Thread the needle, for a 18-handicap player, ~15 minutes at Knickerbocker Country Club
Short GameAll teesProgram HCP 188 drills55% match to course practice profile
Program Snapshot
Handicap range
10 to 45
Average HCP
18
Duration (single session)
3 hr 28 min
or
1 drill/day: 8 days · 26 min/day
Ideal tee
All
Skill Distribution
Precision29%
Distance Control26%
Dispersion13%
Alignment13%
Aim13%
Trajectory6%
Overview
Program Structure
Thread Needle: Narrow Landing Zone. Thread the needle and precision from tough lie. Focus on Precision, Distance Control, Dispersion, Alignment, Aim, Trajectory. For a 18-handicap player, in ~15 minutes.
Skill
Precision
Shot
Chip
What you will improve
Precision
Distance Control
Dispersion
Alignment
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.
Up to 5 players compete to stop a chip shot inside the quadrant(s). The player with the most points at the end wins the challenge. 25 balls per player are needed.
26 minFocus: Short Game
1
Set up 4 lines of 9 balls each, 1 foot apart.
2
Put the lines on grass 5-20 yards/meters from the hole, not on the green.
3
On the green, make 4 quadrants using string or tees, each about 6 feet in radius.
4
Hit 36 chip shots in total, 9 to each quadrant.
5
Start at any ball line and chip 9 balls, aiming for Quadrant
6
Move to the next line and chip 9 balls to Quadrant
7
Do the same for Quadrants 3 and 4, 9 balls each.
8
Count each ball that stops in the target quadrant.
9
Add up the number of successful shots and enter the total out of 36 attempts.
Scoring benchmarks
Repetitions36
Handicap
+9
+5
+1
5
12
19
27
36
54
Score
28
26
24
20
16
12
8
5
3
02
Chip | Perpendicular Ball Lines | Quadrants
Short Game
Align a bucket of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 2 perpendicular lines 20 balls per line and stop chip shots inside quadrants. Count the number of successes.
26 minFocus: Short Game
1
Place 36 balls in two lines that cross, with 18 balls in each line.
2
Keep the balls about 1 foot apart, with lines set up 5 to 30 yards from the hole.
3
On the green, divide a 6-foot circle around the hole into 4 equal parts.
4
Split the 36 chip shots into 4 groups of 9 balls.
5
Aim the first 9 shots at the first part of the circle.
6
Switch to the other line and aim the next 9 balls at the second part. Keep switching lines and aim at the next parts until all 36 balls are chipped.
7
Count how many balls land in the right part each time.
8
Enter the number of successful chips out of 36 attempts in the app.
Scoring benchmarks
Repetitions36
Handicap
+9
+5
+1
5
12
19
27
36
54
Score
31
29
26
22
18
14
11
7
4
03
Chip | Perpendicular Piles | 9 Stop Zones
Short Game
Up to 5 players compete to stop a chip 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
Set up 10 piles of balls in two lines. Each line has 5 piles. Lines are 8 yards apart. Piles in each line are 3 yards apart.
2
Place the piles on grass between 5 and 30 yards from the hole. Keep the same setup.
3
On the green, mark 9 stop zones using buckets, string, or tees. Zones cover different short chip targets.
4
Take 36 chip shots in total. Chip 4 balls to each of the 9 zones.
5
For each shot, chip from any pile. Try to stop the ball in the assigned zone. Chip 4 balls to one zone before moving to the next.
6
Count each ball that stops in the correct zone as a success.
7
After 36 shots, count how many were successful. Enter your score out of 36 in the app.
Scoring benchmarks
Repetitions36
Handicap
+9
+5
+1
5
12
19
27
36
54
Score
31
29
26
22
17
13
9
6
4
04
Chip | Parallel Piles | Multiple Targets
Short Game
Up to 5 players compete to stop a chip 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
Set up 10 piles of balls in two lines of 5 piles, 6 yards/meters between lines, 4 yards/meters between piles.
2
Put the piles on grass, not on the green, between 5 and 30 yards/meters from the hole.
3
Mark 3 clear target zones around the hole, spaced evenly.
4
Hit 36 chip shots: 12 to Target Zone 1, 12 to Target Zone 2, and 12 to Target Zone
5
Always chip from the piles; for each set of 12 shots, pick any piles but only aim at the assigned zone.
6
After each shot, check if the ball stops inside the right target zone; count as success if it does.
7
Finish all 36 shots, then count total successes inside the right zones out of 36 attempts and enter this score in the app.
Scoring benchmarks
Repetitions36
Handicap
+9
+5
+1
5
12
19
27
36
54
Score
31
29
26
22
18
14
10
7
4
05
Chip | Perpendicular Piles | Multiple Targets
Short Game
Align a bucket of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 10 equal perpendicular piles of 4 balls and stop chip shots close to multiple targets. Count the number of successes.
26 minFocus: Short Game
1
Make 10 piles of 4 balls each from 40 balls. Arrange the piles in 2 lines with 5 piles in each line. Lines cross each other.
2
Put the piles on grass 5 to 30 yards/meters from the hole. Space lines 5 to 10 yards/meters apart and piles 2 yards/meters apart.
3
On the green, put 3 targets in a line, about 8 feet apart. Call them Target A, Target B, and Target C.
4
Hit 36 chip shots, 12 to each target.
5
Hit 12 shots at Target A, then 12 at Target B, then 12 at Target C. Use any pile for any shot.
6
Count a shot as a success if it stops within 10 feet of the target.
7
After all 36 shots, add how many were successful 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
30
28
25
20
16
12
9
6
3
06
Chip | Parallel Ball Lines | Multiple Targets
Short Game
Up to 5 players compete to stop a chip 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
1
Set up 4 rows of balls. Each row has 9 balls, 1 foot apart.
2
Space the rows 5 yards apart on grass, between 5 and 30 yards from the hole.
3
Put 3 targets by the hole: A at 12 o'clock, B at 4 o'clock, C at 8 o'clock, each 3 feet from the hole.
4
Split the 36 shots into 3 groups of
2
First 12 shots go to Target A, next 12 to Target B, last 12 to Target C.
5
From each row, chip the ball to try to stop it close to the chosen target. Ball setup does not change.
6
After 12 shots at one target, switch to the next target. Repeat until all 36 shots are finished.
7
Each ball that stops within 2 feet of the target is a success.
8
Count how many successes you had 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
23
18
14
10
7
4
07
Chip | Parallel Piles | 9 Stop Zones
Short Game
Up to 5 players compete to stop a chip 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 10 piles of balls, in 2 lines with 5 piles in each line. Space the lines 5 to 10 yards or meters apart, and piles in each line about 4 yards or meters apart.
2
Place piles between 5 and 30 yards or meters from the hole, but not on the green.
3
On the green, mark 9 stop zones using buckets, string, or tees. Put them in a clear 3 by 3 layout.
4
Hit 36 chip shots, in 9 groups of 4 shots each.
5
For each group of 4 shots, pick one stop zone to aim at and chip 4 balls towards it from any pile.
6
Repeat until 4 shots have been aimed at each of the 9 stop zones, making 36 shots in all.
7
Count only shots that stop inside their chosen stop zone.
8
Enter the number of successful shots out of 36 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
08
Chip | 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 chip shots inside landing zones. Count the number of successes.
26 minFocus: Short Game
1
Put 40 balls into 8 lines. Each line has 5 balls. Lines should be about 1 yard or meter apart. Put these lines anywhere on the grass 5 to 30 yards/meters from the hole but not on the green.
2
On the green, use sticks, clubs, or string to mark 3 landing zones in a straight line about 6 feet (2 meters) apart.
3
Divide the 36 chip shots into 3 sets of 12 shots.
4
For each set, pick 3 lines of balls and aim every shot at one landing zone.
5
Hit 5 chips from each line to the chosen zone. After 3 lines (15 shots), change zones until all 36 shots are done.
6
Count each shot that lands and stays in the target zone as a success.
7
Enter the total 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
32
30
28
25
20
16
12
8
5
Next Step
Ready to start this program?
Start the drills at your own pace or work with a resident professional on this course.