Course Program

Save par with a clutch bunker shot—pressure drill

Up-and-down contest, for a 25-handicap player, ~20 minutes at Azul

Short GameAll teesProgram HCP 25.26 drills

Program Snapshot

Handicap range

3 to 45

Average HCP

25.2

Duration (single session)

2 hr 33 min

or

1 drill/day: 6 days · 26 min/day

Ideal tee

All

Skill Distribution

Scoring31%
Distance Control21%
Aim17%
Accuracy11%
Dispersion9%
Precision6%
Alignment5%

Overview

Program Structure

Save par with a clutch bunker shot—pressure drill. Up-and-down contest and save par clutch. Focus on Scoring, Distance Control, Aim. For a 25-handicap player, in ~20 minutes.

Skill

Scoring

Shot

Sand

What you will improve

  • Scoring
  • Distance Control
  • Aim
  • Accuracy

Program details

Sessions
6 focused drills
Recommended
2–3 sessions / week
Total duration
2 hr 33 min
or
1 drill per day
6 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 | Scattered Ball Lines | Quadrants

Short Game

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

23 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Sand | Scattered Ball Lines | Quadrants
1

Put 32 balls in 8 lines of 4 balls each, spaced about 2 feet apart, in the sand area 20–40 yards from the hole.

2

On the green, mark a circle with a 10-foot radius around the hole.

3

Divide the circle into 4 equal parts (quadrants) using two lines that cross at the hole.

4

For each line of 4 balls, choose one quadrant and try to hit all 4 balls so they stop inside that quadrant.

5

After finishing one line and quadrant, move to another line and aim at a new quadrant. Do this until all 8 lines and quadrants are done.

6

Count each ball that stops in the chosen quadrant.

7

Add up the number of successful shots out of 32 and enter score in the app, out of 32 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions32
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score2826242016131074
02

Sand Short

Short Game

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

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Sand  Short
1

Find two spots in the bunker, each 5–20 yards from the hole.

2

Put a target on the green for the first spot.

3

Hit 18 shots from the first bunker spot, changing the target every 3 shots (pick 6 spots).

4

Move to the second bunker spot and do the same: 18 shots, change target every 3 shots (6 targets).

5

Try to get the ball as close as possible to each target.

6

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

7

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302825201512853
03

Sand | Scattered Piles | 9 Stop 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 stop sand shots inside 9 Stop Zones. Count the number of successful stops.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Sand | Scattered Piles | 9 Stop Zones
1

Scatter 36 balls into 9 piles of 4 balls each in the sand, 20 to 40 yards from the hole.

2

Mark 9 target zones on the green, spaced out evenly.

3

Hit 4 sand shots at each target zone, for a total of 36 shots.

4

After 4 shots at the first zone, move to the next and repeat for all 9 zones.

5

Count each ball that stops in the right zone as one success.

6

When finished, add up the number of balls that stopped in the right places and enter score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3330272318141074
04

Sand | Scattered Piles | Bullseye 2x

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop a sand 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 Sand | Scattered Piles | Bullseye 2x
1

Place two piles of balls in the sand 20-40 yards from the hole.

2

Make two circles around the hole on the green: one with a 6-foot radius and another with a 15-foot radius.

3

Hit 36 shots: 18 aimed for the small circle, 18 aimed for the area between the small and big circles.

4

Hit 18 balls, trying to land them in the small circle.

5

Hit 18 balls, trying to land them in the area between the two circles.

6

A ball in the right area counts as a success.

7

Count the number of balls in the right spots as you go.

8

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
05

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
06

Sand | Parallel Piles | Bullseye 2x

Short Game

Align a bucket of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) in the sand into 10 equal parallel piles of 4 balls and stop sand shots inside Bullseye. Count the number of balls in the inner and outer Bullseye.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Sand | Parallel Piles | Bullseye 2x
1

Put 40 balls into 2 straight lines. Each line has 5 piles of 4 balls.

2

Make the lines 6-10 yards apart. Piles in each line should be 2 yards apart.

3

On the green, mark 2 circles around the hole: one small (6 feet from the hole), one big (15 feet from the hole).

4

Make 36 sand shots in total. Split them into 3 groups of 12 shots.

5

In the first group, try to land balls in the small circle.

6

In the second group, try to land balls in the big circle but not in the small one.

7

In the third group, try to land balls anywhere in the big circle (small or big both count).

8

Switch to the next pile every shot, changing between the two lines.

9

Each time a ball stops in the right circle for that group, count it as a success.

0

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302824201512853

Next Step

Ready to start this program?

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