Course Program

Up-and-Down Contest

Up-and-down contest, for a 25-handicap player, ~20 minutes at Eagleberg

Short GameAll teesProgram HCP 25.39 drills

Program Snapshot

Handicap range

10 to 45

Average HCP

25.3

Duration (single session)

3 hr 54 min

or

1 drill/day: 9 days · 26 min/day

Ideal tee

All

Skill Distribution

Scoring31%
Alignment23%
Aim21%
Accuracy9%
Dispersion5%
Distance Control4%
Visualization3%
Precision3%

Overview

Program Structure

Up-and-Down Contest. Save par clutch and up-and-down contest. Focus on Scoring, Alignment, Aim. For a 25-handicap player, in ~20 minutes.

Skill

Scoring

Shot

Chip

What you will improve

  • Scoring
  • Alignment
  • Aim
  • Accuracy

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 | Deep Rough and Other | Above/Below Feet

Short Game

Hit two buckets of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) from the sloped deep rough and other extreme grass types; one bucket with balls above feet level, and one bucket with balls below feet level.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Chip | Deep Rough and Other | Above/Below Feet
1

Make 6 piles of 6 balls each. Put 3 piles above feet level and 3 piles below feet level, 5 to 30 yards from the hole in tough grass or slopes.

2

Pick a pile from above feet level. Chip 6 balls at a 3-foot target near the hole.

3

Repeat with the other two above feet piles. Total 18 shots from above feet.

4

Do the same with the three below feet piles. Chip 6 balls at the target from each pile. Total 18 shots from below feet.

5

Count balls that stop in the target as successes. Ignore balls outside the target or off the green.

6

Add up the number of balls in the target out of 36 shots and enter score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score312926221713963
02

Chip | Parallel Piles | Quadrants

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop a chip 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 Chip | Parallel Piles | Quadrants
1

Set up 10 piles of balls in two lines. Each line has 5 piles. The lines are 5 to 10 yards apart. Each pile in a line is 4 yards apart.

2

Put the piles 5 to 30 yards from the hole on any type of grass.

3

On the green, make 4 quadrants with string or tees. Each quadrant is about 6 feet wide.

4

Hit 36 chip shots. Hit 9 shots to each of the 4 quadrants.

5

Choose a pile and chip 9 balls, aiming for one quadrant.

6

After 9 shots, switch to the next quadrant. Do this for all 4 quadrants.

7

A chip that stops inside the right quadrant counts as a success.

8

After 36 shots, count how many balls stopped in the target quadrants and enter your score in the app out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302825201612963
03

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
04

Chip | Deep Rough and Other | Flat

Short Game

Hit two buckets of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) from the flat deep rough and other extreme grass types.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Chip | Deep Rough and Other | Flat
1

Place 3 piles of 12 balls each in deep rough or thick grass between 5 and 30 yards from the hole.

2

Mark 3 target zones on the green, each zone spaced 6 feet apart, in a straight line from your spot.

3

Hit 36 chip shots in total, in 3 sets of 12 shots.

4

For the first 12 shots, aim for Target Zone

1

Then aim for Target Zone 2 for the next 12 shots.

5

Aim for Target Zone 3 for the last 12 shots. Enter number of successes in the app, out of 36 attempts.

6

Alternate between the 3 piles for your shots, keeping the balls in deep rough or thick grass.

7

Count each shot that stops inside the target zone as a success.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score292724201612964
05

Chip | Deep Rough and Other | Uphill/Downhill

Short Game

Hit two buckets of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) from the sloped deep rough and other extreme grass types; one bucket from the uphill slope and one bucket from the downhill slope.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Chip | Deep Rough and Other | Uphill/Downhill
1

Find a spot in deep rough on an uphill slope 5 to 30 yards from the hole. Set up the ball the same way each time.

2

Place three targets around the green in a straight line, 4 feet apart.

3

Hit 18 chip shots from the uphill slope. Land 6 balls in each target zone.

4

Move to a deep rough spot on a downhill slope 5 to 30 yards from the hole. Keep the same setup.

5

Hit 18 chip shots from the downhill slope. Land 6 balls in each target zone.

6

Count each ball that ends inside the target as a success.

7

Add up all the successful shots out of 36 in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302824201612853
06

Chip | Rough | Uphill/Downhill

Short Game

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 Chip | Rough | Uphill/Downhill
1

Pick a spot in the rough, on an uphill slope, 5–30 yards from the hole.

2

Put a target at the hole.

3

Hit 18 chip shots uphill, trying to stop the ball close to the hole.

4

Move to a downhill spot in the rough, also 5–30 yards from the hole.

5

Hit 18 chip shots downhill at the same target.

6

Every 4 shots, check the results and adjust if needed.

7

Count a success for every ball that finishes close to the hole (like within 3 feet).

8

Use the same setup for every shot.

9

After 36 shots, add up your total successes. Enter score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028262218141174
07

Chip | Fairway | Flat

Short Game

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

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

Divide balls into 3 groups of

2

Set up 3 target zones on the green: Zone 1, Zone 2, Zone

3

Start each shot from the flat fairway 5–20 yards from the hole, same ball setup every time.

4

Hit 12 shots trying to land in Zone

5

Hit 12 shots trying to land in Zone

6

Hit 12 shots trying to land in Zone

3

Enter score in app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3129262218141074
08

Chip | Rough | Above/Below Feet

Short Game

Hit two buckets of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) from the sloped rough grass; one bucket with balls above feet level, one bucket with balls below feet level.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Chip | Rough | Above/Below Feet
1

Gather 36 balls and split into 2 groups of 18 balls.

2

Pick one target (pin) on the green.

3

For the first 18 shots, place the ball above your feet in the rough 5–20 yards from the hole.

4

Chip all 18 balls, trying to get close to the target.

5

Move to the other slope so the ball is below your feet, same distance.

6

Chip the last 18 balls at the target.

7

Count each shot that stops within 3 feet of the hole as a success.

8

Enter the number of successes out of 36 in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3129262218141063
09

Chip | 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 Chip | Fairway | Uphill/Downhill
1

Set up two target zones on the green: one uphill, one downhill, about 10 feet apart.

2

Hit 18 chip shots from the uphill slope at the uphill target zone.

3

Hit 18 chip shots from the downhill slope at the downhill target zone.

4

Keep ball setup the same for all shots. Only change your target for the slope.

5

Count shots that stop inside or within 3 feet of the target zone as a success.

6

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3129272318141063

Next Step

Ready to start this program?

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