Course Program

Keep Ball Close To Hole

Use a short swing, for a 35-handicap player, ~30 minutes at Balfron

Short GameAll teesProgram HCP 359 drills65% match to course practice profile

Program Snapshot

Handicap range

25 to 45

Average HCP

35

Duration (single session)

3 hr 54 min

or

1 drill/day: 9 days · 26 min/day

Ideal tee

All

Skill Distribution

Distance Control29%
Aim26%
Alignment11%
Scoring10%
Accuracy10%
Dispersion9%
Trajectory5%
Precision1%

Overview

Program Structure

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

Shot

Bump'n'Run

What you will improve

  • Distance Control
  • Aim
  • Alignment
  • Scoring

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

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
02

Bump-n-Run | Parallel Piles | Quadrants

Short Game

Align a bucket of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 10 equal parallel piles of 4 balls next to the green and stop bump-n-run shots inside quadrants. Count the number of successes.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Bump-n-Run | Parallel Piles | Quadrants
1

Take 40 balls and make 10 piles with 4 balls each. Put the piles into 2 lines of 5 piles, spaced 5 to 10 yards/meters apart.

2

Place the piles on grass, each 1 to 10 yards/meters from the green and 5 to 30 yards/meters from the hole.

3

On the green, use string or tees to make a circle about 6 feet (2 meters) wide. Mark 4 equal parts in the circle.

4

Hit 36 bump-and-run shots. Make 9 shots for each of the 4 circle parts.

5

Start from any pile, aiming for the first circle part. After 9 shots, go to the second part, then the third, then the fourth.

6

Change piles as wanted to practice from different spots, but keep piles the same.

7

Count a shot as success if it stops in the right part of the circle.

8

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score312926221713963
03

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

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop a bump-n-run shot in the bullseye. The best final score relative to PAR wins the challenge. Up to 80 balls are needed.

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

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

2

Place the lines on grass, 1 to 10 yards from the green, 5 yards between lines.

3

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

4

Hit 36 shots, in two groups of 18 shots.

5

For the first 18 shots, aim for the small circle. For the next 18 shots, aim for the big circle.

6

Hit balls in order from any line, switch lines as wanted.

7

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

8

After 36 shots, count how many hit their target circles and enter your score in the app out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3331282520161285
04

Bump-n-Run | Scattered Ball Lines | Multiple Targets

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 close to multiple targets. Count the number of successes.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Bump-n-Run | Scattered Ball Lines | Multiple Targets
1

Scatter 36 balls into 6 lines of 6 balls each on grass near the green. Put each line 1 to 10 yards or meters from the green and 5 to 30 yards or meters from the hole.

2

At the edge of the green, set up 3 targets spaced about 6 feet (2 meters) apart in a straight line. Name them Target 1, Target 2, and Target

3

Hit 36 bump-and-run shots. Aim 12 shots at Target 1, 12 at Target 2, and 12 at Target

4

From each line, hit all 6 balls at the chosen target for that group of 12 shots. Switch targets after every 12 shots.

5

A shot is a success if the ball stops within 10 feet (3 meters) of the target.

6

Record how many shots land inside the 10-foot zone, out of 36 attempts, and enter the score in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score312926221713963
05

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
06

Bump-n-Run | Perpendicular Piles | Bullseye 2x

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop a bump-n-run 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 Bump-n-Run | Perpendicular Piles | Bullseye 2x
1

Set up 10 piles of balls in two lines that cross each other. Put 5 piles in each line. Leave space between all piles and lines.

2

Put the piles 1 to 10 yards/meters from the green and 5 to 30 yards/meters from the hole.

3

On the green, mark two big circles around the hole. Make the first circle 6 feet (2 meters) out from the hole, and the second circle 15 feet (5 meters) out from the hole.

4

There are 36 shots total. Split them into 3 groups of 12 shots.

5

First 12 shots: try to stop the ball inside the small (inner) circle. Next 12: try to stop the ball inside the big (outer) circle but outside the small circle. Last 12: try to keep the ball anywhere on the green.

6

Hit one ball from each pile. Keep moving around the piles any way until all 36 shots are done using the right target for each group.

7

Count how many balls land in the right place for each group: inside the small circle for the first 12, in the big circle but outside the small one for the next 12, and anywhere on the green for the last

2

Enter score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3230282520161285
07

Bump-n-Run | Parallel Ball Lines | Multiple Targets

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 close to multiple targets. Count the number of successes.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Bump-n-Run | Parallel Ball Lines | Multiple Targets
1

Put a bucket with 40 balls by the green. Set up two lines of 18 balls each, 1 foot apart. The lines are 6 feet apart.

2

Pick 3 different targets on the green. Each target should be 6 feet apart from the others.

3

Hit 12 shots at Target 1 from the first line.

4

Hit 12 shots at Target 2 from the second line.

5

Hit 12 shots at Target 3 from the first line.

6

Use the same setup for all shots. Leave balls in place between 1 and 10 yards from the green, and 5 to 30 yards from the hole.

7

A shot is a success if it stops within 10 feet of the target.

8

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3230282520161285
08

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
09

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

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop a bump-n-run 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 Bump-n-Run | Perpendicular Piles | 3 Landing Zones
1

Set up 10 piles of balls in 2 lines that cross each other, 5 piles in each line. Space the piles about 3 yards or meters apart.

2

Place the piles so they are 1 to 10 yards or meters from the green and 5 to 30 yards or meters from the hole, on any grass.

3

On the green, make 3 landing zones side by side, each about 6 feet or 2 meters apart, using sticks, clubs, or string.

4

Hit 36 bump-and-run shots total. Aim 12 shots at each landing zone.

5

Pick a pile. Hit balls at the first landing zone until you do 12 shots.

6

Aim at the second landing zone for 12 shots from any piles.

7

Aim at the third landing zone for the last 12 shots.

8

Count how many shots land and stop in the right zone.

9

When all 36 shots are done, record the number of good shots out of 36 in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score312926221713963

Next Step

Ready to start this program?

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