Course Program

Vary your landing spot and see how soft you can land it

Feel the green, for a 25-handicap player, ~20 minutes at Hakodate

Short GameAll teesProgram HCP 24.88 drills

Program Snapshot

Handicap range

4 to 45

Average HCP

24.8

Duration (single session)

3 hr 28 min

or

1 drill/day: 8 days · 26 min/day

Ideal tee

All

Skill Distribution

Distance Control29%
Scoring23%
Precision14%
Dispersion10%
Aim10%
Trajectory7%
Alignment7%

Overview

Program Structure

Vary your landing spot and see how soft you can land it. Vary landing spot and stop on a dime. Focus on Distance Control, Scoring, Precision, Dispersion, Aim, Trajectory, Alignment. For a 25-handicap player, in ~20 minutes.

Skill

Distance Control

Shot

Sand

What you will improve

  • Distance Control
  • Scoring
  • Precision
  • Dispersion

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

Sand | Perpendicular Piles | 3 Landing Zones

Short Game

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

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

Put 36 balls into 10 piles near the sand, each pile with 3 or 4 balls, about 2 yards apart, in two lines between 20 and 40 yards from the hole.

2

On the green, set up three landing zones with sticks or string, each zone 6 feet apart in a straight line.

3

Hit 36 sand shots total: 12 shots for Zone 1, 12 shots for Zone 2, 12 shots for Zone

4

Start hitting balls from any pile, aiming at Zone

1

Do 12 shots, then aim for Zone 2 for 12 shots, then Zone 3 for 12 shots.

5

You can pick balls from any pile, but keep aiming for the same zone until you finish its 12 shots.

6

Count a shot as successful if it lands and stays in the right zone.

7

After all 36 shots, record how many successful shots out of 36 attempts in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302825201612964
02

Sand | Perpendicular Ball Lines | 9 Stop 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 stop sand shots inside 9 Stop Zones. Count the number of successful stops.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Sand | Perpendicular Ball Lines | 9 Stop Zones
1

Place two lines of 18 balls each in the sand bunker. Lines are 1 foot apart per ball, perpendicular to each other, and 5-10 yards apart.

2

On the green, mark 9 stop zones in groups of 3 per row (front, middle, back) using buckets or tees or string.

3

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

4

For each group, try to land the ball in the correct stop zone, starting with the front 3, then middle 3, then back

3

Switch between the two lines of balls each time.

5

Count a success when the ball stops in the correct zone.

6

Add up successful shots and enter your total out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028252218141074
03

Sand | Parallel Ball Lines | Multiple Targets

Short Game

Align a bucket of balls in the sand (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 2 parallel lines 20 balls per line and stop sand shots close to multiple targets. Count the number of successes.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Sand | Parallel Ball Lines | Multiple Targets
1

Put 18 balls in a straight line in the sand. Make a second line of 18 balls. Lines should be 5 to 10 yards apart, balls in each line 1 foot apart.

2

Pick two flags on the green, 20 to 40 yards away. Each line aims for its own flag.

3

From the first line, hit 18 balls trying to land each one within 10 feet of the first flag.

4

Move to the second line, hit 18 balls trying to land each one within 10 feet of the second flag.

5

Count how many balls from each line stay inside the 10-foot circle.

6

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302825211612853
04

Sand | Scattered Piles | Multiple Targets

Short Game

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

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

Divide 40 golf balls into 8 piles of 5 balls each in the sand between 5 and 60 yards/meters from the hole.

2

On the green, set up 3 flag targets in a straight line, each 6 feet (2 meters) apart. Label them Target A, Target B, and Target C.

3

Hit 36 sand shots in total, with 12 shots aimed at each target.

4

Start from any pile. Hit 12 shots at Target A.

5

Move to Target B, hit 12 shots, then hit the last 12 shots at Target C.

6

Switch between piles after every 2 to 5 shots.

7

Count a shot as a success if it stops within 10 feet (3 meters) of the target.

8

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3129272318131074
05

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
06

Sand | Scattered Piles | 3 Landing Zones

Short Game

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

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Sand | Scattered Piles | 3 Landing Zones
1

Make 9 piles of 4 golf balls each in the bunker, placing them randomly 20 to 40 yards from the hole.

2

Put 3 markers on the green in a straight line, each 6 feet apart to make 3 landing zones.

3

Hit 12 balls to each zone (36 shots total).

4

Hit from any pile to the first zone 12 times, then 12 to the second, then 12 to the third.

5

Count how many balls stop in the correct zone.

6

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3129262218141074
07

Sand | Scattered Piles | Multiple Targets

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop a sand 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 Sand | Scattered Piles | Multiple Targets
1

Set up 6 piles of 6 balls each around the sand, with each pile 20 to 40 yards from the hole.

2

Place 3 markers or flags on the green, each spaced 6 to 8 feet apart, to create Target 1, Target 2, and Target

3

There are 36 shots total: 12 shots aimed at each target.

4

Hit 12 shots from any pile aiming at Target

5

Hit 12 shots at Target 2, then 12 shots at Target

6

Count a shot as a success if the ball stops within 3 feet of the target marker.

7

Add up the number of successful shots after all 36 are hit, and enter the total score out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028252117131074
08

Sand | Scattered Piles | Quadrants

Short Game

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

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

Make 8 piles of 5 balls each (total 40 balls) in sand bunkers 20–40 yards from the hole.

2

On the green, make a 10-foot circle around the hole. Divide the circle into 4 quadrants.

3

Hit 36 shots from the sand. Aim for 9 shots in each quadrant.

4

Hit from different piles to change distance and angle.

5

Try to stop each ball in the right quadrant. Count only the shots that stop in the correct quadrant.

6

Count successful shots in the correct quadrants. Enter score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302825211612963

Next Step

Ready to start this program?

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