Thread the needle, for a 18-handicap player, ~15 minutes at Lake Shore Country Club
Short GameAll teesProgram HCP 17.55 drills67% match to course practice profile
Program Snapshot
Handicap range
10 to 25
Average HCP
17.5
Duration (single session)
2 hr 10 min
or
1 drill/day: 5 days · 26 min/day
Ideal tee
All
Skill Distribution
Precision21%
Scoring19%
Alignment15%
Accuracy11%
Distance Control10%
Aim8%
Dispersion7%
Visualization5%
Trajectory4%
Overview
Program Structure
Land 2–3 Feet From Pin. Pinpoint mixed shots and thread the needle. Focus on Precision, Scoring, Alignment, Accuracy, Distance Control, Aim, Dispersion, Visualization, Trajectory. For a 18-handicap player, in ~15 minutes.
Shot
Chip
What you will improve
Precision
Scoring
Alignment
Accuracy
Program details
Sessions
5 focused drills
Recommended
2–3 sessions / week
Total duration
2 hr 10 min
or
1 drill per day
5 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.
Hit two buckets of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) from the flat fairway.
26 minFocus: Short Game
1
Divide balls into 3 groups of
2
Set up 3 target zones on the green: Zone 1, Zone 2, Zone
3
Start each shot from the flat fairway 5–20 yards from the hole, same ball setup every time.
4
Hit 12 shots trying to land in Zone
5
Hit 12 shots trying to land in Zone
6
Hit 12 shots trying to land in Zone
3
Enter score in 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
02
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
03
Chip | Scattered Piles | 3 Landing Zones
Short Game
Up to 5 players compete to land a chip 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
1
Set up 3 landing zones on the green, 6 feet apart in a straight line.
2
Place 3 piles of balls around the chipping area, each pile randomly 5 to 30 yards from the hole. Keep this setup the same.
3
Divide 36 chip shots into 3 groups of
4
For the first 12 shots, aim for the first landing zone from any pile.
5
For the next 12 shots, aim for the second landing zone from any pile.
6
For the last 12 shots, aim for the third landing zone from any pile.
7
Count each shot that lands and stays in the correct zone as a success.
8
Total the successful shots out of 36 and enter the score in the app.
Scoring benchmarks
Repetitions36
Handicap
+9
+5
+1
5
12
19
27
36
54
Score
31
29
27
23
18
14
11
7
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 | Deep Rough and Other | Uphill/Downhill
Short Game
Hit two buckets of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) from the sloped deep rough and other extreme grass types; one bucket from the uphill slope and one bucket from the downhill slope.
26 minFocus: Short Game
1
Divide 36 golf balls into 6 piles of 6 balls each.
2
Set up 3 target areas around the hole: left, center, and right, about 4 feet apart.
3
Place 3 piles on the uphill side and 3 piles on the downhill side, between 5 and 30 yards away.
4
Hit 12 balls toward each target area: 12 for left, 12 for center, 12 for right.
5
Switch between piles on the same slope, but finish all shots for one target before moving to the next.
6
Count balls that land and stay in the target area as successful.
7
Add up 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
30
28
25
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.