Course Program

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

Feel the green, for a 24-handicap player, ~20 minutes at East Herts

Short GameAll teesProgram HCP 24.18 drills65% match to course practice profile

Program Snapshot

Handicap range

3 to 45

Average HCP

24.1

Duration (single session)

3 hr 28 min

or

1 drill/day: 8 days · 26 min/day

Ideal tee

All

Skill Distribution

Distance Control32%
Precision16%
Aim13%
Alignment12%
Trajectory8%
Accuracy8%
Dispersion7%
Scoring5%

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, Precision, Aim, Alignment, Trajectory, Accuracy, Dispersion, Scoring. For a 24-handicap player, in ~20 minutes.

Skill

Distance Control

Shot

Sand

What you will improve

  • Distance Control
  • Precision
  • Aim
  • Alignment

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

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
02

Sand | Perpendicular Ball Lines | 3 Landing Zones

Short Game

Align a bucket of balls in the sand (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 2 perpendicular lines 20 balls per line and hit-and-land sand shots inside landing zones. Count the number of successes.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Sand | Perpendicular Ball Lines | 3 Landing Zones
1

In the sand bunker, arrange two lines of balls in a cross shape. Each line has 18 balls, about 1 foot apart.

2

On the green, set up three landing zones in a row using sticks, clubs, or strings. Each zone is about 6 feet apart.

3

Hit 36 sand shots, divided into three groups of

4

For each group of 12 shots, aim at one landing zone. Start with Zone 1, then Zone 2, then Zone

5

Switch between the two ball lines every 4 to 6 shots.

6

Count shots that land and stop in the right landing zone as a success.

7

When all 36 shots are done, add up your successes and enter your total successful shots out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302825221713963
03

Sand | Perpendicular Piles | 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. One bucket of balls per player is needed.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Sand | Perpendicular Piles | Bullseye 2x
1

Arrange 10 piles of balls in two lines that cross at a right angle, with 5 piles in each line. Each pile has 3 or 4 balls.

2

Place the piles 3 yards or meters apart, between 20 and 40 yards or meters from the hole, in sand bunkers and not on the green.

3

On the green, mark two target circles around the hole: an inner circle with a 6-foot or 2-meter radius (bullseye) and an outer circle with a 15-foot or 5-meter radius (outer bullseye).

4

Take 36 sand shots in total. Do 18 shots aiming for the inner bullseye, then 18 shots for the outer bullseye (including the inner).

5

Start at any pile and hit one sand shot at a time, trying to land the ball in the target area.

6

After 18 shots at the inner bullseye, switch to the outer bullseye for the next 18 shots.

7

Count each ball that stops inside the targeted circle as a success. Balls outside the outer circle are misses.

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
Score3230282418141063
04

Sand | Parallel Ball Lines | 3 Landing Zones

Short Game

Align a bucket of balls in the sand (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 2 parallel lines 20 balls per line and hit-and-land sand shots inside landing zones. Count the number of successes.

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

In the sand bunker, make two straight lines of balls. Each line has 18 balls, with 1 foot (30 cm) between each ball. The two lines are 6 to 10 yards (5 to 10 meters) apart.

2

On the green, set up three landing zones. Mark them with sticks, clubs, or string. Space the zones 6 feet (2 meters) apart in a straight line.

3

Hit 36 sand shots. Split them into 3 groups of 12 shots.

4

For the first group, hit from one ball line and aim for the first landing zone.

5

For the second group, switch to the other ball line and aim for the second zone.

6

For the last group, go back to the first ball line and aim for the third zone.

7

Count each shot that lands and stays in the correct zone as a success. After all 36 shots, add up the successful shots and enter the score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302826221713953
05

Sand | Perpendicular 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 | Perpendicular Piles | 9 Stop Zones
1

Set up 10 piles of 4 balls each in two crossing lines of 5 piles each, spaced 3 yards/meters apart, and 20-40 yards from the hole.

2

On the green, mark 9 target zones with buckets, tees, or string in a clear grid or pattern.

3

Split 36 shots into 9 groups of

4

Each group only aims for one target zone.

4

For each group, pick a pile and hit 4 sand shots, trying to stop each ball in the zone.

5

Move to the next zone and repeat until each of the 9 zones has had 4 shots (36 total shots).

6

Each ball that stops in the right zone counts as one success.

7

After all shots, count how many were successful and enter your score in the app out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028252218141074
06

Sand | Perpendicular Piles | Multiple Targets

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 close to multiple targets. Count the number of successes.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Sand | Perpendicular Piles | Multiple Targets
1

Set up 40 balls in 10 piles of 4 balls each. Arrange 5 piles in one line, spaced 5 yards apart. Arrange another 5 piles in a line crossing the first line, spaced 2 yards apart.

2

Place 3 flags on the green, 10 yards apart, as targets named Target 1, Target 2, and Target

3

Hit 36 sand shots in total, with 12 shots at each target.

4

Take 4 shots from each pile, moving to the next pile after 4 shots. Change which target you aim at for each pile in order (Target 1, then Target 2, then Target 3, then repeat).

5

Count shots that stop within 10 feet of the intended target as successful.

6

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302826221713963
07

Sand | Scattered Ball Lines | Bullseye 2x

Short Game

Scatter a bucket of balls in the sand (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 8 equal lines of 5 balls and stop sand shots inside Bullseye. Count the number of balls in the inner and outer Bullseye.

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

Scatter 40 balls in the sand into 8 lines of 5 balls, with lines about 2 feet apart, anywhere 5 to 60 yards from the hole.

2

On the green, make two bullseye circles around the hole: one with a 6-foot radius, one with a 15-foot radius.

3

Hit 36 sand shots, divided into 3 groups of 12 shots.

4

For the first 12 shots, try to land the ball inside the 6-foot bullseye.

5

For the next 12 shots, try to land the ball between 6 and 15 feet from the hole.

6

For the last 12 shots, try to land the ball within 15 feet of the hole, including the 6-foot bullseye.

7

After all 36 shots, count how many balls stopped in each target area for each group, and enter your score in the app out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score282624201612963
08

Sand | Perpendicular Ball Lines | Bullseye 2x

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 Bullseye. Count the number of balls in the inner and outer Bullseye.

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

Arrange 36 balls in 2 straight lines in the sand, 18 balls in each line, balls 1 foot apart, lines 5 to 10 yards apart.

2

Mark two circle targets on the green: inner Bullseye 6-foot radius, outer Bullseye 15-foot radius around the hole.

3

Hit all 36 balls from the sand aiming for the target circles on the green.

4

Hit 3 balls from one line, then 3 from the other line, repeat until all 36 are hit.

5

Balls inside the inner Bullseye count as 'birdie', balls inside the outer (but outside inner) count as 'par'.

6

Count total balls in the Bullseye circles as your score, enter the number out of 36 attempts.

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.