Course Program

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

Save par clutch, for a 26-handicap player, ~20 minutes at Red-Blue

Short GameAll teesProgram HCP 26.34 drills

Program Snapshot

Handicap range

10 to 45

Average HCP

26.3

Duration (single session)

1 hr 44 min

or

1 drill/day: 4 days · 26 min/day

Ideal tee

All

Skill Distribution

Scoring38%
Aim18%
Alignment15%
Accuracy8%
Precision6%
Visualization6%
Distance Control5%
Dispersion4%

Overview

Program Structure

Up-and-down contest: how many can you save in a row?. Turn into birdies and up-and-down contest. Focus on Scoring, Aim, Alignment. For a 26-handicap player, in ~20 minutes.

Skill

Scoring

Shot

Pitch

What you will improve

  • Scoring
  • Aim
  • Alignment
  • Accuracy

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 | Scattered Piles | Quadrants

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop a pitch 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 Pitch | Scattered Piles | Quadrants
1

Make 4 piles of 9 balls each, with piles placed randomly 30–60 yards from the hole.

2

Mark 4 quadrants on the green around the hole using string or tees, each about 9 feet wide.

3

Hit 36 pitch shots, 9 to each quadrant.

4

From any pile, hit 9 balls trying to stop them in the first quadrant.

5

Move to a new pile and hit 9 balls to the second quadrant. Repeat for all quadrants.

6

Count balls that stop inside the target quadrant.

7

Count total balls in the correct quadrant and enter the number out of 36 attempts in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302825201612853
02

Pitch | Fairway | Uphill/Downhill

Short Game

Hit two buckets of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) from the sloped fairway; one bucket from the uphill slope and one bucket from the downhill slope.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Pitch | Fairway | Uphill/Downhill
1

Pick a spot on an uphill slope 30 to 40 yards from the hole.

2

Put three targets around the hole, about 5 feet apart: left (A), center (B), right (C).

3

Hit 18 pitch shots from the uphill slope, 6 at each target.

4

Move to a downhill slope 30 to 40 yards from the hole.

5

Hit 18 pitch shots from the downhill slope, 6 at each target.

6

Count every shot that stops within 3 feet of the target as a success.

7

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score2928262218141074
03

Pitch | Fairway | Above/Below Feet

Short Game

Hit 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 Pitch | Fairway | Above/Below Feet
1

Choose two starting spots on a sloped fairway—one where the ball is above your feet, and one where it is below your feet.

2

Put 3 piles of 6 balls each above your feet, spaced between 30 and 60 yards from the hole.

3

Put 3 piles of 6 balls each below your feet, spaced between 30 and 60 yards from the hole.

4

Mark three target zones on the green: Left, Center, and Right, spaced about 6 feet apart.

5

Hit 6 shots from each above-feet pile, aiming at each target zone (18 shots total from above feet).

6

Hit 6 shots from each below-feet pile, aiming at each target zone (18 shots total from below feet).

7

Count a shot as successful if the ball stays in the target zone.

8

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score292724201512974
04

Pitch | Rough | Flat

Short Game

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

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

Set up 3 targets on the green, 6 feet apart in a straight line. These are Target A (closest), Target B (middle), and Target C (farthest).

2

From rough ground 30 to 60 yards away, place the ball and get ready to pitch at the targets.

3

Hit 36 pitch shots in total, split into 3 groups of 12 shots.

4

Aim the first 12 shots at Target A, trying to land and stop the ball inside that area.

5

Aim the next 12 shots at Target B, trying to land and stop the ball inside that area.

6

Aim the last 12 shots at Target C, trying to land and stop the ball inside that area.

7

Keep everything else the same each time, only change which target you aim at.

8

Count a shot as a success if the ball lands and stops inside the correct target area.

9

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302825211612963

Next Step

Ready to start this program?

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