Course Program

Can you stop the ball close from 30 yards?

Stop on a dime, for a 18-handicap player, ~15 minutes at Elbel Park Golf Course

Short GameAll teesProgram HCP 17.68 drills76% match to course practice profile

Program Snapshot

Handicap range

7 to 45

Average HCP

17.6

Duration (single session)

3 hr 28 min

or

1 drill/day: 8 days · 26 min/day

Ideal tee

All

Skill Distribution

Distance Control34%
Precision15%
Accuracy13%
Scoring12%
Dispersion8%
Alignment8%
Aim7%
Trajectory4%

Overview

Program Structure

Can you stop the ball close from 30 yards?. Feel the green and stop on a dime. Focus on Distance Control, Precision, Accuracy, Scoring, Dispersion, Alignment, Aim, Trajectory. For a 18-handicap player, in ~15 minutes.

Skill

Distance Control

Shot

Pitch

What you will improve

  • Distance Control
  • Precision
  • Accuracy
  • Scoring

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

Pitch | Scattered Ball Lines | 9 Stop Zones

Short Game

Scatter a bucket of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 8 equal lines of 5 balls and stop pitch shots inside 9 Stop Zones. Count the number of successful stops.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Pitch | Scattered Ball Lines | 9 Stop Zones
1

Divide 36 balls into 9 groups of 4 balls each. Space each group about 1 yard apart, between 30 and 60 yards from the hole.

2

On the green, mark 9 stop zones using buckets, string, or tees. Space the zones so you can aim at one at a time.

3

For each group of 4 balls, aim all shots at one assigned stop zone.

4

After 4 shots to the first zone, move to the next group and aim all shots at the next zone.

5

Keep going until you have hit 4 shots to each of the 9 stop zones for a total of 36 shots.

6

Count how many balls finished in the correct stop zone.

7

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3230282520161285
02

Pitch | Perpendicular Piles | Bullseye 2x

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop a pitch 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 Pitch | Perpendicular Piles | Bullseye 2x
1

Set up 10 piles of balls in two lines that cross each other, with each pile about 3 yards/meters apart.

2

Place the piles 30 to 60 yards/meters from the hole on similar grass.

3

Mark two circles on the green: a small 6-foot (2-meter) circle and a bigger 15-foot (5-meter) circle around the hole.

4

Take 36 shots: 18 try to land in the small circle, 18 try to land in the outer circle but not in the small circle.

5

Start with any pile and hit 18 shots for the small circle.

6

For the next 18 shots, try to land in the outer circle but not in the small circle.

7

Count a shot as a success if it lands in the circle you are aiming for.

8

After each shot, pick a different pile at random to hit from.

9

Count how many successful shots you made for each circle out of 36 attempts and enter your score in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028252218141075
03

Pitch | Perpendicular Ball Lines | Quadrants

Short Game

Align a bucket of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 2 perpendicular lines 20 balls per line and stop pitch shots inside quadrants. Count the number of successes.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Pitch | Perpendicular Ball Lines | Quadrants
1

Set up 2 lines of 18 balls each, making 36 balls total, spaced about 1 foot apart, 30 to 60 yards from the green.

2

On the green, make 4 areas using string or markers inside a circle about 15 feet wide.

3

Plan to hit 9 balls into each of the 4 areas.

4

From one ball line, hit 3 balls at the first area.

5

Switch to the other ball line and hit 3 balls at the second area.

6

Keep switching lines, hitting 3 balls at a time, until each area has 9 balls aimed at it.

7

Count how many balls stop in the right area.

8

After all 36 balls are hit, record the number that landed in the correct spot out of 36 in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3129262218131074
04

Pitch | Fairway | Uphill/Downhill

Short Game

Up to 5 players 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

Set up two target zones on the green: one uphill, one downhill. Use cones, clubs, or string to mark each zone about 6 feet wide.

2

From the fairway slope, 30 to 60 yards away, hit 36 pitch shots.

3

Split the 36 shots: 18 shots to the uphill zone, 18 shots to the downhill zone.

4

Keep your stance and ball setup the same for all shots.

5

First, hit 18 shots to the uphill zone. Then, hit 18 shots to the downhill zone.

6

Count a success if the ball lands and stays in the target zone.

7

When finished, add up the number of successful shots, and enter that number out of 36 attempts in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028262218141074
05

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
06

Pitch | Parallel Ball Lines | Quadrants

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop a pitch shot inside the quadrant(s). The player with the most points at the end wins the challenge. 25 balls per player are needed.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Pitch | Parallel Ball Lines | Quadrants
1

Set up 4 lines of balls on the grass, 30 to 60 yards from the hole, with 5 yards between each line.

2

Put 9 balls in each line, spaced 1 foot apart, for 36 balls total.

3

On the green, mark 4 circles (quadrants) with string or tees. Each circle should be about 9 feet wide and not overlap.

4

Start at the first line. Hit each ball, aiming to land about the same number (2 or 3) in each circle.

5

After one line, move to the next. Keep aiming to put about the same number of balls in each circle. Do this for all 4 lines.

6

Count how many balls end up fully inside the target circle after each shot.

7

At the end, enter the number of balls in the circles out of 36 attempts in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score282623191512963
07

Pitch | Scattered Piles | Bullseye 2x

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop a pitch 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 Pitch | Scattered Piles | Bullseye 2x
1

Make two circles on the green: a small one with a 6-foot (2-meter) radius, and a bigger one with a 15-foot (5-meter) radius.

2

Put 3 piles of 12 balls each on the short game area, in random spots 30 to 60 yards/meters from the hole.

3

Hit 36 pitch shots total: 12 from each pile.

4

From the first pile, hit 12 shots and try to stop the ball inside the circles.

5

Move to the next pile and repeat, until all 36 shots are done.

6

Count balls in the small circle as birdies, balls in the big circle as pars, balls outside as bogeys.

7

Count how many balls are in the circles after all 36 shots. Enter your total score out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3129262218141063
08

Pitch | Parallel Ball Lines | 3 Landing Zones

Short Game

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

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

Arrange 36 balls in 2 lines of 18 balls each. Keep the lines 5-10 yards apart. Each ball in a line should be about 1 foot apart.

2

On the green, use markers to make 3 landing zones in a straight line. Each zone should be about 9 feet apart.

3

Divide the 36 shots so there are 12 shots for each landing zone.

4

Hit 6 balls from the first line to the first landing zone, then hit 6 balls from the second line to the same zone.

5

Do the same for the second and third landing zones. Hit 6 balls from each line to each zone.

6

Count every ball that stops in the landing zone as a successful shot.

7

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3129262218141074

Next Step

Ready to start this program?

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

Can you stop the ball close from 30 yards? | Elbel Park Golf Course