Course Program

Flop 20–30 Yds Over Hazard

Stick flops to green, for a 17-handicap player, ~15 minutes at Palm Valley Golf Club

Short GameAll teesProgram HCP 16.57 drills73% match to course practice profile

Program Snapshot

Handicap range

7 to 25

Average HCP

16.5

Duration (single session)

3 hr 2 min

or

1 drill/day: 7 days · 26 min/day

Ideal tee

All

Skill Distribution

Distance Control28%
Accuracy23%
Scoring19%
Alignment12%
Aim6%
Precision5%
Visualization3%
Trajectory2%
Dispersion2%

Overview

Program Structure

Flop 20–30 Yds Over Hazard. Stick flops to green and land 3-4 feet away. Focus on Distance Control, Accuracy, Scoring. For a 17-handicap player, in ~15 minutes.

Shot

Flop

What you will improve

  • Distance Control
  • Accuracy
  • Scoring
  • Alignment

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 | Fairway | Uphill/Downhill

Short Game

Up to 5 players hit flop shot two buckets of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) from the sloped fairway; one bucket from the uphill slope and one bucket from the downhill slope.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Flop | Fairway | Uphill/Downhill
1

Make 2 target areas on the green: one uphill, one downhill, about 6 feet apart.

2

Use markers to show the edges of each target area.

3

Choose a spot 20 yards from the hole and set up golf balls for uphill shots.

4

Hit 18 flop shots, trying to land each one in the uphill area. Try to keep each ball inside the zone.

5

Move to the downhill area, same distance from the hole.

6

Hit 18 flop shots, trying to land each one in the downhill area.

7

Keep all shots from the same spot on each slope. Do not move the ball for each shot.

8

Count shots that stop inside the right target area.

9

Add up the total number of successful shots and enter your score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028262218141074
02

Flop | Scattered Ball Lines | Bullseye 2x

Short Game

Scatter a bucket of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 8 equal lines of 5 balls and stop flop shots inside Bullseye. Count the number of balls in the inner and outer Bullseye.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Flop | Scattered Ball Lines | Bullseye 2x
1

Put 36 balls in 6 straight lines. Each line has 6 balls. Each ball is 1 yard or meter apart. Place lines 5-20 yards or meters from the hole, not on the green.

2

On the green, make two circles around the hole with string or tees: one small circle with a 6 foot/2 meter radius, and one bigger circle with a 15 foot/5 meter radius.

3

Hit all 6 balls in a line toward the hole, trying to land them inside the circles.

4

For the first 18 hits, try to land balls in the small circle. For the next 18 hits, try to land balls in the big circle.

5

After hitting one line, go to another line and repeat until all 36 balls are hit.

6

Count how many balls stop inside the right circle for each try. Enter your score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302825201512852
03

Flop | Deep Rough and Other | Above/Below Feet

Short Game

Hit flop shot two buckets of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) from the sloped deep rough and other extreme grass types; one bucket with balls above feet level, and one bucket with balls below feet level.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Flop | Deep Rough and Other | Above/Below Feet
1

Make two target zones on the green, Zone A (front) and Zone B (back), both about the same size, using cones or markers.

2

Place 18 balls in 3 piles of 6 balls each in deep rough above your feet, at different distances between 5 and 20 yards from the hole.

3

Place another 18 balls the same way in deep rough below your feet.

4

Hit 18 flop shots from above feet towards Zone A, in any order, until finished.

5

Hit 18 flop shots from below feet towards Zone B, in any order, until finished.

6

Count each ball that lands and stops in the target zone as a success.

7

Add up total successful shots out of 36 attempts and enter score in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score292725211612853
04

Flop | Perpendicular Piles | 3 Landing Zones

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop a flop 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 Flop | Perpendicular Piles | 3 Landing Zones
1

Set up 10 piles of balls in two lines, making a cross. Each line has 5 piles. Piles are 3 yards or meters apart and are between 5 and 40 yards or meters from the hole on grass.

2

On the green, use sticks, clubs, or string to mark 3 landing zones in a straight line, spaced 3 feet or 1 meter apart.

3

There are 36 flop shots in total. Divide them into 3 groups of 12 shots, aiming each group at a different landing zone.

4

Pick any pile to start. Hit each shot, trying to land the ball in the right zone.

5

After 12 shots to the first zone, do 12 shots to the next zone, then finish with 12 shots to the last zone.

6

Count the number of balls that land and stop in the correct zone.

7

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302825211612853
05

Flop | 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 flop shots close to multiple targets. Count the number of successes.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Flop | Scattered Piles | Multiple Targets
1

Put 40 balls into 8 piles of 5 balls, spaced between 5 and 40 yards from the hole on the grass or slope.

2

Place 3 flags as targets around the green at different distances, each with a 10-foot circle marked.

3

Hit 36 flop shots; make 3 groups of 12 shots for the 3 target zones.

4

First 12 shots go at the first target, next 12 at the second, last 12 at the third.

5

Hit 2-5 shots from each pile, switching piles each time, keep ball setup the same.

6

Count any shot that stops inside the 10-foot circle as a success.

7

After 36 shots, add up how many stopped in the circle and enter score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score282622181410742
06

Flop | Scattered Piles | 9 Stop Zones

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop a flop 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 Flop | Scattered Piles | 9 Stop Zones
1

Divide 36 balls into 9 piles with 4 balls each. Put each pile in the chipping area, not on the green, between 5 and 20 yards from the hole.

2

Mark 9 stop zones on the green using tees, string, or buckets, spaced across the green.

3

Hit 4 flop shots at each stop zone, trying to stop each ball in the zone.

4

Start at any pile and pick a stop zone. Hit 4 balls from the pile to that zone.

5

Move to the next pile and new stop zone. Keep going until all 9 zones have 4 shots each (36 shots total).

6

Count each ball that stops inside the right stop zone.

7

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302826221713963
07

Flop | Fairway | Above/Below Feet

Short Game

Up to 5 players hit flop shot 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
Diagram for Flop | Fairway | Above/Below Feet
1

Get 36 golf balls. Split them into 2 groups of

2

Make 3 target zones on the green. Each zone should be 4 feet wide and lined up in a row.

3

Hit 18 flop shots from above your feet. Aim for 6 shots at each target zone. Use the same setup and stance for every shot.

4

Move to below your feet. Hit 18 flop shots again, 6 shots at each of the same target zones.

5

Count the shots that stop inside the correct target zone as success.

6

Add up the successful shots from both above and below feet, out of 36 tries. Enter your score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302825211713963

Next Step

Ready to start this program?

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