Course Program

Can you stop the ball close from the sand?

Practice at Oak Leaf

Short GameAll teesProgram HCP 10.53 drills

Program Snapshot

Handicap range

3 to 25

Average HCP

10.5

Duration (single session)

1 hr 18 min

1 drill/day: 3 days · 26 min/day

Ideal tee

All

Skill Distribution

Distance Control28%

Dispersion19%

Precision16%

Scoring13%

Aim12%

Alignment7%

Accuracy5%

Overview

Program Structure

This short game helps you sharpen your distance control, executing sand shots, and make faster decisions that translate straight to scoring opportunities. Each drill mirrors on-course scenarios before you stitch everything together in finale sessions.

Skill

Distance Control

Shot

Sand

What you will improve

Distance Control
Dispersion
Precision
Scoring

Program details

Sessions: 3 focused drills
Recommended: 2–3 sessions / week
Total duration: 1 hr 18 min
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.

Drill 1 Drill 2 Drill 3

Sand | Scattered Piles | 9 Stop Zones

Short Game

Scatter a bucket of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) in the sand. Scatter into 8 equal piles of 5 balls and stop sand shots inside 9 Stop Zones. Count the number of successful stops.

26 minFocus: Short Game

Diagram for Sand | Scattered Piles | 9 Stop Zones

Scatter 36 balls into 9 piles of 4 balls each in the sand, 20 to 40 yards from the hole.

Mark 9 target zones on the green, spaced out evenly.

Hit 4 sand shots at each target zone, for a total of 36 shots.

After 4 shots at the first zone, move to the next and repeat for all 9 zones.

Count each ball that stops in the right zone as one success.

When finished, add up the number of balls that stopped in the right places and enter score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36

Handicap	+9	+5	+1	5	12	19	27	36	54
Score	33	30	27	23	18	14	10	7	4

Sand | Parallel Ball Lines | 9 Stop 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 stop sand shots inside 9 Stop Zones. Count the number of successful stops.

26 minFocus: Short Game

Diagram for Sand | Parallel Ball Lines | 9 Stop Zones

Make two straight lines with 20 balls in each line. Each ball is about 1 foot apart. The two lines are 5 to 10 yards apart.

On the green, mark 9 stop zones using buckets, string, or tees. Keep the zones apart.

Hit 36 sand shots from the bunker. Try to stop the ball inside the zones.

Split the 36 shots into 9 groups. Each group has 4 shots.

For each group, hit 4 shots from one ball line at one stop zone.

After 4 shots, switch to the other ball line. Aim 4 shots at the next zone. Keep going back and forth until you finish all 9 zones.

Count how many balls stay in the zone they were aimed at.

Add your total successes out of 36 and enter score in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36

Handicap	+9	+5	+1	5	12	19	27	36	54
Score	31	29	27	23	18	14	10	7	4

Sand | Perpendicular Piles | 9 Stop Zones

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop a sand 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

Diagram for Sand | Perpendicular Piles | 9 Stop Zones

Set up 10 piles of 4 balls each in two crossing lines of 5 piles each, spaced 3 yards/meters apart, and 20-40 yards from the hole.

On the green, mark 9 target zones with buckets, tees, or string in a clear grid or pattern.

Split 36 shots into 9 groups of

Each group only aims for one target zone.

For each group, pick a pile and hit 4 sand shots, trying to stop each ball in the zone.

Move to the next zone and repeat until each of the 9 zones has had 4 shots (36 total shots).

Each ball that stops in the right zone counts as one success.

After all shots, count how many were successful and enter your 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	22	18	14	10	7	4

Next Step

Ready to start this program?

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

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