Course Program

Pick your spot and trust your swing—bunker aim challenge

Pick spot and trust, for a 16-handicap player, ~15 minutes at Oak Knoll

Short GameAll teesProgram HCP 16.44 drills

Program Snapshot

Handicap range

5 to 45

Average HCP

16.4

Duration (single session)

1 hr 44 min

or

1 drill/day: 4 days · 26 min/day

Ideal tee

All

Skill Distribution

Aim29%
Trajectory22%
Distance Control20%
Alignment13%
Scoring8%
Precision8%

Overview

Program Structure

Pick your spot and trust your swing—bunker aim challenge. Pick spot and trust and fly out and stop close. Focus on Aim, Trajectory, Distance Control. For a 16-handicap player, in ~15 minutes.

Skill

Aim

Shot

Sand

What you will improve

  • Aim
  • Trajectory
  • Distance Control
  • Alignment

Program details

Sessions
4 focused drills
Recommended
2–3 sessions / week
Total duration
1 hr 44 min
or
1 drill per day
4 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

Sand | Parallel Ball Lines | 3 Landing Zones

Short Game

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

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

In the sand bunker, make two straight lines of balls. Each line has 18 balls, with 1 foot (30 cm) between each ball. The two lines are 6 to 10 yards (5 to 10 meters) apart.

2

On the green, set up three landing zones. Mark them with sticks, clubs, or string. Space the zones 6 feet (2 meters) apart in a straight line.

3

Hit 36 sand shots. Split them into 3 groups of 12 shots.

4

For the first group, hit from one ball line and aim for the first landing zone.

5

For the second group, switch to the other ball line and aim for the second zone.

6

For the last group, go back to the first ball line and aim for the third zone.

7

Count each shot that lands and stays in the correct zone as a success. After all 36 shots, add up the successful shots and enter the score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302826221713953
02

Sand - Long

Short Game

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

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Sand - Long
1

Pick two different spots in the bunker, 40 to 60 yards from the hole.

2

Put 3 markers in a straight line on the green, about 6 feet apart near the hole.

3

Hit 36 shots in total: 18 from the first spot and 18 from the second spot.

4

From the first spot, hit 6 balls at each target, any order.

5

Do the same from the second spot: 6 balls at each target.

6

A shot is good if the ball stops near the target.

7

Count how many balls land close to the targets.

8

Add up your good shots out of 36 and enter the score in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028252218141074
03

Sand | Parallel Piles | 3 Landing Zones

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop a sand shot inside the landing 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
Diagram for Sand | Parallel Piles | 3 Landing Zones
1

Set up 10 piles of balls in two lines of 5 piles each. The lines are 3 yards apart. Piles in each line are 4 yards apart.

2

Place the piles on sand bunkers, 20 to 40 yards from the hole, not on the green.

3

On the green, mark 3 landing zones in a row, each 2 meters wide, spaced 2 meters apart.

4

Take 36 sand shots: 12 shots for each landing zone.

5

Start from any pile and hit 12 shots at Zone 1, then 12 shots at Zone 2, then 12 shots at Zone

6

Each ball that stops in the target zone counts as a success.

7

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028262218141074
04

Sand | Perpendicular Piles | 3 Landing Zones

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop a sand shot inside the landing 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
Diagram for Sand | Perpendicular Piles | 3 Landing Zones
1

Make 10 piles of balls in the sand in two lines that cross, with each pile 3 yards apart.

2

Put the piles 20 to 40 yards from the hole.

3

On the green, set up 3 landing zones, each 6 feet apart, using sticks, clubs, or string.

4

Use 36 sand shots in total, split into 3 groups of 12 shots.

5

For each group, aim at a different landing zone (first Zone 1, then Zone 2, then Zone 3).

6

Start at any pile and hit each shot toward the chosen zone.

7

After 12 shots to one zone, move to the next zone and repeat until all 36 shots are done.

8

Count every shot that stops inside the chosen landing zone as a success.

9

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302825201612963

Next Step

Ready to start this program?

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

Pick your spot and trust your swing—bunker aim challenge | Oak Knoll