Course Program

Land 3–4 Feet From Pin

Flop over hazards, for a 17-handicap player, ~15 minutes at Pocahontas County Cc

Short GameAll teesProgram HCP 17.29 drills67% match to course practice profile

Program Snapshot

Handicap range

8 to 25

Average HCP

17.2

Duration (single session)

3 hr 54 min

or

1 drill/day: 9 days · 26 min/day

Ideal tee

All

Skill Distribution

Distance Control29%
Alignment17%
Accuracy17%
Aim11%
Scoring9%
Trajectory7%
Precision4%
Dispersion4%

Overview

Program Structure

Land 3–4 Feet From Pin. Stick flops to green and land 3-4 feet away. Focus on Distance Control, Alignment, Accuracy. For a 17-handicap player, in ~15 minutes.

Shot

Flop

What you will improve

  • Distance Control
  • Alignment
  • Accuracy
  • Aim

Program details

Sessions
9 focused drills
Recommended
2–3 sessions / week
Total duration
3 hr 54 min
or
1 drill per day
9 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 | Parallel Ball Lines | 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 at the end wins the challenge. Up to 80 balls are needed.

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

Make 4 straight lines of 9 balls each on the grass. Keep each line 5 yards or meters apart.

2

Put the balls in each line about 1 foot apart.

3

Pick 3 targets (like flags or markers) in different spots around the green.

4

Hit 36 shots, in 3 groups of 12 shots.

5

Hit all balls in the first group to Target 1, then switch to Target 2 for the next group, and Target 3 for the last group.

6

Hit each ball trying to stop it close to the target for that group.

7

Count every ball that stops within 3 feet of the target as a success.

8

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3230282520161285
03

Flop | Perpendicular 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 | Perpendicular Piles | 9 Stop Zones
1

Set up 10 piles of balls in two lines that cross each other, 5 piles in each line. The piles are 3 yards/meters apart. The two lines are 5 to 10 yards/meters apart.

2

Put the piles 5 to 40 yards/meters away from the hole, not on the green.

3

Mark 9 target zones on the green using tees, string, or small buckets. Make them easy to see.

4

Hit 36 flop shots total, 9 to each target zone.

5

Pick a pile and hit 9 flop shots to target zone

6

Then hit 9 shots to target zone 2, using any pile.

7

Do the same for zones 3 through 9, hitting 9 shots at each for 36 total tries. Enter score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302825211612853
04

Flop | Deep Rough and Other | Flat

Short Game

Up to 5 players hit flop shot two buckets of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) from the flat deep rough and other extreme grass types.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Flop | Deep Rough and Other | Flat
1

Set up 3 target zones on the green, spaced about 4 feet apart in a row.

2

Place all golf balls together in a pile 10 yards from the green, outside the deep rough.

3

Hit 36 flop shots from the rough, aiming 12 shots at each zone.

4

Hit 12 shots to Zone

5

Hit 12 shots to Zone

6

Hit 12 shots to Zone

7

Count each shot that lands and stays in the correct zone as a success.

8

Add how many successes out of 36, and enter the score in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score312926221713963
05

Flop | Parallel 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 | Parallel Piles | Bullseye 2x
1

Arrange 10 piles of balls in two lines, with 5 piles in each line. Each pile is 4 yards or meters apart. The two lines are 5 to 10 yards or meters apart.

2

Put the piles between 5 and 40 yards or meters from the hole. Do not put them on the green.

3

On the green, use string or tees to make two circles around the hole: one small circle with a 6-foot (2-meter) radius and one big circle with a 15-foot (5-meter) radius.

4

Hit flop shots from each pile. Try to land the ball in the circles. Balls in the small circle are best, in the big circle are medium, and outside both circles are misses.

5

Hit 36 total flop shots. This means 3 sets of 12 shots.

6

For the first 12 shots, aim for the small circle. For the next 12, aim for the area between the two circles. For the last 12, aim anywhere inside the big circle.

7

Pick any pile to start. Hit one flop shot from each pile. Cover all piles evenly.

8

Count each ball that lands where you aimed.

9

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302825201612853
06

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
07

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
08

Flop | Scattered Ball Lines | Quadrants

Short Game

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

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Flop | Scattered Ball Lines | Quadrants
1

Scatter 40 balls in 8 lines, with 5 balls in each line, spaced about 1 yard or meter apart between 5 and 40 yards or meters from the hole.

2

Divide a 10-foot or 3-meter circle around the hole into 4 equal parts using string or tees.

3

Hit a total of 36 flop shots.

4

Assign 9 shots to each of the 4 parts.

5

Pick 5 balls from the scattered lines and try to land and stop the ball in the assigned part, then move to a different line and part.

6

Always hit each shot from where the ball was placed, aiming at the assigned part.

7

Count a shot as successful if the ball stops inside the intended part.

8

Do all 36 shots (9 in each part) and then count all successful shots and enter score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302825211612853
09

Flop | Deep Rough and Other | Above/Below Feet

Short Game

Up to 5 players 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

Prepare two sets of 18 balls: one set for above-feet shots, one set for below-feet shots.

2

Mark three target zones on the green: left, center, and right.

3

Divide 36 shots into three groups of 12: each group has 6 above-feet and 6 below-feet shots. Each group aims 2 shots at each zone.

4

From deep rough and sloped lies, hit two flop shots at each target zone: first above-feet, then below-feet, for all zones.

5

Keep the ball setup the same for all shots. Only change the target zone.

6

Count a ball as a success if it lands and stops in the intended zone.

7

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028252218141074

Next Step

Ready to start this program?

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