters from the hole.

2

Mark 9 stop zones on the green using buckets, string, or tees. Space them out so each zone is different.

3

Prepare to hit 36 chip shots, divided into 9 groups of 4 shots. Each group targets a different stop zone.

4

From any pile, hit 4 shots at the first stop zone. Move to the next stop zone and hit 4 shots at it. Keep going until you’ve aimed 4 shots at each of the 9 zones.

5

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

6

When done, count up all successful stops out of 36 attempts and enter the 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 | Parallel Piles | Quadrants

Short Game

Align a bucket of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 10 equal parallel piles of 4 balls and stop chip shots inside quadrants. Count the number of successes.

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

Put 40 balls into 10 piles with 4 balls in each pile. Arrange in two lines, 5 piles per line.

2

Space piles 2 yards or meters apart side to side. Space the two lines 5 to 10 yards or meters apart front to back.

3

Mark 4 sections (quadrants) in a circle of 6 feet or 2 meters radius around the hole on the green using string or tees.

4

Hit 36 chip shots total, 9 shots into each quadrant.

5

Start at any pile and chip balls to land in the first quadrant. After 9 shots, switch to the next quadrant.

6

Switch piles after each shot for variety, but always keep the same chipping setup and distance.

7

Count each ball that stops inside the correct quadrant as a success.

8

After all 36 shots, enter number of successful shots made out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score282623191512963
06

Chip | Parallel Piles | Multiple Targets

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop a chip shot closest to the multiple target(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 Chip | Parallel Piles | Multiple Targets
1

Set up 10 piles of balls in two lines of 5 piles, 6 yards/meters between lines, 4 yards/meters between piles.

2

Put the piles on grass, not on the green, between 5 and 30 yards/meters from the hole.

3

Mark 3 clear target zones around the hole, spaced evenly.

4

Hit 36 chip shots: 12 to Target Zone 1, 12 to Target Zone 2, and 12 to Target Zone

5

Always chip from the piles; for each set of 12 shots, pick any piles but only aim at the assigned zone.

6

After each shot, check if the ball stops inside the right target zone; count as success if it does.

7

Finish all 36 shots, then count total successes inside the right zones out of 36 attempts and enter this score in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3129262218141074
07

Chip | Perpendicular Piles | 9 Stop Zones

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop a chip 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 Chip | Perpendicular Piles | 9 Stop Zones
1

Set up 10 piles of balls in two lines. Each line has 5 piles. Lines are 8 yards apart. Piles in each line are 3 yards apart.

2

Place the piles on grass between 5 and 30 yards from the hole. Keep the same setup.

3

On the green, mark 9 stop zones using buckets, string, or tees. Zones cover different short chip targets.

4

Take 36 chip shots in total. Chip 4 balls to each of the 9 zones.

5

For each shot, chip from any pile. Try to stop the ball in the assigned zone. Chip 4 balls to one zone before moving to the next.

6

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

7

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score312926221713964
08

Chip | Perpendicular Piles | Multiple Targets

Short Game

Align a bucket of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 10 equal perpendicular piles of 4 balls and stop chip shots close to multiple targets. Count the number of successes.

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

Make 10 piles of 4 balls each from 40 balls. Arrange the piles in 2 lines with 5 piles in each line. Lines cross each other.

2

Put the piles on grass 5 to 30 yards/meters from the hole. Space lines 5 to 10 yards/meters apart and piles 2 yards/meters apart.

3

On the green, put 3 targets in a line, about 8 feet apart. Call them Target A, Target B, and Target C.

4

Hit 36 chip shots, 12 to each target.

5

Hit 12 shots at Target A, then 12 at Target B, then 12 at Target C. Use any pile for any shot.

6

Count a shot as a success if it stops within 10 feet of the target.

7

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302825201612963
09

Chip | Parallel 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 | Parallel Piles | Quadrants
1

Set up 10 piles of balls in two lines. Each line has 5 piles. The lines are 5 to 10 yards apart. Each pile in a line is 4 yards apart.

2

Put the piles 5 to 30 yards from the hole on any type of grass.

3

On the green, make 4 quadrants with string or tees. Each quadrant is about 6 feet wide.

4

Hit 36 chip shots. Hit 9 shots to each of the 4 quadrants.

5

Choose a pile and chip 9 balls, aiming for one quadrant.

6

After 9 shots, switch to the next quadrant. Do this for all 4 quadrants.

7

A chip that stops inside the right quadrant counts as a success.

8

After 36 shots, count how many balls stopped in the target quadrants and enter your score in the app out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302825201612963

Next Step

Ready to start this program?

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