Course Program

Avoid Three-Putts

Avoid three-putts, for a 35-handicap player, ~30 minutes at Mountain View

Short GameAll teesProgram HCP 359 drills79% match to course practice profile

Program Snapshot

Handicap range

25 to 45

Average HCP

35

Duration (single session)

3 hr 54 min

or

1 drill/day: 9 days · 26 min/day

Ideal tee

All

Skill Distribution

Scoring30%
Distance Control25%
Aim16%
Dispersion10%
Accuracy8%
Precision7%
Alignment3%
Trajectory1%

Overview

Program Structure

Avoid Three-Putts. Chip to the green and stop near the hole. Focus on Scoring, Distance Control, Aim. For a 35-handicap player, in ~30 minutes.

Shot

Chip

What you will improve

  • Scoring
  • Distance Control
  • Aim
  • 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

Chip | Parallel Piles | Quadrants

Short Game

Align a bucket of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 10 equal parallel piles of 4 balls and stop chip shots inside quadrants. Count the number of successes.

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

Put 40 balls into 10 piles with 4 balls in each pile. Arrange in two lines, 5 piles per line.

2

Space piles 2 yards or meters apart side to side. Space the two lines 5 to 10 yards or meters apart front to back.

3

Mark 4 sections (quadrants) in a circle of 6 feet or 2 meters radius around the hole on the green using string or tees.

4

Hit 36 chip shots total, 9 shots into each quadrant.

5

Start at any pile and chip balls to land in the first quadrant. After 9 shots, switch to the next quadrant.

6

Switch piles after each shot for variety, but always keep the same chipping setup and distance.

7

Count each ball that stops inside the correct quadrant as a success.

8

After all 36 shots, enter number of successful shots made out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score282623191512963
02

Chip | Scattered Piles | Bullseye 2x

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop a chip 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 Chip | Scattered Piles | Bullseye 2x
1

Make two piles of balls for each player between 5 and 30 yards from the hole, anywhere in the chipping area, on any surface.

2

On the green, make two bullseye zones around the hole: inner circle with 6-foot radius and outer ring from 6 to 15 feet.

3

Each player hits 36 chips: 18 from each pile.

4

Try to stop the ball in the inner bullseye (best), then outer bullseye (good), or avoid missing both (bad).

5

Switch piles after 18 shots, finish all 36 shots.

6

Count how many balls stop in the bullseye zones.

7

After 36 shots, record the number of balls in the bullseyes as your score. Enter this total in the app out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302826221713963
03

Chip | Scattered Ball Lines | Multiple Targets

Short Game

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

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

Put 40 golf balls in 8 lines, 5 balls in each line, each ball 1 yard apart.

2

Set up 8 flags as targets, spaced apart so each one is clear.

3

Chip all 5 balls from each line to a different target flag.

4

Aim for all shots to land within 10 feet (3 meters) of the target flag.

5

Do this for all 8 lines for a total of 40 chips.

6

Only count 36 shots: skip 4 balls or do 4 fewer shots.

7

Give a point for each ball that stops within 10 feet (3 meters) of the target.

8

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3129262218141074
04

Chip | Parallel Ball Lines | Bullseye 2x

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop a chip 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 Chip | Parallel Ball Lines | Bullseye 2x
1

Place 4 lines of 9 balls each on the grass. Lines should be 5 yards apart. Balls in each line should be 1 foot apart. Put the lines between 5 and 30 yards from the hole.

2

Mark two circles on the green around the hole: a small circle 6 feet from the hole, and a bigger circle 15 feet from the hole.

3

Hit 36 chip shots total: 9 shots from each line.

4

Try to make each ball stop inside the small 6-foot circle. Balls that stop in the big circle but outside the small one count as partial success.

5

Count each ball that stops in the small circle as a full success.

6

After all 36 shots, add up how many stopped in the small circle. Enter your score out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3230282520161285
05

Chip | Perpendicular Piles | Quadrants

Short Game

Align a bucket of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 10 equal perpendicular piles of 4 balls and stop chip shots inside quadrants. Count the number of successes.

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

Set up 2 lines with 5 piles of 4 balls each. There are 10 piles in total.

2

Space the 2 lines 5 to 10 yards apart. Space each pile 2 yards apart along each line.

3

On the green, use string or markers to make a circle 6 feet wide around the hole. Divide the circle into 4 equal parts.

4

Hit 36 chip shots, split into 4 groups of

5

For each group, try to stop the balls in one part of the circle. Move to the next part after each group.

6

Alternate where you chip from to practice different spots, but aim for the chosen part of the circle.

7

Count how many balls land in the right part of the circle.

8

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028262218141074
06

Chip | Parallel Piles | Multiple Targets

Short Game

Align a bucket of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 10 equal parallel piles of 4 balls and stop chip shots close to multiple targets. Count the number of successes.

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

Arrange 40 balls into 10 piles with 4 balls each in two lines of 5 piles.

2

Set the two lines 6 yards apart and each pile 3 yards apart.

3

Place the piles anywhere on grass or slope, 5 to 30 yards from the hole, not on the green.

4

Place 3 target flags 8 feet apart on the green to make 3 target zones.

5

Hit 36 chip shots in 3 groups of 12 shots.

6

For the first 12 shots, aim to land the ball within 10 feet of the first flag.

7

For the next 12 shots, aim for the second flag’s zone.

8

For the final 12 shots, aim for the third flag’s zone.

9

Alternate which pile you shoot from, but always start from the same ball spot for each shot.

0

Count each ball stopping within 10 feet of the target as a success and enter score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028262218141174
07

Chip | 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 chip shots close to multiple targets. Count the number of successes.

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

Put 36 balls into 6 piles of 6 balls on the grass, between 5 and 30 yards from the hole.

2

Place 3 flags or targets on the green, 6 feet apart in a line.

3

Split the 36 balls into 3 groups of 12 shots.

4

Hit the first 12 balls to the first flag and try to stop each ball within 10 feet of it.

5

Hit the next 12 balls to the second flag, trying to stop them within 10 feet.

6

Hit the last 12 balls to the third flag, again aiming to stop within 10 feet.

7

Switch which pile you use each time to practice different distances and grass.

8

Count every ball that stops within 10 feet of its flag as a successful shot.

9

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302824201612964
08

Chip | Scattered Piles | 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 wins the challenge. One bucket of balls per player is needed.

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

Make 3 target zones on the green. Space them 6 feet apart in a line.

2

Put 36 balls in 6 piles of 6 around the chipping area, 5–20 yards from the hole.

3

Hit 12 balls at each target zone (36 attempts total).

4

Start from any pile. Aim 12 shots at the first zone.

5

Next, aim 12 shots at the second zone from any pile.

6

Last, aim 12 shots at the third zone. Count shots that stop in the right zone.

7

Add up how many shots landed in the correct zone out of 36 attempts. Enter score in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3129262218141063
09

Chip | Scattered Piles | Quadrants

Short Game

Scatter a bucket of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 8 equal piles of 5 balls and stop chip shots inside quadrants. Count the number of successes.

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

Scatter 40 balls into 8 piles of 5 balls each between 5 and 30 yards from the hole.

2

On the green, use markers to make a 6-foot circle around the hole and divide it into 4 quadrants.

3

Hit 36 chip shots.

4

Hit 9 shots at each of the 4 quadrants.

5

Hit each shot from a different pile and try to land it in the right quadrant.

6

Count a shot as a success if it stops in the correct quadrant.

7

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

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.

Avoid Three-Putts | Mountain View