Course Program

Stop Chips Near Hole

Check setup, for a 35-handicap player, ~30 minutes at Ponderosa Golf Course

Short GameAll teesProgram HCP 358 drills73% match to course practice profile

Program Snapshot

Handicap range

25 to 45

Average HCP

35

Duration (single session)

3 hr 28 min

or

1 drill/day: 8 days · 26 min/day

Ideal tee

All

Skill Distribution

Alignment32%
Distance Control24%
Aim18%
Scoring15%
Dispersion3%
Precision3%
Accuracy3%
Trajectory2%

Overview

Program Structure

Stop Chips Near Hole. Match clubface and get square. Focus on Alignment, Distance Control, Aim, Scoring, Dispersion, Precision, Accuracy, Trajectory. For a 35-handicap player, in ~30 minutes.

Shot

Chip

What you will improve

  • Alignment
  • Distance Control
  • Aim
  • Scoring

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

Chip | Perpendicular Piles | Quadrants

Short Game

Align a bucket of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 10 equal perpendicular piles of 4 balls and stop chip shots inside quadrants. Count the number of successes.

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

Set up 2 lines with 5 piles of 4 balls each. There are 10 piles in total.

2

Space the 2 lines 5 to 10 yards apart. Space each pile 2 yards apart along each line.

3

On the green, use string or markers to make a circle 6 feet wide around the hole. Divide the circle into 4 equal parts.

4

Hit 36 chip shots, split into 4 groups of

5

For each group, try to stop the balls in one part of the circle. Move to the next part after each group.

6

Alternate where you chip from to practice different spots, but aim for the chosen part of the circle.

7

Count how many balls land in the right part of the circle.

8

Add all your successful chips out of 36 and enter the score in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028262218141074
02

Chip | Perpendicular Piles | Multiple Targets

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop a chip shot closest to the multiple target(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 Chip | Perpendicular Piles | Multiple Targets
1

Arrange 10 piles of balls in two lines that cross each other. Each line has 5 piles. Each pile has the same number of balls.

2

Put the piles 5 to 30 yards from the hole. Leave 3 yards between piles in a line. Make lines 5 to 10 yards apart.

3

Set up 3 targets around the green. Each target is about 6 feet apart from the others.

4

There are 36 chip shots total, with 12 shots for each target.

5

Always use the same stance and ball position for every shot.

6

For each set of 12 shots, chip to the target from any pile. Try to get close to the target.

7

A shot is a success if the ball stops within 3 feet of the target.

8

After all 36 shots, add up how many balls stopped within 3 feet of the target and enter the score out of 36 attempts in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028252217141174
03

Chip | Perpendicular Piles | 3 Landing Zones

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop a chip 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 Chip | Perpendicular Piles | 3 Landing Zones
1

Put 10 piles of balls in two straight lines that cross. Each pile has 3 or 4 balls. Keep each pile between 5 and 30 yards from the hole.

2

Mark 3 landing zones on the green in a row. Make them 6 feet apart using sticks or string.

3

Hit 36 chip shots total. Aim for each landing zone 12 times.

4

Pick any pile to start. Hit 12 chips to the first zone, then 12 to the second zone, then 12 to the third zone.

5

Count how many balls land and stop inside the target zone for each shot.

6

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score312926221713963
04

Chip | Rough | Above/Below Feet

Short Game

Hit two buckets of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) from the sloped rough grass; one bucket with balls above feet level, one bucket with balls below feet level.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Chip | Rough | Above/Below Feet
1

Gather 36 balls and split into 2 groups of 18 balls.

2

Pick one target (pin) on the green.

3

For the first 18 shots, place the ball above your feet in the rough 5–20 yards from the hole.

4

Chip all 18 balls, trying to get close to the target.

5

Move to the other slope so the ball is below your feet, same distance.

6

Chip the last 18 balls at the target.

7

Count each shot that stops within 3 feet of the hole as a success.

8

Enter the number of successes out of 36 in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3129262218141063
05

Chip | Perpendicular Ball Lines | 3 Landing Zones

Short Game

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

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Chip | Perpendicular Ball Lines | 3 Landing Zones
1

Set up two lines of 18 balls each so they cross each other. Place balls 1 foot apart.

2

On the green, mark 3 landing zones spaced 6 feet apart in a row using sticks or string.

3

Hit 36 chip shots total: 18 from each ball line.

4

From the first line, hit 6 shots to each landing zone (18 shots).

5

From the second line, hit 6 shots to each landing zone (18 shots).

6

Count each ball that lands and stays inside the right landing zone.

7

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3129272318141174
06

Chip | Fairway | Above/Below Feet

Short Game

Hit two buckets of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) from the sloped fairway; one bucket with balls above feet level, one bucket with balls below feet level.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Chip | Fairway | Above/Below Feet
1

Place 3 target zones on the green, 6 feet apart, in a line from the hole.

2

Use 36 balls, split into two groups of

3

Chip 18 balls from above feet level, 6 balls to each zone.

4

Chip 18 balls from below feet level, 6 balls to each zone.

5

Count balls that stop inside the correct zone.

6

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3230282520161285
07

Chip | Deep Rough and Other | Uphill/Downhill

Short Game

Hit two buckets of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) from the sloped deep rough and other extreme grass types; one bucket from the uphill slope and one bucket from the downhill slope.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Chip | Deep Rough and Other | Uphill/Downhill
1

Find a spot in deep rough on an uphill slope 5 to 30 yards from the hole. Set up the ball the same way each time.

2

Place three targets around the green in a straight line, 4 feet apart.

3

Hit 18 chip shots from the uphill slope. Land 6 balls in each target zone.

4

Move to a deep rough spot on a downhill slope 5 to 30 yards from the hole. Keep the same setup.

5

Hit 18 chip shots from the downhill slope. Land 6 balls in each target zone.

6

Count each ball that ends inside the target as a success.

7

Add up all the successful shots out of 36 in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302824201612853
08

Chip | Perpendicular Piles | Bullseye 2x

Short Game

Align a bucket of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 10 equal perpendicular piles of 4 balls and stop chip shots inside the Bullseye. Count the number of balls in the inner and outer Bullseye.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Chip | Perpendicular Piles | Bullseye 2x
1

Make 10 piles with 4 balls in each pile, for a total of 40 balls. Put these piles in two lines that cross each other, with 5 piles in each line.

2

Place the piles on grass, 5-30 yards from the hole. The lines should be 5-10 yards apart, and each pile should be 2 yards apart.

3

Around the hole, make two circle target zones using string or tees: a small Bullseye (6 feet from hole) and a bigger Bullseye (15 feet from hole).

4

Hit 36 chip shots, in 3 sets of 12 shots.

5

For each set, chip towards the Bullseye zones, switching piles each time.

6

Balls stopping in the small Bullseye count as higher score. Balls in the big Bullseye also count, but less. Both are counted as a successful chip.

7

When finished, count all balls in the small or big Bullseye out of 36 tries, and enter the total in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028262218141074

Next Step

Ready to start this program?

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