Approach from hazards, for a 17-handicap player, ~15 minutes at Highlands Reserve Golf Club
Short GameAll teesProgram HCP 16.69 drills64% match to course practice profile
Program Snapshot
Handicap range
6 to 25
Average HCP
16.6
Duration (single session)
3 hr 54 min
or
1 drill/day: 9 days · 26 min/day
Ideal tee
All
Skill Distribution
Accuracy27%
Distance Control27%
Alignment17%
Scoring12%
Precision7%
Visualization3%
Aim3%
Trajectory3%
Dispersion2%
Overview
Program Structure
Land 3–4 Feet From Hole. Approach from hazards and land 3-4 feet away. Focus on Accuracy, Distance Control, Alignment, Scoring, Precision, Visualization, Aim, Trajectory, Dispersion. For a 17-handicap player, in ~15 minutes.
Shot
Pitch
What you will improve
Accuracy
Distance Control
Alignment
Scoring
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.
Up to 5 players hit two buckets of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) from the flat rough grass.
26 minFocus: Short Game
1
Make 3 piles of 12 balls each (36 balls total) between 30 and 60 yards from the hole on flat rough grass.
2
On the green, set up 3 target areas at different distances around the hole.
3
Hit 12 balls toward each target area (36 shots total, 12 for each zone).
4
Hit the first 12 balls to Zone 1, the next 12 to Zone 2, and the last 12 to Zone
5
Leave the balls in the same position; only change which target zone you aim at.
6
Count each ball that lands and stops inside the target zone as a success.
7
When all 36 shots are finished, count the number of successes and enter your score in the app, out of 36 attempts.
Scoring benchmarks
Repetitions36
Handicap
+9
+5
+1
5
12
19
27
36
54
Score
31
29
26
22
17
13
9
6
3
02
Pitch | Perpendicular Piles | Quadrants
Short Game
Up to 5 players compete to stop a pitch 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
1
Set up 10 piles of balls in two lines. Each line has 5 piles, and the piles are 3 yards apart. Piles are between 30 and 60 yards from the hole.
2
On the green, mark 4 circular target zones. Each is 9 feet in radius.
3
Make 36 pitch shots. For each target zone, make 9 shots.
4
For each shot, aim to land and stop the ball in the correct target zone.
5
After 9 shots in one zone, switch zones and repeat until all 4 are done.
6
Count each shot that stops in the right zone as a success.
7
Total successful shots out of 36 attempts and enter score in the app.
Scoring benchmarks
Repetitions36
Handicap
+9
+5
+1
5
12
19
27
36
54
Score
30
28
26
22
18
14
10
6
4
03
Pitch | Perpendicular 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
1
Set up 10 piles of balls in two lines that cross each other, with each pile about 3 yards/meters apart.
2
Place the piles 30 to 60 yards/meters from the hole on similar grass.
3
Mark two circles on the green: a small 6-foot (2-meter) circle and a bigger 15-foot (5-meter) circle around the hole.
4
Take 36 shots: 18 try to land in the small circle, 18 try to land in the outer circle but not in the small circle.
5
Start with any pile and hit 18 shots for the small circle.
6
For the next 18 shots, try to land in the outer circle but not in the small circle.
7
Count a shot as a success if it lands in the circle you are aiming for.
8
After each shot, pick a different pile at random to hit from.
9
Count how many successful shots you made for each circle out of 36 attempts and enter your score in the app.
Scoring benchmarks
Repetitions36
Handicap
+9
+5
+1
5
12
19
27
36
54
Score
30
28
25
22
18
14
10
7
5
04
Pitch | Deep Rough and Other | Above/Below Feet
Short Game
Hit 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
1
Put 4 piles of 9 balls on a slope, 2 piles above feet, 2 piles below feet, 30 to 60 yards from the hole.
2
Mark 3 target zones on the green: left, center, right, each about 6 feet wide.
3
Hit 36 pitch shots, 18 from above feet piles, 18 from below feet piles.
4
For each area (above and below feet), hit 6 shots to each zone.
5
Switch between piles of the same area as you hit, aiming for the target zone.
6
A shot counts if the ball stops in the right zone.
7
Count how many shots went in the target zones and enter score in the app, out of 36 attempts.
Scoring benchmarks
Repetitions36
Handicap
+9
+5
+1
5
12
19
27
36
54
Score
29
27
24
20
16
12
9
6
4
05
Pitch | Deep Rough and Other | Above/Below Feet
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 with balls above feet level, and one bucket with balls below feet level.
26 minFocus: Short Game
1
Get 36 golf balls. Divide into 3 groups of 12 balls.
2
Set up 3 target zones on the green. Make them easy to see and about the same size.
3
Go to the rough, 20-40 yards from the hole. Hit 12 balls at the first target zone.
4
Hit 12 balls at the second target zone from the same spot, same ball setup.
5
Hit 12 balls at the third target zone the same way.
6
Keep ball setup on the slope the same for all shots.
7
Count a shot as a success if it lands and stops in the target zone.
8
Add up successful shots and enter score in the app, out of 36 attempts.
Scoring benchmarks
Repetitions36
Handicap
+9
+5
+1
5
12
19
27
36
54
Score
28
26
24
21
17
13
9
6
3
06
Pitch | Scattered Ball Lines | Bullseye 2x
Short Game
Scatter a bucket of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 8 equal lines of 5 balls and stop pitch shots inside the Bullseye. Count the number of balls in the inner and outer Bullseye.
26 minFocus: Short Game
1
Set out 40 balls in 8 lines of 5 balls each on the grass, with each ball 1 yard/meter apart. Place the lines anywhere from 30 to 60 yards/meters from the hole.
2
Mark two circles on the green around the hole: one with a 6-foot (2-meter) radius and another with a 15-foot (5-meter) radius.
3
Hit 36 pitch shots, divided into 3 groups of 12 shots.
4
In each group, hit 6 balls aiming for the smaller circle and 6 balls aiming for the larger circle.
5
Pick any ball to hit, but finish the required shots to each target zone in each group before moving on.
6
Score 1 point for each ball inside the small circle, 0.5 points for each ball in the bigger circle but outside the small one, and 0 for any ball outside both circles.
7
Add the points from all 36 shots and enter your score, out of 36 attempts.
Scoring benchmarks
Repetitions36
Handicap
+9
+5
+1
5
12
19
27
36
54
Score
28
26
23
19
15
12
8
5
3
07
Pitch | Scattered Piles | 3 Landing Zones
Short Game
Up to 5 players compete to land a pitch 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
1
Set up 3 target zones on the green in a straight line, 6 feet apart.
2
Make 6 piles of balls between 30 and 60 yards from the hole.
3
Split 36 balls into 3 groups of
4
Hit 12 shots to target zone 1 from any pile.
5
Hit 12 shots to target zone 2 from any pile.
6
Hit 12 shots to target zone 3 from any pile.
7
Count how many shots stop inside the correct zone.
8
Enter the number of successes out of 36 attempts in the app.
Scoring benchmarks
Repetitions36
Handicap
+9
+5
+1
5
12
19
27
36
54
Score
30
28
26
22
17
13
9
6
3
08
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
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
+1
5
12
19
27
36
54
Score
30
28
26
22
18
14
10
7
4
09
Pitch | Rough | Flat
Short Game
Hit two buckets of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) from the flat rough.
26 minFocus: Short Game
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
+1
5
12
19
27
36
54
Score
28
26
23
19
15
11
8
5
3
Next Step
Ready to start this program?
Start the drills at your own pace or work with a resident professional on this course.