Course Program

Stop Ball on Dime

Stop on a dime, for a 25-handicap player, ~20 minutes at Burning Tree Club

Short GameAll teesProgram HCP 25.39 drills54% match to course practice profile

Program Snapshot

Handicap range

10 to 45

Average HCP

25.3

Duration (single session)

3 hr 54 min

or

1 drill/day: 9 days · 26 min/day

Ideal tee

All

Skill Distribution

Distance Control35%
Alignment19%
Accuracy15%
Precision10%
Trajectory9%
Dispersion6%
Scoring4%
Aim2%

Overview

Program Structure

Stop Ball on Dime. Feel the green and stop on a dime. Focus on Distance Control, Alignment, Accuracy, Precision, Trajectory, Dispersion, Scoring, Aim. For a 25-handicap player, in ~20 minutes.

Skill

Distance Control

Shot

Chip

What you will improve

  • Distance Control
  • 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

Chip | Parallel Ball Lines | 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. Up to 80 balls are needed.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Chip | Parallel Ball Lines | 9 Stop Zones
1

Make 9 stop zones on the green. Mark them with tees, string, or buckets. Line up or put them in a grid.

2

Put 36 balls in 4 rows. Each row has 9 balls, spaced 1 foot apart. Put the rows about 5 yards apart on the grass, between 5 and 20 yards from the green.

3

Plan to hit 4 balls at each of the 9 stop zones. That is 36 shots.

4

Start at any row of balls. Hit balls, trying to stop each one in the first stop zone.

5

After 4 tries at the first zone, go to the next zone and do the same. Keep going until you try all 9 zones.

6

Count a shot as a success if the ball stops completely inside the target zone.

7

When all shots are done, count the number of successful shots and enter the score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3129272318141074
02

Chip | Fairway | Flat

Short Game

Up to 5 players hit two buckets of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) from the flat fairway surface.

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

Make 3 piles of 12 golf balls each. Put the piles between 5 and 30 yards from the hole.

2

Mark 3 target zones on the green, each about 3 feet wide and spaced apart.

3

Hit 12 balls from each pile to each target zone. First 12 to Zone 1, next 12 to Zone 2, last 12 to Zone

4

Use the same setup for all shots. Aim to land each ball in the target zones.

5

Count shots that land and stop in the target zone.

6

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3129272318141074
03

Chip | Perpendicular Ball Lines | Bullseye 2x

Short Game

Align a bucket of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 2 perpendicular lines 20 balls per line and stop chip shots inside the Bullseye. Count the number of balls in the inner and outer Bullseye.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Chip | Perpendicular Ball Lines | Bullseye 2x
1

Arrange 36 balls in 2 lines of 18 each to form an L shape.

2

Keep each ball 1 foot apart in each line. Keep 5-10 yards between the two lines.

3

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

4

From 5–30 yards away, chip 18 balls from the first line, aiming for the circles.

5

Chip the other 18 balls from the second line, aiming for the circles.

6

Alternate hitting 3 to 5 shots between the two lines.

7

Shots inside the small circle = full success. Shots inside the big circle only = partial success.

8

Count how many balls stopped in each circle and get your score. Enter your total successful shots out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score282624201612963
04

Chip | Parallel Ball Lines | 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. Up to 80 balls are needed.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Chip | Parallel Ball Lines | Multiple Targets
1

Set up 4 rows of balls. Each row has 9 balls, 1 foot apart.

2

Space the rows 5 yards apart on grass, between 5 and 30 yards from the hole.

3

Put 3 targets by the hole: A at 12 o'clock, B at 4 o'clock, C at 8 o'clock, each 3 feet from the hole.

4

Split the 36 shots into 3 groups of

2

First 12 shots go to Target A, next 12 to Target B, last 12 to Target C.

5

From each row, chip the ball to try to stop it close to the chosen target. Ball setup does not change.

6

After 12 shots at one target, switch to the next target. Repeat until all 36 shots are finished.

7

Each ball that stops within 2 feet of the target is a success.

8

Count how many successes you had and enter your score in the app out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3129262318141074
05

Chip | Perpendicular Piles | 3 Landing Zones

Short Game

Align a bucket of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 10 equal perpendicular piles of 4 balls and hit-and-land chip shots inside landing zones. Count the number of successes.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Chip | Perpendicular Piles | 3 Landing Zones
1

Make 10 piles of 4 balls each, in two lines of 5 piles.

2

Put piles on grass, 5–30 yards from the hole, lines 5–10 yards apart, piles in each line 2 yards apart.

3

On the green, mark three landing zones in a straight line, 6 feet apart.

4

Hit 36 chip shots, 12 at each landing zone.

5

Hit from different piles for each shot. Do 12 shots into the first zone, then 12 into the second, then 12 into the third.

6

Count shots that land fully in the target zone.

7

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score312926221713963
06

Chip | Perpendicular Ball Lines | 3 Landing Zones

Short Game

Align a bucket of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 2 perpendicular lines 20 balls per line and hit-and-land chip shots inside landing zones. Count the number of successes.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Chip | Perpendicular Ball Lines | 3 Landing Zones
1

Set up two lines of 18 balls each so they cross each other. Place balls 1 foot apart.

2

On the green, mark 3 landing zones spaced 6 feet apart in a row using sticks or string.

3

Hit 36 chip shots total: 18 from each ball line.

4

From the first line, hit 6 shots to each landing zone (18 shots).

5

From the second line, hit 6 shots to each landing zone (18 shots).

6

Count each ball that lands and stays inside the right landing zone.

7

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3129272318141174
07

Chip | Deep Rough and Other | Above/Below Feet

Short Game

Up to 5 players hit two buckets of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) from the sloped deep rough and other extreme grass types; one bucket with balls above feet level, and one bucket with balls below feet level.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Chip | Deep Rough and Other | Above/Below Feet
1

Make two target zones on the green, Zone A on the left and Zone B on the right, 8 feet apart.

2

Put 18 balls in the deep rough above feet, at distances from 5 to 20 yards, in a straight line.

3

Chip the 18 balls to land and stop in Zone A from the uphill position.

4

Move to deep rough below feet, set up 18 balls the same way.

5

Chip these balls to land and stop in Zone B from the downhill position.

6

Count each ball that lands and stays in the right zone as a success.

7

When finished, enter the total number of successes out of 36 attempts in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score2927252218141174
08

Chip | Rough | Above/Below Feet

Short Game

Up to 5 players hit 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 Chip | Rough | Above/Below Feet
1

Put 3 target zones on the green, 6 feet apart in a line to the hole.

2

Set up two groups of balls for each player in the rough: one with balls above feet, one with balls below feet, from 5 to 30 yards away.

3

Hit 36 chip shots: 18 to the first target, 18 to the second target.

4

First, hit 18 shots from above feet to the first target.

5

Then, hit 18 shots from below feet to the second target.

6

Count a shot as a success if the ball stops inside the target zone.

7

Do not move the balls; only change target when needed.

8

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028262218141074
09

Chip | Scattered Piles | Quadrants

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop a chip shot inside the quadrant(s). The player with the most points wins the challenge. One bucket of balls per player is needed.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Chip | Scattered Piles | Quadrants
1

Mark 4 areas on the green with string or tees. Each area should be a circle about 6 feet wide.

2

Put 36 balls into 4 piles of 9 balls. Place the piles between 5 and 30 yards from the hole.

3

Hit 9 balls from each pile. Aim every group of 9 at a different circle.

4

Try to land each ball into the correct circle. Move to the next pile and repeat until all 36 balls are hit.

5

Count the balls that stop inside the correct circle.

6

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028262218141174

Next Step

Ready to start this program?

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

Stop Ball on Dime | Burning Tree Club