Course Program

Save par with a clutch flop—pressure drill

Save par clutch, for a 18-handicap player, ~15 minutes at 9-håls

Short GameAll teesProgram HCP 18.49 drills

Program Snapshot

Handicap range

6 to 45

Average HCP

18.4

Duration (single session)

3 hr 54 min

or

1 drill/day: 9 days · 26 min/day

Ideal tee

All

Skill Distribution

Scoring34%
Alignment15%
Accuracy14%
Precision11%
Aim9%
Distance Control8%
Trajectory5%
Visualization3%

Overview

Program Structure

Save par with a clutch flop—pressure drill. Save par clutch and turn into par saves. Focus on Scoring, Alignment, Accuracy. For a 18-handicap player, in ~15 minutes.

Skill

Scoring

Shot

Flop

What you will improve

  • Scoring
  • Alignment
  • Accuracy
  • Precision

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

Flop | Fairway | Above/Below Feet

Short Game

Hit flop 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 Flop | Fairway | Above/Below Feet
1

Set up two targets on the green about 10 to 15 yards apart.

2

Get 36 balls and split them into 2 groups of

3

Hit 18 flop shots from a slope with the ball above your feet, aiming at the first target.

4

Hit 18 flop shots from a slope with the ball below your feet, aiming at the second target.

5

Count how many balls land and stop within 3 feet of each target. These are successes.

6

Keep your ball setup the same for all shots.

7

After all 36 shots, record how many were successful out of 36 in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028262218141174
02

Flop | Deep Rough and Other | Flat

Short Game

Hit flop shot two buckets of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) from the flat deep rough and other extreme grass types.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Flop | Deep Rough and Other | Flat
1

Set up 3 landing zones on the green, about 6 feet apart in a line. Name them Zone 1 (close), Zone 2 (middle), Zone 3 (far).

2

Put 2 piles of 18 balls each, 5–20 yards away from the green, in deep or thick grass.

3

Hit 36 flop shots from these piles, trying to land the ball in the zones.

4

Hit 12 shots to Zone

1

Alternate piles if wanted.

5

Hit 12 shots to Zone

6

Hit 12 shots to Zone

3

Enter how many shots stayed in the right zones, out of 36 attempts, in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score282623191511853
03

Flop | Fairway | Flat

Short Game

Hit flop shot two buckets of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) from the flat fairway.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Flop | Fairway | Flat
1

Make 3 target areas on the green: Left, Center, and Right. Each should be about 4 feet wide.

2

Put 3 piles of balls on a flat fairway, 15 to 20 yards from the hole. Space them so shots come from different angles.

3

Hit 36 flop shots: 12 at the Left zone, 12 at the Center zone, 12 at the Right zone.

4

Take shots from different piles, but set up the ball the same way each time.

5

Check if the ball stops inside the zone aimed for.

6

Count how many balls stop inside the correct zone.

7

When done, add up the number of balls in the zones and enter your score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028262218141074
04

Flop | Deep Rough and Other | Uphill/Downhill

Short Game

Hit flop shot two buckets of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) from the sloped deep rough and other extreme grass types; one bucket from the uphill slope and one bucket from the downhill slope.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Flop | Deep Rough and Other | Uphill/Downhill
1

Make 4 piles of 9 balls: 2 piles uphill in deep rough, 2 piles downhill in deep rough, all 5 to 20 yards from the hole.

2

Mark 3 landing zones on the green in a line, each 6 feet apart: Zone A (closest), Zone B (middle), Zone C (farthest).

3

Hit 36 flop shots: 3 groups of 12 shots.

4

For first 12 shots, hit from uphill piles aiming for Zone A, switching between the two piles after each shot.

5

For next 12 shots, hit from uphill piles aiming for Zone B, switch piles after each shot.

6

For last 12 shots, hit from downhill piles aiming for Zone C, switch piles after each shot.

7

A shot counts if it lands and stops in the target zone.

8

Use same ball position every time. Only change aim for zone and slope.

9

Count how many landed in the target zone out of 36 and enter score in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028262218141074
05

Flop | Scattered Piles | 3 Landing Zones

Short Game

Scatter a bucket of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 8 equal piles of 5 balls and hit-and-land flop shots inside landing zones. Count the number of successes.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Flop | Scattered Piles | 3 Landing Zones
1

Put 40 balls into 8 piles of 5 balls each on grass or a slope, between 5 and 40 yards from the hole but not on the green.

2

On the green make 3 landing zones, each 6 feet apart in a line.

3

Hit 36 flop shots, 12 for each zone.

4

Hit 12 shots to the first zone, then 12 to the second, then 12 to the third. Switch between piles if wanted.

5

Count shots that land and stop in the correct zone as successes.

6

Add up successes out of 36 and enter score in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302825211612853
06

Flop | Rough | Uphill/Downhill

Short Game

Hit flop shot two buckets of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) from the sloped rough grass; one bucket from the uphill slope and one bucket from the downhill slope.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Flop | Rough | Uphill/Downhill
1

Place two ball markers on the green, about 10 feet apart.

2

Choose a spot on the uphill slope, 5 to 20 yards from the hole. Use this spot every time for the test.

3

Hit 18 flop shots from this spot. Aim at the targets, switching every 3 shots between them until all 18 shots are done.

4

Move to a spot on the downhill slope, 5 to 20 yards from the hole. Use this spot every time for these shots.

5

Hit 18 flop shots from the downhill spot. Switch targets every 3 shots until all 18 are done.

6

Count shots that stop within 3 feet of the marker as successful.

7

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score282624201612853
07

Flop | Rough | Flat

Short Game

Hit flop shot two buckets of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) from the flat rough grass.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Flop | Rough | Flat
1

Make two piles of 18 balls on rough grass, 5-40 yards from the hole.

2

Mark three equal target zones on the green about 5 feet apart: Zone A (closest), Zone B (middle), Zone C (farthest).

3

Hit 36 flop shots in three sets: 12 shots to Zone A, then 12 to Zone B, then 12 to Zone C.

4

Switch between the two piles when hitting your shots.

5

Try to land and stop the ball inside the correct zone. Count each ball in the right zone as a success.

6

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302826221713963
08

Flop | Scattered Piles | 3 Landing Zones

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to land a flop shot inside the landing zone(s). The player with the most points wins the challenge. One bucket of balls per player is needed.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Flop | Scattered Piles | 3 Landing Zones
1

Place 3 landing zones on the green, 3 feet (1 meter) apart in a straight line.

2

Make 6 piles of 6 balls each around the green, 5 to 40 yards from the hole.

3

Hit 36 flop shots, 12 to each landing zone.

4

For the first 12 shots, aim for Landing Zone 1, hitting 2 balls from each pile.

5

For the next 12 shots, aim for Landing Zone 2, hitting 2 balls from each pile.

6

For the last 12 shots, aim for Landing Zone 3, hitting the remaining 2 balls from each pile.

7

Count how many balls land and stay in the correct landing zone.

8

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028252218141174
09

Flop | Scattered Piles | Multiple Targets

Short Game

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

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Flop | Scattered Piles | Multiple Targets
1

Put 40 balls into 8 piles of 5 balls, spaced between 5 and 40 yards from the hole on the grass or slope.

2

Place 3 flags as targets around the green at different distances, each with a 10-foot circle marked.

3

Hit 36 flop shots; make 3 groups of 12 shots for the 3 target zones.

4

First 12 shots go at the first target, next 12 at the second, last 12 at the third.

5

Hit 2-5 shots from each pile, switching piles each time, keep ball setup the same.

6

Count any shot that stops inside the 10-foot circle as a success.

7

After 36 shots, add up how many stopped in the circle and enter score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score282622181410742

Next Step

Ready to start this program?

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