Course Program

Open up and let it fly: alignment for flop shots

Check clubface, for a 27-handicap player, ~20 minutes at Lucan Golf Club

Short GameAll teesProgram HCP 27.27 drills60% match to course practice profile

Program Snapshot

Handicap range

8 to 45

Average HCP

27.2

Duration (single session)

3 hr 2 min

or

1 drill/day: 7 days · 26 min/day

Ideal tee

All

Skill Distribution

Alignment31%
Distance Control20%
Scoring16%
Accuracy10%
Aim10%
Dispersion5%
Trajectory5%
Precision3%

Overview

Program Structure

Open up and let it fly: alignment for flop shots. Open up and fly and set up for high shot. Focus on Alignment, Distance Control, Scoring. For a 27-handicap player, in ~20 minutes.

Skill

Alignment

Shot

Flop

What you will improve

  • Alignment
  • Distance Control
  • Scoring
  • Accuracy

Program details

Sessions
7 focused drills
Recommended
2–3 sessions / week
Total duration
3 hr 2 min
or
1 drill per day
7 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 | Deep Rough and Other | Flat

Short Game

Up to 5 players 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 target zones on the green, spaced about 4 feet apart in a row.

2

Place all golf balls together in a pile 10 yards from the green, outside the deep rough.

3

Hit 36 flop shots from the rough, aiming 12 shots at each zone.

4

Hit 12 shots to Zone

5

Hit 12 shots to Zone

6

Hit 12 shots to Zone

7

Count each shot that lands and stays in the correct zone as a success.

8

Add how many successes out of 36, and enter the score in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score312926221713963
02

Flop | Perpendicular Piles | 9 Stop Zones

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop a flop 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
Diagram for Flop | Perpendicular Piles | 9 Stop Zones
1

Set up 10 piles of balls in two lines that cross each other, 5 piles in each line. The piles are 3 yards/meters apart. The two lines are 5 to 10 yards/meters apart.

2

Put the piles 5 to 40 yards/meters away from the hole, not on the green.

3

Mark 9 target zones on the green using tees, string, or small buckets. Make them easy to see.

4

Hit 36 flop shots total, 9 to each target zone.

5

Pick a pile and hit 9 flop shots to target zone

6

Then hit 9 shots to target zone 2, using any pile.

7

Do the same for zones 3 through 9, hitting 9 shots at each for 36 total tries. Enter score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302825211612853
03

Flop | Deep Rough and Other | Uphill/Downhill

Short Game

Hit flop shot 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
Diagram for Flop | Deep Rough and Other | Uphill/Downhill
1

Split 36 balls into two groups of

8

Put one group at the uphill slope, and one group at the downhill slope, both in deep rough 5 to 20 yards from the hole.

2

On the green, make three target zones side by side, each about 3 feet wide and within 10 feet of the hole. Label them Zone 1 (left), Zone 2 (center), Zone 3 (right).

3

From the uphill position, hit 18 flop shots. Aim 6 balls in Zone 1, 6 in Zone 2, and 6 in Zone

4

From the downhill position, hit 18 flop shots. Aim 6 balls in Zone 1, 6 in Zone 2, and 6 in Zone

5

Count each shot that stops in the right zone as a success.

6

Enter the number of successes in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302825211713963
04

Flop | Perpendicular Piles | 3 Landing Zones

Short Game

Align a bucket of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 10 equal perpendicular piles of 4 balls and hit-and-land flop shots inside landing zones. Count the number of successes.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Flop | Perpendicular Piles | 3 Landing Zones
1

Set 36 balls into 9 piles of 4 balls each, arranged in two lines, 2 meters apart.

2

Make 3 landing zones on the green using sticks or string, each 2 meters apart in a straight line.

3

Hit 36 flop shots total, 12 shots at each landing zone.

4

Start from any pile and aim for the first zone. Hit 12 shots at this zone.

5

Then hit 12 shots at the second zone, then 12 shots at the third zone.

6

Change piles between shots if wanted, but always use the same type of shot.

7

Any ball landing and stopping inside the target zone is a success.

8

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028262218141074
05

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
06

Flop | Fairway | Above/Below Feet

Short Game

Hit flop shot two buckets of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) from the sloped fairway; one bucket with balls above feet level, one bucket with balls below feet level.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Flop | Fairway | Above/Below Feet
1

Set up two targets on the green about 10 to 15 yards apart.

2

Get 36 balls and split them into 2 groups of

3

Hit 18 flop shots from a slope with the ball above your feet, aiming at the first target.

4

Hit 18 flop shots from a slope with the ball below your feet, aiming at the second target.

5

Count how many balls land and stop within 3 feet of each target. These are successes.

6

Keep your ball setup the same for all shots.

7

After all 36 shots, record how many were successful out of 36 in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028262218141174
07

Flop | 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 flop shots close to multiple targets. Count the number of successes.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Flop | Perpendicular Piles | Multiple Targets
1

Place 40 balls into 10 piles of 4 balls each. Arrange them in two lines of 5 piles each, lines must cross each other.

2

Make sure the lines are 7 yards apart. In a line, make sure each pile is 2 yards apart.

3

Set up 3 flags in a row, 10 feet apart. Each flag is a target for hitting the balls.

4

Hit 36 balls in total. Hit 12 balls at each target.

5

Hit the balls by switching between piles in the two lines.

6

If a ball lands within 10 feet of the target, count it as a success.

7

Count your successful shots out of 36 and enter score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028262218141074

Next Step

Ready to start this program?

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