Course Program

Sand Shot 5–15 Yds

Escape safely, for a 35-handicap player, ~30 minutes at Belmont Hills Golf Club

Short GameAll teesProgram HCP 34.99 drills57% match to course practice profile

Program Snapshot

Handicap range

25 to 45

Average HCP

34.9

Duration (single session)

3 hr 50 min

or

1 drill/day: 9 days · 26 min/day

Ideal tee

All

Skill Distribution

Aim22%
Distance Control19%
Scoring17%
Alignment17%
Dispersion11%
Precision6%
Accuracy6%

Overview

Program Structure

Sand Shot 5–15 Yds. Escape safely and land close to pin. Focus on Aim, Distance Control, Scoring. For a 35-handicap player, in ~30 minutes.

Shot

Sand

What you will improve

  • Aim
  • Distance Control
  • Scoring
  • Alignment

Program details

Sessions
9 focused drills
Recommended
2–3 sessions / week
Total duration
3 hr 50 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

Sand | Scattered Ball Lines | Quadrants

Short Game

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

23 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Sand | Scattered Ball Lines | Quadrants
1

Put 32 balls in 8 lines of 4 balls each, spaced about 2 feet apart, in the sand area 20–40 yards from the hole.

2

On the green, mark a circle with a 10-foot radius around the hole.

3

Divide the circle into 4 equal parts (quadrants) using two lines that cross at the hole.

4

For each line of 4 balls, choose one quadrant and try to hit all 4 balls so they stop inside that quadrant.

5

After finishing one line and quadrant, move to another line and aim at a new quadrant. Do this until all 8 lines and quadrants are done.

6

Count each ball that stops in the chosen quadrant.

7

Add up the number of successful shots out of 32 and enter score in the app, out of 32 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions32
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score2826242016131074
02

Sand | Scattered Ball Lines | Multiple Targets

Short Game

Scatter a bucket of balls in the sand (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 8 equal lines of 5 balls and stop sand shots close to multiple targets. Count the number of successes.

25 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Sand | Scattered Ball Lines | Multiple Targets
1

Put 35 balls in 7 straight lines, 5 balls per line, 2 feet apart, on grass or a slope, 20–40 yards from the hole, outside the green.

2

Put 7 flags or markers on the green, one for each line of balls.

3

For each line, hit the 5 balls from the sand, trying to make each ball stop within 10 feet of the flag for that line.

4

Do this for all 7 lines and hit a total of 35 shots.

5

Count each ball that ends up inside the 10-foot circle as a success.

6

Write down the number of successful shots out of 35 attempts in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions35
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028252117131074
03

Sand | Perpendicular Ball Lines | Multiple Targets

Short Game

Align a bucket of balls in the sand (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 2 perpendicular lines 20 balls per line and stop sand shots close to multiple targets. Count the number of successes.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Sand | Perpendicular Ball Lines | Multiple Targets
1

Place 40 balls in a sand bunker. Make 2 lines with 18 balls each, 1 foot apart, crossing each other.

2

Pick 4 targets 20-40 yards from the bunker.

3

Assign 9 shots to each target, switching between the 2 ball lines for each target.

4

For the first target, hit 9 balls from the first line. Try to get each ball within 10 feet of the target.

5

Switch to the second line. Hit 9 balls to the second target, aiming within 10 feet again.

6

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

7

Count all successful shots that end up within 10 feet of the target.

8

Enter your total number of successful shots out of 36 attempts in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028252218141074
04

Sand Mid

Short Game

Hit two buckets of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) from the sand.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Sand  Mid
1

Pick two different bunker spots, each 20 to 40 yards from the hole.

2

Put Target A on the left and Target B on the right on the green, about 10 feet apart.

3

Hit 36 shots total: 18 from one spot, 18 from the other spot.

4

From each spot, hit 9 shots to Target A and 9 shots to Target B. Alternate every 3 shots.

5

Use the same setup and swing for all shots. Only change where you aim.

6

Count a shot as good if it stops within 3 feet of the target you aimed for.

7

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score282623191512963
05

Sand - Long

Short Game

Hit two buckets of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) from the sand.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Sand - Long
1

Pick two different spots in the bunker, 40 to 60 yards from the hole.

2

Put 3 markers in a straight line on the green, about 6 feet apart near the hole.

3

Hit 36 shots in total: 18 from the first spot and 18 from the second spot.

4

From the first spot, hit 6 balls at each target, any order.

5

Do the same from the second spot: 6 balls at each target.

6

A shot is good if the ball stops near the target.

7

Count how many balls land close to the targets.

8

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028252218141074
06

Sand | Parallel Piles | Multiple Targets

Short Game

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

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Sand | Parallel Piles | Multiple Targets
1

Make 2 lines in the sand with 5 piles of balls in each line. Each pile has 4 balls and is about 2 meters apart.

2

Put 3 flags on or near the green. Space them about 3 meters apart.

3

Hit 36 sand shots in total. Split them into 3 sets of 12 shots.

4

For the first 12 shots, try to land the ball within 3 meters of the first flag. Use any pile.

5

For the next 12 shots, try to land the ball within 3 meters of the second flag. Switch piles if you want.

6

For the last 12 shots, try to land the ball within 3 meters of the third flag. Use any pile.

7

Count only the shots that stop within 3 meters of the target.

8

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score282623191511853
07

Sand Short

Short Game

Hit two buckets of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) from the sand.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Sand  Short
1

Find two spots in the bunker, each 5–20 yards from the hole.

2

Put a target on the green for the first spot.

3

Hit 18 shots from the first bunker spot, changing the target every 3 shots (pick 6 spots).

4

Move to the second bunker spot and do the same: 18 shots, change target every 3 shots (6 targets).

5

Try to get the ball as close as possible to each target.

6

Count a shot as success if it stops within 3 feet of the target.

7

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302825201512853
08

Sand | Perpendicular Piles | Multiple Targets

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop a sand 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 Sand | Perpendicular Piles | Multiple Targets
1

Arrange 10 piles of balls in two lines to make a plus sign, with 5 piles in each line, and piles 3 yards/meters apart.

2

Put the piles in the sand, between 20 and 40 yards/meters from the hole, but not on the green.

3

Set up 3 target flags in different spots around the hole.

4

Split 36 shots into 3 groups of 12, with each group aiming at a different flag.

5

Start at any pile and hit 12 shots trying to get the ball close to the first target.

6

For the next 12 shots, choose any pile and aim at the second target.

7

For the last 12 shots, choose any pile and aim at the third target.

8

Count a shot as a success if the ball stops within 3 yards/meters of the flag.

9

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028262218141064
09

Sand | Scattered Piles | Bullseye 2x

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop a sand 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 Sand | Scattered Piles | Bullseye 2x
1

Place two piles of balls in the sand 20-40 yards from the hole.

2

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

3

Hit 36 shots: 18 aimed for the small circle, 18 aimed for the area between the small and big circles.

4

Hit 18 balls, trying to land them in the small circle.

5

Hit 18 balls, trying to land them in the area between the two circles.

6

A ball in the right area counts as a success.

7

Count the number of balls in the right spots as you go.

8

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

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.