Course Program

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

Save par clutch, for a 22-handicap player, ~20 minutes at Braid-Vardon

Short GameAll teesProgram HCP 226 drills

Program Snapshot

Handicap range

6 to 45

Average HCP

22

Duration (single session)

2 hr 36 min

or

1 drill/day: 6 days · 26 min/day

Ideal tee

All

Skill Distribution

Scoring40%
Accuracy22%
Visualization13%
Distance Control9%
Aim7%
Alignment5%
Dispersion2%
Precision2%

Overview

Program Structure

Up-and-down contest: how many can you save in a row?. Save par clutch and up-and-down contest. Focus on Scoring, Accuracy, Visualization. For a 22-handicap player, in ~20 minutes.

Skill

Scoring

Shot

Flop

What you will improve

  • Scoring
  • Accuracy
  • Visualization
  • Distance Control

Program details

Sessions
6 focused drills
Recommended
2–3 sessions / week
Total duration
2 hr 36 min
or
1 drill per day
6 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 | Scattered Piles | Bullseye 2x

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop a flop 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 Flop | Scattered Piles | Bullseye 2x
1

Pick two random spots 5-20 yards from the hole and place two piles of balls. Make spots and surfaces random but similar.

2

Make two circles on the green with string or tees: one circle 6 feet from the hole, one circle 15 feet from the hole.

3

Hit 36 flop shots: 18 shots at the small circle, 18 shots at the big circle.

4

At the first pile, hit 9 balls at the small circle, then 9 at the big circle.

5

At the second pile, again hit 9 at the small circle, then 9 at the big circle.

6

Count balls that stop inside the small circle as birdie. Count balls in the big circle (but outside small) as par.

7

Add up all balls that stayed in both circles. Enter score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score282623181411853
02

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
03

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
04

Flop | Rough | Above/Below Feet

Short Game

Hit flop shot two buckets of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) from the sloped rough grass; one bucket with balls above feet level, and one bucket with balls below feet level.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Flop | Rough | Above/Below Feet
1

Make two piles of 18 balls each: one pile with the ball above your feet on a slope, and another pile with the ball below your feet on a slope. Place both piles 5–40 yards/meters from the hole.

2

Set up three target zones on the green at different distances. Make sure each zone is marked and separated by about 5 feet (1.5 meters).

3

Hit 18 shots from the above-feet pile and 18 shots from the below-feet pile, for a total of 36 shots.

4

From the above-feet pile, hit 6 shots to each of the three zones.

5

From the below-feet pile, hit 6 shots to each of the three zones.

6

Count each shot that stops in the correct zone.

7

After all 36 shots, record the number of successful shots out of 36 attempts in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302824201612963
05

Flop | Scattered Piles | 9 Stop Zones

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop a flop 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 Flop | Scattered Piles | 9 Stop Zones
1

Divide 36 balls into 9 piles with 4 balls each. Put each pile in the chipping area, not on the green, between 5 and 20 yards from the hole.

2

Mark 9 stop zones on the green using tees, string, or buckets, spaced across the green.

3

Hit 4 flop shots at each stop zone, trying to stop each ball in the zone.

4

Start at any pile and pick a stop zone. Hit 4 balls from the pile to that zone.

5

Move to the next pile and new stop zone. Keep going until all 9 zones have 4 shots each (36 shots total).

6

Count each ball that stops inside the right stop zone.

7

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302826221713963
06

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, and one bucket with balls below feet level.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Flop | Fairway | Above/Below Feet
1

Place two piles of 18 balls on a sloped fairway: one pile above feet level, one pile below. Each pile should be 5-20 yards from the hole.

2

Mark three target zones on the green at different distances (Zone 1 at 5 feet, Zone 2 at 10 feet, Zone 3 at 15 feet).

3

Hit 18 shots from above and 18 shots from below feet, making 36 flop shots in total.

4

Split each 18-shot pile into 3 groups of 6 shots.

5

Aim each group of 6 shots at one zone. First 6 shots at Zone 1, next 6 at Zone 2, last 6 at Zone

6

Alternate shots between above feet and below feet piles as you go through zones.

7

Count each shot that stops in the correct zone as a success.

8

When done, add up successes. Enter score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028262218141074

Next Step

Ready to start this program?

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