Feel the distance: pitch to different targets and control your rollout
Stop close from 30 yards, for a 18-handicap player, ~15 minutes at Hope Valley Cc
Short GameAll teesProgram HCP 18.28 drills77% match to course practice profile
Program Snapshot
Handicap range
4 to 45
Average HCP
18.2
Duration (single session)
3 hr 28 min
or
1 drill/day: 8 days · 26 min/day
Ideal tee
All
Skill Distribution
Distance Control33%
Precision18%
Aim14%
Dispersion10%
Accuracy10%
Alignment8%
Scoring5%
Trajectory4%
Overview
Program Structure
Feel the distance: pitch to different targets and control your rollout. Vary landing spot and stop close from 30 yards. Focus on Distance Control, Precision, Aim, Dispersion, Accuracy, Alignment, Scoring, Trajectory. For a 18-handicap player, in ~15 minutes.
Skill
Distance Control
Shot
Pitch
What you will improve
Distance Control
Precision
Aim
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.
Scatter a bucket of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 8 equal lines of 5 balls and stop pitch shots close to multiple targets. Count the number of successes.
26 minFocus: Short Game
1
Make 8 lines with 5 balls in each line, spread out the lines on grass about 30 to 60 meters from the hole.
2
Put 6 flags around the green, each at least 3 meters apart.
3
Use 36 balls, split into 6 groups of 6 balls.
4
For each group, pick one flag and hit all 6 balls to land near that flag.
5
Move to the next flag and hit the next group, until using all 6 flags.
6
Count each ball that stops within 3 meters of the flag.
7
Add up total successful shots out of 36 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
7
4
02
Pitch | Parallel Piles | 3 Landing Zones
Short Game
Align a bucket of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 10 equal parallel piles of 4 balls and hit-and-land pitch shots inside landing zones. Count the number of successes.
26 minFocus: Short Game
1
Arrange 36 balls into 9 piles of 4 balls each, 30 to 60 yards from the hole.
2
On the green, make 3 landing zones spaced 9 feet apart.
3
Hit 36 pitch shots, aiming for 12 shots in each zone.
4
Start from any pile, switch piles after every shot, and aim for Zone 1 for the first 12 shots.
5
After 12 shots in Zone 1, aim for Zone 2 for 12 shots, then Zone 3 for the last 12 shots.
6
Count each shot that stays inside the target zone.
7
At the end, add up the number of successful shots and enter the score in the app, out of 36 attempts.
Scoring benchmarks
Repetitions36
Handicap
+9
+5
+1
5
12
19
27
36
54
Score
32
30
28
25
20
16
12
8
5
03
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
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
+1
5
12
19
27
36
54
Score
31
29
26
22
18
14
10
7
4
04
Pitch | Scattered Ball Lines | 3 Landing Zones
Short Game
Scatter a bucket of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 8 equal lines of 5 balls and hit-and-land pitch shots inside landing zones. Count the number of successes.
26 minFocus: Short Game
1
Put 36 balls on the grass in 6 lines. Each line has 6 balls. Keep balls 1 yard apart.
2
Make 3 landing zones on the green using sticks, clubs, or string. Each zone should be 9 feet from the others in a straight line.
3
Split your shots into 3 groups of
2
Each group is for one landing zone.
4
Hit 6 balls from one line to the first zone. Move to another line and hit 6 balls to the same zone. Now you have 12 shots for the first zone.
5
Do the same for the second and third zones, using 2 lines for each (6 shots per line).
6
Count each ball that lands and stays in the zone as a success.
7
Add up your successful shots after all 36 tries 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
27
23
18
14
10
7
4
05
Pitch | Rough | Uphill/Downhill
Short Game
Up to 5 players 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
1
Set up two target zones on the green, one uphill and one downhill, each marked with flags or cones about 3–5 feet apart.
2
From the rough slope, 20 to 40 yards away, players hit pitch shots trying to land balls in the uphill or downhill target zone.
3
Take 36 shots total: 18 to the uphill zone and 18 to the downhill zone.
4
Hit all 18 shots to the uphill zone first, then to the downhill zone, or switch back and forth if preferred.
5
Count every ball that stays inside the target zone as a success.
6
Always set up the ball the same way from the rough slope at 20–40 yards.
7
After 36 shots, enter the number of successful shots in the app, out of 36 attempts.
Scoring benchmarks
Repetitions36
Handicap
+9
+5
+1
5
12
19
27
36
54
Score
30
28
25
22
18
14
10
7
4
06
Pitch | Scattered Piles | 9 Stop Zones
Short Game
Up to 5 players compete to stop a pitch shot in the stop 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
1
Make 2 piles of balls in 2 different spots, between 30 and 60 yards from the hole.
2
On the green, mark 9 stop zones using buckets, string, or tees.
3
Hit 36 pitch shots. Make 9 groups of 4 shots.
4
Each group of 4 aims for a different stop zone, so you use all 9 zones.
5
Take shots from both piles, switching between them as you aim for different zones.
6
If a shot stops inside the zone you aimed for, count it as a success.
7
Add how many shots stopped in the zones 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
32
30
28
25
20
16
12
8
5
07
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
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
+1
5
12
19
27
36
54
Score
30
28
26
22
18
14
10
7
4
08
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
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
+1
5
12
19
27
36
54
Score
30
28
26
22
18
14
10
7
4
Next Step
Ready to start this program?
Start the drills at your own pace or work with a resident professional on this course.