Course Program

Pinpoint your sand shots: leave yourself a tap-in every time

Pinpoint sand shots, for a 13-handicap player, ~15 minutes at Elleair

Short GameAll teesProgram HCP 12.89 drills

Program Snapshot

Handicap range

3 to 45

Average HCP

12.8

Duration (single session)

3 hr 54 min

or

1 drill/day: 9 days · 26 min/day

Ideal tee

All

Skill Distribution

Distance Control26%
Precision21%
Dispersion18%
Aim14%
Scoring9%
Trajectory7%
Alignment4%

Overview

Program Structure

Pinpoint your sand shots: leave yourself a tap-in every time. Pinpoint sand shots and precision from tough lie. Focus on Distance Control, Precision, Dispersion. For a 13-handicap player, in ~15 minutes.

Skill

Precision

Shot

Sand

What you will improve

  • Distance Control
  • Precision
  • Dispersion
  • Aim

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

Sand | Scattered Ball Lines | 9 Stop Zones

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 9 Stop Zones. Count the number of successful stops.

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

Put 40 golf balls in 8 lines of 5 balls each in the sand, about 2 feet apart and between 20 and 40 yards from the hole.

2

Make 9 stop zones on the green using tees, string, or buckets. Number them 1 to

3

Split the 36 sand shots into 9 groups of 4 shots.

4

Pick one stop zone as the target for each group.

5

Hit 4 balls in a line toward the chosen stop zone, trying to stop them inside that zone.

6

Move to the next stop zone and repeat until all zones are used for 4 shots each.

7

Count how many balls stopped in the correct stop zone.

8

Enter the number of successful stops out of 36 in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3129262218141063
02

Sand | Scattered Piles | 3 Landing Zones

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to land a sand 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 Sand | Scattered Piles | 3 Landing Zones
1

Make 3 target zones on the green using sticks or clubs. Space them 6 feet apart in a line.

2

Make 6 piles of 6 balls each in the sand, 20 to 40 yards from the hole.

3

Hit 36 sand shots: 12 shots to each zone.

4

Hit from any pile to Zone 1, then move to another pile and hit to Zone 2, then to another pile for Zone

5

Try to land the ball in the correct zone. Each ball that stays in the correct zone is a success.

6

After all shots, count how many balls landed in the correct zones and enter your score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302825211612853
03

Sand | Parallel Ball Lines | 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. Up to 80 balls are needed.

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

Set up 4 lines of balls in the bunker. Each line has 9 balls. Balls are 1 foot apart.

2

Mark 9 stop zones on the green. Space them out so there is 1 zone for each shot.

3

Hit 36 sand shots: 4 balls for each zone.

4

For each shot, aim to stop the ball inside the zone on the green.

5

Hit 4 balls for the first zone, then 4 for the second, and keep going until all 9 zones are done.

6

Count balls that stop inside the right zone as successful.

7

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3230282520161285
04

Sand | Scattered 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 | Scattered Piles | 9 Stop Zones
1

Place 36 golf balls in 9 piles, each with 4 balls, in a sand bunker 20–40 yards from the hole.

2

Make 9 stop zones on the green in a 3 by 3 grid using tees, string, or markers.

3

Hit 4 sand shots to each stop zone, for 36 shots total.

4

Start from any pile and aim for the first stop zone.

5

After 4 shots to one zone, move to the next zone and keep going until all 9 zones are done.

6

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

7

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score282623191511853
05

Sand | Parallel Piles | 9 Stop Zones

Short Game

Align a bucket of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) in the sand into 10 equal parallel piles of 4 balls and stop sand shots inside 9 Stop Zones. Count the number of successful stops.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Sand | Parallel Piles | 9 Stop Zones
1

Set up 9 stop zones on the green in a 3 by 3 grid using buckets, string, or tees.

2

In the sand bunker, make 9 piles of 4 balls each. Keep piles in straight lines, 2 yards apart, and lines 5-10 yards apart.

3

Hit 4 shots from each pile, one pile for each stop zone, for a total of 36 shots.

4

Move to a new pile for each new stop zone.

5

Keep your setup the same, only change the target stop zone on the green.

6

Count each ball that stops in the right zone.

7

Add up the number of successful stops out of 36 attempts and enter the score in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302825211713963
06

Sand | Parallel Piles | Quadrants

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop a sand 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 Sand | Parallel Piles | Quadrants
1

Set up 10 piles of balls in two rows with 5 piles in each row. Leave 3 yards (2 meters) between the rows, and 4 yards (4 meters) between piles in each row.

2

Put these piles in the sand area, 20 to 40 yards from the hole.

3

On the green, mark 4 equal circles using string or tees. Each circle has a 6-foot (2 meter) radius.

4

Hit 36 sand shots. Hit 9 shots at each of the 4 circles.

5

Start from any pile. Hit one ball at a time, aiming for the first circle.

6

After 9 shots at the first circle, move to the next circle and repeat until all 4 circles are used.

7

Count how many balls stop inside the correct circle.

8

When done, add the number of balls inside the circles, out of 36 attempts, and enter the score in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302825211612963
07

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
08

Sand | Perpendicular Piles | Quadrants

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop a sand 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 Sand | Perpendicular Piles | Quadrants
1

Set up 10 piles of balls in 2 lines, each line has 5 piles, spaced 3 yards/meters apart. The 2 lines are 5 to 10 yards/meters apart.

2

Put the piles on grass, 20 to 40 yards/meters from the hole.

3

On the green, mark 4 equal circles (quadrants) around the hole with string or tees. Each circle is 6 feet (2 meters) from the hole.

4

Hit 36 sand shots total. Hit 9 balls into each circle.

5

Start at any pile. For each shot, try to land the ball inside the chosen circle.

6

After 9 shots at one circle, move to the next. Repeat until all 36 shots are done.

7

Count each ball that stops in the target circle as a success.

8

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score282622181410742
09

Sand | Scattered Ball Lines | 3 Landing Zones

Short Game

Scatter a bucket of balls in the sand (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 8 equal lines of 5 balls and hit-and-land sand shots inside landing zones. Count the number of successes.

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

Scatter 40 balls into 8 lines with 5 balls in each line. Put balls about 2 feet apart.

2

Put the lines between 5 and 60 yards from the hole on grass or a slope.

3

On the green set up 3 landing zones side by side, each zone about 6 feet apart.

4

Hit 36 shots, split into 3 groups of 12 shots toward each landing zone.

5

For each group, pick any 12 balls to hit toward the first landing zone.

6

After 12 shots, switch to the second zone and hit 12 more shots from any balls.

7

Aim the last 12 shots at the third landing zone using any balls.

8

Count a shot as successful if the ball lands and stays in the correct landing zone.

9

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

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.