Course Program

Stop Chips Near Hole

Feel the green, for a 35-handicap player, ~30 minutes at Royal Oaks Country Club (Houston)

Short GameAll teesProgram HCP 358 drills77% match to course practice profile

Program Snapshot

Handicap range

25 to 45

Average HCP

35

Duration (single session)

3 hr 25 min

or

1 drill/day: 8 days · 26 min/day

Ideal tee

All

Skill Distribution

Distance Control24%
Scoring22%
Aim19%
Alignment17%
Precision9%
Dispersion5%
Trajectory3%
Accuracy2%

Overview

Program Structure

Stop Chips Near Hole. Feel the green and stop on a dime. Focus on Distance Control, Scoring, Aim, Alignment, Precision, Dispersion, Trajectory, Accuracy. For a 35-handicap player, in ~30 minutes.

Shot

Chip

What you will improve

  • Distance Control
  • Scoring
  • Aim
  • Alignment

Program details

Sessions
8 focused drills
Recommended
2–3 sessions / week
Total duration
3 hr 25 min
or
1 drill per day
8 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

Chip | Perpendicular Ball Lines | Multiple Targets

Short Game

Align a bucket of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 2 perpendicular lines 20 balls per line and stop chip shots close to multiple targets. Count the number of successes.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Chip | Perpendicular Ball Lines | Multiple Targets
1

Make two crossing lines with 18 balls in each line.

2

Put the balls 1 foot (30 cm) apart on grass, 5 to 20 yards/meters from the hole.

3

Place 2 flags on the green. The flags should be 5 to 10 yards/meters apart.

4

Hit 18 balls from the first line. Try to land each ball within 10 feet (3 meters) of the first flag.

5

Move to the second line. Hit 18 balls trying to land each within 10 feet (3 meters) of the second flag.

6

Count how many balls stop inside the 10-foot (3-meter) circle near each flag. Enter the score in the app out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3230282520161285
02

Chip | Perpendicular Piles | 3 Landing Zones

Short Game

Align a bucket of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 10 equal perpendicular piles of 4 balls and hit-and-land chip shots inside landing zones. Count the number of successes.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Chip | Perpendicular Piles | 3 Landing Zones
1

Make 10 piles of 4 balls each, in two lines of 5 piles.

2

Put piles on grass, 5–30 yards from the hole, lines 5–10 yards apart, piles in each line 2 yards apart.

3

On the green, mark three landing zones in a straight line, 6 feet apart.

4

Hit 36 chip shots, 12 at each landing zone.

5

Hit from different piles for each shot. Do 12 shots into the first zone, then 12 into the second, then 12 into the third.

6

Count shots that land fully in the target zone.

7

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score312926221713963
03

Chip | 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 chip shots inside quadrants. Count the number of successes.

23 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Chip | Scattered Ball Lines | Quadrants
1

Scatter 40 balls into 8 lines of 5 balls. Each ball should be 1 yard apart. Place lines 5–30 yards from the hole. Keep setup the same for all shots.

2

On the green, use markers to make 4 equal pieces inside a 6-foot circle around the hole.

3

Take 32 chip shots total. Aim 8 shots at each quadrant.

4

For each of the 8 lines, choose a quadrant to aim for. Hit all 5 balls in that line to that quadrant. Move to a new line for a new quadrant. Keep going until all 32 shots are done.

5

Count each shot that stops inside the target quadrant as a success.

6

Add up successful shots. Enter score in the app, out of 32 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions32
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score282624201612964
04

Chip | Fairway | Uphill/Downhill

Short Game

Hit two buckets of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) from the sloped fairway; one bucket from the uphill slope and one bucket from the downhill slope.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Chip | Fairway | Uphill/Downhill
1

Set up two target zones on the green: one uphill, one downhill, about 10 feet apart.

2

Hit 18 chip shots from the uphill slope at the uphill target zone.

3

Hit 18 chip shots from the downhill slope at the downhill target zone.

4

Keep ball setup the same for all shots. Only change your target for the slope.

5

Count shots that stop inside or within 3 feet of the target zone as a success.

6

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3129272318141063
05

Chip | Scattered Ball Lines | Bullseye 2x

Short Game

Scatter a bucket of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 8 equal lines of 5 balls and stop chip shots inside the Bullseye. Count the number of balls in the inner and outer Bullseye.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Chip | Scattered Ball Lines | Bullseye 2x
1

Scatter 40 balls into 8 lines of 5 balls each, spaced 1 yard or meter apart, placed anywhere from 5 to 30 yards from the hole.

2

On the green, make two circles around the hole: one with a 6-foot (2-meter) radius, and one with a 15-foot (5-meter) radius, using string or tees.

3

Chip 36 balls during the test, divided into 3 sets of 12 balls.

4

Chip the first 12 balls, trying to make them land inside the small circle.

5

Chip the next 12 balls, trying to make them land inside the big circle but outside the small circle.

6

Chip the last 12 balls, trying to make them land anywhere inside the big circle.

7

Start from any line and move around as needed, but use only 36 balls.

8

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

9

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score312926221713963
06

Chip | Rough | Above/Below Feet

Short Game

Hit 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 Chip | Rough | Above/Below Feet
1

Gather 36 balls and split into 2 groups of 18 balls.

2

Pick one target (pin) on the green.

3

For the first 18 shots, place the ball above your feet in the rough 5–20 yards from the hole.

4

Chip all 18 balls, trying to get close to the target.

5

Move to the other slope so the ball is below your feet, same distance.

6

Chip the last 18 balls at the target.

7

Count each shot that stops within 3 feet of the hole as a success.

8

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3129262218141063
07

Chip | Scattered Piles | Quadrants

Short Game

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

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

Scatter 40 balls into 8 piles of 5 balls each between 5 and 30 yards from the hole.

2

On the green, use markers to make a 6-foot circle around the hole and divide it into 4 quadrants.

3

Hit 36 chip shots.

4

Hit 9 shots at each of the 4 quadrants.

5

Hit each shot from a different pile and try to land it in the right quadrant.

6

Count a shot as a success if it stops in the correct quadrant.

7

Enter number of successful shots out of 36 attempts in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3230282520161285
08

Chip | 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 chip shots close to multiple targets. Count the number of successes.

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

Put 36 balls into 6 piles of 6 balls on the grass, between 5 and 30 yards from the hole.

2

Place 3 flags or targets on the green, 6 feet apart in a line.

3

Split the 36 balls into 3 groups of 12 shots.

4

Hit the first 12 balls to the first flag and try to stop each ball within 10 feet of it.

5

Hit the next 12 balls to the second flag, trying to stop them within 10 feet.

6

Hit the last 12 balls to the third flag, again aiming to stop within 10 feet.

7

Switch which pile you use each time to practice different distances and grass.

8

Count every ball that stops within 10 feet of its flag as a successful shot.

9

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302824201612964

Next Step

Ready to start this program?

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