Course Program

Hit Flop & Avoid Big Numbers

Avoid big numbers, for a 35-handicap player, ~30 minutes at New

Short GameAll teesProgram HCP 357 drills

Program Snapshot

Handicap range

25 to 45

Average HCP

35

Duration (single session)

3 hr 2 min

or

1 drill/day: 7 days · 26 min/day

Ideal tee

All

Skill Distribution

Aim30%
Alignment27%
Scoring21%
Dispersion10%
Distance Control5%
Accuracy5%
Precision1%

Overview

Program Structure

Hit Flop & Avoid Big Numbers. Flop from sand and land near hole. Focus on Aim, Alignment, Scoring. For a 35-handicap player, in ~30 minutes.

Shot

Flop

What you will improve

  • Aim
  • Alignment
  • Scoring
  • Dispersion

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

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, one bucket with balls below feet level.

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

Set up two targets on the green about 10 to 15 yards apart.

2

Get 36 balls and split them into 2 groups of

3

Hit 18 flop shots from a slope with the ball above your feet, aiming at the first target.

4

Hit 18 flop shots from a slope with the ball below your feet, aiming at the second target.

5

Count how many balls land and stop within 3 feet of each target. These are successes.

6

Keep your ball setup the same for all shots.

7

After all 36 shots, record how many were successful out of 36 in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028262218141174
02

Flop | Perpendicular 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 at the end wins the challenge. One bucket of balls per player is needed.

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

Set up 10 piles of balls in two lines. Each line has 5 piles, spaced 3 yards or meters apart.

2

Put these piles on grass, 5 to 20 yards or meters from the hole, but not on the green.

3

Mark 3 targets near the green, spaced around the hole (left, center, right).

4

Hit 36 flop shots in total. Make 3 groups of 12 shots.

5

For the first group, aim at the left target. For the second group, aim at the center target. For the third group, aim at the right target.

6

Pick any pile to start each group. Hit each ball at the assigned target.

7

A successful shot is when the ball stops closest to the right target area.

8

After all 36 shots, count the shots that stopped closest to each target.

9

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028252218141074
03

Flop | 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 flop shots inside quadrants. Count the number of successes.

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

Arrange 36 balls into 9 piles of 4 balls each. Put 5 piles in one line and 4 piles in a second line, spaced 2 meters apart. Leave 5 to 10 meters between lines.

2

Mark 4 equal quadrants inside a circle with a 3 meter radius around the hole using string or tees.

3

Divide 36 balls into 4 groups of 9 shots. Aim for 9 shots into each quadrant.

4

Hit flop shots from any pile. Aim to land 9 balls in the first quadrant, then move to the next quadrant for the next 9 shots, until all 4 quadrants are targeted.

5

Count each shot that lands in the right quadrant as a success.

6

After 36 shots, enter your total successful shots in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score292724201612853
04

Flop | Deep Rough and Other | Uphill/Downhill

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 from the uphill slope and one bucket from the downhill slope.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Flop | Deep Rough and Other | Uphill/Downhill
1

Split 36 balls into two groups of

8

Put one group at the uphill slope, and one group at the downhill slope, both in deep rough 5 to 20 yards from the hole.

2

On the green, make three target zones side by side, each about 3 feet wide and within 10 feet of the hole. Label them Zone 1 (left), Zone 2 (center), Zone 3 (right).

3

From the uphill position, hit 18 flop shots. Aim 6 balls in Zone 1, 6 in Zone 2, and 6 in Zone

4

From the downhill position, hit 18 flop shots. Aim 6 balls in Zone 1, 6 in Zone 2, and 6 in Zone

5

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

6

Enter the number of successes in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302825211713963
05

Flop | Rough | Flat

Short Game

Hit flop shot two buckets of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) from the flat rough grass.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Flop | Rough | Flat
1

Find a flat spot in the rough, 5 to 20 yards from the hole.

2

Set up three targets on the green, spaced apart for three landing zones.

3

Hit 36 flop shots; 12 shots at each target.

4

Keep ball position the same for all shots, only aim at the next target after 12 shots.

5

Try to land the ball softly in the target zone.

6

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

7

After 36 shots (12 per target), 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
06

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, one bucket with balls below feet level.

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

Place 18 balls on a slope above the feet, and 18 balls on a slope below the feet, on opposite sides near the green.

2

Set one target on the green at a short distance between 10 and 20 yards.

3

Hit 36 flop shots: 18 from above the feet, 18 from below the feet.

4

Every 3 shots, change aim to left, center, or right of the target. Hit 6 shots at each aim for both slopes.

5

Try to land each ball close to the target.

6

Count a shot as successful if the ball lands within 3 feet of the target.

7

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028262218141074
07

Flop | Deep Rough and Other | Flat

Short Game

Hit flop shot two buckets of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) from the flat deep rough and other extreme grass types.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Flop | Deep Rough and Other | Flat
1

Put two target zones on the green, 6 feet apart. Call them Zone A and Zone B.

2

Set up in deep rough, 15 to 40 yards from the green.

3

Hit 36 flop shots: 18 at Zone A, 18 at Zone B.

4

Hit 3 shots at Zone A, then 3 shots at Zone B. Repeat until all shots are done.

5

Count a success if the ball stops inside the target zone.

6

Keep the ball in the same place for every shot. Only aim changes.

7

Add total successes out of 36 attempts. Enter score in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score312926221713963

Next Step

Ready to start this program?

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