Course Program

Thread Needle: Narrow Landing Zone

Stop on a dime, for a 22-handicap player, ~20 minutes at Savannah Golf Club

Short GameAll teesProgram HCP 21.79 drills67% match to course practice profile

Program Snapshot

Handicap range

9 to 45

Average HCP

21.7

Duration (single session)

3 hr 54 min

or

1 drill/day: 9 days · 26 min/day

Ideal tee

All

Skill Distribution

Distance Control25%
Precision25%
Aim17%
Dispersion11%
Alignment10%
Trajectory5%
Scoring4%
Accuracy3%

Overview

Program Structure

Thread Needle: Narrow Landing Zone. Vary landing spot and stop on a dime. Focus on Distance Control, Precision, Aim, Dispersion, Alignment, Trajectory, Scoring, Accuracy. For a 22-handicap player, in ~20 minutes.

Skill

Precision

Shot

Chip

What you will improve

  • Distance Control
  • Precision
  • Aim
  • Dispersion

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

Chip | Scattered Piles | 9 Stop Zones

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop a chip shot in the stop zone(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 Chip | Scattered Piles | 9 Stop Zones
1

Put 36 balls into 9 piles. Each pile has 4 balls. Put piles 5 to 30 yards from the hole.

2

Mark 9 target zones on the green.

3

Try to hit 4 balls into each zone. Do this for all 9 zones.

4

Always use the same ball setup. Only change which zone is the target.

5

Count each ball that stops inside the correct zone.

6

Add up all the successful shots out of

6

Enter score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3129272318141074
02

Chip | Perpendicular Piles | Multiple Targets

Short Game

Align a bucket of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 10 equal perpendicular piles of 4 balls and stop chip shots close to multiple targets. Count the number of successes.

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

Make 10 piles of 4 balls each from 40 balls. Arrange the piles in 2 lines with 5 piles in each line. Lines cross each other.

2

Put the piles on grass 5 to 30 yards/meters from the hole. Space lines 5 to 10 yards/meters apart and piles 2 yards/meters apart.

3

On the green, put 3 targets in a line, about 8 feet apart. Call them Target A, Target B, and Target C.

4

Hit 36 chip shots, 12 to each target.

5

Hit 12 shots at Target A, then 12 at Target B, then 12 at Target C. Use any pile for any shot.

6

Count a shot as a success if it stops within 10 feet of the target.

7

After all 36 shots, add how many were successful and enter the score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302825201612963
03

Chip | Parallel Ball Lines | Quadrants

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop a chip shot inside the quadrant(s). The player with the most points at the end wins the challenge. 25 balls per player are needed.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Chip | Parallel Ball Lines | Quadrants
1

Set up 4 lines of 9 balls each, 1 foot apart.

2

Put the lines on grass 5-20 yards/meters from the hole, not on the green.

3

On the green, make 4 quadrants using string or tees, each about 6 feet in radius.

4

Hit 36 chip shots in total, 9 to each quadrant.

5

Start at any ball line and chip 9 balls, aiming for Quadrant

6

Move to the next line and chip 9 balls to Quadrant

7

Do the same for Quadrants 3 and 4, 9 balls each.

8

Count each ball that stops in the target quadrant.

9

Add up the number of successful shots and enter the total out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score282624201612853
04

Chip | Scattered Ball Lines | 3 Landing Zones

Short Game

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

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Chip | Scattered Ball Lines | 3 Landing Zones
1

Put 40 balls into 8 lines. Each line has 5 balls. Lines should be about 1 yard or meter apart. Put these lines anywhere on the grass 5 to 30 yards/meters from the hole but not on the green.

2

On the green, use sticks, clubs, or string to mark 3 landing zones in a straight line about 6 feet (2 meters) apart.

3

Divide the 36 chip shots into 3 sets of 12 shots.

4

For each set, pick 3 lines of balls and aim every shot at one landing zone.

5

Hit 5 chips from each line to the chosen zone. After 3 lines (15 shots), change zones until all 36 shots are done.

6

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

7

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3230282520161285
05

Chip | Parallel Piles | Multiple Targets

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop a chip 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 Chip | Parallel Piles | Multiple Targets
1

Set up 10 piles of balls in two lines of 5 piles, 6 yards/meters between lines, 4 yards/meters between piles.

2

Put the piles on grass, not on the green, between 5 and 30 yards/meters from the hole.

3

Mark 3 clear target zones around the hole, spaced evenly.

4

Hit 36 chip shots: 12 to Target Zone 1, 12 to Target Zone 2, and 12 to Target Zone

5

Always chip from the piles; for each set of 12 shots, pick any piles but only aim at the assigned zone.

6

After each shot, check if the ball stops inside the right target zone; count as success if it does.

7

Finish all 36 shots, then count total successes inside the right zones out of 36 attempts and enter this score in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3129262218141074
06

Chip | Parallel Ball Lines | 9 Stop Zones

Short Game

Align a bucket of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 2 parallel lines 20 balls per line and stop chip shots inside 9 Stop Zones. Count the number of successful stops.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Chip | Parallel Ball Lines | 9 Stop Zones
1

Set up 36 balls in 2 lines of 18 balls each, 5 to 10 yards apart, on grass 5 to 20 yards from the hole.

2

Mark 9 stop zones in a 3 x 3 grid on the green, spaced apart so the zones are clear.

3

Chip 4 balls to each stop zone, alternating between the two lines. For each zone, hit 2 balls from one line, then 2 from the other.

4

Keep doing this until you have hit 4 balls for each zone, for a total of 36 shots.

5

Count a shot as a success only if the ball stops in the right zone.

6

Add up the number of successes out of 36 attempts and enter the score in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3129262318141074
07

Chip | Perpendicular Piles | 3 Landing Zones

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop a chip shot inside the landing zone(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 Chip | Perpendicular Piles | 3 Landing Zones
1

Put 10 piles of balls in two straight lines that cross. Each pile has 3 or 4 balls. Keep each pile between 5 and 30 yards from the hole.

2

Mark 3 landing zones on the green in a row. Make them 6 feet apart using sticks or string.

3

Hit 36 chip shots total. Aim for each landing zone 12 times.

4

Pick any pile to start. Hit 12 chips to the first zone, then 12 to the second zone, then 12 to the third zone.

5

Count how many balls land and stop inside the target zone for each shot.

6

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score312926221713963
08

Chip | Parallel Ball Lines | 9 Stop Zones

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop a chip shot in the stop zone(s). The player with the most points at the end wins the challenge. Up to 80 balls are needed.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Chip | Parallel Ball Lines | 9 Stop Zones
1

Make 9 stop zones on the green. Mark them with tees, string, or buckets. Line up or put them in a grid.

2

Put 36 balls in 4 rows. Each row has 9 balls, spaced 1 foot apart. Put the rows about 5 yards apart on the grass, between 5 and 20 yards from the green.

3

Plan to hit 4 balls at each of the 9 stop zones. That is 36 shots.

4

Start at any row of balls. Hit balls, trying to stop each one in the first stop zone.

5

After 4 tries at the first zone, go to the next zone and do the same. Keep going until you try all 9 zones.

6

Count a shot as a success if the ball stops completely inside the target zone.

7

When all shots are done, count the number of successful shots and enter the score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3129272318141074
09

Chip | Parallel Piles | Bullseye 2x

Short Game

Align a bucket of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 10 equal parallel piles of 4 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 | Parallel Piles | Bullseye 2x
1

Set up 10 piles of 4 balls each in two rows. Each row has 5 piles.

2

Keep piles about 2 meters apart, rows 5–10 meters apart.

3

Place piles 5–30 meters from the hole, not on the green.

4

Mark two circles around the hole on the green: a small one (2 meters out) and a big one (5 meters out).

5

Take turns hitting balls from different piles, trying to stop balls in the circles.

6

Hit 36 balls total: 18 try for the small circle, 18 for the big circle.

7

Count how many balls finished in each circle.

8

Add these for a score and enter your total out of 36 tries.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score282623201612853

Next Step

Ready to start this program?

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

Thread Needle: Narrow Landing Zone | Savannah Golf Club