Course Program

Can you stop the ball close from 30 yards?

Vary landing spot, for a 20-handicap player, ~20 minutes at Links

Short GameAll teesProgram HCP 20.39 drills83% match to course practice profile

Program Snapshot

Handicap range

4 to 45

Average HCP

20.3

Duration (single session)

3 hr 54 min

or

1 drill/day: 9 days · 26 min/day

Ideal tee

All

Skill Distribution

Distance Control29%
Scoring24%
Precision15%
Accuracy9%
Aim9%
Dispersion8%
Alignment6%
Trajectory1%

Overview

Program Structure

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

Skill

Distance Control

Shot

Pitch

What you will improve

  • Distance Control
  • Scoring
  • Precision
  • 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 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 | Scattered Piles | Bullseye 2x
1

Make two circles on the green: a small one with a 6-foot (2-meter) radius, and a bigger one with a 15-foot (5-meter) radius.

2

Put 3 piles of 12 balls each on the short game area, in random spots 30 to 60 yards/meters from the hole.

3

Hit 36 pitch shots total: 12 from each pile.

4

From the first pile, hit 12 shots and try to stop the ball inside the circles.

5

Move to the next pile and repeat, until all 36 shots are done.

6

Count balls in the small circle as birdies, balls in the big circle as pars, balls outside as bogeys.

7

Count how many balls are in the circles after all 36 shots. Enter your total score out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3129262218141063
02

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
03

Pitch | 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 Pitch | Deep Rough and Other | Uphill/Downhill
1

Prepare 36 balls in 6 groups of

2

Set up 2 target zones on the green: one uphill and one downhill, with markers 6 feet apart.

3

Hit 18 balls to the uphill zone and 18 to the downhill zone.

4

Hit 6 balls from the tough uphill spot to the uphill zone.

5

Hit 6 balls from the tough downhill spot to the downhill zone.

6

Do steps 4 and 5 two more times for all 36 shots.

7

Count each ball that stays in the right zone.

8

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028262218141074
04

Pitch | Perpendicular 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 | Perpendicular Piles | 9 Stop Zones
1

Place 10 piles of balls in two lines that cross each other, with 5 piles in each line, spaced 3 yards apart.

2

Put these piles on grass, 30 to 60 yards from the hole.

3

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

4

Hit 36 pitch shots, aiming 4 shots at each of the 9 stop zones.

5

From any pile, hit 4 balls trying to stop them in the first zone.

6

After 4 shots, aim at the next zone and hit 4 more shots, repeating for each zone.

7

Keep hitting 4 shots per stop zone until all 9 zones are done (total 36 shots).

8

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

9

After all shots, add the number of successful shots and enter your score in the app out of 36.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3129262218141074
05

Pitch | Parallel Piles | 3 Landing Zones

Short Game

Align a bucket of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 10 equal parallel piles of 4 balls and hit-and-land pitch shots inside landing zones. Count the number of successes.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Pitch | Parallel Piles | 3 Landing Zones
1

Arrange 36 balls into 9 piles of 4 balls each, 30 to 60 yards from the hole.

2

On the green, make 3 landing zones spaced 9 feet apart.

3

Hit 36 pitch shots, aiming for 12 shots in each zone.

4

Start from any pile, switch piles after every shot, and aim for Zone 1 for the first 12 shots.

5

After 12 shots in Zone 1, aim for Zone 2 for 12 shots, then Zone 3 for the last 12 shots.

6

Count each shot that stays inside the target zone.

7

At the end, add up the number of successful shots and enter the score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3230282520161285
06

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
07

Pitch | Scattered Piles | Multiple Targets

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop a pitch 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 Pitch | Scattered Piles | Multiple Targets
1

Pick 3 targets on the green at least 6 feet apart.

2

Put 36 balls into 6 piles of 6 balls, between 20 and 40 yards from the hole, on different slopes and grass types.

3

Split shots into 3 sets of

4

For the first 12 shots, aim to stop the ball close to target

5

For the next 12 shots, aim to stop close to target

6

For the last 12 shots, aim to stop close to target

7

A shot counts if the ball stops within 3 feet of the correct target.

8

Keep the ball setup the same for every shot.

9

Count how many balls ended close to the proper target, and enter your score out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302825221713963
08

Pitch| 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 pitch shots close to multiple targets. Count the number of successes.

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

Put 36 balls into 6 piles with 6 balls in each pile between 30 and 60 yards from the hole.

2

Place 3 flags on the green far apart and label them A, B, and C.

3

Hit 36 pitch shots, in 3 sets of 12 shots.

4

Hit 12 balls so they stop within 10 feet of flag A.

5

Hit 12 balls so they stop within 10 feet of flag B. Use any pile.

6

Hit 12 balls so they stop within 10 feet of flag C.

7

Hit from any pile and change piles or targets as needed.

8

Count each shot that stops within 10 feet of the target as a success.

9

Count the total successful shots and enter the score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302825201612963
09

Pitch | Scattered Piles | Quadrants

Short Game

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

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

Make 4 piles of 9 balls each, with the piles 30–60 yards from the hole on different ground.

2

On the green, mark out a 15-foot circle around the hole and divide the circle into 4 equal parts.

3

Hit 9 shots from a pile to try and stop the ball in the first part of the circle.

4

Move to another pile and hit 9 shots for the second part.

5

Repeat for the third and fourth parts, from any pile.

6

Count each ball that stops in the right part as a success.

7

Enter number of successes in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028252218141063

Next Step

Ready to start this program?

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