Course Program

Thread the gap: precision short irons to the pin

Leave tap-ins, for a 31-handicap player, ~30 minutes at 1

Driving RangeAll teesProgram HCP 30.66 drills

Program Snapshot

Handicap range

10 to 45

Average HCP

30.6

Duration (single session)

3 hr 5 min

or

1 drill/day: 6 days · 31 min/day

Ideal tee

All

Skill Distribution

Precision34%
Mechanics15%
Scoring13%
Dispersion10%
Aim8%
Visualization8%
Trajectory8%
Alignment3%

Overview

Program Structure

Thread the gap: precision short irons to the pin. Leave tap-ins and get close to pin. Focus on Precision, Mechanics, Scoring. For a 31-handicap player, in ~30 minutes.

Skill

Precision

Club

Short irons (9,8)

What you will improve

  • Precision
  • Mechanics
  • Scoring
  • Dispersion

Program details

Sessions
6 focused drills
Recommended
2–3 sessions / week
Total duration
3 hr 5 min
or
1 drill per day
6 days · 31 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

Short irons (9,8) | Around the Stick

Driving Range

Curve the ball around the alignment stick using using short irons only. Hit one bucket of ~50 balls.

31 minFocus: Driving Range
Diagram for Short irons (9,8) | Around the Stick
1

Pick a target for your 9 or 8 iron.

2

Place two markers, one left and one right of the target, about 5% of the distance from your ball to the flag.

3

Hit 18 shots curving left to right around the left marker, and 18 shots curving right to left around the right marker.

4

Use the same setup for every shot.

5

Try to curve the ball around the marker and get close to the target.

6

A shot is successful if the ball curves around the marker and lands near the flag.

7

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3230282520161285
02

Short irons (9,8) | Left-to-R and Right-to-L Shot

Driving Range

Produce left-to-right and right-to-left shots using short irons only. Hit one bucket of ~50 balls.

31 minFocus: Driving Range
Diagram for Short irons (9,8) | Left-to-R and Right-to-L Shot
1

Pick a target suitable for short iron shots (9 or 8 iron).

2

Hit 36 shots: alternate between producing left-to-right and right-to-left ball flights, all aimed at the same target.

3

Use the same setup and stance for every shot, focusing on shaping the ball to curve correctly.

4

Count shots that land and stop near the target as successful.

5

When all 36 shots are done, add up your total successful shots out of 36 and enter the score in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3230282520161285
03

Short irons (9,8) | 5 Ball Flights Challenge

Driving Range

Complete the 5 Ball Flights Challenge using short irons only. Hit one bucket of ~50 balls.

30 minFocus: Driving Range
Diagram for Short irons (9,8) | 5 Ball Flights Challenge
1

Pick a flag or target for short irons (8 or 9 iron) on the range.

2

Hit 35 shots total, in 5 groups of 7 shots.

3

Each group uses a different ball flight: straight, draw, fade, pull-fade, push-draw.

4

For each group, hit 7 shots in a row with that flight shape, aiming at the target.

5

Switch between 8 and 9 irons if needed.

6

A shot is successful if the shape matches the goal and lands near the target.

7

Do all 5 flight types for 35 shots total, then enter your score in the app, out of 35 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions35
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302825221713964
04

Short irons (9,8) | Visualized Course

Driving Range

Use imagination to hit any type of shot within self-set boundaries, using short irons only. Hit one bucket of ~50 balls.

31 minFocus: Driving Range
Diagram for Short irons (9,8) | Visualized Course
1

Pick one flag/target suitable for short irons (8 or 9).

2

Use existing objects around you to creatively imagine hazards and boundaries (such as water, sand traps, out-of-bounds, or edges of the green) around that target.

3

Hit 36 shots with the same setup, aiming all balls at this one target.

4

Focus on landing the ball in the imagined target area and minimizing large misses.

5

Count how many shots land and stay in the correct target zone.

6

Add up the number of successful shots and enter your total out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score292724201612963
05

Short irons (9,8) | Impact and Follow Through

Driving Range

Work only on impact and follow through using short irons only. Hit one bucket of ~50 balls.

31 minFocus: Driving Range
Diagram for Short irons (9,8) | Impact and Follow Through
1

Pick a flag or marker on the range suitable for your 8- or 9-iron shots.

2

Hit 36 shots, all aiming at the same target.

3

Focus on good contact and smooth swings with your 8- or 9-iron.

4

Set up the ball the same way every time.

5

After completing all 36 shots, count how many balls landed within a 5-foot area around the target.

6

Enter your score out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score2927252218141074
06

Short irons (9,8) | Backswing

Driving Range

Work only on backswing using short irons only. Hit one bucket of ~50 balls.

31 minFocus: Driving Range
Diagram for Short irons (9,8) | Backswing
1

Pick one flag or target on the range suitable for short irons (9 or 8).

2

Hit 36 shots using only short irons (9 or 8), focusing solely on backswing.

3

Use at most two backswing thoughts or tasks to produce any ball flight pattern.

4

Set up the same for each shot, using the same swing thoughts.

5

After each shot, observe the ball flight relative to the target.

6

Finish all 36 shots, switching irons if desired. At the end, total the number of successful shots and enter your score in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3129272319151174

Next Step

Ready to start this program?

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