Course Program

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

Set up par or better, for a 9-handicap player, ~10 minutes at Riverside Golf Club

Driving RangeAll teesProgram HCP 99 drills79% match to course practice profile

Program Snapshot

Handicap range

10 to 25

Average HCP

9

Duration (single session)

4 hr 38 min

or

1 drill/day: 9 days · 31 min/day

Ideal tee

All

Skill Distribution

Scoring24%
Distance Control23%
Dispersion21%
Precision15%
Trajectory6%
Accuracy5%
Aim4%

Overview

Program Structure

Up-and-down contest: how many can you save?. Turn into birdies and set up par or better. Focus on Scoring, Distance Control, Dispersion. For a 9-handicap player, in ~10 minutes.

Skill

Scoring

Club

Mid irons (7,6,5)

What you will improve

  • Scoring
  • Distance Control
  • Dispersion
  • Precision

Program details

Sessions
9 focused drills
Recommended
2–3 sessions / week
Total duration
4 hr 38 min
or
1 drill per day
9 days · 31 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

Mid irons (7,6,5) | PAR 3 Challenge

Driving Range

Complete the PAR 3 Challenge using mid irons only. Hit one bucket of ~50 balls.

31 minFocus: Driving Range
Diagram for Mid irons (7,6,5) | PAR 3 Challenge
1

Pick 3 different flags or markers at different distances on the range, each as a PAR 3 hole.

2

Draw two circles around each flag: one 5 yards from the flag (birdie zone), another up to 9 yards (par zone).

3

Hit 36 shots total with mid irons (7, 6, or 5 iron): 12 shots to each flag.

4

Switch clubs (7, 6, 5 iron) randomly within each set of 12 shots.

5

Score each shot: inside 5 yards is birdie, 5–9 yards is par, outside 9 yards is bogey.

6

Add up total score against par (aim for 36 or better).

7

Count how many shots landed inside 9 yards. Enter your total successful shots out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3029272420161285
02

Mid irons (7,6,5) | Quadrants

Driving Range

Hit 12 balls to each quadrant using mid irons only. Hit one bucket of ~50 balls. Count total number of successful shots.

31 minFocus: Driving Range
Diagram for Mid irons (7,6,5) | Quadrants
1

Pick a 5, 6, or 7 iron for the drill.

2

Choose a flag or mark at a medium distance.

3

Make a square around the target using four markers, each marker about 5% of the distance to the flag away from it.

4

Hit 36 shots, divided into 4 groups of 9 shots each.

5

For each group, aim to land the ball in one specific quadrant.

6

Start with one quadrant and hit 9 shots, then do the same for each of the other 3 quadrants.

7

Switch between the 5, 6, or 7 iron any time.

8

Count each ball that lands and stops in the target quadrant as successful.

9

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028262218141074
03

All irons (9 to 2) | Opportunities Discovery

Driving Range

Discover opportunities amongst irons undiscovered shots and clubs worth putting to action more often. Hit one bucket of ~50 balls.

31 minFocus: Driving Range
Diagram for All irons (9 to 2) | Opportunities Discovery
1

Select 6 irons: 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, and

2

Place two markers for each iron: one cone and one flag in a line.

3

Hit 6 shots with each iron, aiming to land the ball between the cone and the flag.

4

Hit 36 shots in total.

5

Only count balls that land between the markers.

6

Count how many balls landed between the markers and enter the score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score282623191512963
04

All irons (9 to 2) | Tendencies Discovery

Driving Range

Discover tendencies amongst irons raise awareness, what is likely to happen in a given situation. Hit one bucket of ~50 balls.

30 minFocus: Driving Range
Diagram for All irons (9 to 2) | Tendencies Discovery
1

Pick one flag or target on the range for iron shots.

2

Make five target zones around the flag: center (the flag), short, long, left, right. Use cones, buckets, or imagination.

3

Hit 35 shots in total.

4

Hit 7 shots to each target zone: short, long, left, right, center.

5

Use any iron from 9 to 2, switch clubs each shot if wanted. Ball setup stays the same.

6

Try to land and stop each ball in the chosen target zone.

7

Count how many shots stop in the correct zone for each group.

8

Add up total successful shots out of 35 and enter score in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions35
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028252218141174
05

Mid irons (7,6,5) | 3 Landing Zones

Driving Range

Hit 15 balls to each landing zone using mid irons only. Hit one bucket of ~50 balls. Count total number of successful shots.

31 minFocus: Driving Range
Diagram for Mid irons (7,6,5) | 3 Landing Zones
1

Place a flag or target for your mid irons (7, 6, or 5 irons).

2

Make 3 landing zones around the flag. Space the zones 8 yards/meters apart with cones, buckets, or markers.

3

Hit 36 shots in total. Do 12 shots for each landing zone.

4

Only use 7, 6, or 5 irons for all shots. Switch clubs if you want, but keep ball setup the same.

5

Hit 12 shots to one zone, then 12 to another, then 12 to the last zone. You can go in any order.

6

A shot counts as successful if it lands and stops in the right zone.

7

Add up how many shots landed in the right zone, out of 36 attempts, and enter the score in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score292724201612963
06

Mid irons (7,6,5) | L-R and R-L 9 Targets

Driving Range

Hit 5 balls to each randomly selected target while producing left-to-right and right-to-left shots, using mid irons only. Hit one bucket of ~50 balls.

31 minFocus: Driving Range
Diagram for Mid irons (7,6,5) | L-R and R-L  9 Targets
1

Set up 9 targets around the flag, spaced evenly about 5% of the distance to the flag.

2

Use cones or buckets to mark the edges so each target has a small gate to aim through.

3

Hit 4 shots at each target, for a total of 36 shots.

4

For each target, hit 2 shots left-to-right and 2 shots right-to-left using a 5, 6, or 7 iron.

5

A shot is successful if the ball goes between the cones.

6

Switch clubs if desired, but hit all 4 shots at each target before moving on.

7

When finished, count how many shots went between the cones.

8

Enter your score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score312925211612853
07

All irons (9 to 2) | Weaknesses Discovery

Driving Range

Discover weaknesses amongst irons shots and clubs to avoid in critical situations. Hit one bucket of ~50 balls.

31 minFocus: Driving Range
Diagram for All irons (9 to 2) | Weaknesses Discovery
1

Choose 3 flags at medium distances for your irons (9 to 2).

2

Put 4 cones around each flag to make a small square or circle, with about 5% of the distance to the flag as the circle's radius.

3

Pick one cone at each flag as the "danger side" to avoid.

4

Hit 36 balls total, 12 at each flag, and use different irons if you want.

5

Try to land each ball inside the cone circle and not on the danger side.

6

Mark a shot as successful if it stays in the circle and not on or past the danger side.

7

Count how many good shots you got out of 36 and enter the score in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028262218141074
08

Mid irons (7,6,5) | 9 Targets

Driving Range

Hit 5 balls to each target using mid irons only. Hit one bucket of ~50 balls. Count total number of successful shots.

31 minFocus: Driving Range
Diagram for Mid irons (7,6,5) | 9 Targets
1

Set up 9 targets around the flag using cones or buckets, each target is spaced evenly apart by 5% of the flag distance.

2

Use only a 7, 6, or 5 iron for all shots.

3

Hit 4 shots at each target for a total of 36 shots.

4

Pick a target at random and aim to land the ball between the cones at that target.

5

You can change clubs anytime, but always set up the ball the same way.

6

A shot is successful if it lands between the cones at the chosen target.

7

Do 4 shots at each of the 9 targets for a total of 36 shots, then count the successful ones and enter the score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3230272318141074
09

All irons (9 to 2) | Club Swapping Challenge

Driving Range

Complete the Club Swapping Challenge using irons only. Hit one bucket of ~50 balls.

31 minFocus: Driving Range
Diagram for All irons (9 to 2) | Club Swapping Challenge
1

Choose 6 targets at different distances for irons 9 through

2

Assign each iron (9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2) to hit 4 shots each, for 32 shots total.

3

Add 4 extra shots using any club and target, for a total of 36 shots.

4

Try to land each shot within 5% of the distance to the target.

5

Keep the setup the same for every shot, only aim at different targets.

6

Count each shot that lands within 5% of the target distance as a success.

7

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028262218141064

Next Step

Ready to start this program?

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

Up-and-down contest: how many can you save? | Riverside Golf Club