Course Program

Thread the gap: flop through a narrow landing zone

Pinpoint flops, for a 11-handicap player, ~15 minutes at Pines-Mango

Short GameAll teesProgram HCP 10.97 drills

Program Snapshot

Handicap range

7 to 25

Average HCP

10.9

Duration (single session)

3 hr 2 min

or

1 drill/day: 7 days · 26 min/day

Ideal tee

All

Skill Distribution

Precision31%
Trajectory17%
Distance Control16%
Aim13%
Dispersion13%
Alignment9%
Scoring1%

Overview

Program Structure

Thread the gap: flop through a narrow landing zone. Thread the gap and precision from tough lie. Focus on Precision, Trajectory, Distance Control. For a 11-handicap player, in ~15 minutes.

Skill

Precision

Shot

Flop

What you will improve

  • Precision
  • Trajectory
  • Distance Control
  • Aim

Program details

Sessions
7 focused drills
Recommended
2–3 sessions / week
Total duration
3 hr 2 min
or
1 drill per day
7 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 Ball Lines | Multiple Targets

Short Game

Align a bucket of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 2 parallel 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 | Parallel Ball Lines | Multiple Targets
1

Put down two lines of 18 balls each, spaced 1 foot apart. Place the lines 5 to 10 yards apart.

2

Set up three targets on the green, at least 6 feet apart.

3

Hit 12 flop shots to each target, for 36 shots total.

4

Hit 6 flop shots from the first ball line to the first target, then 6 from the second line to the same target.

5

Do the same for the second and third targets, always switching lines.

6

Count each shot that stops within 10 feet of the target as a success.

7

After all 36 shots, record the number of successful shots out of 36 in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302825201512964
02

Flop | Scattered Piles | 3 Landing Zones

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to land a flop shot inside the landing zone(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 | 3 Landing Zones
1

Place 3 landing zones on the green, 3 feet (1 meter) apart in a straight line.

2

Make 6 piles of 6 balls each around the green, 5 to 40 yards from the hole.

3

Hit 36 flop shots, 12 to each landing zone.

4

For the first 12 shots, aim for Landing Zone 1, hitting 2 balls from each pile.

5

For the next 12 shots, aim for Landing Zone 2, hitting 2 balls from each pile.

6

For the last 12 shots, aim for Landing Zone 3, hitting the remaining 2 balls from each pile.

7

Count how many balls land and stay in the correct landing zone.

8

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028252218141174
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 | 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
05

Flop | Perpendicular Piles | Quadrants

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop a flop shot inside the quadrant(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 | Perpendicular Piles | Quadrants
1

Arrange 10 piles of balls in two lines that cross each other. Each line has 5 piles, placed 3 yards apart. The lines are 6 yards apart.

2

Put all piles between 5 and 40 yards from the hole. Keep all piles on the same type of grass.

3

On the green, mark 4 equal quadrants. Each quadrant is a circle with a 3-meter radius around the hole.

4

Hit 36 flop shots: 9 shots to each quadrant.

5

Start at one pile. Hit 9 shots at Quadrant 1, move to another pile and hit 9 shots at Quadrant 2, then 9 shots at Quadrant 3, then 9 shots at Quadrant

6

A shot that stops inside the target quadrant counts as a success.

7

Count all successes for each quadrant and add them up.

8

After all 36 shots, write down your total number of successful shots in the app, out of 36.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3129262218141063
06

Flop | Perpendicular Ball Lines | 3 Landing Zones

Short Game

Align a bucket of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 2 perpendicular lines 20 balls per line and hit-and-land flop shots inside landing zones. Count the number of successes.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Flop | Perpendicular Ball Lines | 3 Landing Zones
1

Arrange 36 balls in two lines of 18 balls each. Lines cross each other and are 5 to 10 yards apart. Balls are 1 foot apart in each line.

2

Put three landing zones in a row on the green, 6 feet apart.

3

There are 36 shots. Aim 12 shots at each landing zone.

4

From one line, hit 6 shots at the first landing zone.

5

From the other line, hit 6 shots at the second landing zone.

6

Go back to the first line and hit 6 shots at the third landing zone.

7

Switch lines and keep repeating until all 36 shots are done, with 12 shots at each landing zone.

8

Count each shot that lands and stops in the right zone as successful.

9

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3129262218141074
07

Flop | Parallel Ball Lines | 3 Landing Zones

Short Game

Align a bucket of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 2 parallel lines 20 balls per line and hit-and-land flop shots inside landing zones. Count the number of successes.

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

Place 40 balls in two lines of 20 balls. The balls in each line are 1 foot apart. The two lines are 5 to 10 yards apart.

2

On the green use sticks or string to make 3 landing zones in a straight line. Each zone is 6 feet apart.

3

Hit 36 flop shots from the ball lines to the landing zones.

4

Make 3 groups of 12 shots.

5

For each group aim for only one landing zone.

6

After each group of 12 shots, switch to the other ball line.

7

Count every shot that stops in the right landing zone.

8

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

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.