Course Program

Land 3–4 Feet From Pin

Stick flops to green, for a 17-handicap player, ~15 minutes at Jack Nicklaus

Short GameAll teesProgram HCP 16.79 drills

Program Snapshot

Handicap range

8 to 25

Average HCP

16.7

Duration (single session)

3 hr 54 min

or

1 drill/day: 9 days · 26 min/day

Ideal tee

All

Skill Distribution

Distance Control21%
Scoring19%
Accuracy17%
Precision12%
Aim10%
Dispersion8%
Trajectory6%
Visualization5%
Alignment3%

Overview

Program Structure

Land 3–4 Feet From Pin. Flop over hazards and stick flops to green. Focus on Distance Control, Scoring, Accuracy. For a 17-handicap player, in ~15 minutes.

Shot

Flop

What you will improve

  • Distance Control
  • Scoring
  • Accuracy
  • Precision

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.

01

Flop | Scattered Ball Lines | Quadrants

Short Game

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

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Flop | Scattered Ball Lines | Quadrants
1

Scatter 40 balls in 8 lines, with 5 balls in each line, spaced about 1 yard or meter apart between 5 and 40 yards or meters from the hole.

2

Divide a 10-foot or 3-meter circle around the hole into 4 equal parts using string or tees.

3

Hit a total of 36 flop shots.

4

Assign 9 shots to each of the 4 parts.

5

Pick 5 balls from the scattered lines and try to land and stop the ball in the assigned part, then move to a different line and part.

6

Always hit each shot from where the ball was placed, aiming at the assigned part.

7

Count a shot as successful if the ball stops inside the intended part.

8

Do all 36 shots (9 in each part) and then count all successful shots and enter score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302825211612853
02

Flop | Fairway | Above/Below Feet

Short Game

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

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Flop | Fairway | Above/Below Feet
1

Place two piles of 18 balls on a sloped fairway: one pile above feet level, one pile below. Each pile should be 5-20 yards from the hole.

2

Mark three target zones on the green at different distances (Zone 1 at 5 feet, Zone 2 at 10 feet, Zone 3 at 15 feet).

3

Hit 18 shots from above and 18 shots from below feet, making 36 flop shots in total.

4

Split each 18-shot pile into 3 groups of 6 shots.

5

Aim each group of 6 shots at one zone. First 6 shots at Zone 1, next 6 at Zone 2, last 6 at Zone

6

Alternate shots between above feet and below feet piles as you go through zones.

7

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

8

When done, add up successes. Enter score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028262218141074
03

Flop | 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 flop shots inside Bullseye. Count the number of balls in the inner and outer Bullseye.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Flop | Scattered Ball Lines | Bullseye 2x
1

Put 36 balls in 6 straight lines. Each line has 6 balls. Each ball is 1 yard or meter apart. Place lines 5-20 yards or meters from the hole, not on the green.

2

On the green, make two circles around the hole with string or tees: one small circle with a 6 foot/2 meter radius, and one bigger circle with a 15 foot/5 meter radius.

3

Hit all 6 balls in a line toward the hole, trying to land them inside the circles.

4

For the first 18 hits, try to land balls in the small circle. For the next 18 hits, try to land balls in the big circle.

5

After hitting one line, go to another line and repeat until all 36 balls are hit.

6

Count how many balls stop inside the right circle for each try. Enter your score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302825201512852
04

Flop | Parallel Piles | Multiple Targets

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop a flop 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 Flop | Parallel Piles | Multiple Targets
1

Make 2 lines of 5 ball piles each (10 piles total). Keep lines 6 yards apart and piles 4 yards apart.

2

Put all piles on short grass 5-20 yards from the hole, not on the green.

3

Place 3 target markers in a line on the green. Space them 6 feet apart. Call them Target A, Target B, and Target C.

4

Hit 36 flop shots in total, in 3 sets of 12 shots.

5

First 12 shots go to Target A. Next 12 to Target B. Last 12 to Target C.

6

Pick any pile for each shot. Hit the ball at the current target.

7

Count each shot that stops closest to or inside the target area. This is a "success."

8

Add up all successful shots for each target.

9

Record the score out of 36 attempts in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028252218141174
05

Flop | Scattered Piles | 3 Landing Zones

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to land a flop 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
Diagram for Flop | Scattered Piles | 3 Landing Zones
1

Place 3 landing zones on the green, 3 feet (1 meter) apart in a straight line.

2

Make 6 piles of 6 balls each around the green, 5 to 40 yards from the hole.

3

Hit 36 flop shots, 12 to each landing zone.

4

For the first 12 shots, aim for Landing Zone 1, hitting 2 balls from each pile.

5

For the next 12 shots, aim for Landing Zone 2, hitting 2 balls from each pile.

6

For the last 12 shots, aim for Landing Zone 3, hitting the remaining 2 balls from each pile.

7

Count how many balls land and stay in the correct landing zone.

8

Enter your number of successful shots in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028252218141174
06

Flop | Scattered Piles | 9 Stop Zones

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop a flop 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
Diagram for Flop | Scattered Piles | 9 Stop Zones
1

Divide 36 balls into 9 piles with 4 balls each. Put each pile in the chipping area, not on the green, between 5 and 20 yards from the hole.

2

Mark 9 stop zones on the green using tees, string, or buckets, spaced across the green.

3

Hit 4 flop shots at each stop zone, trying to stop each ball in the zone.

4

Start at any pile and pick a stop zone. Hit 4 balls from the pile to that zone.

5

Move to the next pile and new stop zone. Keep going until all 9 zones have 4 shots each (36 shots total).

6

Count each ball that stops inside the right stop zone.

7

Enter the number of successful shots in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302826221713963
07

Flop | Parallel Ball Lines | Multiple Targets

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop a flop shot closest to the multiple target(s). The player with the most points at the end wins the challenge. Up to 80 balls are needed.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Flop | Parallel Ball Lines | Multiple Targets
1

Make 4 straight lines of 9 balls each on the grass. Keep each line 5 yards or meters apart.

2

Put the balls in each line about 1 foot apart.

3

Pick 3 targets (like flags or markers) in different spots around the green.

4

Hit 36 shots, in 3 groups of 12 shots.

5

Hit all balls in the first group to Target 1, then switch to Target 2 for the next group, and Target 3 for the last group.

6

Hit each ball trying to stop it close to the target for that group.

7

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

8

Add up the number of successful shots, out of 36 attempts, and enter score in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3230282520161285
08

Flop | Deep Rough and Other | Above/Below Feet

Short Game

Hit flop 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, and one bucket with balls below feet level.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Flop | Deep Rough and Other | Above/Below Feet
1

Make two target zones on the green, Zone A (front) and Zone B (back), both about the same size, using cones or markers.

2

Place 18 balls in 3 piles of 6 balls each in deep rough above your feet, at different distances between 5 and 20 yards from the hole.

3

Place another 18 balls the same way in deep rough below your feet.

4

Hit 18 flop shots from above feet towards Zone A, in any order, until finished.

5

Hit 18 flop shots from below feet towards Zone B, in any order, until finished.

6

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

7

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score292725211612853
09

Flop | Fairway | Flat

Short Game

Up to 5 players hit flop shot two buckets of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) from the flat fairway.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Flop | Fairway | Flat
1

Set up 3 target zones on the green at 5, 12, and 20 yards from where the balls will be hit. Mark each zone with cones.

2

Place 36 balls in 3 groups of 12 balls each.

3

Hit 12 balls to try to land them in the 5 yard zone.

4

Hit 12 balls to try to land them in the 12 yard zone.

5

Hit 12 balls to try to land them in the 20 yard zone. Enter your score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

6

Do not change your ball position or stance during the test.

7

Count each ball that lands and stays inside the right target zone as a success.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302824201612964

Next Step

Ready to start this program?

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