Course Program

Feet, hips, shoulders—are you set up for success?

Check clubface, for a 23-handicap player, ~20 minutes at Jack Nicklaus Yamaoka

Short GameAll teesProgram HCP 22.76 drills

Program Snapshot

Handicap range

6 to 45

Average HCP

22.7

Duration (single session)

2 hr 36 min

or

1 drill/day: 6 days · 26 min/day

Ideal tee

All

Skill Distribution

Alignment31%
Accuracy24%
Scoring19%
Distance Control16%
Aim10%

Overview

Program Structure

Feet, hips, shoulders—are you set up for success?. Get square for strike and set up for success. Focus on Alignment, Accuracy, Scoring. For a 23-handicap player, in ~20 minutes.

Skill

Alignment

Shot

Pitch

What you will improve

  • Alignment
  • Accuracy
  • Scoring
  • Distance Control

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

Pitch | 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 Pitch | Rough | Flat
1

Make 3 piles of 12 balls each (36 balls total) between 30 and 60 yards from the hole on flat rough grass.

2

On the green, set up 3 target areas at different distances around the hole.

3

Hit 12 balls toward each target area (36 shots total, 12 for each zone).

4

Hit the first 12 balls to Zone 1, the next 12 to Zone 2, and the last 12 to Zone

5

Leave the balls in the same position; only change which target zone you aim at.

6

Count each ball that lands and stops inside the target zone as a success.

7

When all 36 shots are finished, count the number of successes and enter your score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score312926221713963
02

Pitch | Perpendicular Piles | Bullseye 2x

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop a pitch 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 Pitch | Perpendicular Piles | Bullseye 2x
1

Set up 10 piles of balls in two lines that cross each other, with each pile about 3 yards/meters apart.

2

Place the piles 30 to 60 yards/meters from the hole on similar grass.

3

Mark two circles on the green: a small 6-foot (2-meter) circle and a bigger 15-foot (5-meter) circle around the hole.

4

Take 36 shots: 18 try to land in the small circle, 18 try to land in the outer circle but not in the small circle.

5

Start with any pile and hit 18 shots for the small circle.

6

For the next 18 shots, try to land in the outer circle but not in the small circle.

7

Count a shot as a success if it lands in the circle you are aiming for.

8

After each shot, pick a different pile at random to hit from.

9

Count how many successful shots you made for each circle out of 36 attempts and enter your score in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028252218141075
03

Pitch | Fairway | Flat

Short Game

Hit two buckets of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) from the flat fairway.

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

Pick two spots on the fairway that are 30 to 60 yards from the hole.

2

Put three targets on the green, spaced at least 6 feet apart.

3

Hit 18 pitch shots from the first spot and 18 pitch shots from the second spot.

4

From each spot, hit 6 shots to each target.

5

Line up and aim at each target before hitting.

6

Count every shot that lands close to the target and stops there as a success.

7

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028252218141074
04

Pitch | Deep Rough and Other | Flat

Short Game

Hit 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 Pitch | Deep Rough and Other | Flat
1

Set up 3 targets on the green or fringe, in a straight line, 6 feet apart.

2

Place 3 piles of 12 golf balls each, 30 to 60 yards away in deep rough.

3

From the first pile, hit 12 shots at the first target.

4

From the second pile, hit 12 shots at the second target.

5

From the third pile, hit 12 shots at the third target.

6

Use the same setup for all shots.

7

Count each ball that lands in the target as a success.

8

After 36 shots, enter your number of successes in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score282623191512853
05

Pitch | Deep Rough and Other | Uphill/Downhill

Short Game

Hit 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 Pitch | Deep Rough and Other | Uphill/Downhill
1

Find a place on the uphill slope, 30 to 40 yards from the hole, to hit all shots.

2

Put a target (like a pin or club) at the hole or a visible spot on the green.

3

Split 36 shots into 2 groups of

4

Hit 18 balls from the uphill slope, trying to stop them close to the target.

5

Move to a similar place on the downhill slope at the same distance.

6

Hit 18 balls from the downhill slope at the same target.

7

Count how many balls stop in the chosen scoring area around the target (example: within 3 feet).

8

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3129262218141063
06

Pitch | 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 Pitch | Rough | Uphill/Downhill
1

Set up two target zones on the green, one uphill and one downhill, each marked with flags or cones about 3–5 feet apart.

2

From the rough slope, 20 to 40 yards away, players hit pitch shots trying to land balls in the uphill or downhill target zone.

3

Take 36 shots total: 18 to the uphill zone and 18 to the downhill zone.

4

Hit all 18 shots to the uphill zone first, then to the downhill zone, or switch back and forth if preferred.

5

Count every ball that stays inside the target zone as a success.

6

Always set up the ball the same way from the rough slope at 20–40 yards.

7

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028252218141074

Next Step

Ready to start this program?

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

Feet, hips, shoulders—are you set up for success? | Jack Nicklaus Yamaoka