Course Program

Thread the gap: flop through a narrow landing zone

Pinpoint flops, for a 20-handicap player, ~15 minutes at New South Wales

Short GameAll teesProgram HCP 19.88 drills

Program Snapshot

Handicap range

7 to 45

Average HCP

19.8

Duration (single session)

3 hr 28 min

or

1 drill/day: 8 days · 26 min/day

Ideal tee

All

Skill Distribution

Precision34%
Distance Control23%
Dispersion15%
Aim12%
Alignment11%
Trajectory6%

Overview

Program Structure

Thread the gap: flop through a narrow landing zone. Pinpoint flops and precision from tough lie. Focus on Precision, Distance Control, Dispersion. For a 20-handicap player, in ~15 minutes.

Skill

Precision

Shot

Flop

What you will improve

  • Precision
  • Distance Control
  • Dispersion
  • Aim

Program details

Sessions
8 focused drills
Recommended
2–3 sessions / week
Total duration
3 hr 28 min
or
1 drill per day
8 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 | 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
02

Flop | Parallel Piles | 9 Stop Zones

Short Game

Align a bucket of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 10 equal parallel piles of 4 balls and stop flop shots inside 9 Stop Zones. Count the number of successful stops.

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

Set up 9 target zones on the green using buckets, strings, or tees. Space them in a 3x3 grid, with about 3 feet between each.

2

Divide 36 balls into 9 groups of

3

Make 10 piles of 4 balls each, set 5 to 40 yards from the hole. Space the piles 5 to 10 yards apart in two lines, with 2 yards between piles in each line.

4

Hit 4 shots to try to stop balls inside each of the 9 zones. Finish all 4 shots in one zone before moving to the next zone in order.

5

Switch between different ball piles while practicing each zone to get different lies and angles.

6

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

7

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028262218141074
03

Flop | Parallel Ball Lines | Quadrants

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop a flop shot inside the quadrant(s). The player with the most points at the end wins the challenge. 25 balls per player are needed.

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

Set up 4 lines of 9 balls each, spaced 5 yards apart between lines and 1 foot apart between balls.

2

Mark 4 quadrants on the green, each a 9-foot circle.

3

Hit 36 flop shots, aiming 9 shots at each quadrant.

4

For each shot, hit from any line and aim at the assigned quadrant.

5

Always keep the ball setup the same and only switch quadrants after 9 shots.

6

Count each ball that stops in the right quadrant as a success.

7

Enter your number of successes in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302825221713963
04

Flop | Parallel 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 at the end wins the challenge. One bucket of balls per player is needed.

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

Make 2 lines of 5 ball piles each (10 piles total). Keep lines 6 yards apart and piles 4 yards apart.

2

Put all piles on short grass 5-20 yards from the hole, not on the green.

3

Place 3 target markers in a line on the green. Space them 6 feet apart. Call them Target A, Target B, and Target C.

4

Hit 36 flop shots in total, in 3 sets of 12 shots.

5

First 12 shots go to Target A. Next 12 to Target B. Last 12 to Target C.

6

Pick any pile for each shot. Hit the ball at the current target.

7

Count each shot that stops closest to or inside the target area. This is a "success."

8

Add up all successful shots for each target.

9

Record the score out of 36 attempts in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028252218141174
05

Flop | Perpendicular Piles | Multiple Targets

Short Game

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

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

Place 40 balls into 10 piles of 4 balls each. Arrange them in two lines of 5 piles each, lines must cross each other.

2

Make sure the lines are 7 yards apart. In a line, make sure each pile is 2 yards apart.

3

Set up 3 flags in a row, 10 feet apart. Each flag is a target for hitting the balls.

4

Hit 36 balls in total. Hit 12 balls at each target.

5

Hit the balls by switching between piles in the two lines.

6

If a ball lands within 10 feet of the target, count it as a success.

7

Count your successful shots out of 36 and enter score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028262218141074
06

Flop | Parallel Piles | 3 Landing Zones

Short Game

Align a bucket of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 10 equal parallel piles of 4 balls and hit-and-land flop shots inside landing zones. Count the number of successes.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Flop | Parallel Piles | 3 Landing Zones
1

Set up 36 balls in 9 piles of 4 balls each, in two lines, 5–20 yards from the hole.

2

Put markers on the green to make 3 landing zones, each zone 6 feet apart in a line.

3

Hit 36 flop shots total, 12 to each landing zone.

4

Hit from any pile at the first zone for 12 shots, then move to the next zone for the next 12, then the third zone for the last 12 shots.

5

Switch piles after each shot, but keep the set up and distances the same.

6

Count shots that land and stay in the correct zone.

7

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302825211713963
07

Flop | Perpendicular Ball Lines | Multiple Targets

Short Game

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

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

Set up two lines of 18 balls each. The lines should cross at a right angle. Each ball is 1 foot apart.

2

Put two targets on the green, 5 to 10 yards apart. The targets are set 5 to 20 yards away from the ball lines.

3

Hit 36 flop shots: 18 shots from the first line, 18 shots from the second line.

4

For each line, split the 18 shots into 3 groups of 6 balls.

5

For each set of 6 balls, aim at one target. Try to land the ball within 10 feet of the target.

6

Take turns aiming each set at a different target.

7

Count each ball that lands within 10 feet of the target as a success.

8

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3129262218141074
08

Flop | Parallel Ball Lines | 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 at the end wins the challenge. Up to 80 balls are needed.

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

Make 4 straight lines of 9 balls each on the grass. Keep each line 5 yards or meters apart.

2

Put the balls in each line about 1 foot apart.

3

Pick 3 targets (like flags or markers) in different spots around the green.

4

Hit 36 shots, in 3 groups of 12 shots.

5

Hit all balls in the first group to Target 1, then switch to Target 2 for the next group, and Target 3 for the last group.

6

Hit each ball trying to stop it close to the target for that group.

7

Count every ball that stops within 3 feet of the target as a success.

8

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3230282520161285

Next Step

Ready to start this program?

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