Course Program

Thread the gap: bunker shot through a narrow landing zone

Precision from tough lie, for a 20-handicap player, ~20 minutes at St Andrews

Short GameAll teesProgram HCP 203 drills

Program Snapshot

Handicap range

5 to 45

Average HCP

20

Duration (single session)

1 hr 18 min

or

1 drill/day: 3 days · 26 min/day

Ideal tee

All

Skill Distribution

Distance Control32%
Trajectory23%
Aim22%
Precision17%
Alignment5%

Overview

Program Structure

Thread the gap: bunker shot through a narrow landing zone. Precision from tough lie and thread the gap. Focus on Distance Control, Trajectory, Aim. For a 20-handicap player, in ~20 minutes.

Skill

Precision

Shot

Sand

What you will improve

  • Distance Control
  • Trajectory
  • Aim
  • Precision

Program details

Sessions
3 focused drills
Recommended
2–3 sessions / week
Total duration
1 hr 18 min
or
1 drill per day
3 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

Sand | Perpendicular Ball Lines | 3 Landing Zones

Short Game

Align a bucket of balls in the sand (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 2 perpendicular lines 20 balls per line and hit-and-land sand shots inside landing zones. Count the number of successes.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Sand | Perpendicular Ball Lines | 3 Landing Zones
1

In the sand bunker, arrange two lines of balls in a cross shape. Each line has 18 balls, about 1 foot apart.

2

On the green, set up three landing zones in a row using sticks, clubs, or strings. Each zone is about 6 feet apart.

3

Hit 36 sand shots, divided into three groups of

4

For each group of 12 shots, aim at one landing zone. Start with Zone 1, then Zone 2, then Zone

5

Switch between the two ball lines every 4 to 6 shots.

6

Count shots that land and stop in the right landing zone as a success.

7

When all 36 shots are done, add up your successes and enter your total successful shots out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302825221713963
02

Sand | Parallel Piles | 3 Landing Zones

Short Game

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

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Sand | Parallel Piles | 3 Landing Zones
1

Put 36 golf balls into 9 piles of 4 balls each in the sand bunker. Make two lines, each pile 2 yards apart, lines 5 to 10 yards apart.

2

On the green, make three landing zones in a straight line, each zone 6 feet apart.

3

Hit 36 sand shots from the bunker to the green.

4

Divide the 36 shots into three groups of

2

Aim the first 12 at the first zone, next 12 at the second zone, last 12 at the third zone.

5

Hit shots from any pile, same setup for all shots.

6

Count successful shots that land and stop in the right zone.

7

After all 36 shots, write down how many went in the intended zones out of 36 in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302825211612963
03

Sand | Scattered Ball Lines | 3 Landing Zones

Short Game

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

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

Scatter 40 balls into 8 lines with 5 balls in each line. Put balls about 2 feet apart.

2

Put the lines between 5 and 60 yards from the hole on grass or a slope.

3

On the green set up 3 landing zones side by side, each zone about 6 feet apart.

4

Hit 36 shots, split into 3 groups of 12 shots toward each landing zone.

5

For each group, pick any 12 balls to hit toward the first landing zone.

6

After 12 shots, switch to the second zone and hit 12 more shots from any balls.

7

Aim the last 12 shots at the third landing zone using any balls.

8

Count a shot as successful if the ball lands and stays in the correct landing zone.

9

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3129262218141074

Next Step

Ready to start this program?

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

Thread the gap: bunker shot through a narrow landing zone | St Andrews