Course Program

Chip Close: Leave Inside 3 Feet

Chip close, for a 23-handicap player, ~20 minutes at Mona Vale Golf Club

Short GameAll teesProgram HCP 23.29 drills66% match to course practice profile

Program Snapshot

Handicap range

9 to 45

Average HCP

23.2

Duration (single session)

3 hr 54 min

or

1 drill/day: 9 days · 26 min/day

Ideal tee

All

Skill Distribution

Accuracy33%
Alignment19%
Distance Control18%
Scoring15%
Dispersion6%
Aim4%
Visualization3%

Overview

Program Structure

Chip Close: Leave Inside 3 Feet. Avoid 3-putt and pick landing spot. Focus on Accuracy, Alignment, Distance Control. For a 23-handicap player, in ~20 minutes.

Skill

Accuracy

Shot

Chip

What you will improve

  • Accuracy
  • Alignment
  • Distance Control
  • Scoring

Program details

Sessions
9 focused drills
Recommended
2–3 sessions / week
Total duration
3 hr 54 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

Chip | Rough | Above/Below Feet

Short Game

Up to 5 players hit two buckets of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) from the sloped rough grass; one bucket with balls above feet level, and one bucket with balls below feet level.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Chip | Rough | Above/Below Feet
1

Put 3 target zones on the green, 6 feet apart in a line to the hole.

2

Set up two groups of balls for each player in the rough: one with balls above feet, one with balls below feet, from 5 to 30 yards away.

3

Hit 36 chip shots: 18 to the first target, 18 to the second target.

4

First, hit 18 shots from above feet to the first target.

5

Then, hit 18 shots from below feet to the second target.

6

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

7

Do not move the balls; only change target when needed.

8

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028262218141074
02

Chip | 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 chip shots close to multiple targets. Count the number of successes.

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

Arrange 40 balls into 10 piles with 4 balls each in two lines of 5 piles.

2

Set the two lines 6 yards apart and each pile 3 yards apart.

3

Place the piles anywhere on grass or slope, 5 to 30 yards from the hole, not on the green.

4

Place 3 target flags 8 feet apart on the green to make 3 target zones.

5

Hit 36 chip shots in 3 groups of 12 shots.

6

For the first 12 shots, aim to land the ball within 10 feet of the first flag.

7

For the next 12 shots, aim for the second flag’s zone.

8

For the final 12 shots, aim for the third flag’s zone.

9

Alternate which pile you shoot from, but always start from the same ball spot for each shot.

0

Count each ball stopping within 10 feet of the target as a success and enter score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028262218141174
03

Chip | Fairway | Flat

Short Game

Up to 5 players hit two buckets of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) from the flat fairway surface.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Chip | Fairway | Flat
1

Make 3 piles of 12 golf balls each. Put the piles between 5 and 30 yards from the hole.

2

Mark 3 target zones on the green, each about 3 feet wide and spaced apart.

3

Hit 12 balls from each pile to each target zone. First 12 to Zone 1, next 12 to Zone 2, last 12 to Zone

4

Use the same setup for all shots. Aim to land each ball in the target zones.

5

Count shots that land and stop in the target zone.

6

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3129272318141074
04

Chip | Rough | Uphill/Downhill

Short Game

Up to 5 players hit 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 Chip | Rough | Uphill/Downhill
1

Prepare 36 golf balls in 3 piles of 12 balls each.

2

Set up 3 target zones on the putting green: one uphill, one flat, one downhill.

3

From the rough, 5 to 30 yards away, chip 12 balls to land and stop in the uphill zone.

4

Chip 12 balls to the flat zone.

5

Chip 12 balls to the downhill zone.

6

A shot counts as a success if the ball lands and stops in the correct zone.

7

Keep the ball setup the same for each shot. Only change which zone to aim for.

8

Count how many shots landed and stopped in the right zones out of 36 attempts, and enter the score in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score312926221713963
05

Chip | Perpendicular Piles | Bullseye 2x

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop a chip 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 Chip | Perpendicular Piles | Bullseye 2x
1

Set up 10 piles of balls in two lines that cross each other. Each line has 5 piles, spaced 3 yards apart, with the lines 5 to 10 yards apart. Place the piles on grass 5 to 30 yards from the hole.

2

On the green around the hole, make two circles using string or tees: one small circle with a 6 foot radius and one big circle with a 15 foot radius.

3

Hit 36 chip shots, in 3 sets of 12 shots. - Set 1 (12 shots): Try to stop the ball in the small circle. - Set 2 (12 shots): Try to stop the ball in the big circle but outside the small circle. - Set 3 (12 shots): Try to stop the ball just outside the big circle but close to the hole.

4

Start at any pile and hit the type of shot for that set. After finishing 12 shots for one set, move to the next set and repeat.

5

For each shot, if the ball lands in the target zone for that set, count it as a success.

6

Keep going until all 36 shots are done. At the end, add up your successful shots out of 36 attempts and enter your score in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302825221713964
06

Chip | Scattered Piles | 9 Stop Zones

Short Game

Scatter a bucket of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 8 equal piles of 5 balls and stop chip shots inside 9 Stop Zones. Count the number of successful stops.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Chip | Scattered Piles | 9 Stop Zones
1

Make 8 piles with 5 balls in each pile. Put them on grass, 5 to 30 yards from the hole.

2

Use tees, string, or markers to make 9 zones on the green in a simple pattern.

3

Take 36 chip shots in total.

4

Aim 4 balls at each of the 9 zones.

5

Hit each shot from a different pile and aim at the next zone.

6

Try to stop each ball in the right zone.

7

Count one success for each ball that stops in the correct zone.

8

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028252218141074
07

Chip | Rough | Uphill/Downhill

Short Game

Hit 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 Chip | Rough | Uphill/Downhill
1

Gather 36 golf balls. Make 3 piles of 6 balls on an uphill slope and 3 piles of 6 balls on a downhill slope, placing them 5 to 30 yards from the hole.

2

Mark 3 landing zones on the green in a line, each 6 feet apart; label them Zone 1, Zone 2, and Zone

3

From each uphill pile, hit 6 chip shots aiming for Zone 1, then Zone 2, then Zone

4

From each downhill pile, hit 6 chip shots aiming for Zone 1, then Zone 2, then Zone

5

Count a shot as a success if the ball lands and stops in the intended zone.

6

After 36 shots, add up how many were successful and enter your score in the app out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302825211713964
08

Chip | Scattered Piles | Bullseye 2x

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop a chip 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 Chip | Scattered Piles | Bullseye 2x
1

Make two piles of balls for each player between 5 and 30 yards from the hole, anywhere in the chipping area, on any surface.

2

On the green, make two bullseye zones around the hole: inner circle with 6-foot radius and outer ring from 6 to 15 feet.

3

Each player hits 36 chips: 18 from each pile.

4

Try to stop the ball in the inner bullseye (best), then outer bullseye (good), or avoid missing both (bad).

5

Switch piles after 18 shots, finish all 36 shots.

6

Count how many balls stop in the bullseye zones.

7

After 36 shots, record the number of balls in the bullseyes as your score. Enter this total in the app out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302826221713963
09

Chip | Rough | Flat

Short Game

Up to 5 players hit two buckets of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) from the flat rough grass.

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

Set up 3 landing zones on the green, each about 6 feet apart in a straight line toward the hole.

2

Choose one spot in the rough grass, 5 to 20 yards from the hole, to hit from. Do not move this spot.

3

Hit 36 chip shots—12 to each zone in order.

4

Hit 12 shots trying to land and stop in the first zone.

5

Next, hit 12 shots to the second zone.

6

Then, hit 12 shots to the third zone.

7

Count every shot that lands and stops in the right zone as a success.

8

After all 36 shots, add up how many successes out of 36 and enter the score in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score292724201612963

Next Step

Ready to start this program?

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