Course Program

Stop Ball on Dime

Stop on a dime, for a 26-handicap player, ~20 minutes at Potowomut Gc

Short GameAll teesProgram HCP 268 drills66% match to course practice profile

Program Snapshot

Handicap range

8 to 45

Average HCP

26

Duration (single session)

3 hr 25 min

or

1 drill/day: 8 days · 26 min/day

Ideal tee

All

Skill Distribution

Distance Control36%
Alignment14%
Aim11%
Scoring11%
Precision9%
Accuracy8%
Dispersion7%
Trajectory4%

Overview

Program Structure

Stop Ball on Dime. Stop on a dime and feel the green. Focus on Distance Control, Alignment, Aim, Scoring, Precision, Accuracy, Dispersion, Trajectory. For a 26-handicap player, in ~20 minutes.

Skill

Distance Control

Shot

Chip

What you will improve

  • Distance Control
  • Alignment
  • Aim
  • Scoring

Program details

Sessions
8 focused drills
Recommended
2–3 sessions / week
Total duration
3 hr 25 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 | Scattered Ball Lines | 9 Stop Zones

Short Game

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

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Chip | Scattered Ball Lines | 9 Stop Zones
1

Place 40 balls in 8 lines of 5 balls each on grass or slope between 5 and 30 yards from the hole.

2

On the green, make 9 stop zones using buckets, string, or tees. Spread them out where chip shots can stop.

3

Set up 36 chip shots in 9 groups of 4 shots.

4

For each group, aim to stop balls in one of the 9 stop zones.

5

Hit 4 balls from one line toward the first zone.

6

Move to another line and aim for the next zone. Keep going until all 9 zones have 4 shots each.

7

Count each shot stopping inside the target zone as a success.

8

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score312926221813964
02

Chip | Deep Rough and Other | Uphill/Downhill

Short Game

Up to 5 players 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

Put 3 equal target zones on the green in a line, 3 to 5 feet apart.

2

From deep rough on the uphill slope, hit 18 chip shots, 6 to each zone.

3

Move to deep rough on the downhill slope and repeat: hit 18 chip shots, 6 to each zone.

4

Always chip from deep rough within 20 yards/meters of the hole. Don’t change setup.

5

Count shots that land and stop in the target zone as successes.

6

When you’re done with all 36 shots, count how many landed in a target zone and enter your score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3230282520161285
03

Chip | 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 chip shots close to multiple targets. Count the number of successes.

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

Put 36 balls into 6 piles of 6 balls on the grass, between 5 and 30 yards from the hole.

2

Place 3 flags or targets on the green, 6 feet apart in a line.

3

Split the 36 balls into 3 groups of 12 shots.

4

Hit the first 12 balls to the first flag and try to stop each ball within 10 feet of it.

5

Hit the next 12 balls to the second flag, trying to stop them within 10 feet.

6

Hit the last 12 balls to the third flag, again aiming to stop within 10 feet.

7

Switch which pile you use each time to practice different distances and grass.

8

Count every ball that stops within 10 feet of its flag as a successful shot.

9

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302824201612964
04

Chip | Parallel Piles | 3 Landing Zones

Short Game

Align a bucket of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 10 equal parallel piles of 4 balls and hit-and-land chip shots inside landing zones. Count the number of successes.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Chip | Parallel Piles | 3 Landing Zones
1

Place 36 balls into 9 piles of 4 balls each. Arrange piles in two lines, with 4 in one line and 5 in the other, 5-10 yards apart and 2 yards between piles.

2

On the green, set up 3 landing zones side by side, 6 feet apart, using sticks, clubs, or string.

3

Hit 36 chip shots, 12 shots at each landing zone.

4

Hit 12 chip shots at the first landing zone from any piles.

5

Hit 12 chip shots at the second landing zone. Change piles if wanted.

6

Hit 12 chip shots at the third landing zone. Change piles if wanted.

7

Count a success each time the ball stays in the correct landing zone.

8

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028262218141074
05

Chip | Rough | Flat

Short Game

Up to 5 players hit two buckets of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) from the flat rough grass.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Chip | Rough | Flat
1

Set up 3 landing zones on the green, each about 6 feet apart in a straight line toward the hole.

2

Choose one spot in the rough grass, 5 to 20 yards from the hole, to hit from. Do not move this spot.

3

Hit 36 chip shots—12 to each zone in order.

4

Hit 12 shots trying to land and stop in the first zone.

5

Next, hit 12 shots to the second zone.

6

Then, hit 12 shots to the third zone.

7

Count every shot that lands and stops in the right zone as a success.

8

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score292724201612963
06

Chip | 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 chip shots inside quadrants. Count the number of successes.

23 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Chip | Scattered Ball Lines | Quadrants
1

Scatter 40 balls into 8 lines of 5 balls. Each ball should be 1 yard apart. Place lines 5–30 yards from the hole. Keep setup the same for all shots.

2

On the green, use markers to make 4 equal pieces inside a 6-foot circle around the hole.

3

Take 32 chip shots total. Aim 8 shots at each quadrant.

4

For each of the 8 lines, choose a quadrant to aim for. Hit all 5 balls in that line to that quadrant. Move to a new line for a new quadrant. Keep going until all 32 shots are done.

5

Count each shot that stops inside the target quadrant as a success.

6

Add up successful shots. Enter score in the app, out of 32 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions32
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score282624201612964
07

Chip | Perpendicular Piles | Quadrants

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop a chip 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 Chip | Perpendicular Piles | Quadrants
1

Set up 10 piles of balls in two lines: 5 piles in each line, 3 yards apart, and the lines 5 to 10 yards away from each other. Piles are 5 to 30 yards from the hole.

2

Use string or tees to mark 4 equal areas around the hole, each 6 feet from the hole.

3

Hit 36 chip shots, split into 4 groups of

9

Aim each group at a different area.

4

Start from a pile, chip 9 balls at the first area, then move to another pile for the next area. Do this until all 4 areas have 9 shots each.

5

Each shot that stops in the right area is a success.

6

Count the number of successful shots out of 36 and enter your score in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3230282520161285
08

Chip | Perpendicular Piles | 3 Landing Zones

Short Game

Align a bucket of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 10 equal perpendicular piles of 4 balls and hit-and-land chip shots inside landing zones. Count the number of successes.

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

Make 10 piles of 4 balls each, in two lines of 5 piles.

2

Put piles on grass, 5–30 yards from the hole, lines 5–10 yards apart, piles in each line 2 yards apart.

3

On the green, mark three landing zones in a straight line, 6 feet apart.

4

Hit 36 chip shots, 12 at each landing zone.

5

Hit from different piles for each shot. Do 12 shots into the first zone, then 12 into the second, then 12 into the third.

6

Count shots that land fully in the target zone.

7

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score312926221713963

Next Step

Ready to start this program?

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