Course Program

Up-and-down contest: how many can you save?

Save with mid irons, for a 18-handicap player, ~15 minutes at Golden Sands

Driving RangeAll teesProgram HCP 17.78 drills

Program Snapshot

Handicap range

10 to 45

Average HCP

17.7

Duration (single session)

4 hr 8 min

or

1 drill/day: 8 days · 31 min/day

Ideal tee

All

Skill Distribution

Scoring26%
Precision22%
Dispersion17%
Accuracy14%
Distance Control13%
Trajectory4%
Aim4%

Overview

Program Structure

Up-and-down contest: how many can you save?. Set up par or better and turn into birdies. Focus on Scoring, Precision, Dispersion. For a 18-handicap player, in ~15 minutes.

Skill

Scoring

Club

Mid irons (7,6,5)

What you will improve

  • Scoring
  • Precision
  • Dispersion
  • Accuracy

Program details

Sessions
8 focused drills
Recommended
2–3 sessions / week
Total duration
4 hr 8 min
or
1 drill per day
8 days · 31 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

All irons (9 to 2) | Strengths Discovery

Driving Range

Discover strengths amongst irons a go-to shots and clubs worth utilizing. Hit one bucket of ~50 balls.

31 minFocus: Driving Range
Diagram for All irons (9 to 2) | Strengths Discovery
1

Set up 3 flags or targets in a field, spaced apart for medium iron shots (about 80-150 yards). Label them Target A, Target B, and Target C.

2

Hit 36 shots total: 12 shots at each target.

3

Use different irons for each target, like 9-iron for Target A, 6-iron for Target B, 3-iron for Target C.

4

Hit 12 shots at Target A, then 12 at Target B, then 12 at Target C. Keep setup and routine the same.

5

Count shots that land within 10 yards of each target. These are successes.

6

Add up your successful shots. Enter your score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score282624201612963
02

All irons (9 to 2) | Progressive Targets Challenge

Driving Range

Complete the Progressive Targets Challenge using irons only. Hit one bucket of ~50 balls.

31 minFocus: Driving Range
Diagram for All irons (9 to 2) | Progressive Targets Challenge
1

Pick 3 flags at the range for your 9, 7, and 5 irons: close, medium, far.

2

Hit 36 shots total: 12 at each flag.

3

Hit 12 shots at the close flag.

4

Hit 12 shots at the medium flag, change irons if wanted.

5

Hit 12 shots at the far flag, change irons if wanted.

6

Count shots that land within a club-length of each flag.

7

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3129262218141063
03

Mid irons (7,6,5) | GIRs Simulation

Driving Range

Simulate X number of GIR (Green in Regulations) using mid irons only. Hit one bucket of ~50 balls. Count total number of greens hit.

31 minFocus: Driving Range
Diagram for Mid irons (7,6,5) | GIRs Simulation
1

Pick a flag for 7, 6, or 5 iron.

2

Mark an area around the flag like a green, about 5% of the distance to the flag.

3

Get 36 balls to hit into this green area.

4

Split the green into 3 equal parts: Left, Center, Right.

5

Hit 12 balls at the Left part.

6

Hit 12 balls at the Center part.

7

Hit 12 balls at the Right part.

8

Use just 7, 6, or 5 irons, set up the same way every time.

9

Count only the balls that land and stay in the zone you aimed at.

0

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028262218141074
04

Mid irons (7,6,5) | Birdie-Par-Bogey Radius

Driving Range

Use mid irons only to land the ball inside the radius. Hit one bucket of ~50 balls. Keep the score relative to PAR.

31 minFocus: Driving Range
Diagram for Mid irons (7,6,5) | Birdie-Par-Bogey Radius
1

Choose a target flag on the driving range for mid irons (7, 6, or 5 iron).

2

Mark two circles on the ground: an inner circle with a 5-yard radius, and an outer circle with an 8-yard radius.

3

Prepare 36 balls.

4

For the first 12 shots, try to land the ball inside the 5-yard circle.

5

For the next 12 shots, try to land the ball inside the area between the 5-yard and 8-yard circles.

6

For the final 12 shots, try to land the ball anywhere inside the 8-yard circle.

7

Use any 7, 6, or 5 iron, but keep the ball setup the same.

8

Count how many balls land and stop in the correct circle for that group. Balls outside the 8-yard circle are misses.

9

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3230282420161285
05

All irons (9 to 2) | Weaknesses Discovery

Driving Range

Discover weaknesses amongst irons shots and clubs to avoid in critical situations. Hit one bucket of ~50 balls.

31 minFocus: Driving Range
Diagram for All irons (9 to 2) | Weaknesses Discovery
1

Choose 3 flags at medium distances for your irons (9 to 2).

2

Put 4 cones around each flag to make a small square or circle, with about 5% of the distance to the flag as the circle's radius.

3

Pick one cone at each flag as the "danger side" to avoid.

4

Hit 36 balls total, 12 at each flag, and use different irons if you want.

5

Try to land each ball inside the cone circle and not on the danger side.

6

Mark a shot as successful if it stays in the circle and not on or past the danger side.

7

Count how many good shots you got out of 36 and enter the score in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028262218141074
06

Mid irons (7,6,5) | 9 Targets

Driving Range

Hit 5 balls to each target using mid irons only. Hit one bucket of ~50 balls. Count total number of successful shots.

31 minFocus: Driving Range
Diagram for Mid irons (7,6,5) | 9 Targets
1

Set up 9 targets around the flag using cones or buckets, each target is spaced evenly apart by 5% of the flag distance.

2

Use only a 7, 6, or 5 iron for all shots.

3

Hit 4 shots at each target for a total of 36 shots.

4

Pick a target at random and aim to land the ball between the cones at that target.

5

You can change clubs anytime, but always set up the ball the same way.

6

A shot is successful if it lands between the cones at the chosen target.

7

Do 4 shots at each of the 9 targets for a total of 36 shots, then count the successful ones and enter the score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3230272318141074
07

Mid irons (7,6,5) | Quadrants

Driving Range

Hit 12 balls to each quadrant using mid irons only. Hit one bucket of ~50 balls. Count total number of successful shots.

31 minFocus: Driving Range
Diagram for Mid irons (7,6,5) | Quadrants
1

Pick a 5, 6, or 7 iron for the drill.

2

Choose a flag or mark at a medium distance.

3

Make a square around the target using four markers, each marker about 5% of the distance to the flag away from it.

4

Hit 36 shots, divided into 4 groups of 9 shots each.

5

For each group, aim to land the ball in one specific quadrant.

6

Start with one quadrant and hit 9 shots, then do the same for each of the other 3 quadrants.

7

Switch between the 5, 6, or 7 iron any time.

8

Count each ball that lands and stops in the target quadrant as successful.

9

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028262218141074
08

Mid irons (7,6,5) | L-R and R-L 9 Targets

Driving Range

Hit 5 balls to each randomly selected target while producing left-to-right and right-to-left shots, using mid irons only. Hit one bucket of ~50 balls.

31 minFocus: Driving Range
Diagram for Mid irons (7,6,5) | L-R and R-L  9 Targets
1

Set up 9 targets around the flag, spaced evenly about 5% of the distance to the flag.

2

Use cones or buckets to mark the edges so each target has a small gate to aim through.

3

Hit 4 shots at each target, for a total of 36 shots.

4

For each target, hit 2 shots left-to-right and 2 shots right-to-left using a 5, 6, or 7 iron.

5

A shot is successful if the ball goes between the cones.

6

Switch clubs if desired, but hit all 4 shots at each target before moving on.

7

When finished, count how many shots went between the cones.

8

Enter your score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score312925211612853

Next Step

Ready to start this program?

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