Course Program

Open up and let it fly: alignment for flop shots

Set up for high shot, for a 18-handicap player, ~15 minutes at Greenbrier

Short GameAll teesProgram HCP 188 drills

Program Snapshot

Handicap range

6 to 45

Average HCP

18

Duration (single session)

3 hr 28 min

or

1 drill/day: 8 days · 26 min/day

Ideal tee

All

Skill Distribution

Alignment32%
Accuracy24%
Distance Control20%
Scoring11%
Aim5%
Dispersion4%
Precision4%

Overview

Program Structure

Open up and let it fly: alignment for flop shots. Check clubface and set up for high shot. Focus on Alignment, Accuracy, Distance Control. For a 18-handicap player, in ~15 minutes.

Skill

Alignment

Shot

Flop

What you will improve

  • Alignment
  • Accuracy
  • Distance Control
  • Scoring

Program details

Sessions
8 focused drills
Recommended
2–3 sessions / week
Total duration
3 hr 28 min
or
1 drill per day
8 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

Flop | Deep Rough and Other | Above/Below Feet

Short Game

Up to 5 players hit flop shot 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 Flop | Deep Rough and Other | Above/Below Feet
1

Prepare two sets of 18 balls: one set for above-feet shots, one set for below-feet shots.

2

Mark three target zones on the green: left, center, and right.

3

Divide 36 shots into three groups of 12: each group has 6 above-feet and 6 below-feet shots. Each group aims 2 shots at each zone.

4

From deep rough and sloped lies, hit two flop shots at each target zone: first above-feet, then below-feet, for all zones.

5

Keep the ball setup the same for all shots. Only change the target zone.

6

Count a ball as a success if it lands and stops in the intended zone.

7

Add up total successes out of 36 attempts and enter the score in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028252218141074
02

Flop | Deep Rough and Other | Flat

Short Game

Up to 5 players hit flop shot 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 Flop | Deep Rough and Other | Flat
1

Set up 3 target zones on the green, spaced about 4 feet apart in a row.

2

Place all golf balls together in a pile 10 yards from the green, outside the deep rough.

3

Hit 36 flop shots from the rough, aiming 12 shots at each zone.

4

Hit 12 shots to Zone

5

Hit 12 shots to Zone

6

Hit 12 shots to Zone

7

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

8

Add how many successes out of 36, and enter the score in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score312926221713963
03

Flop | Rough | Flat

Short Game

Hit flop shot two buckets of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) from the flat rough grass.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Flop | Rough | Flat
1

Find a flat spot in the rough, 5 to 20 yards from the hole.

2

Set up three targets on the green, spaced apart for three landing zones.

3

Hit 36 flop shots; 12 shots at each target.

4

Keep ball position the same for all shots, only aim at the next target after 12 shots.

5

Try to land the ball softly in the target zone.

6

Count each shot that lands and stops in the correct zone as a success.

7

After 36 shots (12 per target), add up your total successful shots and enter your score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302825201612853
04

Flop | 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 flop shots inside 9 Stop Zones. Count the number of successful stops.

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

Place 40 balls into 10 piles of 4 balls each, with the piles in two lines of 5 piles. Lines are about 7 yards apart, and piles are about 2 yards apart within each line.

2

Mark 9 stop zones as a 3-by-3 grid using tees, string, or markers. Zones are about 3 feet apart.

3

Hit 36 balls in total, aiming to land 4 balls in each of the 9 stop zones.

4

Hit 4 balls at the first stop zone from any pile, then move to the next zone and hit 4 balls there. Repeat until all 9 zones are done.

5

Each time a ball stops in the correct zone, count a point.

6

After 36 shots, add up 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
Score312926221713963
05

Flop | Rough | Above/Below Feet

Short Game

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

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Flop | Rough | Above/Below Feet
1

Place 36 golf balls into 6 piles of 6 balls each around the practice green.

2

Set up 2 target zones on the green about 6 feet apart: Zone A (closer to the edge) and Zone B (closer to the hole).

3

Hit 36 flop shots: 18 shots for Zone A and 18 for Zone B.

4

First, from piles above your feet, hit 3 shots per pile to Zone A, then 3 shots per pile to Zone B, switching piles as needed.

5

Next, repeat the same sequence from piles below your feet: 9 shots to Zone A and 9 shots to Zone B.

6

Count shots that land and stop inside the correct zone as a success.

7

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score292724201612853
06

Flop | Perpendicular Piles | Quadrants

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop a flop 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 Flop | Perpendicular Piles | Quadrants
1

Arrange 10 piles of balls in two lines that cross each other. Each line has 5 piles, placed 3 yards apart. The lines are 6 yards apart.

2

Put all piles between 5 and 40 yards from the hole. Keep all piles on the same type of grass.

3

On the green, mark 4 equal quadrants. Each quadrant is a circle with a 3-meter radius around the hole.

4

Hit 36 flop shots: 9 shots to each quadrant.

5

Start at one pile. Hit 9 shots at Quadrant 1, move to another pile and hit 9 shots at Quadrant 2, then 9 shots at Quadrant 3, then 9 shots at Quadrant

6

A shot that stops inside the target quadrant counts as a success.

7

Count all successes for each quadrant and add them up.

8

After all 36 shots, write down your total number of successful shots in the app, out of 36.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3129262218141063
07

Flop | Rough | Flat

Short Game

Hit flop shot two buckets of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) from the flat rough grass.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Flop | Rough | Flat
1

Make two piles of 18 balls on rough grass, 5-40 yards from the hole.

2

Mark three equal target zones on the green about 5 feet apart: Zone A (closest), Zone B (middle), Zone C (farthest).

3

Hit 36 flop shots in three sets: 12 shots to Zone A, then 12 to Zone B, then 12 to Zone C.

4

Switch between the two piles when hitting your shots.

5

Try to land and stop the ball inside the correct zone. Count each ball in the right zone as a success.

6

Count your successes out of 36 shots and enter the score in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302826221713963
08

Flop | Fairway | Above/Below Feet

Short Game

Up to 5 players hit flop shot 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 Flop | Fairway | Above/Below Feet
1

Get 36 golf balls. Split them into 2 groups of

2

Make 3 target zones on the green. Each zone should be 4 feet wide and lined up in a row.

3

Hit 18 flop shots from above your feet. Aim for 6 shots at each target zone. Use the same setup and stance for every shot.

4

Move to below your feet. Hit 18 flop shots again, 6 shots at each of the same target zones.

5

Count the shots that stop inside the correct target zone as success.

6

Add up the successful shots from both above and below feet, out of 36 tries. Enter your score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302825211713963

Next Step

Ready to start this program?

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