Course Program

Thread the gap: bunker shot through a narrow landing zone

Thread the gap, for a 10-handicap player, ~15 minutes at 18 Loch

Short GameAll teesProgram HCP 10.23 drills

Program Snapshot

Handicap range

5 to 25

Average HCP

10.2

Duration (single session)

1 hr 18 min

or

1 drill/day: 3 days · 26 min/day

Ideal tee

All

Skill Distribution

Precision27%
Distance Control20%
Trajectory18%
Dispersion14%
Aim11%
Scoring5%
Alignment5%

Overview

Program Structure

Thread the gap: bunker shot through a narrow landing zone. Thread the gap and precision from tough lie. Focus on Precision, Distance Control, Trajectory. For a 10-handicap player, in ~15 minutes.

Skill

Precision

Shot

Sand

What you will improve

  • Precision
  • Distance Control
  • Trajectory
  • Dispersion

Program details

Sessions
3 focused drills
Recommended
2–3 sessions / week
Total duration
1 hr 18 min
or
1 drill per day
3 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 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
02

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
03

Sand | Perpendicular Ball Lines | 3 Landing Zones

Short Game

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

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

In the sand bunker, arrange two lines of balls in a cross shape. Each line has 18 balls, about 1 foot apart.

2

On the green, set up three landing zones in a row using sticks, clubs, or strings. Each zone is about 6 feet apart.

3

Hit 36 sand shots, divided into three groups of

4

For each group of 12 shots, aim at one landing zone. Start with Zone 1, then Zone 2, then Zone

5

Switch between the two ball lines every 4 to 6 shots.

6

Count shots that land and stop in the right landing zone as a success.

7

When all 36 shots are done, add up your successes and enter your total successful shots out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302825221713963

Next Step

Ready to start this program?

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