Course Program

Up-and-down contest: how many can you save?

Turn into birdies, for a 12-handicap player, ~15 minutes at Black Bear

Driving RangeAll teesProgram HCP 11.89 drills

Program Snapshot

Handicap range

10 to 25

Average HCP

11.8

Duration (single session)

4 hr 39 min

or

1 drill/day: 9 days · 31 min/day

Ideal tee

All

Skill Distribution

Scoring25%
Precision18%
Distance Control17%
Dispersion15%
Trajectory12%
Accuracy9%
Visualization3%

Overview

Program Structure

Up-and-down contest: how many can you save?. Save with mid irons and set up par or better. Focus on Scoring, Precision, Distance Control. For a 12-handicap player, in ~15 minutes.

Skill

Scoring

Club

Mid irons (7,6,5)

What you will improve

  • Scoring
  • Precision
  • Distance Control
  • Dispersion

Program details

Sessions
9 focused drills
Recommended
2–3 sessions / week
Total duration
4 hr 39 min
or
1 drill per day
9 days · 31 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

All irons (9 to 2) | Alternate Targets Challenge

Driving Range

Complete the Alternate Targets Challenge using irons only. Hit one bucket of ~50 balls.

31 minFocus: Driving Range
Diagram for All irons (9 to 2) | Alternate Targets Challenge
1

Choose 6 different targets at medium distance for irons 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, and

2

Match each target with the correct iron, from 9 to

3

Hit 36 shots in total, 6 shots at each target.

4

Try to land shots within 5% of the flag distance.

5

Aim to get at least 2 shots in the 5% zone for each target.

6

Switch between targets and irons as you go. Any order is fine.

7

Count each shot that lands inside the 5% zone.

8

At the end, enter your score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3230282520161285
02

Mid irons (7,6,5) | Quadrants

Driving Range

Hit 12 balls to each quadrant using mid irons only. Hit one bucket of ~50 balls. Count total number of successful shots.

31 minFocus: Driving Range
Diagram for Mid irons (7,6,5) | Quadrants
1

Pick a 5, 6, or 7 iron for the drill.

2

Choose a flag or mark at a medium distance.

3

Make a square around the target using four markers, each marker about 5% of the distance to the flag away from it.

4

Hit 36 shots, divided into 4 groups of 9 shots each.

5

For each group, aim to land the ball in one specific quadrant.

6

Start with one quadrant and hit 9 shots, then do the same for each of the other 3 quadrants.

7

Switch between the 5, 6, or 7 iron any time.

8

Count each ball that lands and stops in the target quadrant as successful.

9

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028262218141074
03

All irons (9 to 2) | Strengths Discovery

Driving Range

Discover strengths amongst irons a go-to shots and clubs worth utilizing. Hit one bucket of ~50 balls.

31 minFocus: Driving Range
Diagram for All irons (9 to 2) | Strengths Discovery
1

Set up 3 flags or targets in a field, spaced apart for medium iron shots (about 80-150 yards). Label them Target A, Target B, and Target C.

2

Hit 36 shots total: 12 shots at each target.

3

Use different irons for each target, like 9-iron for Target A, 6-iron for Target B, 3-iron for Target C.

4

Hit 12 shots at Target A, then 12 at Target B, then 12 at Target C. Keep setup and routine the same.

5

Count shots that land within 10 yards of each target. These are successes.

6

Add up your successful shots. Enter your score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score282624201612963
04

All irons (9 to 2) | Club Swapping Challenge

Driving Range

Complete the Club Swapping Challenge using irons only. Hit one bucket of ~50 balls.

31 minFocus: Driving Range
Diagram for All irons (9 to 2) | Club Swapping Challenge
1

Choose 6 targets at different distances for irons 9 through

2

Assign each iron (9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2) to hit 4 shots each, for 32 shots total.

3

Add 4 extra shots using any club and target, for a total of 36 shots.

4

Try to land each shot within 5% of the distance to the target.

5

Keep the setup the same for every shot, only aim at different targets.

6

Count each shot that lands within 5% of the target distance as a success.

7

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028262218141064
05

Mid irons (7,6,5) | Visualized Course

Driving Range

Use imagination to hit any type of shot within self-set boundaries, using mid irons only. Hit one bucket of ~50 balls.

31 minFocus: Driving Range
Diagram for Mid irons (7,6,5) | Visualized Course
1

Pick one target suitable for mid irons (7, 6, or 5). Use your imagination to visualize dangers like a tree, road, or cloud near the target.

2

Hit 36 shots aiming at this single target, switching between 7, 6, and 5 irons as you like.

3

Try to make each ball stop as close as possible to the flag in the target zone while avoiding the imagined dangers.

4

Count a shot as good if it stops within 10 yards of the flag and stays inside the target zone.

5

After all 36 shots, count how many landed inside the zone. Enter your score in the app out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3129262218141074
06

All irons (9 to 2) | Opportunities Discovery

Driving Range

Discover opportunities amongst irons undiscovered shots and clubs worth putting to action more often. Hit one bucket of ~50 balls.

31 minFocus: Driving Range
Diagram for All irons (9 to 2) | Opportunities Discovery
1

Select 6 irons: 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, and

2

Place two markers for each iron: one cone and one flag in a line.

3

Hit 6 shots with each iron, aiming to land the ball between the cone and the flag.

4

Hit 36 shots in total.

5

Only count balls that land between the markers.

6

Count how many balls landed between the markers and enter the score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score282623191512963
07

Mid irons (7,6,5) | Birdie-Par-Bogey Radius

Driving Range

Use mid irons only to land the ball inside the radius. Hit one bucket of ~50 balls. Keep the score relative to PAR.

31 minFocus: Driving Range
Diagram for Mid irons (7,6,5) | Birdie-Par-Bogey Radius
1

Choose a target flag on the driving range for mid irons (7, 6, or 5 iron).

2

Mark two circles on the ground: an inner circle with a 5-yard radius, and an outer circle with an 8-yard radius.

3

Prepare 36 balls.

4

For the first 12 shots, try to land the ball inside the 5-yard circle.

5

For the next 12 shots, try to land the ball inside the area between the 5-yard and 8-yard circles.

6

For the final 12 shots, try to land the ball anywhere inside the 8-yard circle.

7

Use any 7, 6, or 5 iron, but keep the ball setup the same.

8

Count how many balls land and stop in the correct circle for that group. Balls outside the 8-yard circle are misses.

9

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3230282420161285
08

Mid irons (7,6,5) | 3 Landing Zones

Driving Range

Hit 15 balls to each landing zone using mid irons only. Hit one bucket of ~50 balls. Count total number of successful shots.

31 minFocus: Driving Range
Diagram for Mid irons (7,6,5) | 3 Landing Zones
1

Place a flag or target for your mid irons (7, 6, or 5 irons).

2

Make 3 landing zones around the flag. Space the zones 8 yards/meters apart with cones, buckets, or markers.

3

Hit 36 shots in total. Do 12 shots for each landing zone.

4

Only use 7, 6, or 5 irons for all shots. Switch clubs if you want, but keep ball setup the same.

5

Hit 12 shots to one zone, then 12 to another, then 12 to the last zone. You can go in any order.

6

A shot counts as successful if it lands and stops in the right zone.

7

Add up how many shots landed in the right zone, out of 36 attempts, and enter the score in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score292724201612963
09

Mid irons (7,6,5) | L-R and R-L 9 Targets

Driving Range

Hit 5 balls to each randomly selected target while producing left-to-right and right-to-left shots, using mid irons only. Hit one bucket of ~50 balls.

31 minFocus: Driving Range
Diagram for Mid irons (7,6,5) | L-R and R-L  9 Targets
1

Set up 9 targets around the flag, spaced evenly about 5% of the distance to the flag.

2

Use cones or buckets to mark the edges so each target has a small gate to aim through.

3

Hit 4 shots at each target, for a total of 36 shots.

4

For each target, hit 2 shots left-to-right and 2 shots right-to-left using a 5, 6, or 7 iron.

5

A shot is successful if the ball goes between the cones.

6

Switch clubs if desired, but hit all 4 shots at each target before moving on.

7

When finished, count how many shots went between the cones.

8

Enter your score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score312925211612853

Next Step

Ready to start this program?

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