Course Program

Can you stop the ball close from a tight lie?

Feel the distance, for a 23-handicap player, ~20 minutes at Palmer Colonial Golf Course

Short GameAll teesProgram HCP 22.88 drills63% match to course practice profile

Program Snapshot

Handicap range

8 to 45

Average HCP

22.8

Duration (single session)

3 hr 28 min

or

1 drill/day: 8 days · 26 min/day

Ideal tee

All

Skill Distribution

Distance Control24%
Alignment20%
Accuracy20%
Precision10%
Scoring10%
Aim6%
Dispersion6%
Trajectory4%

Overview

Program Structure

Can you stop the ball close from a tight lie?. Vary landing spot soft and stop close from tight lie. Focus on Distance Control, Alignment, Accuracy. For a 23-handicap player, in ~20 minutes.

Skill

Distance Control

Shot

Flop

What you will improve

  • Distance Control
  • Alignment
  • Accuracy
  • Precision

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.

01

Flop | Parallel Ball Lines | 3 Landing Zones

Short Game

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

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

Place 40 balls in two lines of 20 balls. The balls in each line are 1 foot apart. The two lines are 5 to 10 yards apart.

2

On the green use sticks or string to make 3 landing zones in a straight line. Each zone is 6 feet apart.

3

Hit 36 flop shots from the ball lines to the landing zones.

4

Make 3 groups of 12 shots.

5

For each group aim for only one landing zone.

6

After each group of 12 shots, switch to the other ball line.

7

Count every shot that stops in the right landing zone.

8

When all 36 shots are done, add up your successful shots out of 36 attempts and enter your score in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028252218141074
02

Flop | Perpendicular Piles | Quadrants

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop a flop shot inside the quadrant(s). The player with the most points wins the challenge. One bucket of balls per player is needed.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Flop | Perpendicular Piles | Quadrants
1

Arrange 10 piles of balls in two lines that cross each other. Each line has 5 piles, placed 3 yards apart. The lines are 6 yards apart.

2

Put all piles between 5 and 40 yards from the hole. Keep all piles on the same type of grass.

3

On the green, mark 4 equal quadrants. Each quadrant is a circle with a 3-meter radius around the hole.

4

Hit 36 flop shots: 9 shots to each quadrant.

5

Start at one pile. Hit 9 shots at Quadrant 1, move to another pile and hit 9 shots at Quadrant 2, then 9 shots at Quadrant 3, then 9 shots at Quadrant

6

A shot that stops inside the target quadrant counts as a success.

7

Count all successes for each quadrant and add them up.

8

After all 36 shots, write down your total number of successful shots in the app, out of 36.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3129262218141063
03

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
04

Flop | Rough | Uphill/Downhill

Short Game

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

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

Set up 2 target zones on the green: one uphill, one downhill, about 10 feet apart.

2

Put 18 balls in the uphill rough, and 18 in the downhill rough.

3

Hit 18 flop shots from the uphill rough and try to land each ball in the uphill target zone.

4

Hit 18 flop shots from the downhill rough and try to land each ball in the downhill target zone.

5

If the ball lands and stays in the target zone, it counts as a success.

6

Always keep the way you set up each ball the same; only the target zone changes.

7

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302825211612853
05

Flop | Scattered Piles | Bullseye 2x

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop a flop shot in the bullseye. The best final score relative to PAR wins the challenge. One bucket of balls per player is needed.

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

Pick two random spots 5-20 yards from the hole and place two piles of balls. Make spots and surfaces random but similar.

2

Make two circles on the green with string or tees: one circle 6 feet from the hole, one circle 15 feet from the hole.

3

Hit 36 flop shots: 18 shots at the small circle, 18 shots at the big circle.

4

At the first pile, hit 9 balls at the small circle, then 9 at the big circle.

5

At the second pile, again hit 9 at the small circle, then 9 at the big circle.

6

Count balls that stop inside the small circle as birdie. Count balls in the big circle (but outside small) as par.

7

Add up all balls that stayed in both circles. Enter score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score282623181411853
06

Flop | Fairway | Flat

Short Game

Up to 5 players hit flop shot two buckets of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) from the flat fairway.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Flop | Fairway | Flat
1

Set up 3 target zones on the green at 5, 12, and 20 yards from where the balls will be hit. Mark each zone with cones.

2

Place 36 balls in 3 groups of 12 balls each.

3

Hit 12 balls to try to land them in the 5 yard zone.

4

Hit 12 balls to try to land them in the 12 yard zone.

5

Hit 12 balls to try to land them in the 20 yard zone. Enter your score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

6

Do not change your ball position or stance during the test.

7

Count each ball that lands and stays inside the right target zone as a success.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302824201612964
07

Flop | Perpendicular Ball Lines | Multiple Targets

Short Game

Align a bucket of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 2 perpendicular lines 20 balls per line and stop flop shots close to multiple targets. Count the number of successes.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Flop | Perpendicular Ball Lines | Multiple Targets
1

Set up two lines of 18 balls each. The lines should cross at a right angle. Each ball is 1 foot apart.

2

Put two targets on the green, 5 to 10 yards apart. The targets are set 5 to 20 yards away from the ball lines.

3

Hit 36 flop shots: 18 shots from the first line, 18 shots from the second line.

4

For each line, split the 18 shots into 3 groups of 6 balls.

5

For each set of 6 balls, aim at one target. Try to land the ball within 10 feet of the target.

6

Take turns aiming each set at a different target.

7

Count each ball that lands within 10 feet of the target as a success.

8

After all 36 shots, add up successes and enter score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3129262218141074
08

Flop | Scattered Piles | Multiple Targets

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop a flop shot closest to the multiple target(s). The player with the most points wins the challenge. One bucket of balls per player is needed.

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

Set up 3 target areas on the green, about 6 feet apart.

2

Make 6 piles of 6 balls each, on the grass 5 to 40 yards from the hole.

3

Hit 36 flop shots total. Divide them into 3 groups of 12 shots.

4

Hit the first 12 shots at Target 1, using any piles.

5

Hit the next 12 shots at Target 2, choosing any piles.

6

Hit the last 12 shots at Target 3, using any piles.

7

After each shot, see if your ball stopped very close to the target. Count that shot as a success if it did.

8

When finished, add up successful shots and enter your score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302825211612963

Next Step

Ready to start this program?

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