Course Program

Up-and-down contest: how many can you save in a row?

Turn into par saves, for a 26-handicap player, ~20 minutes at Melaleuca Links

Short GameAll teesProgram HCP 26.36 drills

Program Snapshot

Handicap range

10 to 45

Average HCP

26.3

Duration (single session)

2 hr 36 min

or

1 drill/day: 6 days · 26 min/day

Ideal tee

All

Skill Distribution

Scoring28%
Aim22%
Precision14%
Alignment13%
Distance Control9%
Accuracy8%
Dispersion5%

Overview

Program Structure

Up-and-down contest: how many can you save in a row?. Turn into par saves and up-and-down contest. Focus on Scoring, Aim, Precision. For a 26-handicap player, in ~20 minutes.

Skill

Scoring

Shot

Flop

What you will improve

  • Scoring
  • Aim
  • Precision
  • Alignment

Program details

Sessions
6 focused drills
Recommended
2–3 sessions / week
Total duration
2 hr 36 min
or
1 drill per day
6 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 | Parallel 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 | Parallel Piles | Bullseye 2x
1

Arrange 10 piles of balls in two lines, with 5 piles in each line. Each pile is 4 yards or meters apart. The two lines are 5 to 10 yards or meters apart.

2

Put the piles between 5 and 40 yards or meters from the hole. Do not put them on the green.

3

On the green, use string or tees to make two circles around the hole: one small circle with a 6-foot (2-meter) radius and one big circle with a 15-foot (5-meter) radius.

4

Hit flop shots from each pile. Try to land the ball in the circles. Balls in the small circle are best, in the big circle are medium, and outside both circles are misses.

5

Hit 36 total flop shots. This means 3 sets of 12 shots.

6

For the first 12 shots, aim for the small circle. For the next 12, aim for the area between the two circles. For the last 12, aim anywhere inside the big circle.

7

Pick any pile to start. Hit one flop shot from each pile. Cover all piles evenly.

8

Count each ball that lands where you aimed.

9

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302825201612853
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 | 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
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 | Parallel Ball Lines | 9 Stop Zones

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 9 Stop Zones. Count the number of successful stops.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Flop | Parallel Ball Lines | 9 Stop Zones
1

Place two lines of 18 balls each about 5-10 yards apart, with balls 1 foot apart.

2

Mark 9 stop zones on the green with tees, string, or buckets, making sure they are easy to see.

3

Hit 36 flop shots, with 2 shots at each stop zone from each line.

4

Start with the first line and hit 2 shots to the first stop zone.

5

Switch to the second line and hit 2 shots to the second stop zone.

6

Keep switching lines and aiming at the next stop zone, 2 shots each, until all 9 zones are targeted.

7

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

8

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score312926221713963
06

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.

Up-and-down contest: how many can you save in a row? | Melaleuca Links