Course Program

Land 3–4 Feet From Hole

Land 3-4 feet away, for a 16-handicap player, ~15 minutes at China Lake Golf Club

Short GameAll teesProgram HCP 15.84 drills68% match to course practice profile

Program Snapshot

Handicap range

6 to 25

Average HCP

15.8

Duration (single session)

1 hr 44 min

or

1 drill/day: 4 days · 26 min/day

Ideal tee

All

Skill Distribution

Accuracy26%
Distance Control25%
Alignment22%
Scoring10%
Precision10%
Aim5%
Trajectory3%

Overview

Program Structure

Land 3–4 Feet From Hole. Land 3-4 feet away and stick approaches. Focus on Accuracy, Distance Control, Alignment, Scoring, Precision, Aim, Trajectory. For a 16-handicap player, in ~15 minutes.

Shot

Pitch

What you will improve

  • Accuracy
  • Distance Control
  • Alignment
  • Scoring

Program details

Sessions
4 focused drills
Recommended
2–3 sessions / week
Total duration
1 hr 44 min
or
1 drill per day
4 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

Pitch | Perpendicular Piles | Bullseye 2x

Short Game

Align a bucket of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 10 equal perpendicular piles of 4 balls and stop pitch shots inside the Bullseye. Count the number of balls in the inner and outer Bullseye.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Pitch | Perpendicular Piles | Bullseye 2x
1

Place two string circles on the green: an inner Bullseye circle with a 6-foot (2-meter) radius and an outer Bullseye circle with a 15-foot (5-meter) radius around the hole.

2

Set up 10 piles of 4 balls each (total 40 balls) at 30 to 60 yards from the hole in two lines. Each line has 5 piles spaced about 5 to 10 yards apart. Piles in each line are 2 yards apart.

3

Hit a total of 36 pitch shots, divided into two groups of 18 shots each, alternating between the two lines of piles.

4

From each pile, hit 2 pitch shots trying to land the ball inside the inner or outer Bullseye on the green.

5

Each ball that stops inside the inner Bullseye counts as a birdie. Each ball inside the outer Bullseye but outside the inner circle counts as a par. Balls outside the outer circle are misses.

6

Keep hitting until you finish 36 shots, switching piles for variety. Enter your score in the app out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028252218141074
02

Pitch | Rough | Flat

Short Game

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

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

Make 3 piles of 12 golf balls each, spaced between 30 and 60 yards from the hole in the rough.

2

On the green, mark 3 zones at different distances from the hole: Zone A at 5 feet, Zone B at 10 feet, Zone C at 15 feet.

3

Hit 36 pitch shots in total, 12 shots for each zone.

4

From the first pile, try to land and stop 12 balls in Zone A.

5

From the second pile, try to land and stop 12 balls in Zone B.

6

From the third pile, try to land and stop 12 balls in Zone C.

7

Count a shot as a success if it stops in the right zone.

8

Set up the ball the same way every time.

9

When done, enter your number of successful shots into the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score282623191511853
03

Pitch | Rough | Uphill/Downhill

Short Game

Up to 5 players hit 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 Pitch | Rough | Uphill/Downhill
1

Set up two target zones on the green, one uphill and one downhill, each marked with flags or cones about 3–5 feet apart.

2

From the rough slope, 20 to 40 yards away, players hit pitch shots trying to land balls in the uphill or downhill target zone.

3

Take 36 shots total: 18 to the uphill zone and 18 to the downhill zone.

4

Hit all 18 shots to the uphill zone first, then to the downhill zone, or switch back and forth if preferred.

5

Count every ball that stays inside the target zone as a success.

6

Always set up the ball the same way from the rough slope at 20–40 yards.

7

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028252218141074
04

Pitch | Parallel Piles | 3 Landing Zones

Short Game

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

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Pitch | Parallel Piles | 3 Landing Zones
1

Arrange 36 balls into 9 piles of 4 balls each, 30 to 60 yards from the hole.

2

On the green, make 3 landing zones spaced 9 feet apart.

3

Hit 36 pitch shots, aiming for 12 shots in each zone.

4

Start from any pile, switch piles after every shot, and aim for Zone 1 for the first 12 shots.

5

After 12 shots in Zone 1, aim for Zone 2 for 12 shots, then Zone 3 for the last 12 shots.

6

Count each shot that stays inside the target zone.

7

At the end, add up the number of successful shots and enter the score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3230282520161285

Next Step

Ready to start this program?

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