Course Program

Thread Needle: Narrow Landing Zone

Pinpoint mixed shots, for a 23-handicap player, ~20 minutes at Rendezvous Meadows Golf Course

Short GameAll teesProgram HCP 239 drills78% match to course practice profile

Program Snapshot

Handicap range

8 to 45

Average HCP

23

Duration (single session)

3 hr 54 min

or

1 drill/day: 9 days · 26 min/day

Ideal tee

All

Skill Distribution

Precision27%
Distance Control22%
Aim15%
Scoring11%
Dispersion9%
Alignment9%
Trajectory8%

Overview

Program Structure

Thread Needle: Narrow Landing Zone. Thread the needle and precision from tough lie. Focus on Precision, Distance Control, Aim, Scoring, Dispersion, Alignment, Trajectory. For a 23-handicap player, in ~20 minutes.

Skill

Precision

Shot

Chip

What you will improve

  • Precision
  • Distance Control
  • Aim
  • Scoring

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

Chip | Parallel Ball Lines | 9 Stop Zones

Short Game

Align a bucket of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 2 parallel lines 20 balls per line and stop chip shots inside 9 Stop Zones. Count the number of successful stops.

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

Set up 36 balls in 2 lines of 18 balls each, 5 to 10 yards apart, on grass 5 to 20 yards from the hole.

2

Mark 9 stop zones in a 3 x 3 grid on the green, spaced apart so the zones are clear.

3

Chip 4 balls to each stop zone, alternating between the two lines. For each zone, hit 2 balls from one line, then 2 from the other.

4

Keep doing this until you have hit 4 balls for each zone, for a total of 36 shots.

5

Count a shot as a success only if the ball stops in the right zone.

6

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3129262318141074
02

Chip | Parallel Piles | Quadrants

Short Game

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

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

Put 40 balls into 10 piles with 4 balls in each pile. Arrange in two lines, 5 piles per line.

2

Space piles 2 yards or meters apart side to side. Space the two lines 5 to 10 yards or meters apart front to back.

3

Mark 4 sections (quadrants) in a circle of 6 feet or 2 meters radius around the hole on the green using string or tees.

4

Hit 36 chip shots total, 9 shots into each quadrant.

5

Start at any pile and chip balls to land in the first quadrant. After 9 shots, switch to the next quadrant.

6

Switch piles after each shot for variety, but always keep the same chipping setup and distance.

7

Count each ball that stops inside the correct quadrant as a success.

8

After all 36 shots, enter number of successful shots made out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score282623191512963
03

Chip | Scattered Piles | 3 Landing Zones

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to land a chip shot inside the landing zone(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 | Scattered Piles | 3 Landing Zones
1

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

2

Place 3 piles of balls around the chipping area, each pile randomly 5 to 30 yards from the hole. Keep this setup the same.

3

Divide 36 chip shots into 3 groups of

4

For the first 12 shots, aim for the first landing zone from any pile.

5

For the next 12 shots, aim for the second landing zone from any pile.

6

For the last 12 shots, aim for the third landing zone from any pile.

7

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

8

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3129272318141174
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 | 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
06

Chip | Parallel Ball Lines | 9 Stop Zones

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop a chip shot in the stop zone(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 Chip | Parallel Ball Lines | 9 Stop Zones
1

Make 9 stop zones on the green. Mark them with tees, string, or buckets. Line up or put them in a grid.

2

Put 36 balls in 4 rows. Each row has 9 balls, spaced 1 foot apart. Put the rows about 5 yards apart on the grass, between 5 and 20 yards from the green.

3

Plan to hit 4 balls at each of the 9 stop zones. That is 36 shots.

4

Start at any row of balls. Hit balls, trying to stop each one in the first stop zone.

5

After 4 tries at the first zone, go to the next zone and do the same. Keep going until you try all 9 zones.

6

Count a shot as a success if the ball stops completely inside the target zone.

7

When all shots are done, count the number of successful shots and enter the score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3129272318141074
07

Chip | Parallel 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 | Parallel Piles | 3 Landing Zones
1

Set up three landing zones on the green in a line, 6 feet apart.

2

Make three piles of 12 balls each at the edge of the green.

3

Use the first pile to chip balls into the first landing zone, 12 shots.

4

Use the second pile to chip balls into the second landing zone, 12 shots.

5

Use the third pile to chip balls into the third landing zone, 12 shots. Count how many balls land and stay in each zone.

6

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028252218141074
08

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
09

Chip | Scattered Piles | 9 Stop Zones

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop a chip 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 Chip | Scattered Piles | 9 Stop Zones
1

Put 36 balls into 9 piles. Each pile has 4 balls. Put piles 5 to 30 yards from the hole.

2

Mark 9 target zones on the green.

3

Try to hit 4 balls into each zone. Do this for all 9 zones.

4

Always use the same ball setup. Only change which zone is the target.

5

Count each ball that stops inside the correct zone.

6

Add up all the successful shots out of

6

Enter score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3129272318141074

Next Step

Ready to start this program?

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

Thread Needle: Narrow Landing Zone | Rendezvous Meadows Golf Course