Course Program

Stop Ball on Dime

Vary landing spot, for a 27-handicap player, ~20 minutes at Grand Elk Golf Club

Short GameAll teesProgram HCP 27.29 drills76% match to course practice profile

Program Snapshot

Handicap range

10 to 45

Average HCP

27.2

Duration (single session)

3 hr 54 min

or

1 drill/day: 9 days · 26 min/day

Ideal tee

All

Skill Distribution

Distance Control34%
Alignment19%
Scoring14%
Precision12%
Accuracy9%
Aim8%
Trajectory3%
Dispersion1%

Overview

Program Structure

Stop Ball on Dime. Stop on a dime and vary landing spot. Focus on Distance Control, Alignment, Scoring, Precision, Accuracy, Aim, Trajectory, Dispersion. For a 27-handicap player, in ~20 minutes.

Skill

Distance Control

Shot

Chip

What you will improve

  • Distance Control
  • Alignment
  • Scoring
  • 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

Chip | Scattered Piles | Multiple Targets

Short Game

Scatter a bucket of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 8 equal piles of 5 balls and stop chip shots close to multiple targets. Count the number of successes.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Chip | Scattered Piles | Multiple Targets
1

Put 36 balls into 6 piles of 6 balls on the grass, between 5 and 30 yards from the hole.

2

Place 3 flags or targets on the green, 6 feet apart in a line.

3

Split the 36 balls into 3 groups of 12 shots.

4

Hit the first 12 balls to the first flag and try to stop each ball within 10 feet of it.

5

Hit the next 12 balls to the second flag, trying to stop them within 10 feet.

6

Hit the last 12 balls to the third flag, again aiming to stop within 10 feet.

7

Switch which pile you use each time to practice different distances and grass.

8

Count every ball that stops within 10 feet of its flag as a successful shot.

9

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302824201612964
02

Chip | Perpendicular Piles | Multiple Targets

Short Game

Align a bucket of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 10 equal perpendicular piles of 4 balls and stop chip shots close to multiple targets. Count the number of successes.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Chip | Perpendicular Piles | Multiple Targets
1

Make 10 piles of 4 balls each from 40 balls. Arrange the piles in 2 lines with 5 piles in each line. Lines cross each other.

2

Put the piles on grass 5 to 30 yards/meters from the hole. Space lines 5 to 10 yards/meters apart and piles 2 yards/meters apart.

3

On the green, put 3 targets in a line, about 8 feet apart. Call them Target A, Target B, and Target C.

4

Hit 36 chip shots, 12 to each target.

5

Hit 12 shots at Target A, then 12 at Target B, then 12 at Target C. Use any pile for any shot.

6

Count a shot as a success if it stops within 10 feet of the target.

7

After all 36 shots, add how many were successful and enter the score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302825201612963
03

Chip | Perpendicular Ball Lines | 3 Landing Zones

Short Game

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

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

Set up two lines of 18 balls each so they cross each other. Place balls 1 foot apart.

2

On the green, mark 3 landing zones spaced 6 feet apart in a row using sticks or string.

3

Hit 36 chip shots total: 18 from each ball line.

4

From the first line, hit 6 shots to each landing zone (18 shots).

5

From the second line, hit 6 shots to each landing zone (18 shots).

6

Count each ball that lands and stays inside the right landing zone.

7

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3129272318141174
04

Chip | Scattered Ball Lines | 3 Landing Zones

Short Game

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

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

Put 40 balls into 8 lines. Each line has 5 balls. Lines should be about 1 yard or meter apart. Put these lines anywhere on the grass 5 to 30 yards/meters from the hole but not on the green.

2

On the green, use sticks, clubs, or string to mark 3 landing zones in a straight line about 6 feet (2 meters) apart.

3

Divide the 36 chip shots into 3 sets of 12 shots.

4

For each set, pick 3 lines of balls and aim every shot at one landing zone.

5

Hit 5 chips from each line to the chosen zone. After 3 lines (15 shots), change zones until all 36 shots are done.

6

Count each shot that lands and stays in the target zone as a success.

7

Enter the total number of successful shots in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3230282520161285
05

Chip | Fairway | Above/Below Feet

Short Game

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

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Chip | Fairway | Above/Below Feet
1

Put 36 golf balls into 3 piles of

2

Place each pile 5 to 20 yards from the hole.

2

At the green's edge, set up 3 target zones in a line, each 4 feet apart. Mark them Zone A (closest), Zone B (middle), and Zone C (farthest).

3

Keep ball positions the same: first pile on a slope above feet, second pile on flat ground, third pile on a slope below feet.

4

Hit 12 chip shots to Zone A from the above feet position.

5

Hit 12 chip shots to Zone B from the flat position.

6

Hit 12 chip shots to Zone C from below feet position.

7

Count how many shots land and stay in the intended zone.

8

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302825211612853
06

Chip | Scattered Piles | Multiple Targets

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop a chip 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 Chip | Scattered Piles | Multiple Targets
1

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

2

Put 36 balls in 6 piles of 6 around the chipping area, 5–20 yards from the hole.

3

Hit 12 balls at each target zone (36 attempts total).

4

Start from any pile. Aim 12 shots at the first zone.

5

Next, aim 12 shots at the second zone from any pile.

6

Last, aim 12 shots at the third zone. Count shots that stop in the right zone.

7

Add up how many shots landed in the correct zone out of 36 attempts. Enter score in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3129262218141063
07

Chip | Deep Rough and Other | Uphill/Downhill

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 from the uphill slope and one bucket from the downhill slope.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Chip | Deep Rough and Other | Uphill/Downhill
1

Put 3 equal target zones on the green in a line, 3 to 5 feet apart.

2

From deep rough on the uphill slope, hit 18 chip shots, 6 to each zone.

3

Move to deep rough on the downhill slope and repeat: hit 18 chip shots, 6 to each zone.

4

Always chip from deep rough within 20 yards/meters of the hole. Don’t change setup.

5

Count shots that land and stop in the target zone as successes.

6

When you’re done with all 36 shots, count how many landed in a target zone and enter your score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3230282520161285
08

Chip | Perpendicular Piles | 3 Landing Zones

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop a chip 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 Chip | Perpendicular Piles | 3 Landing Zones
1

Put 10 piles of balls in two straight lines that cross. Each pile has 3 or 4 balls. Keep each pile between 5 and 30 yards from the hole.

2

Mark 3 landing zones on the green in a row. Make them 6 feet apart using sticks or string.

3

Hit 36 chip shots total. Aim for each landing zone 12 times.

4

Pick any pile to start. Hit 12 chips to the first zone, then 12 to the second zone, then 12 to the third zone.

5

Count how many balls land and stop inside the target zone for each shot.

6

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score312926221713963
09

Chip | Scattered Piles | Quadrants

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop a chip 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 Chip | Scattered Piles | Quadrants
1

Mark 4 areas on the green with string or tees. Each area should be a circle about 6 feet wide.

2

Put 36 balls into 4 piles of 9 balls. Place the piles between 5 and 30 yards from the hole.

3

Hit 9 balls from each pile. Aim every group of 9 at a different circle.

4

Try to land each ball into the correct circle. Move to the next pile and repeat until all 36 balls are hit.

5

Count the balls that stop inside the correct circle.

6

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028262218141174

Next Step

Ready to start this program?

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