Course Program

Hit Flop & Avoid Big Numbers

Flop from sand, for a 35-handicap player, ~30 minutes at Sagiso

Short GameAll teesProgram HCP 359 drills

Program Snapshot

Handicap range

25 to 45

Average HCP

35

Duration (single session)

3 hr 53 min

or

1 drill/day: 9 days · 26 min/day

Ideal tee

All

Skill Distribution

Aim25%
Alignment20%
Scoring18%
Precision14%
Distance Control12%
Dispersion10%
Accuracy2%

Overview

Program Structure

Hit Flop & Avoid Big Numbers. Avoid big numbers and land near hole. Focus on Aim, Alignment, Scoring. For a 35-handicap player, in ~30 minutes.

Shot

Flop

What you will improve

  • Aim
  • Alignment
  • Scoring
  • Precision

Program details

Sessions
9 focused drills
Recommended
2–3 sessions / week
Total duration
3 hr 53 min
or
1 drill per day
9 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 | Scattered Ball Lines | Multiple Targets

Short Game

Scatter a bucket of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 8 equal lines of 5 balls and stop flop shots close to multiple targets. Count the number of successes.

25 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Flop | Scattered Ball Lines | Multiple Targets
1

Make 7 lines of 5 balls each (35 balls total), with balls 1 yard apart. Put the lines on grass 5 to 20 yards from the hole, not on the green.

2

Put 5 markers on the green, each 6 feet apart.

3

Match each line of balls to a marker on the green.

4

Hit all 5 balls in the line as flop shots at the marker. Move to the next line and repeat with the next marker.

5

Count how many balls land within 10 feet of the marker.

6

When done, count total balls inside 10 feet, and enter score in the app out of 35 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions35
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028252218141074
02

Flop | Rough | Uphill/Downhill

Short Game

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

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

Place two ball markers on the green, about 10 feet apart.

2

Choose a spot on the uphill slope, 5 to 20 yards from the hole. Use this spot every time for the test.

3

Hit 18 flop shots from this spot. Aim at the targets, switching every 3 shots between them until all 18 shots are done.

4

Move to a spot on the downhill slope, 5 to 20 yards from the hole. Use this spot every time for these shots.

5

Hit 18 flop shots from the downhill spot. Switch targets every 3 shots until all 18 are done.

6

Count shots that stop within 3 feet of the marker as successful.

7

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score282624201612853
03

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
04

Flop | Scattered Piles | Multiple Targets

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop a flop shot closest to the multiple target(s). The player with the most points wins the challenge. One bucket of balls per player is needed.

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

Set up 3 target areas on the green, about 6 feet apart.

2

Make 6 piles of 6 balls each, on the grass 5 to 40 yards from the hole.

3

Hit 36 flop shots total. Divide them into 3 groups of 12 shots.

4

Hit the first 12 shots at Target 1, using any piles.

5

Hit the next 12 shots at Target 2, choosing any piles.

6

Hit the last 12 shots at Target 3, using any piles.

7

After each shot, see if your ball stopped very close to the target. Count that shot as a success if it did.

8

When finished, add up successful shots and enter your score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302825211612963
05

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
06

Flop | Perpendicular Ball Lines | Quadrants

Short Game

Align a bucket of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 2 perpendicular lines 20 balls per line and stop flop shots inside quadrants. Count the number of successes.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Flop | Perpendicular Ball Lines | Quadrants
1

Pick a spot 5 to 20 yards from the hole near the green to practice flop shots.

2

Place 36 balls in two lines so they cross in the middle. Each line has 18 balls, 1 foot apart.

3

Use string or tees to mark 4 equal zones inside a 10-foot circle around the hole.

4

Split the 36 balls into 4 groups of 9 balls. Each group aims for a different zone.

5

From the first line, hit 9 balls to the first zone.

6

From the second line, hit 9 balls to the second zone.

7

Go back to the first line and hit 9 balls to the third zone.

8

From the second line, hit 9 balls to the fourth zone. Count the number of balls that land in the right zone each time. After all shots, enter your total number of successes out of 36 in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score312926221813964
07

Flop | Deep Rough and Other | Above/Below Feet

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 with balls above feet level, one bucket with balls below feet level.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Flop | Deep Rough and Other | Above/Below Feet
1

Put 18 balls in one bucket for shots above your feet, and 18 balls in another bucket for shots below your feet.

2

On the practice green, set up 3 target zones in a row, about 10 to 15 feet from the hole.

3

Split the 36 balls into 3 groups of 12 balls.

4

For the first 12 balls, hit from above feet and aim for Target Zone

5

For the next 12 balls, hit from below feet and aim for Target Zone

6

For the last 12 balls, switch between above and below feet every 2 balls and aim for Target Zone

7

Always keep the ball on the correct slope as needed, only change which target zone you aim at as above.

8

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

9

When done, count how many successes out of 36 and enter the score in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score282624201612853
08

Flop | Parallel Piles | Multiple Targets

Short Game

Align a bucket of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 10 equal parallel piles of 4 balls and stop flop shots close to multiple targets. Count the number of successes.

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

Set up 3 flags spaced about 6 feet apart.

2

Make 9 piles of 4 balls each, with two lines and space between them.

3

Put the piles 5 to 20 yards away from the flags, but keep the piles the same.

4

Hit 36 flop shots in 3 groups of

5

For each group, try to land balls within 10 feet of the right flag, first flag, second flag, then third.

6

Switch between piles as you want.

7

Each ball that stays within 10 feet of the right flag counts as a success.

8

Count the successful shots.

9

Enter your total successes out of 36 attempts in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score312926221713963
09

Flop | Perpendicular Ball Lines | Bullseye 2x

Short Game

Align a bucket of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 2 perpendicular 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 | Perpendicular Ball Lines | Bullseye 2x
1

Place 40 balls in two lines with 20 balls in each line, spaced 1 foot apart.

2

Set the two lines so they cross each other, about 5 to 10 yards apart, on grass away from the green but 5 to 40 yards from the hole.

3

Mark two circles around the hole on the green. The small circle is 6 feet from the hole. The big circle is 15 feet from the hole.

4

Hit 36 flop shots, 18 from each line.

5

Hit 3 to 5 shots at a time from one line, then switch lines and keep going until finished.

6

Try to land each ball inside the circles. Shots inside the small circle are birdie, inside the big one are par.

7

Count all balls that land inside either circle.

8

Enter the total successful shots out of 36 in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302826221713963

Next Step

Ready to start this program?

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