Up-and-down contest: how many can you save in a row?
Up-and-down contest, for a 23-handicap player, ~20 minutes at Oahu Country Club
Short GameAll teesProgram HCP 22.78 drills66% match to course practice profile
Program Snapshot
Handicap range
4 to 45
Average HCP
22.7
Duration (single session)
3 hr 28 min
or
1 drill/day: 8 days · 26 min/day
Ideal tee
All
Skill Distribution
Scoring35%
Alignment16%
Distance Control14%
Accuracy9%
Dispersion8%
Precision7%
Aim7%
Visualization3%
Overview
Program Structure
Up-and-down contest: how many can you save in a row?. Save par clutch and up-and-down contest. Focus on Scoring, Alignment, Distance Control, Accuracy, Dispersion, Precision, Aim, Visualization. For a 23-handicap player, in ~20 minutes.
Skill
Scoring
Shot
Pitch
What you will improve
Scoring
Alignment
Distance Control
Accuracy
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.
Hit two buckets of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) from the flat deep rough and other extreme grass types.
26 minFocus: Short Game
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
+1
5
12
19
27
36
54
Score
28
26
23
19
15
12
8
5
3
02
Pitch | Scattered Piles | 9 Stop Zones
Short Game
Up to 5 players compete to stop a pitch shot in the stop zone(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
1
Make 2 piles of balls in 2 different spots, between 30 and 60 yards from the hole.
2
On the green, mark 9 stop zones using buckets, string, or tees.
3
Hit 36 pitch shots. Make 9 groups of 4 shots.
4
Each group of 4 aims for a different stop zone, so you use all 9 zones.
5
Take shots from both piles, switching between them as you aim for different zones.
6
If a shot stops inside the zone you aimed for, count it as a success.
7
Add how many shots stopped in the zones out of 36 attempts and enter your score in the app.
Scoring benchmarks
Repetitions36
Handicap
+9
+5
+1
5
12
19
27
36
54
Score
32
30
28
25
20
16
12
8
5
03
Pitch | Fairway | Above/Below Feet
Short Game
Hit two buckets of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) from the sloped fairway; one bucket with balls above feet level, and one bucket with balls below feet level.
26 minFocus: Short Game
1
Choose two starting spots on a sloped fairway—one where the ball is above your feet, and one where it is below your feet.
2
Put 3 piles of 6 balls each above your feet, spaced between 30 and 60 yards from the hole.
3
Put 3 piles of 6 balls each below your feet, spaced between 30 and 60 yards from the hole.
4
Mark three target zones on the green: Left, Center, and Right, spaced about 6 feet apart.
5
Hit 6 shots from each above-feet pile, aiming at each target zone (18 shots total from above feet).
6
Hit 6 shots from each below-feet pile, aiming at each target zone (18 shots total from below feet).
7
Count a shot as successful if the ball stays in the target zone.
8
When all 36 shots are done, add up successful shots and enter score in the app out of 36 attempts.
Scoring benchmarks
Repetitions36
Handicap
+9
+5
+1
5
12
19
27
36
54
Score
29
27
24
20
15
12
9
7
4
04
Pitch | Perpendicular Piles | 9 Stop Zones
Short Game
Up to 5 players compete to stop a pitch shot in the stop zone(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
1
Place 10 piles of balls in two lines that cross each other, with 5 piles in each line, spaced 3 yards apart.
2
Put these piles on grass, 30 to 60 yards from the hole.
3
On the green, mark 9 clear stop zones using buckets, string, or tees, spaced evenly.
4
Hit 36 pitch shots, aiming 4 shots at each of the 9 stop zones.
5
From any pile, hit 4 balls trying to stop them in the first zone.
6
After 4 shots, aim at the next zone and hit 4 more shots, repeating for each zone.
7
Keep hitting 4 shots per stop zone until all 9 zones are done (total 36 shots).
8
Count each ball that stops in the target zone as a success.
9
After all shots, add the number of successful shots and enter your score in the app out of 36.
Scoring benchmarks
Repetitions36
Handicap
+9
+5
+1
5
12
19
27
36
54
Score
31
29
26
22
18
14
10
7
4
05
Pitch| Scattered Piles | Multiple Targets
Short Game
Scatter a bucket of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 8 equal piles of 5 balls and stop pitch shots close to multiple targets. Count the number of successes.
26 minFocus: Short Game
1
Put 36 balls into 6 piles with 6 balls in each pile between 30 and 60 yards from the hole.
2
Place 3 flags on the green far apart and label them A, B, and C.
3
Hit 36 pitch shots, in 3 sets of 12 shots.
4
Hit 12 balls so they stop within 10 feet of flag A.
5
Hit 12 balls so they stop within 10 feet of flag B. Use any pile.
6
Hit 12 balls so they stop within 10 feet of flag C.
7
Hit from any pile and change piles or targets as needed.
8
Count each shot that stops within 10 feet of the target as a success.
9
Count the total successful shots and enter the score in the app, out of 36 attempts.
Scoring benchmarks
Repetitions36
Handicap
+9
+5
+1
5
12
19
27
36
54
Score
30
28
25
20
16
12
9
6
3
06
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
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
+1
5
12
19
27
36
54
Score
31
29
26
22
18
14
10
6
3
07
Pitch | Scattered Piles | Quadrants
Short Game
Scatter a bucket of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 8 equal piles of 5 balls and stop pitch shots inside quadrants. Count the number of successes.
26 minFocus: Short Game
1
Make 4 piles of 9 balls each, with the piles 30–60 yards from the hole on different ground.
2
On the green, mark out a 15-foot circle around the hole and divide the circle into 4 equal parts.
3
Hit 9 shots from a pile to try and stop the ball in the first part of the circle.
4
Move to another pile and hit 9 shots for the second part.
5
Repeat for the third and fourth parts, from any pile.
6
Count each ball that stops in the right part as a success.
7
Enter number of successes in the app, out of 36 attempts.
Scoring benchmarks
Repetitions36
Handicap
+9
+5
+1
5
12
19
27
36
54
Score
30
28
25
22
18
14
10
6
3
08
Pitch | Fairway | Flat
Short Game
Hit two buckets of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) from the flat fairway.
26 minFocus: Short Game
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
+1
5
12
19
27
36
54
Score
30
28
25
22
18
14
10
7
4
Next Step
Ready to start this program?
Start the drills at your own pace or work with a resident professional on this course.