Course Program

Save Par On Every Approach

Up-and-down contest, for a 15-handicap player, ~15 minutes at Heswall

Short GameAll teesProgram HCP 15.39 drills67% match to course practice profile

Program Snapshot

Handicap range

6 to 25

Average HCP

15.3

Duration (single session)

3 hr 54 min

or

1 drill/day: 9 days · 26 min/day

Ideal tee

All

Skill Distribution

Scoring24%
Accuracy20%
Distance Control16%
Aim8%
Precision8%
Visualization8%
Alignment6%
Dispersion6%
Trajectory4%

Overview

Program Structure

Save Par On Every Approach. Turn into birdies and up-and-down contest. Focus on Scoring, Accuracy, Distance Control, Aim, Precision, Visualization, Alignment, Dispersion, Trajectory. For a 15-handicap player, in ~15 minutes.

Shot

Pitch

What you will improve

  • Scoring
  • Accuracy
  • Distance Control
  • Aim

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 | Parallel Ball Lines | 3 Landing Zones

Short Game

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

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

Arrange 36 balls in 2 lines of 18 balls each. Keep the lines 5-10 yards apart. Each ball in a line should be about 1 foot apart.

2

On the green, use markers to make 3 landing zones in a straight line. Each zone should be about 9 feet apart.

3

Divide the 36 shots so there are 12 shots for each landing zone.

4

Hit 6 balls from the first line to the first landing zone, then hit 6 balls from the second line to the same zone.

5

Do the same for the second and third landing zones. Hit 6 balls from each line to each zone.

6

Count every ball that stops in the landing zone as a successful shot.

7

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3129262218141074
02

Pitch | Fairway | Uphill/Downhill

Short Game

Up to 5 players hit two buckets of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) from the sloped fairway; one bucket from the uphill slope and one bucket from the downhill slope.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Pitch | Fairway | Uphill/Downhill
1

Set up two target zones on the green: one uphill, one downhill. Use cones, clubs, or string to mark each zone about 6 feet wide.

2

From the fairway slope, 30 to 60 yards away, hit 36 pitch shots.

3

Split the 36 shots: 18 shots to the uphill zone, 18 shots to the downhill zone.

4

Keep your stance and ball setup the same for all shots.

5

First, hit 18 shots to the uphill zone. Then, hit 18 shots to the downhill zone.

6

Count a success if the ball lands and stays in the target zone.

7

When finished, add up the number of successful shots, and enter that number out of 36 attempts in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028262218141074
03

Pitch | Rough | Uphill/Downhill

Short Game

Hit two buckets of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) from the sloped rough grass; one bucket from the uphill slope and one bucket from the downhill slope.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Pitch | Rough | Uphill/Downhill
1

Make 4 piles of 9 balls each, with 2 piles uphill and 2 piles downhill, all 25–40 yards from the hole in the rough.

2

Mark 3 target zones on the green: Zone A (6 feet left), Zone B (6 feet behind), Zone C (6 feet right) of the hole.

3

Hit 36 total shots: 18 from uphill piles, 18 from downhill piles.

4

For each slope (uphill and downhill), split 18 shots into 3 groups of

5

Aim 6 shots at each zone (A, B, C) from the two piles on the same slope.

6

Alternate shots between the two piles on the same slope.

7

Count a shot as a success if it stops in the target zone.

8

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302825201512853
04

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
05

Pitch | Rough | Flat

Short Game

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

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

Make 3 piles of 12 golf balls each, spaced between 30 and 60 yards from the hole in the rough.

2

On the green, mark 3 zones at different distances from the hole: Zone A at 5 feet, Zone B at 10 feet, Zone C at 15 feet.

3

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

4

From the first pile, try to land and stop 12 balls in Zone A.

5

From the second pile, try to land and stop 12 balls in Zone B.

6

From the third pile, try to land and stop 12 balls in Zone C.

7

Count a shot as a success if it stops in the right zone.

8

Set up the ball the same way every time.

9

When done, enter your number of successful shots into the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score282623191511853
06

Pitch | Rough | Above/Below Feet

Short Game

Hit 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 Pitch | Rough | Above/Below Feet
1

Find a rough, sloped area near the green where golf balls can sit above or below foot level.

2

Place two piles of 18 balls each: one pile on a slope above foot level, one pile below foot level, both 30-40 yards from the hole.

3

Mark three zones on the green in a line, 6 feet apart. These show where to land and stop the ball.

4

Hit 18 shots from above your feet and 18 shots from below your feet.

5

From above your feet, hit 6 shots at each zone in order.

6

From below your feet, hit 6 shots at each zone in order.

7

Count the shots that land and stop in the correct zone.

8

Use the same stance and ball position each time.

9

After all 36 shots, count how many successes, and enter the score in the app out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302724201612963
07

Pitch | Fairway | Uphill/Downhill

Short Game

Hit two buckets of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) from the sloped fairway; one bucket from the uphill slope and one bucket from the downhill slope.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Pitch | Fairway | Uphill/Downhill
1

Split 36 shots into two groups of 18 shots: one group for uphill, one group for downhill, both on the fairway.

2

Mark three target zones on the green at 30, 45, and 60 yards from the hole.

3

For each slope, hit 6 shots at each zone (6 at 30 yards, 6 at 45 yards, 6 at 60 yards).

4

Do not change the ball setup during the drill.

5

Finish all 18 shots on the uphill slope first, then do all 18 shots on the downhill slope.

6

A shot counts only if it lands and stops inside the zone you aimed for.

7

After 36 shots, count successful shots and enter your score in the app out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3129262318141074
08

Pitch | Perpendicular Piles | Quadrants

Short Game

Align a bucket of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 10 equal perpendicular piles of 4 balls and stop pitch shots inside quadrants. Count the number of successes.

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

Set up 2 lines of 5 piles, each with 4 balls. Lines should be 5 to 10 yards/meters apart, piles 2 yards/meters apart.

2

Place lines 30 to 60 yards/meters from the hole, on grass, any slope.

3

On the green, use string or tees to make a circle with a 15-foot (5 meter) radius around the hole. Divide this circle into 4 equal parts.

4

Hit 36 pitch shots from the piles to the green, 9 shots for each of the 4 parts.

5

Hit from different piles, aiming for the current part. Finish all 9 shots in one part before switching.

6

Count each shot that stops in the right part.

7

Add up total successful shots. Enter score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028262218141074
09

Pitch | Parallel Piles | 3 Landing Zones

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop a pitch 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 Pitch | Parallel Piles | 3 Landing Zones
1

Set up 10 piles of balls on the grass, in 2 lines with 5 piles each. Each pile is 4 yards apart, and the 2 lines are 5 to 10 yards apart.

2

On the green, mark 3 landing zones in a straight line. Each zone is 6 feet apart.

3

Take 36 pitch shots in total, divided into 3 groups of 12 shots. Aim 12 shots at each landing zone.

4

Choose any pile for each group of 12 shots. Hit 12 shots at zone 1, then 12 at zone 2, then 12 at zone

5

Count a shot as a success if it lands and stays in the correct zone.

6

Count how many successful shots were made in the target zones and enter the total out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302826211713964

Next Step

Ready to start this program?

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

Save Par On Every Approach | Heswall