Course Program

Stop Ball on Dime

Feel the green, for a 25-handicap player, ~20 minutes at Silver Lake Country Club

Short GameAll teesProgram HCP 24.58 drills70% match to course practice profile

Program Snapshot

Handicap range

10 to 45

Average HCP

24.5

Duration (single session)

3 hr 28 min

or

1 drill/day: 8 days · 26 min/day

Ideal tee

All

Skill Distribution

Distance Control34%
Alignment19%
Accuracy15%
Precision13%
Scoring6%
Aim6%
Dispersion5%
Trajectory2%

Overview

Program Structure

Stop Ball on Dime. Feel the green and vary landing spot. Focus on Distance Control, Alignment, Accuracy, Precision, Scoring, Aim, Dispersion, Trajectory. For a 25-handicap player, in ~20 minutes.

Skill

Distance Control

Shot

Chip

What you will improve

  • Distance Control
  • Alignment
  • Accuracy
  • Precision

Program details

Sessions
8 focused drills
Recommended
2–3 sessions / week
Total duration
3 hr 28 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 | Fairway | Above/Below Feet

Short Game

Up to 5 players hit two buckets of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) from the sloped fairway; one bucket with balls above feet level, and one bucket with balls below feet level.

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

Put 36 golf balls into 3 piles of

2

Place each pile 5 to 20 yards from the hole.

2

At the green's edge, set up 3 target zones in a line, each 4 feet apart. Mark them Zone A (closest), Zone B (middle), and Zone C (farthest).

3

Keep ball positions the same: first pile on a slope above feet, second pile on flat ground, third pile on a slope below feet.

4

Hit 12 chip shots to Zone A from the above feet position.

5

Hit 12 chip shots to Zone B from the flat position.

6

Hit 12 chip shots to Zone C from below feet position.

7

Count how many shots land and stay in the intended zone.

8

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302825211612853
02

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
03

Chip | Perpendicular Ball Lines | Bullseye 2x

Short Game

Align a bucket of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 2 perpendicular lines 20 balls per line 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 | Perpendicular Ball Lines | Bullseye 2x
1

Arrange 36 balls in 2 lines of 18 each to form an L shape.

2

Keep each ball 1 foot apart in each line. Keep 5-10 yards between the two lines.

3

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

4

From 5–30 yards away, chip 18 balls from the first line, aiming for the circles.

5

Chip the other 18 balls from the second line, aiming for the circles.

6

Alternate hitting 3 to 5 shots between the two lines.

7

Shots inside the small circle = full success. Shots inside the big circle only = partial success.

8

Count how many balls stopped in each circle and get your score. Enter your total successful shots out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score282624201612963
04

Chip | Perpendicular Piles | Bullseye 2x

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop a chip 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 Chip | Perpendicular Piles | Bullseye 2x
1

Set up 10 piles of balls in two lines that cross each other. Each line has 5 piles, spaced 3 yards apart, with the lines 5 to 10 yards apart. Place the piles on grass 5 to 30 yards from the hole.

2

On the green around the hole, make two circles using string or tees: one small circle with a 6 foot radius and one big circle with a 15 foot radius.

3

Hit 36 chip shots, in 3 sets of 12 shots. - Set 1 (12 shots): Try to stop the ball in the small circle. - Set 2 (12 shots): Try to stop the ball in the big circle but outside the small circle. - Set 3 (12 shots): Try to stop the ball just outside the big circle but close to the hole.

4

Start at any pile and hit the type of shot for that set. After finishing 12 shots for one set, move to the next set and repeat.

5

For each shot, if the ball lands in the target zone for that set, count it as a success.

6

Keep going until all 36 shots are done. At the end, add up your successful shots out of 36 attempts and enter your score in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302825221713964
05

Chip | Deep Rough and Other | Above/Below Feet

Short Game

Up to 5 players hit two buckets of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) from the sloped deep rough and other extreme grass types; one bucket with balls above feet level, and one bucket with balls below feet level.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Chip | Deep Rough and Other | Above/Below Feet
1

Make two target zones on the green, Zone A on the left and Zone B on the right, 8 feet apart.

2

Put 18 balls in the deep rough above feet, at distances from 5 to 20 yards, in a straight line.

3

Chip the 18 balls to land and stop in Zone A from the uphill position.

4

Move to deep rough below feet, set up 18 balls the same way.

5

Chip these balls to land and stop in Zone B from the downhill position.

6

Count each ball that lands and stays in the right zone as a success.

7

When finished, enter the total number of successes out of 36 attempts in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score2927252218141174
06

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
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 | Scattered Ball Lines | 9 Stop Zones

Short Game

Scatter a bucket of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 8 equal lines of 5 balls and stop chip shots inside 9 Stop Zones. Count the number of successful stops.

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

Place 40 balls in 8 lines of 5 balls each on grass or slope between 5 and 30 yards from the hole.

2

On the green, make 9 stop zones using buckets, string, or tees. Spread them out where chip shots can stop.

3

Set up 36 chip shots in 9 groups of 4 shots.

4

For each group, aim to stop balls in one of the 9 stop zones.

5

Hit 4 balls from one line toward the first zone.

6

Move to another line and aim for the next zone. Keep going until all 9 zones have 4 shots each.

7

Count each shot stopping inside the target zone as a success.

8

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score312926221813964

Next Step

Ready to start this program?

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