Course Program

Vary your landing spot and see how soft you can land it

Vary landing spot, for a 18-handicap player, ~15 minutes at Coral Cove Golf Club Pty Ltd

Short GameAll teesProgram HCP 18.49 drills68% match to course practice profile

Program Snapshot

Handicap range

3 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

Distance Control33%
Aim15%
Precision12%
Dispersion12%
Alignment9%
Trajectory9%
Scoring7%
Accuracy4%

Overview

Program Structure

Vary your landing spot and see how soft you can land it. Feel the green and stop on a dime. Focus on Distance Control, Aim, Precision, Dispersion, Alignment, Trajectory, Scoring, Accuracy. For a 18-handicap player, in ~15 minutes.

Skill

Distance Control

Shot

Sand

What you will improve

  • Distance Control
  • Aim
  • Precision
  • Dispersion

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

Sand | Perpendicular Ball Lines | Quadrants

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 inside quadrants. Count the number of successes.

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

Arrange two lines of 18 balls each in the sand. Keep balls 1 foot apart. Lines are 5 to 10 yards apart.

2

On the green, make a 10-foot circle and divide into 4 parts. Number the parts 1 to

3

Hit 36 sand shots, in 4 groups of

4

Hit 9 balls from the first line aiming for part

5

Hit 9 balls from the second line aiming for part

6

Hit 9 balls from the first line aiming for part

7

Hit 9 balls from the second line aiming for part

8

Count a success if a ball stops in the right part.

9

Keep balls in place, only switch lines when told.

0

Count total successful shots in the correct parts, and enter your score out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028262218141074
02

Sand | Parallel Piles | 3 Landing Zones

Short Game

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

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

Put 36 golf balls into 9 piles of 4 balls each in the sand bunker. Make two lines, each pile 2 yards apart, lines 5 to 10 yards apart.

2

On the green, make three landing zones in a straight line, each zone 6 feet apart.

3

Hit 36 sand shots from the bunker to the green.

4

Divide the 36 shots into three groups of

2

Aim the first 12 at the first zone, next 12 at the second zone, last 12 at the third zone.

5

Hit shots from any pile, same setup for all shots.

6

Count successful shots that land and stop in the right zone.

7

After all 36 shots, write down how many went in the intended zones out of 36 in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302825211612963
03

Sand | Scattered Piles | 9 Stop Zones

Short Game

Scatter a bucket of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) in the sand. Scatter into 8 equal piles of 5 balls and stop sand shots inside 9 Stop Zones. Count the number of successful stops.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Sand | Scattered Piles | 9 Stop Zones
1

Scatter 36 balls into 9 piles of 4 balls each in the sand, 20 to 40 yards from the hole.

2

Mark 9 target zones on the green, spaced out evenly.

3

Hit 4 sand shots at each target zone, for a total of 36 shots.

4

After 4 shots at the first zone, move to the next and repeat for all 9 zones.

5

Count each ball that stops in the right zone as one success.

6

When finished, add up the number of balls that stopped in the right places and enter score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3330272318141074
04

Sand | Parallel Ball Lines | 3 Landing Zones

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop a sand shot inside the landing 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 Sand | Parallel Ball Lines | 3 Landing Zones
1

Set up 4 lines of 5 balls each in the bunker, with lines 3 yards/meters apart and balls 1 foot (0.3 meters) apart.

2

Put the lines between 20 and 40 yards/meters from the hole.

3

On the green, mark 3 landing zones in a straight line, each zone 6 feet (2 meters) apart.

4

Hit 36 sand shots in total: 12 shots to Zone 1, 12 to Zone 2, and 12 to Zone

5

Hit the first 12 balls to Zone 1, the next 12 to Zone 2, and the last 12 to Zone

6

Keep ball setup the same, only change which landing zone is the target.

7

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

8

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score282623191511853
05

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

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Sand | Parallel Ball Lines | Bullseye 2x
1

Make 4 straight lines of 9 balls each in the sand bunker, with 1 foot between each ball.

2

Place the lines 3 yards apart from each other, and make sure all balls are between 20 and 40 yards from the hole.

3

On the green, make two circles: a small circle around the hole (6-foot radius) and a bigger circle (15-foot radius).

4

Hit 36 balls in total: 12 try for the small circle, 12 try for the big circle but outside the small, 12 can land anywhere on the green.

5

Hit the first 12 balls aiming for the small circle.

6

Hit the next 12 balls aiming for the big circle but outside the small one.

7

Hit the last 12 balls onto the green without worrying where they end up.

8

Count each ball that stops where it is supposed to for that round.

9

Add up how many balls landed in the right spots out of 36 tries and enter your score in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3331282419151174
06

Sand | Parallel Ball Lines | Multiple Targets

Short Game

Align a bucket of balls in the sand (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 2 parallel 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 | Parallel Ball Lines | Multiple Targets
1

Put 18 balls in a straight line in the sand. Make a second line of 18 balls. Lines should be 5 to 10 yards apart, balls in each line 1 foot apart.

2

Pick two flags on the green, 20 to 40 yards away. Each line aims for its own flag.

3

From the first line, hit 18 balls trying to land each one within 10 feet of the first flag.

4

Move to the second line, hit 18 balls trying to land each one within 10 feet of the second flag.

5

Count how many balls from each line stay inside the 10-foot circle.

6

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302825211612853
07

Sand | Parallel Piles | 9 Stop Zones

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop a sand 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 Sand | Parallel Piles | 9 Stop Zones
1

Set up 10 piles of balls in two lines in a sand bunker. Lines are 3 yards/meters apart, piles in each line are 4 yards/meters apart.

2

Place the piles 20 to 40 yards/meters from the hole.

3

On the green, make 9 stop zones in a 3x3 grid using tees, buckets, or string. Space them evenly.

4

Hit 36 sand shots, with 4 shots aimed at each of the 9 zones.

5

From a pile, hit 4 balls aiming for the first zone. Repeat for each zone until all 9 are done.

6

Score 1 point for each ball that stops in the target zone.

7

Keep the ball setup and distance the same. Only change the target zone.

8

After 36 shots, count total successful balls in the zones and enter score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302825201512963
08

Sand | Perpendicular Piles | 9 Stop Zones

Short Game

Align a bucket of balls in the sand (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 10 equal perpendicular piles of 4 balls and stop sand shots inside 9 Stop Zones. Count the number of successful stops.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Sand | Perpendicular Piles | 9 Stop Zones
1

Place 36 balls into 9 piles of 4 balls each. Space the piles in two crossing lines about 5 to 10 yards apart. Keep piles in each line about 2 yards apart. Make sure the piles are 20 to 40 yards from the hole.

2

On the green, make 9 stop zones with buckets, tees, or string. Keep zones clear and not overlapping.

3

Hit 36 sand shots, trying to stop 4 balls in each stop zone.

4

Hit 4 shots from the first pile to the first stop zone. Move to the next pile and aim at the next zone.

5

Keep going until you finish 36 shots, 4 to each zone.

6

Count each shot that stops in the right zone as one success.

7

Add the total number of successes out of 36 attempts and enter the score in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3230282521161285
09

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

Next Step

Ready to start this program?

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