Course Program

Land 3–4 Feet From Hole

Save par clutch, for a 16-handicap player, ~15 minutes at Elk Rapids Golf Club

Short GameAll teesProgram HCP 15.99 drills81% match to course practice profile

Program Snapshot

Handicap range

6 to 25

Average HCP

15.9

Duration (single session)

3 hr 54 min

or

1 drill/day: 9 days · 26 min/day

Ideal tee

All

Skill Distribution

Scoring20%
Accuracy16%
Distance Control15%
Precision14%
Aim14%
Dispersion9%
Visualization5%
Alignment4%
Trajectory3%

Overview

Program Structure

Land 3–4 Feet From Hole. Turn into birdies and up-and-down contest. Focus on Scoring, Accuracy, Distance Control, Precision, Aim, Dispersion, Visualization, Alignment, Trajectory. For a 16-handicap player, in ~15 minutes.

Shot

Pitch

What you will improve

  • Scoring
  • Accuracy
  • Distance Control
  • Precision

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

Pitch | 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 Pitch | Deep Rough and Other | Uphill/Downhill
1

Make 2 piles of 18 balls each, one uphill and one downhill, 30–60 yards from the hole.

2

Mark 3 target zones on the green: close (within 3 feet), medium (3 to 6 feet), far (6 to 10 feet) from the hole.

3

Hit 36 pitches in total, using both piles and aiming at all zones.

4

From the uphill pile, hit 3 shots at each zone (close, medium, far), for 9 shots.

5

From the downhill pile, repeat: 3 shots at each zone, for 9 shots.

6

Do steps 4 and 5 again, using both piles, until each slope has 18 shots (6 at each zone).

7

Count a shot as a success if it stops in the correct target zone.

8

When finished, count successes and enter the number out of 36 attempts in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score292724201612853
02

Pitch | Rough | Above/Below Feet

Short Game

Up to 5 players hit two buckets of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) from the sloped rough grass; one bucket with balls above feet level, and one bucket with balls below feet level.

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

Make 3 piles of 6 balls each on sloped ground above your feet, 20 to 40 yards from the hole.

2

Make 3 piles of 6 balls each on sloped ground below your feet, same distance, opposite slope.

3

Hit 18 shots from above your feet and 18 shots from below your feet.

4

Mark 3 target zones on the green (left, center, right).

5

Hit 6 shots from above your feet at each zone.

6

Hit 6 shots from below your feet at each zone.

7

Score one point for each ball that lands and stops in the right zone.

8

Count successes and enter the total out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score312926221713963
03

Pitch | 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 Pitch | Deep Rough and Other | Above/Below Feet
1

Put 4 piles of 9 balls on a slope, 2 piles above feet, 2 piles below feet, 30 to 60 yards from the hole.

2

Mark 3 target zones on the green: left, center, right, each about 6 feet wide.

3

Hit 36 pitch shots, 18 from above feet piles, 18 from below feet piles.

4

For each area (above and below feet), hit 6 shots to each zone.

5

Switch between piles of the same area as you hit, aiming for the target zone.

6

A shot counts if the ball stops in the right zone.

7

Count how many shots went in the target zones and enter score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score292724201612964
04

Pitch | Scattered Piles | 3 Landing Zones

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to land a pitch shot inside the landing zone(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 | 3 Landing Zones
1

Set up 3 target zones on the green in a straight line, 6 feet apart.

2

Make 6 piles of balls between 30 and 60 yards from the hole.

3

Split 36 balls into 3 groups of

4

Hit 12 shots to target zone 1 from any pile.

5

Hit 12 shots to target zone 2 from any pile.

6

Hit 12 shots to target zone 3 from any pile.

7

Count how many shots stop inside the correct zone.

8

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302826221713963
05

Pitch | Perpendicular 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 | Perpendicular Piles | Quadrants
1

Set up 10 piles of balls in two lines. Each line has 5 piles, and the piles are 3 yards apart. Piles are between 30 and 60 yards from the hole.

2

On the green, mark 4 circular target zones. Each is 9 feet in radius.

3

Make 36 pitch shots. For each target zone, make 9 shots.

4

For each shot, aim to land and stop the ball in the correct target zone.

5

After 9 shots in one zone, switch zones and repeat until all 4 are done.

6

Count each shot that stops in the right zone as a success.

7

Total successful shots out of 36 attempts and enter score in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028262218141064
06

Pitch | Parallel Ball Lines | 9 Stop Zones

Short Game

Align a bucket of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 2 parallel lines 20 balls per line and stop pitch shots inside 9 Stop Zones. Count the number of successful stops.

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

Place 36 balls in 2 lines of 18 balls each, about 1 foot apart.

2

Set up 9 stop zones on the green using markers, arranged in 3 groups of 3 zones.

3

Hit 4 pitch shots into each stop zone, for a total of 36 shots.

4

Start at the first stop zone and hit 4 shots from the first ball line, aiming for that zone.

5

Switch to the second ball line and hit 4 shots at the next stop zone.

6

Keep switching lines and zones until all 36 shots are done.

7

A shot is a success if the ball stops in the target zone.

8

Count successful shots and enter score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score312926221713963
07

Pitch | Scattered Piles | Multiple Targets

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop a pitch shot closest to the multiple target(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 | Multiple Targets
1

Pick 3 targets on the green at least 6 feet apart.

2

Put 36 balls into 6 piles of 6 balls, between 20 and 40 yards from the hole, on different slopes and grass types.

3

Split shots into 3 sets of

4

For the first 12 shots, aim to stop the ball close to target

5

For the next 12 shots, aim to stop close to target

6

For the last 12 shots, aim to stop close to target

7

A shot counts if the ball stops within 3 feet of the correct target.

8

Keep the ball setup the same for every shot.

9

Count how many balls ended close to the proper target, and enter your score out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302825221713963
08

Pitch| Scattered Piles | Bullseye 2x

Short Game

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

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Pitch| Scattered Piles | Bullseye 2x
1

Put 40 balls into 8 piles of 5 balls each, on grass 30–60 yards/meters from the hole.

2

Mark two circles around the hole: one with a 6-foot (2-meter) radius, and one with a 15-foot (5-meter) radius.

3

Hit 36 pitch shots in 3 groups of 12 shots.

4

Aim 12 shots for the small circle, 12 shots for the area between the two circles, and 12 shots for the big circle (includes the small one).

5

Use balls from any pile, but keep where and how you hit them the same.

6

Count each ball that ends inside the correct circle as a success.

7

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score282624201612853
09

Pitch | Parallel Piles | Multiple Targets

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop a pitch shot closest to the multiple target(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 Pitch | Parallel Piles | Multiple Targets
1

Make 10 piles of balls in two lines with 5 piles in each line. Lines should be 5 to 10 yards apart. Piles in each line are 4 yards apart.

2

Put the piles on grass between 30 and 60 yards from the hole.

3

Mark 3 targets with flags or markers on the green so they are spaced out and easy to see.

4

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

5

For each set, hit all 12 shots at the same target. Use Target 1 for the first set, Target 2 for the next, Target 3 for the last set.

6

For each shot, pick any pile you want, but try to land the ball close to the target.

7

After each shot, check if your ball stops inside the scoring zone around the target.

8

Count how many balls land inside the target zone.

9

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

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.