Course Program

Land 3–4 Feet From Hole

Approach from hazards, for a 16-handicap player, ~15 minutes at Sonora Golf Club

Short GameAll teesProgram HCP 15.99 drills69% match to course practice profile

Program Snapshot

Handicap range

6 to 25

Average HCP

15.9

Duration (single session)

3 hr 54 min

or

1 drill/day: 9 days · 26 min/day

Ideal tee

All

Skill Distribution

Accuracy28%
Scoring23%
Distance Control17%
Alignment13%
Aim10%
Dispersion4%
Visualization3%
Precision3%

Overview

Program Structure

Land 3–4 Feet From Hole. Land 3-4 feet away and approach from hazards. Focus on Accuracy, Scoring, Distance Control, Alignment, Aim, Dispersion, Visualization, Precision. For a 16-handicap player, in ~15 minutes.

Shot

Pitch

What you will improve

  • Accuracy
  • Scoring
  • Distance Control
  • Alignment

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

Pitch | Rough | Uphill/Downhill

Short Game

Up to 5 players hit two buckets of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) from the sloped rough grass; one bucket from the uphill slope and one bucket from the downhill slope.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Pitch | Rough | Uphill/Downhill
1

Set up two target zones on the green, one uphill and one downhill, each marked with flags or cones about 3–5 feet apart.

2

From the rough slope, 20 to 40 yards away, players hit pitch shots trying to land balls in the uphill or downhill target zone.

3

Take 36 shots total: 18 to the uphill zone and 18 to the downhill zone.

4

Hit all 18 shots to the uphill zone first, then to the downhill zone, or switch back and forth if preferred.

5

Count every ball that stays inside the target zone as a success.

6

Always set up the ball the same way from the rough slope at 20–40 yards.

7

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028252218141074
02

Pitch| Scattered Piles | Bullseye 2x

Short Game

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

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

Put 40 balls into 8 piles of 5 balls each, on grass 30–60 yards/meters from the hole.

2

Mark two circles around the hole: one with a 6-foot (2-meter) radius, and one with a 15-foot (5-meter) radius.

3

Hit 36 pitch shots in 3 groups of 12 shots.

4

Aim 12 shots for the small circle, 12 shots for the area between the two circles, and 12 shots for the big circle (includes the small one).

5

Use balls from any pile, but keep where and how you hit them the same.

6

Count each ball that ends inside the correct circle as a success.

7

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score282624201612853
03

Pitch | 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 Pitch | Fairway | Above/Below Feet
1

Put 36 balls into 3 piles of 12 balls each.

2

Put 3 target zones on the green in a straight line, about 6 feet apart.

3

Pick one sloped fairway spot to shoot from (above feet or below feet).

4

Hit 12 shots to the first target zone.

5

Hit 12 shots to the second zone.

6

Hit 12 shots to the third zone. For each shot, count how many balls land and stay in the correct target zone. When done, count successful shots out of 36 and enter the score in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3230282520161285
04

Pitch | Rough | Flat

Short Game

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

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

Make 3 piles of 12 golf balls each, spaced between 30 and 60 yards from the hole in the rough.

2

On the green, mark 3 zones at different distances from the hole: Zone A at 5 feet, Zone B at 10 feet, Zone C at 15 feet.

3

Hit 36 pitch shots in total, 12 shots for each zone.

4

From the first pile, try to land and stop 12 balls in Zone A.

5

From the second pile, try to land and stop 12 balls in Zone B.

6

From the third pile, try to land and stop 12 balls in Zone C.

7

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

8

Set up the ball the same way every time.

9

When done, enter your number of successful shots into the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score282623191511853
05

Pitch | Deep Rough and Other | Above/Below Feet

Short Game

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 Pitch | Deep Rough and Other | Above/Below Feet
1

Put 4 piles of 9 balls on a slope, 2 piles above feet, 2 piles below feet, 30 to 60 yards from the hole.

2

Mark 3 target zones on the green: left, center, right, each about 6 feet wide.

3

Hit 36 pitch shots, 18 from above feet piles, 18 from below feet piles.

4

For each area (above and below feet), hit 6 shots to each zone.

5

Switch between piles of the same area as you hit, aiming for the target zone.

6

A shot counts if the ball stops in the right zone.

7

Count how many shots went in the target zones and enter score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score292724201612964
06

Pitch | Scattered Piles | Multiple Targets

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop a pitch shot closest to the multiple target(s). The player with the most points wins the challenge. One bucket of balls per player is needed.

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

Pick 3 targets on the green at least 6 feet apart.

2

Put 36 balls into 6 piles of 6 balls, between 20 and 40 yards from the hole, on different slopes and grass types.

3

Split shots into 3 sets of

4

For the first 12 shots, aim to stop the ball close to target

5

For the next 12 shots, aim to stop close to target

6

For the last 12 shots, aim to stop close to target

7

A shot counts if the ball stops within 3 feet of the correct target.

8

Keep the ball setup the same for every shot.

9

Count how many balls ended close to the proper target, and enter your score out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302825221713963
07

Pitch | Scattered Piles | Bullseye 2x

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop a pitch 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 Pitch | Scattered Piles | Bullseye 2x
1

Make two circles on the green: a small one with a 6-foot (2-meter) radius, and a bigger one with a 15-foot (5-meter) radius.

2

Put 3 piles of 12 balls each on the short game area, in random spots 30 to 60 yards/meters from the hole.

3

Hit 36 pitch shots total: 12 from each pile.

4

From the first pile, hit 12 shots and try to stop the ball inside the circles.

5

Move to the next pile and repeat, until all 36 shots are done.

6

Count balls in the small circle as birdies, balls in the big circle as pars, balls outside as bogeys.

7

Count how many balls are in the circles after all 36 shots. Enter your total score out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3129262218141063
08

Pitch | Fairway | Uphill/Downhill

Short Game

Up to 5 players 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 Pitch | Fairway | Uphill/Downhill
1

Set up two target zones on the green: one uphill, one downhill. Use cones, clubs, or string to mark each zone about 6 feet wide.

2

From the fairway slope, 30 to 60 yards away, hit 36 pitch shots.

3

Split the 36 shots: 18 shots to the uphill zone, 18 shots to the downhill zone.

4

Keep your stance and ball setup the same for all shots.

5

First, hit 18 shots to the uphill zone. Then, hit 18 shots to the downhill zone.

6

Count a success if the ball lands and stays in the target zone.

7

When finished, add up the number of successful shots, and enter that number out of 36 attempts in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028262218141074
09

Pitch | 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 pitch shots inside 9 Stop Zones. Count the number of successful stops.

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

Place 36 balls in 2 lines of 18 balls each, about 1 foot apart.

2

Set up 9 stop zones on the green using markers, arranged in 3 groups of 3 zones.

3

Hit 4 pitch shots into each stop zone, for a total of 36 shots.

4

Start at the first stop zone and hit 4 shots from the first ball line, aiming for that zone.

5

Switch to the second ball line and hit 4 shots at the next stop zone.

6

Keep switching lines and zones until all 36 shots are done.

7

A shot is a success if the ball stops in the target zone.

8

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

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.