Course Program

Save par with a clutch bunker shot—pressure drill

Save par clutch, for a 23-handicap player, ~20 minutes at Richings Park

Short GameAll teesProgram HCP 23.15 drills68% match to course practice profile

Program Snapshot

Handicap range

6 to 45

Average HCP

23.1

Duration (single session)

2 hr 10 min

or

1 drill/day: 5 days · 26 min/day

Ideal tee

All

Skill Distribution

Scoring38%
Distance Control22%
Aim11%
Accuracy10%
Dispersion9%
Trajectory5%
Visualization4%

Overview

Program Structure

Save par with a clutch bunker shot—pressure drill. Save par clutch and up-and-down contest. Focus on Scoring, Distance Control, Aim. For a 23-handicap player, in ~20 minutes.

Skill

Scoring

Shot

Sand

What you will improve

  • Scoring
  • Distance Control
  • Aim
  • Accuracy

Program details

Sessions
5 focused drills
Recommended
2–3 sessions / week
Total duration
2 hr 10 min
or
1 drill per day
5 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

Sand | Parallel Ball Lines | Quadrants

Short Game

Align a bucket of balls in the sand (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 2 parallel lines 20 balls per line and stop sand shots inside quadrants. Count the number of successes.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Sand | Parallel Ball Lines | Quadrants
1

Make two straight lines of 18 balls each in the sand, about 1 foot apart in each line, and place the lines 5 to 10 yards apart.

2

On the green, mark a 10-foot circle around the hole and divide it into 4 equal parts.

3

Hit 36 sand shots, split into 4 groups of

9

For each group, aim all 9 shots at one of the 4 parts.

4

Switch to the other line of balls every 9 shots.

5

Try to make each ball stop in the right part on the green; count only balls that do.

6

After all 36 shots, count how many made it and enter your score in the app out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302825221713963
02

Sand | Scattered Piles | Quadrants

Short Game

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

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Sand | Scattered Piles | Quadrants
1

Make 8 piles of 5 balls each (total 40 balls) in sand bunkers 20–40 yards from the hole.

2

On the green, make a 10-foot circle around the hole. Divide the circle into 4 quadrants.

3

Hit 36 shots from the sand. Aim for 9 shots in each quadrant.

4

Hit from different piles to change distance and angle.

5

Try to stop each ball in the right quadrant. Count only the shots that stop in the correct quadrant.

6

Count successful shots in the correct quadrants. Enter score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302825211612963
03

Sand Long

Short Game

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

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Sand  Long
1

Set up two sand piles 5 yards apart, 40 to 60 yards from the hole.

2

Hit 18 shots from the first pile, then 18 shots from the second pile.

3

Mark three landing zones around the hole, each 3 to 5 feet wide.

4

Try to land 12 shots in each different zone.

5

Hit 12 shots at the first zone.

6

Hit 12 shots at the second zone.

7

Hit 12 shots at the third zone. After all 36 shots, count how many landed and stopped in the right zone for each stage. Enter your total successful shots out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302824201612853
04

Sand | Parallel Ball Lines | Bullseye 2x

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop a sand shot in the bullseye. The best final score relative to PAR wins the challenge. Up to 80 balls are needed.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Sand | Parallel Ball Lines | Bullseye 2x
1

Make 4 straight lines of 9 balls each in the sand bunker, with 1 foot between each ball.

2

Place the lines 3 yards apart from each other, and make sure all balls are between 20 and 40 yards from the hole.

3

On the green, make two circles: a small circle around the hole (6-foot radius) and a bigger circle (15-foot radius).

4

Hit 36 balls in total: 12 try for the small circle, 12 try for the big circle but outside the small, 12 can land anywhere on the green.

5

Hit the first 12 balls aiming for the small circle.

6

Hit the next 12 balls aiming for the big circle but outside the small one.

7

Hit the last 12 balls onto the green without worrying where they end up.

8

Count each ball that stops where it is supposed to for that round.

9

Add up how many balls landed in the right spots out of 36 tries and enter your score in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3331282419151174
05

Sand | Scattered Piles | Multiple Targets

Short Game

Scatter a bucket of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) in the sand. Scatter into 8 equal piles of 5 balls and stop sand shots close to multiple targets. Count the number of successes.

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

Divide 40 golf balls into 8 piles of 5 balls each in the sand between 5 and 60 yards/meters from the hole.

2

On the green, set up 3 flag targets in a straight line, each 6 feet (2 meters) apart. Label them Target A, Target B, and Target C.

3

Hit 36 sand shots in total, with 12 shots aimed at each target.

4

Start from any pile. Hit 12 shots at Target A.

5

Move to Target B, hit 12 shots, then hit the last 12 shots at Target C.

6

Switch between piles after every 2 to 5 shots.

7

Count a shot as a success if it stops within 10 feet (3 meters) of the target.

8

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3129272318131074

Next Step

Ready to start this program?

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