Course Program

Up-and-down contest: how many can you save in a row?

Up-and-down contest, for a 22-handicap player, ~20 minutes at Rio Hondo Golf Club

Short GameAll teesProgram HCP 229 drills56% match to course practice profile

Program Snapshot

Handicap range

6 to 45

Average HCP

22

Duration (single session)

3 hr 54 min

or

1 drill/day: 9 days · 26 min/day

Ideal tee

All

Skill Distribution

Scoring36%
Accuracy17%
Distance Control15%
Aim10%
Visualization8%
Alignment7%
Precision3%
Dispersion3%

Overview

Program Structure

Up-and-down contest: how many can you save in a row?. Up-and-down contest and save par clutch. Focus on Scoring, Accuracy, Distance Control. For a 22-handicap player, in ~20 minutes.

Skill

Scoring

Shot

Flop

What you will improve

  • Scoring
  • Accuracy
  • Distance Control
  • 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 | Perpendicular 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 | Perpendicular Piles | Bullseye 2x
1

Set up 10 piles of balls in two lines that cross at a right angle. Each pile has enough balls for 3 shots. Place piles 5-40 yards from the hole on grass.

2

On the green, mark two circles around the hole: a 6-foot circle (bullseye) and a 15-foot circle.

3

Hit 36 flop shots total. From each pile, hit 3 shots trying to land near the hole.

4

Split the 36 shots into 2 rounds of

8

In each round, hit 1 shot from each of the 10 piles, then hit 1 more shot from the first 8 piles.

5

Score: inside 6 feet = birdie, inside 15 feet = par, outside 15 feet = bogey.

6

Count how many shots land inside each circle.

7

Add up your total birdies and pars after 36 shots. Enter your score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028262218141074
02

Flop | 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 flop shots close to multiple targets. Count the number of successes.

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

Put 40 balls into 8 piles of 5 balls, spaced between 5 and 40 yards from the hole on the grass or slope.

2

Place 3 flags as targets around the green at different distances, each with a 10-foot circle marked.

3

Hit 36 flop shots; make 3 groups of 12 shots for the 3 target zones.

4

First 12 shots go at the first target, next 12 at the second, last 12 at the third.

5

Hit 2-5 shots from each pile, switching piles each time, keep ball setup the same.

6

Count any shot that stops inside the 10-foot circle as a success.

7

After 36 shots, add up how many stopped in the circle and enter score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score282622181410742
03

Flop | Scattered Piles | 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 wins the challenge. One bucket of balls per player is needed.

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

Set up 3 target areas on the green, about 6 feet apart.

2

Make 6 piles of 6 balls each, on the grass 5 to 40 yards from the hole.

3

Hit 36 flop shots total. Divide them into 3 groups of 12 shots.

4

Hit the first 12 shots at Target 1, using any piles.

5

Hit the next 12 shots at Target 2, choosing any piles.

6

Hit the last 12 shots at Target 3, using any piles.

7

After each shot, see if your ball stopped very close to the target. Count that shot as a success if it did.

8

When finished, add up successful shots and enter your score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302825211612963
04

Flop | Deep Rough and Other | Above/Below Feet

Short Game

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

Make two target zones on the green, Zone A (front) and Zone B (back), both about the same size, using cones or markers.

2

Place 18 balls in 3 piles of 6 balls each in deep rough above your feet, at different distances between 5 and 20 yards from the hole.

3

Place another 18 balls the same way in deep rough below your feet.

4

Hit 18 flop shots from above feet towards Zone A, in any order, until finished.

5

Hit 18 flop shots from below feet towards Zone B, in any order, until finished.

6

Count each ball that lands and stops in the target zone as a success.

7

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score292725211612853
05

Flop | Rough | Above/Below Feet

Short Game

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

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

Make two piles of 18 balls each: one pile with the ball above your feet on a slope, and another pile with the ball below your feet on a slope. Place both piles 5–40 yards/meters from the hole.

2

Set up three target zones on the green at different distances. Make sure each zone is marked and separated by about 5 feet (1.5 meters).

3

Hit 18 shots from the above-feet pile and 18 shots from the below-feet pile, for a total of 36 shots.

4

From the above-feet pile, hit 6 shots to each of the three zones.

5

From the below-feet pile, hit 6 shots to each of the three zones.

6

Count each shot that stops in the correct zone.

7

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302824201612963
06

Flop | Parallel Ball Lines | Bullseye 2x

Short Game

Align a bucket of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 2 parallel lines 20 balls per line and stop flop shots inside Bullseye. Count the number of balls in the inner and outer Bullseye.

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

Set up two lines of 18 balls each, 1 foot apart. The lines are 6 feet apart.

2

On the green, mark two circles around the hole. The inner circle is 6 feet from the hole. The outer circle is 15 feet from the hole.

3

From 5 to 20 yards away, hit flop shots. Hit 3 balls from the first line, then 3 from the second. Keep switching until all 36 balls are hit.

4

The goal is to make balls stop inside the circles. Balls in the inner circle are birdie-level. Balls in the outer circle but outside the inner are par-level.

5

At the end, count how many balls stopped in the circles and enter the total out of 36 attempts in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score312926221713963
07

Flop | Deep Rough and Other | Above/Below Feet

Short Game

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, one bucket with balls below feet level.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Flop | Deep Rough and Other | Above/Below Feet
1

Put 18 balls in one bucket for shots above your feet, and 18 balls in another bucket for shots below your feet.

2

On the practice green, set up 3 target zones in a row, about 10 to 15 feet from the hole.

3

Split the 36 balls into 3 groups of 12 balls.

4

For the first 12 balls, hit from above feet and aim for Target Zone

5

For the next 12 balls, hit from below feet and aim for Target Zone

6

For the last 12 balls, switch between above and below feet every 2 balls and aim for Target Zone

7

Always keep the ball on the correct slope as needed, only change which target zone you aim at as above.

8

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

9

When done, count how many successes out of 36 and enter the score in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score282624201612853
08

Flop | Fairway | Above/Below Feet

Short Game

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

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

Place two piles of 18 balls on a sloped fairway: one pile above feet level, one pile below. Each pile should be 5-20 yards from the hole.

2

Mark three target zones on the green at different distances (Zone 1 at 5 feet, Zone 2 at 10 feet, Zone 3 at 15 feet).

3

Hit 18 shots from above and 18 shots from below feet, making 36 flop shots in total.

4

Split each 18-shot pile into 3 groups of 6 shots.

5

Aim each group of 6 shots at one zone. First 6 shots at Zone 1, next 6 at Zone 2, last 6 at Zone

6

Alternate shots between above feet and below feet piles as you go through zones.

7

Count each shot that stops in the correct zone as a success.

8

When done, add up successes. Enter score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028262218141074
09

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

Next Step

Ready to start this program?

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