Course Program

Thread Needle: Narrow Landing Zone

Chip through gate, for a 18-handicap player, ~15 minutes at Bearna Golf Club

Short GameAll teesProgram HCP 17.73 drills50% match to course practice profile

Program Snapshot

Handicap range

10 to 45

Average HCP

17.7

Duration (single session)

1 hr 18 min

1 drill/day: 3 days · 26 min/day

Ideal tee

All

Skill Distribution

Aim29%

Precision29%

Alignment16%

Dispersion15%

Distance Control11%

Overview

Program Structure

Thread Needle: Narrow Landing Zone. Pick line and commit and hit intended line. Focus on Aim, Precision, Alignment, Dispersion, Distance Control. For a 18-handicap player, in ~15 minutes.

Skill

Precision

Shot

Chip

What you will improve

Aim
Precision
Alignment
Dispersion

Program details

Sessions: 3 focused drills
Recommended: 2–3 sessions / week
Total duration: 1 hr 18 min
1 drill per day: 3 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.

Drill 1 Drill 2 Drill 3

Chip | Parallel 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 | Parallel Piles | 9 Stop Zones

Make 10 piles of balls, in 2 lines with 5 piles in each line. Space the lines 5 to 10 yards or meters apart, and piles in each line about 4 yards or meters apart.

Place piles between 5 and 30 yards or meters from the hole, but not on the green.

On the green, mark 9 stop zones using buckets, string, or tees. Put them in a clear 3 by 3 layout.

Hit 36 chip shots, in 9 groups of 4 shots each.

For each group of 4 shots, pick one stop zone to aim at and chip 4 balls towards it from any pile.

Repeat until 4 shots have been aimed at each of the 9 stop zones, making 36 shots in all.

Count only shots that stop inside their chosen stop zone.

Enter the number of successful shots out of 36 in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36

Handicap	+9	+5	+1	5	12	19	27	36	54
Score	32	30	28	25	20	16	12	8	5

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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	+1	5	12	19	27	36	54
Score	31	29	26	22	18	14	10	7	4

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

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.

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.

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

Hit 36 chip shots, 12 to each target.

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

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

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	+1	5	12	19	27	36	54
Score	30	28	25	20	16	12	9	6	3

Next Step

Ready to start this program?

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

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