Course Program

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

Up-and-down contest, for a 19-handicap player, ~15 minutes at Domaine de La Valdaine

Short GameAll teesProgram HCP 19.38 drills

Program Snapshot

Handicap range

6 to 45

Average HCP

19.3

Duration (single session)

3 hr 28 min

or

1 drill/day: 8 days · 26 min/day

Ideal tee

All

Skill Distribution

Scoring30%
Alignment16%
Distance Control15%
Precision14%
Dispersion9%
Accuracy8%
Aim8%

Overview

Program Structure

Up-and-down contest: how many can you save in a row?. Turn into par saves and save par clutch. Focus on Scoring, Alignment, Distance Control. For a 19-handicap player, in ~15 minutes.

Skill

Scoring

Shot

Flop

What you will improve

  • Scoring
  • Alignment
  • Distance Control
  • Precision

Program details

Sessions
8 focused drills
Recommended
2–3 sessions / week
Total duration
3 hr 28 min
or
1 drill per day
8 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

Flop | 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 flop shots inside quadrants. Count the number of successes.

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

Arrange 40 balls into 10 piles of 4 balls each. Set the piles in 2 lines that cross each other, with 5 piles in each line, about 2 meters apart.

2

Place the piles on grass 5 to 20 meters from the hole, not on the green.

3

On the green, use string or markers to divide a 10-foot (3 meters) circle around the hole into 4 equal parts.

4

Hit 36 flop shots, 9 shots for each quadrant, trying to stop the ball inside each part.

5

Take turns hitting from different piles, aiming for the set part each time.

6

If the ball stops in the right part, count it as a success.

7

After all 36 shots, count the total successes and enter the number out of 36 in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028252218141074
02

Flop | Rough | Flat

Short Game

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

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

Make two piles of 18 balls on rough grass, 5-40 yards from the hole.

2

Mark three equal target zones on the green about 5 feet apart: Zone A (closest), Zone B (middle), Zone C (farthest).

3

Hit 36 flop shots in three sets: 12 shots to Zone A, then 12 to Zone B, then 12 to Zone C.

4

Switch between the two piles when hitting your shots.

5

Try to land and stop the ball inside the correct zone. Count each ball in the right zone as a success.

6

Count your successes out of 36 shots and enter the score in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302826221713963
03

Flop | 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 flop shots inside Bullseye. Count the number of balls in the inner and outer Bullseye.

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

Place 40 balls in two lines with 20 balls in each line, spaced 1 foot apart.

2

Set the two lines so they cross each other, about 5 to 10 yards apart, on grass away from the green but 5 to 40 yards from the hole.

3

Mark two circles around the hole on the green. The small circle is 6 feet from the hole. The big circle is 15 feet from the hole.

4

Hit 36 flop shots, 18 from each line.

5

Hit 3 to 5 shots at a time from one line, then switch lines and keep going until finished.

6

Try to land each ball inside the circles. Shots inside the small circle are birdie, inside the big one are par.

7

Count all balls that land inside either circle.

8

Enter the total successful shots out of 36 in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302826221713963
04

Flop | Perpendicular Piles | 9 Stop Zones

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop a flop 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 Flop | Perpendicular Piles | 9 Stop Zones
1

Set up 10 piles of balls in two lines that cross each other, 5 piles in each line. The piles are 3 yards/meters apart. The two lines are 5 to 10 yards/meters apart.

2

Put the piles 5 to 40 yards/meters away from the hole, not on the green.

3

Mark 9 target zones on the green using tees, string, or small buckets. Make them easy to see.

4

Hit 36 flop shots total, 9 to each target zone.

5

Pick a pile and hit 9 flop shots to target zone

6

Then hit 9 shots to target zone 2, using any pile.

7

Do the same for zones 3 through 9, hitting 9 shots at each for 36 total tries. Enter score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302825211612853
05

Flop | Parallel Piles | Quadrants

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop a flop 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 Flop | Parallel Piles | Quadrants
1

Set up 10 piles of balls in 2 lines with 5 piles in each line. Keep lines 6 yards apart and piles 4 yards apart.

2

Place the piles on grass, 5 to 40 yards from the hole.

3

On the green, mark 4 equal sections inside a 9-foot circle using string or tees.

4

Hit 36 flop shots, with 9 shots to each section.

5

For each shot, pick a pile and try to stop the ball inside the target section.

6

Count balls that stop fully inside the section as a success.

7

Make sure to aim 9 shots at each section, either in order or randomly.

8

After all 36 shots, add your number of successful shots and enter score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302825221713963
06

Flop | Scattered Piles | 9 Stop Zones

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop a flop 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 Flop | Scattered Piles | 9 Stop Zones
1

Divide 36 balls into 9 piles with 4 balls each. Put each pile in the chipping area, not on the green, between 5 and 20 yards from the hole.

2

Mark 9 stop zones on the green using tees, string, or buckets, spaced across the green.

3

Hit 4 flop shots at each stop zone, trying to stop each ball in the zone.

4

Start at any pile and pick a stop zone. Hit 4 balls from the pile to that zone.

5

Move to the next pile and new stop zone. Keep going until all 9 zones have 4 shots each (36 shots total).

6

Count each ball that stops inside the right stop zone.

7

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302826221713963
07

Flop | Scattered Piles | Quadrants

Short Game

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

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

Make 8 piles of 5 balls each (40 balls total) between 5 and 40 yards from the green.

2

On the green, use markers to make 4 equal parts inside a 10 ft circle around the hole.

3

Hit 36 flop shots in total, split into 4 groups of 9 shots for each part of the circle.

4

Aim 9 shots for the first part, then 9 for the second, the third, and last the fourth part.

5

Change which pile to hit from each time to get different angles and lies.

6

Count only shots that stop in the right part as a success.

7

When finished, write how many you got out of 36 in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302825201612853
08

Flop | Fairway | Flat

Short Game

Hit flop shot two buckets of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) from the flat fairway.

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

Place two pins on the green about 8 feet apart to mark target zones.

2

Set up 5 to 20 yards from the hole on flat ground.

3

Hit 36 flop shots in 3 sets of

4

Aim all first 12 shots at the left target.

5

Aim all next 12 shots at the right target.

6

For the last 12 shots, switch target every 3 shots: 3 left, 3 right, then repeat.

7

Keep the same ball setup for every shot.

8

Count a shot as success if ball stops within 3 feet of target.

9

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score312926221713963

Next Step

Ready to start this program?

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