Course Program

Thread the gap: precision short irons to the pin

Thread the gap, for a 35-handicap player, ~30 minutes at Lakeview Woods

Driving RangeAll teesProgram HCP 356 drills

Program Snapshot

Handicap range

25 to 45

Average HCP

35

Duration (single session)

3 hr 6 min

or

1 drill/day: 6 days · 31 min/day

Ideal tee

All

Skill Distribution

Precision36%
Scoring17%
Mechanics15%
Trajectory14%
Aim11%
Dispersion4%
Visualization4%

Overview

Program Structure

Thread the gap: precision short irons to the pin. Thread the gap and leave tap-ins. Focus on Precision, Scoring, Mechanics. For a 35-handicap player, in ~30 minutes.

Skill

Precision

Club

Short irons (9,8)

What you will improve

  • Precision
  • Scoring
  • Mechanics
  • Trajectory

Program details

Sessions
6 focused drills
Recommended
2–3 sessions / week
Total duration
3 hr 6 min
or
1 drill per day
6 days · 31 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

Short irons (9,8) | Low/Mid/High Shot

Driving Range

Produce low/mid/high shots using short irons only. Hit one bucket of ~50 balls.

31 minFocus: Driving Range
Diagram for Short irons (9,8) | Low/Mid/High Shot
1

Pick one target suitable for short irons (9 or 8 iron).

2

Use the same ball setup and position for all shots.

3

Hit 36 shots in 3 groups of 12: 12 low shots, 12 mid shots, and 12 high shots, all aimed at the same target.

4

Try to make each shot fly at the correct height: low, mid, or high.

5

Count shots that land close and stop near the target as successes.

6

After all 36 shots, total your successful shots and enter your score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3230282520151285
02

Short irons (9,8) | Quadrants

Driving Range

Hit 12 balls to each quadrant using short irons only. Hit one bucket of ~50 balls. Count total number of successful shots.

31 minFocus: Driving Range
Diagram for Short irons (9,8) | Quadrants
1

Pick a flag or target to aim at with your 8 or 9 iron.

2

Place four cones or markers around the flag to create four equal areas. Put them about 5% of the distance to the flag in four directions.

3

Hit 36 shots total: 9 to each area.

4

Use your 8-iron or 9-iron as you want, but hit 9 shots to each area.

5

Switch between areas in any order. Try to land each ball in the correct area.

6

Count each ball that lands and stays in the right area as a success.

7

Add up your successful shots out of 36 and record your score in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028262218141074
03

Short irons (9,8) | Impact and Follow Through

Driving Range

Work only on impact and follow through using short irons only. Hit one bucket of ~50 balls.

31 minFocus: Driving Range
Diagram for Short irons (9,8) | Impact and Follow Through
1

Pick a flag or marker on the range suitable for your 8- or 9-iron shots.

2

Hit 36 shots, all aiming at the same target.

3

Focus on good contact and smooth swings with your 8- or 9-iron.

4

Set up the ball the same way every time.

5

After completing all 36 shots, count how many balls landed within a 5-foot area around the target.

6

Enter your score out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score2927252218141074
04

Short irons (9,8) | Backswing

Driving Range

Work only on backswing using short irons only. Hit one bucket of ~50 balls.

31 minFocus: Driving Range
Diagram for Short irons (9,8) | Backswing
1

Pick one flag or target on the range suitable for short irons (9 or 8).

2

Hit 36 shots using only short irons (9 or 8), focusing solely on backswing.

3

Use at most two backswing thoughts or tasks to produce any ball flight pattern.

4

Set up the same for each shot, using the same swing thoughts.

5

After each shot, observe the ball flight relative to the target.

6

Finish all 36 shots, switching irons if desired. At the end, total the number of successful shots and enter your score in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3129272319151174
05

Short irons (9,8) | GIRs Simulation

Driving Range

Simulate X number of GIR (Green in Regulations) using short irons only. Hit one bucket of ~50 balls. Count total number of greens hit.

31 minFocus: Driving Range
Diagram for Short irons (9,8) | GIRs Simulation
1

Pick a flag for your 9 or 8 iron on the range.

2

Make a green zone around the flag with cones, buckets, or imagine a small circle (5% of the distance to the flag).

3

Split 36 shots into 3 groups of

4

Try to land each shot in the green zone.

5

Change between 9 and 8 iron, but keep ball setup the same.

6

Count how many balls landed in the green zone when all 36 are done. Enter your score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score312926221713963
06

Short irons (9,8) | Visualized Course

Driving Range

Use imagination to hit any type of shot within self-set boundaries, using short irons only. Hit one bucket of ~50 balls.

31 minFocus: Driving Range
Diagram for Short irons (9,8) | Visualized Course
1

Pick one flag/target suitable for short irons (8 or 9).

2

Use existing objects around you to creatively imagine hazards and boundaries (such as water, sand traps, out-of-bounds, or edges of the green) around that target.

3

Hit 36 shots with the same setup, aiming all balls at this one target.

4

Focus on landing the ball in the imagined target area and minimizing large misses.

5

Count how many shots land and stay in the correct target zone.

6

Add up the number of successful shots and enter your total out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score292724201612963

Next Step

Ready to start this program?

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