Course Program

Can you stop the ball close from 30 yards?

Vary landing spot, for a 22-handicap player, ~20 minutes at Emerald Valley Golf & Resort

Short GameAll teesProgram HCP 229 drills61% match to course practice profile

Program Snapshot

Handicap range

4 to 45

Average HCP

22

Duration (single session)

3 hr 54 min

or

1 drill/day: 9 days · 26 min/day

Ideal tee

All

Skill Distribution

Distance Control33%
Alignment16%
Aim12%
Accuracy12%
Scoring9%
Precision8%
Dispersion7%
Trajectory2%

Overview

Program Structure

Can you stop the ball close from 30 yards?. Feel the green and stop on a dime. Focus on Distance Control, Alignment, Aim, Accuracy, Scoring, Precision, Dispersion, Trajectory. For a 22-handicap player, in ~20 minutes.

Skill

Distance Control

Shot

Pitch

What you will improve

  • Distance Control
  • 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

Pitch | Scattered Ball Lines | Quadrants

Short Game

Scatter a bucket of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 8 equal lines of 5 balls and stop pitch shots inside quadrants. Count the number of successes.

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

Scatter 40 balls in 8 lines of 5 balls each, spaced 1 yard/meter apart, between 30 and 60 yards/meters from the hole.

2

Divide a 15-foot (5-meter) circle around the hole into 4 equal quadrants using string or tees.

3

Hit 36 pitch shots, in 8 groups of 5 balls each, aiming at a specific quadrant for each group.

4

For each group of 5 shots, pick one quadrant as the target and try to stop all 5 balls inside it.

5

Change target quadrant after every group, using all 4 quadrants at least once. The last group can target any quadrant.

6

Count every ball that stops in the chosen quadrant as a success.

7

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3129262218141074
02

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
03

Pitch | Perpendicular Ball Lines | Multiple Targets

Short Game

Align a bucket of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 2 perpendicular lines 20 balls per line and stop pitch shots close to multiple targets. Count the number of successes.</p>

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

Arrange 40 golf balls in 2 lines that cross at right angles. Each line should have 20 balls, about 1 foot apart.

2

Put this setup on grass 30–60 yards from the hole.

3

Pick 3 targets on the green or near the hole, at least 10 feet apart.

4

Split 36 shots into 3 groups of

5

Stand behind one line and hit 12 pitch shots at the first target, trying to land within 10 feet of it.

6

Move to the other line and hit 12 shots at the second target.

7

Go back to the first line and hit 12 shots at the third target.

8

Count how many balls stop inside 10 feet of the target.

9

After all 36 shots, record the number of successes in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028262218141074
04

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
05

Pitch | Scattered Piles | 9 Stop Zones

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop a pitch 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 Pitch | Scattered Piles | 9 Stop Zones
1

Make 2 piles of balls in 2 different spots, between 30 and 60 yards from the hole.

2

On the green, mark 9 stop zones using buckets, string, or tees.

3

Hit 36 pitch shots. Make 9 groups of 4 shots.

4

Each group of 4 aims for a different stop zone, so you use all 9 zones.

5

Take shots from both piles, switching between them as you aim for different zones.

6

If a shot stops inside the zone you aimed for, count it as a success.

7

Add how many shots stopped in the zones out of 36 attempts and enter your score in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3230282520161285
06

Pitch | Deep Rough and Other | Above/Below Feet

Short Game

Up to 5 players 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

Get 36 golf balls. Divide into 3 groups of 12 balls.

2

Set up 3 target zones on the green. Make them easy to see and about the same size.

3

Go to the rough, 20-40 yards from the hole. Hit 12 balls at the first target zone.

4

Hit 12 balls at the second target zone from the same spot, same ball setup.

5

Hit 12 balls at the third target zone the same way.

6

Keep ball setup on the slope the same for all shots.

7

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

8

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score282624211713963
07

Pitch | Perpendicular Piles | 9 Stop Zones

Short Game

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

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Pitch | Perpendicular Piles | 9 Stop Zones
1

Arrange 36 balls into 9 piles with 4 balls in each pile. Put the piles in two straight lines, 5 to 10 yards/meters apart. Keep about 2 yards/meters between each pile. Place all piles about 30 to 40 yards/meters from the hole.

2

On the green, mark 9 separate stop zones using buckets, string, or tees. Make sure these zones are spread evenly around the hole.

3

Hit 4 pitch shots to each of the 9 stop zones. This makes 36 shots in total.

4

Hit shots by switching between piles and zones in order. For example, do 4 shots to zone 1, then 4 shots to zone 2, and continue until each zone has 4 shots.

5

Count each ball that stops inside the right stop zone as a success.

6

When finished, total the number of successful stops and enter your score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302825211612964
08

Pitch | Perpendicular Piles | 3 Landing Zones

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop a pitch shot inside the landing 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 Pitch | Perpendicular Piles | 3 Landing Zones
1

Put 10 piles of balls in two lines that meet at a right angle, 5 to 10 yards apart, with each pile 3 yards apart.

2

Place the piles 30 to 60 yards from the hole on grass but not on the green.

3

Mark 3 landing zones on the green with sticks or string, each 6 feet apart in a line.

4

Hit 36 pitch shots in total, 12 at each landing zone.

5

For the first 12 shots aim at Landing Zone 1, for the next 12 aim at Zone 2, for the last 12 aim at Zone

6

Start from any pile and switch piles between shots.

7

Count a success if the ball lands and stops in the correct zone.

8

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score2927252218141174
09

Pitch | Deep Rough and Other | Flat

Short Game

Up to 5 players 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 Pitch | Deep Rough and Other | Flat
1

Put 3 target zones on the green: left, center, right. Each 5 feet apart.

2

Put 12 balls in a pile, 30-60 yards from the hole, in deep rough.

3

Hit 12 shots trying to land in Zone A.

4

Hit 12 shots trying to land in Zone B.

5

Hit 12 shots trying to land in Zone C.

6

Keep balls in the same spot and rough for all shots.

7

Count each ball that lands and stays in the right zone.

8

After 36 shots, enter your number of successes into the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302825221713964

Next Step

Ready to start this program?

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