Course Program

Maximize Short Irons In Regulation

Precision short irons, for a 1-handicap player, ~10 minutes at Springdale

Driving RangeAll teesProgram HCP 0.57 drills

Program Snapshot

Handicap range

0 to 10

Average HCP

0.5

Duration (single session)

3 hr 36 min

or

1 drill/day: 7 days · 31 min/day

Ideal tee

All

Skill Distribution

Scoring33%
Precision19%
Dispersion13%
Aim10%
Accuracy9%
Trajectory6%
Distance Control6%
Visualization4%

Overview

Program Structure

Maximize Short Irons In Regulation. Advanced accuracy and precision short irons. Focus on Scoring, Precision, Dispersion. For a 1-handicap player, in ~10 minutes.

Club

Short irons (9,8)

What you will improve

  • Scoring
  • Precision
  • Dispersion
  • Aim

Program details

Sessions
7 focused drills
Recommended
2–3 sessions / week
Total duration
3 hr 36 min
or
1 drill per day
7 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) | Birdie-Par-Bogey Radius

Driving Range

Use short irons only to land the ball inside the radius. Hit one bucket of ~50 balls. Keep the score relative to PAR.

31 minFocus: Driving Range
Diagram for Short irons (9,8) | Birdie-Par-Bogey Radius
1

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

2

Mark a 4-yard circle (birdie zone) and a 7-yard circle (par zone) around the flag with cones or markers.

3

Hit 36 shots using only a 9 or 8 iron.

4

For 12 shots, aim for the inner 4-yard zone. For 12 shots, aim for the outer 7-yard zone but outside the inner circle. For 12 shots, aim anywhere in both zones trying to be consistent.

5

Use the same ball setup each shot. Only change the zone you’re aiming for.

6

Count a shot as successful if it lands and stays in the correct zone for that set.

7

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3331292520161285
02

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
03

Short irons (9,8) | Opposite Shots Challenge

Driving Range

Complete the Opposite Shots Challenge using short irons only. Hit one bucket of ~50 balls.

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

Pick one target on the driving range for short irons (9 or 8 iron).

2

Break the test into 4 groups of 9 shots (36 total shots).

3

In each group, hit alternating pairs of opposite shot types: fade/draw, high/low, pull/fade, push/draw.

4

Hit 5 pairs, but drop 1 shot from the last pair so each group is 9 shots.

5

Use only 9 or 8 irons with the same ball setup for every shot.

6

Try to make each shot land near the target and curve the right way.

7

Count as a success if the shot matches the shape and lands near the target.

8

Do all 4 groups for a total of 36 shots.

9

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302825211612853
04

Short irons (9,8) | 5 Ball Flights Challenge

Driving Range

Complete the 5 Ball Flights Challenge using short irons only. Hit one bucket of ~50 balls.

30 minFocus: Driving Range
Diagram for Short irons (9,8) | 5 Ball Flights Challenge
1

Pick a flag or target for short irons (8 or 9 iron) on the range.

2

Hit 35 shots total, in 5 groups of 7 shots.

3

Each group uses a different ball flight: straight, draw, fade, pull-fade, push-draw.

4

For each group, hit 7 shots in a row with that flight shape, aiming at the target.

5

Switch between 8 and 9 irons if needed.

6

A shot is successful if the shape matches the goal and lands near the target.

7

Do all 5 flight types for 35 shots total, then enter your score in the app, out of 35 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions35
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302825221713964
05

Short irons (9,8) | PAR 3 Challenge

Driving Range

Complete the PAR 3 Challenge using short irons only. Hit one bucket of ~50 balls.

31 minFocus: Driving Range
Diagram for Short irons (9,8) | PAR 3 Challenge
1

Set up 3 flags or targets at different short iron distances; each flag is a 'hole'.

2

Mark two zones around each flag: inner zone (within 4 yards/meters) and an outer zone (within 8 yards/meters).

3

Hit 36 shots total: 12 shots at each flag.

4

Use only 8 or 9 iron. Try to hit each shot as close as possible to the flag, first aiming for the inner zone, then for the outer zone.

5

For each shot: 1 point if the ball lands in the inner zone, 0.5 points if in the outer zone, 0 points if outside both zones.

6

After 12 shots at one flag, move to the next and repeat for all flags.

7

Add the points from all shots for a score out of 36 and enter this score in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3230282520161285
06

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
07

Short irons (9,8) | L-R and R-L 9 Targets

Driving Range

Hit 5 balls to each randomly selected target while producing left-to-right and right-to-left shots, using short irons only. Hit one bucket of ~50 balls.

31 minFocus: Driving Range
Diagram for Short irons (9,8) | L-R and R-L  9 Targets
1

Set up 9 targets around the flag on the green using cones, buckets, or markers. Space them evenly around the flag, about 5% of the total distance from your hitting spot to the flag.

2

Prepare 36 balls. Hit 4 shots at each target – 2 curving left-to-right and 2 curving right-to-left.

3

Use your 8- and 9-irons for all shots. Keep your setup and ball position the same.

4

Start at any target and hit 2 left-to-right and 2 right-to-left shots, trying to land the ball between the two markers at that target.

5

Move to the next target and repeat until all 9 targets have 4 shots.

6

Count each ball that stops between the two markers at a target as a success.

7

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302826221713964

Next Step

Ready to start this program?

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