Course Program

Turn flops into par saves—score from the sand or rough

Up-and-down contest, for a 28-handicap player, ~20 minutes at Lookout Point Country Club

Short GameAll teesProgram HCP 27.68 drills56% match to course practice profile

Program Snapshot

Handicap range

6 to 45

Average HCP

27.6

Duration (single session)

3 hr 28 min

or

1 drill/day: 8 days · 26 min/day

Ideal tee

All

Skill Distribution

Scoring35%
Alignment20%
Aim19%
Accuracy17%
Distance Control8%
Dispersion1%

Overview

Program Structure

Turn flops into par saves—score from the sand or rough. Save par clutch and up-and-down contest. Focus on Scoring, Alignment, Aim. For a 28-handicap player, in ~20 minutes.

Skill

Scoring

Shot

Flop

What you will improve

  • Scoring
  • Alignment
  • Aim
  • Accuracy

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.

01

Flop | Fairway | Uphill/Downhill

Short Game

Hit flop shot two buckets of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) from the sloped fairway; one bucket from the uphill slope and one bucket from the downhill slope.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Flop | Fairway | Uphill/Downhill
1

Place 36 balls in two groups of 18 balls each for uphill and downhill shots.

2

Set up three targets on the green: right, center, and left of the hole, each 6 feet apart.

3

Hit 12 flop shots from uphill slope at the right target.

4

Hit 6 shots from uphill at the center target, then 6 at the left target (total 18 uphill shots).

5

From downhill slope, hit 12 shots at the right target, 6 at center, 6 at left (total 18 downhill shots).

6

Count shots that stop within 3 feet of the target as success.

7

Write down your number of successful shots out of 36 attempts in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302826221713963
02

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
03

Flop | Deep Rough and Other | Flat

Short Game

Hit flop shot two buckets of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) from the flat deep rough and other extreme grass types.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Flop | Deep Rough and Other | Flat
1

Set up 3 landing zones on the green, about 6 feet apart in a line. Name them Zone 1 (close), Zone 2 (middle), Zone 3 (far).

2

Put 2 piles of 18 balls each, 5–20 yards away from the green, in deep or thick grass.

3

Hit 36 flop shots from these piles, trying to land the ball in the zones.

4

Hit 12 shots to Zone

1

Alternate piles if wanted.

5

Hit 12 shots to Zone

6

Hit 12 shots to Zone

3

Enter how many shots stayed in the right zones, out of 36 attempts, in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score282623191511853
04

Flop | Rough | Flat

Short Game

Hit flop shot two buckets of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) from the flat rough grass.

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

Make two piles of 18 balls on rough grass, 5-40 yards from the hole.

2

Mark three equal target zones on the green about 5 feet apart: Zone A (closest), Zone B (middle), Zone C (farthest).

3

Hit 36 flop shots in three sets: 12 shots to Zone A, then 12 to Zone B, then 12 to Zone C.

4

Switch between the two piles when hitting your shots.

5

Try to land and stop the ball inside the correct zone. Count each ball in the right zone as a success.

6

Count your successes out of 36 shots and enter the score in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302826221713963
05

Flop | Parallel Ball Lines | Bullseye 2x

Short Game

Align a bucket of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 2 parallel lines 20 balls per line and stop flop shots inside Bullseye. Count the number of balls in the inner and outer Bullseye.

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

Set up two lines of 18 balls each, 1 foot apart. The lines are 6 feet apart.

2

On the green, mark two circles around the hole. The inner circle is 6 feet from the hole. The outer circle is 15 feet from the hole.

3

From 5 to 20 yards away, hit flop shots. Hit 3 balls from the first line, then 3 from the second. Keep switching until all 36 balls are hit.

4

The goal is to make balls stop inside the circles. Balls in the inner circle are birdie-level. Balls in the outer circle but outside the inner are par-level.

5

At the end, count how many balls stopped in the circles and enter the total out of 36 attempts in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score312926221713963
06

Flop | Deep Rough and Other | Flat

Short Game

Hit flop shot two buckets of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) from the flat deep rough and other extreme grass types.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Flop | Deep Rough and Other | Flat
1

Put two target zones on the green, 6 feet apart. Call them Zone A and Zone B.

2

Set up in deep rough, 15 to 40 yards from the green.

3

Hit 36 flop shots: 18 at Zone A, 18 at Zone B.

4

Hit 3 shots at Zone A, then 3 shots at Zone B. Repeat until all shots are done.

5

Count a success if the ball stops inside the target zone.

6

Keep the ball in the same place for every shot. Only aim changes.

7

Add total successes out of 36 attempts. Enter score in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score312926221713963
07

Flop | Fairway | Flat

Short Game

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

Place two pins on the green about 8 feet apart to mark target zones.

2

Set up 5 to 20 yards from the hole on flat ground.

3

Hit 36 flop shots in 3 sets of

4

Aim all first 12 shots at the left target.

5

Aim all next 12 shots at the right target.

6

For the last 12 shots, switch target every 3 shots: 3 left, 3 right, then repeat.

7

Keep the same ball setup for every shot.

8

Count a shot as success if ball stops within 3 feet of target.

9

After all 36 shots, enter your number of successful shots out of 36 attempts in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score312926221713963
08

Flop | Scattered Piles | Bullseye 2x

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop a flop shot in the bullseye. The best final score relative to PAR wins the challenge. One bucket of balls per player is needed.

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

Pick two random spots 5-20 yards from the hole and place two piles of balls. Make spots and surfaces random but similar.

2

Make two circles on the green with string or tees: one circle 6 feet from the hole, one circle 15 feet from the hole.

3

Hit 36 flop shots: 18 shots at the small circle, 18 shots at the big circle.

4

At the first pile, hit 9 balls at the small circle, then 9 at the big circle.

5

At the second pile, again hit 9 at the small circle, then 9 at the big circle.

6

Count balls that stop inside the small circle as birdie. Count balls in the big circle (but outside small) as par.

7

Add up all balls that stayed in both circles. Enter score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score282623181411853

Next Step

Ready to start this program?

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