Course Program

Keep Ball Close To Hole

Focus on clean contact, for a 35-handicap player, ~30 minutes at Idlewild Country Club

Short GameAll teesProgram HCP 358 drills67% match to course practice profile

Program Snapshot

Handicap range

25 to 45

Average HCP

35

Duration (single session)

3 hr 28 min

or

1 drill/day: 8 days · 26 min/day

Ideal tee

All

Skill Distribution

Scoring23%
Distance Control23%
Alignment18%
Aim15%
Dispersion11%
Accuracy4%
Trajectory4%
Precision3%

Overview

Program Structure

Keep Ball Close To Hole. Focus on clean contact and use a short swing. Focus on Scoring, Distance Control, Alignment. For a 35-handicap player, in ~30 minutes.

Shot

Bump'n'Run

What you will improve

  • Scoring
  • Distance Control
  • Alignment
  • Aim

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

Bump-n-Run | Scattered Piles | Quadrants

Short Game

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

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Bump-n-Run | Scattered Piles | Quadrants
1

Put 40 balls into 8 piles of 5 balls each. Place the piles between 1 and 10 yards from the green and 5 to 30 yards from the hole.

2

On the green, use string or tees to make 4 equal sections inside a circle with a 6-foot radius around the hole.

3

Hit 36 bump-and-run shots, split into 4 groups of 9 shots. Each group tries to stop the ball in a different section.

4

Choose any pile and hit 9 shots at the first section. Then do 9 shots for the next section, and repeat for all 4 sections.

5

For each set of 9 shots, use any pile, but keep the same setup for all shots.

6

Count each shot that stops in the correct section as a success.

7

Add up the number of successes and enter your score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3129262318141174
02

Bump-n-Run | Scattered Ball Lines | Multiple Targets

Short Game

Scatter a bucket of balls next to the green (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 8 equal lines of 5 balls and stop bump-n-run shots close to multiple targets. Count the number of successes.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Bump-n-Run | Scattered Ball Lines | Multiple Targets
1

Scatter 36 balls into 6 lines of 6 balls each on grass near the green. Put each line 1 to 10 yards or meters from the green and 5 to 30 yards or meters from the hole.

2

At the edge of the green, set up 3 targets spaced about 6 feet (2 meters) apart in a straight line. Name them Target 1, Target 2, and Target

3

Hit 36 bump-and-run shots. Aim 12 shots at Target 1, 12 at Target 2, and 12 at Target

4

From each line, hit all 6 balls at the chosen target for that group of 12 shots. Switch targets after every 12 shots.

5

A shot is a success if the ball stops within 10 feet (3 meters) of the target.

6

Record how many shots land inside the 10-foot zone, out of 36 attempts, and enter the score in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score312926221713963
03

Bump-n-Run | Rough | Uphill/Downhill

Short Game

Hit bump-n-run shot 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 Bump-n-Run | Rough | Uphill/Downhill
1

Put two markers on the green about 6 feet apart as targets.

2

Place the balls in the downhill rough, 5 to 30 yards from the hole.

3

Hit 18 bump-and-run shots from downhill, aiming for Target 1 for 9 shots, then Target 2 for 9 shots.

4

Move to the uphill rough on the opposite side, same distance from the hole.

5

Hit 18 bump-and-run shots from uphill, aiming for Target 1 for 9 shots, then Target 2 for 9 shots.

6

A shot is successful if the ball stops within 3 feet of the target.

7

Count total successful shots out of 36 and enter that number in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3129272318141074
04

Bump-n-Run | Perpendicular Piles | Bullseye 2x

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop a bump-n-run 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 Bump-n-Run | Perpendicular Piles | Bullseye 2x
1

Set up 10 piles of balls in two lines that cross each other. Put 5 piles in each line. Leave space between all piles and lines.

2

Put the piles 1 to 10 yards/meters from the green and 5 to 30 yards/meters from the hole.

3

On the green, mark two big circles around the hole. Make the first circle 6 feet (2 meters) out from the hole, and the second circle 15 feet (5 meters) out from the hole.

4

There are 36 shots total. Split them into 3 groups of 12 shots.

5

First 12 shots: try to stop the ball inside the small (inner) circle. Next 12: try to stop the ball inside the big (outer) circle but outside the small circle. Last 12: try to keep the ball anywhere on the green.

6

Hit one ball from each pile. Keep moving around the piles any way until all 36 shots are done using the right target for each group.

7

Count how many balls land in the right place for each group: inside the small circle for the first 12, in the big circle but outside the small one for the next 12, and anywhere on the green for the last

2

Enter score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3230282520161285
05

Bump-n-Run | Parallel Ball Lines | Bullseye 2x

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop a bump-n-run shot in the bullseye. The best final score relative to PAR wins the challenge. Up to 80 balls are needed.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Bump-n-Run | Parallel Ball Lines | Bullseye 2x
1

Set up 4 lines of 9 balls each, with balls 1 foot apart.

2

Place the lines on grass, 1 to 10 yards from the green, 5 yards between lines.

3

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

4

Hit 36 shots, in two groups of 18 shots.

5

For the first 18 shots, aim for the small circle. For the next 18 shots, aim for the big circle.

6

Hit balls in order from any line, switch lines as wanted.

7

Count each ball that stops in the right circle as a success.

8

After 36 shots, count how many hit their target circles and enter your score in the app out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3331282520161285
06

Bump-n-Run | Perpendicular Piles | Multiple Targets

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop a bump-n-run shot closest to the multiple target(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 Bump-n-Run | Perpendicular Piles | Multiple Targets
1

Set up 10 piles of balls in two crossed lines. Each line has 5 piles, 3 yards/meters apart.

2

Put the piles 1 to 10 yards/meters from the green and 5 to 30 yards/meters from the hole, on the same type of grass.

3

Mark 3 target zones on or near the green, spaced far apart.

4

Hit 36 bump-and-run shots: 12 for each target zone.

5

Pick any pile and hit 12 balls, trying to land and stop the ball in the first target zone.

6

Hit 12 shots at the second target zone, then 12 at the third.

7

Keep the same ball setup for every shot. Don’t change ball position or lie in the pile.

8

Count each ball that stops in the target zone as a success.

9

At the end, enter the number of balls that stopped in the target zones out of 36.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score312926221713963
07

Bump-n-Run | Fairway | Above/Below Feet

Short Game

Hit bump-n-run shot two buckets of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) from the sloped fairway; one bucket with balls above feet level, one bucket with balls below feet level.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Bump-n-Run | Fairway | Above/Below Feet
1

Gather 36 balls and split them into 2 groups of

2

Stand on a slope where the ball is above your feet for the first 18 shots.

3

Choose one target on the green to aim at.

4

Hit 18 bump-and-run shots, trying to get close to the target from this lie.

5

Move to a slope where the ball is below your feet for the next 18 shots.

6

Hit 18 bump-and-run shots at the same target from this lie.

7

Count how many balls stop close to the pin. Record that number as your score out of 36 in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3129262218141063
08

Bump-n-Run | Deep Rough and Other | Above/Below Feet

Short Game

Hit bump-n-run shot 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, one bucket with balls below feet level.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Bump-n-Run | Deep Rough and Other | Above/Below Feet
1

Place 36 balls into 6 groups of 6 balls.

2

Mark 3 target pins on the green, 6 feet apart in a line or arc.

3

From above feet, hit 18 shots, 6 at each pin in order.

4

From below feet, hit 18 shots, 6 at each pin in order.

5

Keep the same ball setup and lie each time. Only change slope.

6

Count each ball that stops within 3 feet of the target pin as a success.

7

After 36 shots, add up successes out of 36 and enter score in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3230282420161285

Next Step

Ready to start this program?

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