Course Program

Thread Needle: Narrow Landing Zone

Precision from tough lie, for a 23-handicap player, ~20 minutes at Northwood Hills Golf Course At Mille Lacs

Short GameAll teesProgram HCP 233 drills57% match to course practice profile

Program Snapshot

Handicap range

9 to 45

Average HCP

23

Duration (single session)

1 hr 18 min

or

1 drill/day: 3 days · 26 min/day

Ideal tee

All

Skill Distribution

Precision28%
Distance Control21%
Alignment16%
Aim14%
Dispersion11%
Trajectory7%
Scoring3%

Overview

Program Structure

Thread Needle: Narrow Landing Zone. Pinpoint mixed shots and precision from tough lie. Focus on Precision, Distance Control, Alignment, Aim, Dispersion, Trajectory, Scoring. For a 23-handicap player, in ~20 minutes.

Skill

Precision

Shot

Chip

What you will improve

  • Precision
  • Distance Control
  • Alignment
  • Aim

Program details

Sessions
3 focused drills
Recommended
2–3 sessions / week
Total duration
1 hr 18 min
or
1 drill per day
3 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 | Parallel Ball Lines | 9 Stop Zones

Short Game

Align a bucket of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 2 parallel lines 20 balls per line and stop chip shots inside 9 Stop Zones. Count the number of successful stops.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Chip | Parallel Ball Lines | 9 Stop Zones
1

Set up 36 balls in 2 lines of 18 balls each, 5 to 10 yards apart, on grass 5 to 20 yards from the hole.

2

Mark 9 stop zones in a 3 x 3 grid on the green, spaced apart so the zones are clear.

3

Chip 4 balls to each stop zone, alternating between the two lines. For each zone, hit 2 balls from one line, then 2 from the other.

4

Keep doing this until you have hit 4 balls for each zone, for a total of 36 shots.

5

Count a shot as a success only if the ball stops in the right zone.

6

Add up the number of successes out of 36 attempts and enter the score in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3129262318141074
02

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

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

Make 10 piles of 4 balls each from 40 balls. Arrange the piles in 2 lines with 5 piles in each line. Lines cross each other.

2

Put the piles on grass 5 to 30 yards/meters from the hole. Space lines 5 to 10 yards/meters apart and piles 2 yards/meters apart.

3

On the green, put 3 targets in a line, about 8 feet apart. Call them Target A, Target B, and Target C.

4

Hit 36 chip shots, 12 to each target.

5

Hit 12 shots at Target A, then 12 at Target B, then 12 at Target C. Use any pile for any shot.

6

Count a shot as a success if it stops within 10 feet of the target.

7

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302825201612963
03

Chip | Scattered Piles | 3 Landing Zones

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to land a chip 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 Chip | Scattered Piles | 3 Landing Zones
1

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

2

Place 3 piles of balls around the chipping area, each pile randomly 5 to 30 yards from the hole. Keep this setup the same.

3

Divide 36 chip shots into 3 groups of

4

For the first 12 shots, aim for the first landing zone from any pile.

5

For the next 12 shots, aim for the second landing zone from any pile.

6

For the last 12 shots, aim for the third landing zone from any pile.

7

Count each shot that lands and stays in the correct zone as a success.

8

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3129272318141174

Next Step

Ready to start this program?

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

Thread Needle: Narrow Landing Zone | Northwood Hills Golf Course At Mille Lacs