Open up and let it fly: alignment for bunker shots
Feel the green, for a 26-handicap player, ~20 minutes at Interlachen Country Club
Short GameAll teesProgram HCP 269 drills64% match to course practice profile
Program Snapshot
Handicap range
4 to 45
Average HCP
26
Duration (single session)
3 hr 54 min
or
1 drill/day: 9 days · 26 min/day
Ideal tee
All
Skill Distribution
Distance Control30%
Alignment25%
Precision15%
Trajectory8%
Dispersion7%
Scoring6%
Aim6%
Accuracy2%
Overview
Program Structure
Open up and let it fly: alignment for bunker shots. Vary landing spot and stop on a dime. Focus on Distance Control, Alignment, Precision, Trajectory, Dispersion, Scoring, Aim, Accuracy. For a 26-handicap player, in ~20 minutes.
Skill
Alignment
Shot
Sand
What you will improve
Distance Control
Alignment
Precision
Trajectory
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.
Align a bucket of balls in the sand (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 2 perpendicular lines 20 balls per line and stop sand shots close to multiple targets. Count the number of successes.
26 minFocus: Short Game
1
Place 40 balls in a sand bunker. Make 2 lines with 18 balls each, 1 foot apart, crossing each other.
2
Pick 4 targets 20-40 yards from the bunker.
3
Assign 9 shots to each target, switching between the 2 ball lines for each target.
4
For the first target, hit 9 balls from the first line. Try to get each ball within 10 feet of the target.
5
Switch to the second line. Hit 9 balls to the second target, aiming within 10 feet again.
6
Keep switching lines and targets until all 36 shots are done.
7
Count all successful shots that end up within 10 feet of the target.
8
Enter your total number of successful shots out of 36 attempts 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
4
03
Sand | Perpendicular Ball Lines | 9 Stop Zones
Short Game
Align a bucket of balls in the sand (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 2 perpendicular lines 20 balls per line and stop sand shots inside 9 Stop Zones. Count the number of successful stops.
26 minFocus: Short Game
1
Place two lines of 18 balls each in the sand bunker. Lines are 1 foot apart per ball, perpendicular to each other, and 5-10 yards apart.
2
On the green, mark 9 stop zones in groups of 3 per row (front, middle, back) using buckets or tees or string.
3
Hit 36 sand shots, divided into 9 groups of 4 shots.
4
For each group, try to land the ball in the correct stop zone, starting with the front 3, then middle 3, then back
3
Switch between the two lines of balls each time.
5
Count a success when the ball stops in the correct zone.
6
Add up successful shots and enter your total 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
04
Sand | Perpendicular Piles | 3 Landing Zones
Short Game
Up to 5 players compete to stop a sand 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
1
Make 10 piles of balls in the sand in two lines that cross, with each pile 3 yards apart.
2
Put the piles 20 to 40 yards from the hole.
3
On the green, set up 3 landing zones, each 6 feet apart, using sticks, clubs, or string.
4
Use 36 sand shots in total, split into 3 groups of 12 shots.
5
For each group, aim at a different landing zone (first Zone 1, then Zone 2, then Zone 3).
6
Start at any pile and hit each shot toward the chosen zone.
7
After 12 shots to one zone, move to the next zone and repeat until all 36 shots are done.
8
Count every shot that stops inside the chosen landing zone as a success.
9
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
20
16
12
9
6
3
05
Sand | Perpendicular Piles | 3 Landing Zones
Short Game
Align a bucket of balls in the sand (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 10 equal perpendicular piles of 4 balls and hit-and-land sand shots inside landing zones. Count the number of successes.
26 minFocus: Short Game
1
Put 36 balls into 10 piles near the sand, each pile with 3 or 4 balls, about 2 yards apart, in two lines between 20 and 40 yards from the hole.
2
On the green, set up three landing zones with sticks or string, each zone 6 feet apart in a straight line.
3
Hit 36 sand shots total: 12 shots for Zone 1, 12 shots for Zone 2, 12 shots for Zone
4
Start hitting balls from any pile, aiming at Zone
1
Do 12 shots, then aim for Zone 2 for 12 shots, then Zone 3 for 12 shots.
5
You can pick balls from any pile, but keep aiming for the same zone until you finish its 12 shots.
6
Count a shot as successful if it lands and stays in the right zone.
7
After all 36 shots, record how many successful shots out of 36 attempts in the app.
Scoring benchmarks
Repetitions36
Handicap
+9
+5
+1
5
12
19
27
36
54
Score
30
28
25
20
16
12
9
6
4
06
Sand | Perpendicular 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 at the end wins the challenge. One bucket of balls per player is needed.
26 minFocus: Short Game
1
Arrange 10 piles of balls in two lines to make a plus sign, with 5 piles in each line, and piles 3 yards/meters apart.
2
Put the piles in the sand, between 20 and 40 yards/meters from the hole, but not on the green.
3
Set up 3 target flags in different spots around the hole.
4
Split 36 shots into 3 groups of 12, with each group aiming at a different flag.
5
Start at any pile and hit 12 shots trying to get the ball close to the first target.
6
For the next 12 shots, choose any pile and aim at the second target.
7
For the last 12 shots, choose any pile and aim at the third target.
8
Count a shot as a success if the ball stops within 3 yards/meters of the flag.
9
Count how many successes out of 36 shots and enter the 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
07
Sand | Perpendicular Ball Lines | 3 Landing Zones
Short Game
Align a bucket of balls in the sand (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 2 perpendicular lines 20 balls per line and hit-and-land sand shots inside landing zones. Count the number of successes.
26 minFocus: Short Game
1
In the sand bunker, arrange two lines of balls in a cross shape. Each line has 18 balls, about 1 foot apart.
2
On the green, set up three landing zones in a row using sticks, clubs, or strings. Each zone is about 6 feet apart.
3
Hit 36 sand shots, divided into three groups of
4
For each group of 12 shots, aim at one landing zone. Start with Zone 1, then Zone 2, then Zone
5
Switch between the two ball lines every 4 to 6 shots.
6
Count shots that land and stop in the right landing zone as a success.
7
When all 36 shots are done, add up your successes and enter your total successful shots out of 36 attempts.
Scoring benchmarks
Repetitions36
Handicap
+9
+5
+1
5
12
19
27
36
54
Score
30
28
25
22
17
13
9
6
3
08
Sand | Perpendicular Piles | Quadrants
Short Game
Up to 5 players compete to stop a sand 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 2 lines, each line has 5 piles, spaced 3 yards/meters apart. The 2 lines are 5 to 10 yards/meters apart.
2
Put the piles on grass, 20 to 40 yards/meters from the hole.
3
On the green, mark 4 equal circles (quadrants) around the hole with string or tees. Each circle is 6 feet (2 meters) from the hole.
4
Hit 36 sand shots total. Hit 9 balls into each circle.
5
Start at any pile. For each shot, try to land the ball inside the chosen circle.
6
After 9 shots at one circle, move to the next. Repeat until all 36 shots are done.
7
Count each ball that stops in the target circle as a success.
8
Add up your total successes out of 36 shots and enter your score in the app.
Scoring benchmarks
Repetitions36
Handicap
+9
+5
+1
5
12
19
27
36
54
Score
28
26
22
18
14
10
7
4
2
09
Sand | Perpendicular 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
1
Arrange 10 piles of balls in two lines that cross at a right angle, with 5 piles in each line. Each pile has 3 or 4 balls.
2
Place the piles 3 yards or meters apart, between 20 and 40 yards or meters from the hole, in sand bunkers and not on the green.
3
On the green, mark two target circles around the hole: an inner circle with a 6-foot or 2-meter radius (bullseye) and an outer circle with a 15-foot or 5-meter radius (outer bullseye).
4
Take 36 sand shots in total. Do 18 shots aiming for the inner bullseye, then 18 shots for the outer bullseye (including the inner).
5
Start at any pile and hit one sand shot at a time, trying to land the ball in the target area.
6
After 18 shots at the inner bullseye, switch to the outer bullseye for the next 18 shots.
7
Count each ball that stops inside the targeted circle as a success. Balls outside the outer circle are misses.
8
Add up the number of successes out of 36 attempts and enter the score in the app.
Scoring benchmarks
Repetitions36
Handicap
+9
+5
+1
5
12
19
27
36
54
Score
32
30
28
24
18
14
10
6
3
Next Step
Ready to start this program?
Start the drills at your own pace or work with a resident professional on this course.