Course Program

Save par with a clutch bunker shot—pressure drill

Save par clutch, for a 23-handicap player, ~20 minutes at Riverview Country Club

Short GameAll teesProgram HCP 23.47 drills65% match to course practice profile

Program Snapshot

Handicap range

1 to 45

Average HCP

23.4

Duration (single session)

3 hr 2 min

or

1 drill/day: 7 days · 26 min/day

Ideal tee

All

Skill Distribution

Scoring31%
Accuracy18%
Distance Control18%
Aim12%
Precision11%
Alignment6%
Visualization3%
Trajectory1%

Overview

Program Structure

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

Skill

Scoring

Shot

Sand

What you will improve

  • Scoring
  • Accuracy
  • Distance Control
  • Aim

Program details

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

Short Game

Hit two buckets of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) from the sand.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Sand  Long
1

Make 4 piles of 9 balls each in the bunker, spaced 40–60 yards from the hole.

2

Place 3 target circles on the green, about 6 feet apart in a line from the hole. Label them Target 1 (closest), Target 2 (middle), and Target 3 (farthest).

3

There are 36 shots. Do 12 shots at each target.

4

For 12 shots, aim for Target

1

Next 12 shots, aim for Target

2

Last 12 shots, aim for Target

5

Change piles for each shot to get different lies and angles.

6

The shot counts as a success if it lands and stays inside the right circle.

7

Enter how many successful shots out of 36 in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score282623191511853
02

Sand | Scattered Piles | 3 Landing Zones

Short Game

Scatter a bucket of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) in the sand. Scatter into 8 equal piles of 5 balls and hit-and-land sand shots inside landing zones. Count the number of successes.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Sand | Scattered Piles | 3 Landing Zones
1

Make 9 piles of 4 golf balls each in the bunker, placing them randomly 20 to 40 yards from the hole.

2

Put 3 markers on the green in a straight line, each 6 feet apart to make 3 landing zones.

3

Hit 12 balls to each zone (36 shots total).

4

Hit from any pile to the first zone 12 times, then 12 to the second, then 12 to the third.

5

Count how many balls stop in the correct zone.

6

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3129262218141074
03

Sand - Long

Short Game

Hit two buckets of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) from the sand.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Sand - Long
1

Pick two different spots in the bunker, 40 to 60 yards from the hole.

2

Put 3 markers in a straight line on the green, about 6 feet apart near the hole.

3

Hit 36 shots in total: 18 from the first spot and 18 from the second spot.

4

From the first spot, hit 6 balls at each target, any order.

5

Do the same from the second spot: 6 balls at each target.

6

A shot is good if the ball stops near the target.

7

Count how many balls land close to the targets.

8

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028252218141074
04

Sand | Scattered Piles | 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. One bucket of balls per player is needed.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Sand | Scattered Piles | Bullseye 2x
1

Place two piles of balls in the sand 20-40 yards from the hole.

2

Make two circles around the hole on the green: one with a 6-foot radius and another with a 15-foot radius.

3

Hit 36 shots: 18 aimed for the small circle, 18 aimed for the area between the small and big circles.

4

Hit 18 balls, trying to land them in the small circle.

5

Hit 18 balls, trying to land them in the area between the two circles.

6

A ball in the right area counts as a success.

7

Count the number of balls in the right spots as you go.

8

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302825201612853
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
06

Sand | Perpendicular Ball Lines | Bullseye 2x

Short Game

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

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

Arrange 36 balls in 2 straight lines in the sand, 18 balls in each line, balls 1 foot apart, lines 5 to 10 yards apart.

2

Mark two circle targets on the green: inner Bullseye 6-foot radius, outer Bullseye 15-foot radius around the hole.

3

Hit all 36 balls from the sand aiming for the target circles on the green.

4

Hit 3 balls from one line, then 3 from the other line, repeat until all 36 are hit.

5

Balls inside the inner Bullseye count as 'birdie', balls inside the outer (but outside inner) count as 'par'.

6

Count total balls in the Bullseye circles as your score, enter the number out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3230282520161285
07

Sand | Parallel Ball Lines | Bullseye 2x

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 Bullseye. Count the number of balls in the inner and outer Bullseye.

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

In a sand bunker, make two straight lines of golf balls. Put 18 balls in each line, spaced 1 foot apart. Lines should be 5 to 10 yards apart.

2

On the green, mark two circles around the hole: one with a 6-foot radius and another with a 15-foot radius.

3

Stand in the bunker 20 to 40 yards from the hole.

4

Hit 9 shots from the first line, trying to land balls inside the 6-foot circle.

5

Hit 9 shots from the second line, trying to land balls inside the 15-foot circle but outside the 6-foot circle.

6

Do steps 4 and 5 two more times, switching lines and targets, until you hit 36 shots total.

7

Count how many balls stopped inside the 6-foot circle and the 15-foot circle. Enter the total number of successful shots out of 36 attempts in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302825201612963

Next Step

Ready to start this program?

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