Feel the distance: bunker to different targets and control your rollout
Vary landing spot, for a 13-handicap player, ~15 minutes at Sycamore Ridge Golf Club
Short GameAll teesProgram HCP 12.69 drills64% match to course practice profile
Program Snapshot
Handicap range
3 to 45
Average HCP
12.6
Duration (single session)
3 hr 54 min
or
1 drill/day: 9 days · 26 min/day
Ideal tee
All
Skill Distribution
Distance Control29%
Dispersion18%
Scoring15%
Precision14%
Alignment10%
Aim8%
Trajectory4%
Accuracy2%
Overview
Program Structure
Feel the distance: bunker to different targets and control your rollout. Vary landing spot and stop on a dime. Focus on Distance Control, Dispersion, Scoring, Precision, Alignment, Aim, Trajectory, Accuracy. For a 13-handicap player, in ~15 minutes.
Skill
Distance Control
Shot
Sand
What you will improve
Distance Control
Dispersion
Scoring
Precision
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.
Scatter a bucket of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) in the sand. Scatter into 8 equal piles of 5 balls and stop sand shots inside 9 Stop Zones. Count the number of successful stops.
26 minFocus: Short Game
1
Scatter 36 balls into 9 piles of 4 balls each in the sand, 20 to 40 yards from the hole.
2
Mark 9 target zones on the green, spaced out evenly.
3
Hit 4 sand shots at each target zone, for a total of 36 shots.
4
After 4 shots at the first zone, move to the next and repeat for all 9 zones.
5
Count each ball that stops in the right zone as one success.
6
When finished, add up the number of balls that stopped in the right places and enter score in the app, out of 36 attempts.
Scoring benchmarks
Repetitions36
Handicap
+9
+5
+1
5
12
19
27
36
54
Score
33
30
27
23
18
14
10
7
4
02
Sand | Perpendicular Piles | 9 Stop Zones
Short Game
Align a bucket of balls in the sand (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 10 equal perpendicular piles of 4 balls and stop sand shots inside 9 Stop Zones. Count the number of successful stops.
26 minFocus: Short Game
1
Place 36 balls into 9 piles of 4 balls each. Space the piles in two crossing lines about 5 to 10 yards apart. Keep piles in each line about 2 yards apart. Make sure the piles are 20 to 40 yards from the hole.
2
On the green, make 9 stop zones with buckets, tees, or string. Keep zones clear and not overlapping.
3
Hit 36 sand shots, trying to stop 4 balls in each stop zone.
4
Hit 4 shots from the first pile to the first stop zone. Move to the next pile and aim at the next zone.
5
Keep going until you finish 36 shots, 4 to each zone.
6
Count each shot that stops in the right zone as one success.
7
Add the total number of successes out of 36 attempts and enter the score in the app.
Scoring benchmarks
Repetitions36
Handicap
+9
+5
+1
5
12
19
27
36
54
Score
32
30
28
25
21
16
12
8
5
03
Sand | Scattered Piles | 9 Stop Zones
Short Game
Up to 5 players compete to stop a sand 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
1
Place 36 golf balls in 9 piles, each with 4 balls, in a sand bunker 20–40 yards from the hole.
2
Make 9 stop zones on the green in a 3 by 3 grid using tees, string, or markers.
3
Hit 4 sand shots to each stop zone, for 36 shots total.
4
Start from any pile and aim for the first stop zone.
5
After 4 shots to one zone, move to the next zone and keep going until all 9 zones are done.
6
Count each shot that stops inside the correct stop zone as a success.
7
Add your successful shots out of 36 and enter your score in the app.
Scoring benchmarks
Repetitions36
Handicap
+9
+5
+1
5
12
19
27
36
54
Score
28
26
23
19
15
11
8
5
3
04
Sand | Perpendicular Piles | Multiple Targets
Short Game
Up to 5 players compete to stop a sand 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
1
Arrange 10 piles of balls in two lines to make a plus sign, with 5 piles in each line, and piles 3 yards/meters apart.
2
Put the piles in the sand, between 20 and 40 yards/meters from the hole, but not on the green.
3
Set up 3 target flags in different spots around the hole.
4
Split 36 shots into 3 groups of 12, with each group aiming at a different flag.
5
Start at any pile and hit 12 shots trying to get the ball close to the first target.
6
For the next 12 shots, choose any pile and aim at the second target.
7
For the last 12 shots, choose any pile and aim at the third target.
8
Count a shot as a success if the ball stops within 3 yards/meters of the flag.
9
Count how many successes out of 36 shots and enter the score in the app.
Scoring benchmarks
Repetitions36
Handicap
+9
+5
+1
5
12
19
27
36
54
Score
30
28
26
22
18
14
10
6
4
05
Sand | Perpendicular Ball Lines | 9 Stop 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 stop sand shots inside 9 Stop Zones. Count the number of successful stops.
26 minFocus: Short Game
1
Place two lines of 18 balls each in the sand bunker. Lines are 1 foot apart per ball, perpendicular to each other, and 5-10 yards apart.
2
On the green, mark 9 stop zones in groups of 3 per row (front, middle, back) using buckets or tees or string.
3
Hit 36 sand shots, divided into 9 groups of 4 shots.
4
For each group, try to land the ball in the correct stop zone, starting with the front 3, then middle 3, then back
3
Switch between the two lines of balls each time.
5
Count a success when the ball stops in the correct zone.
6
Add up successful shots and enter your total out of 36 attempts.
Scoring benchmarks
Repetitions36
Handicap
+9
+5
+1
5
12
19
27
36
54
Score
30
28
25
22
18
14
10
7
4
06
Sand | Parallel Ball Lines | 9 Stop Zones
Short Game
Up to 5 players compete to stop a sand 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
1
Set up 4 lines of balls in the bunker. Each line has 9 balls. Balls are 1 foot apart.
2
Mark 9 stop zones on the green. Space them out so there is 1 zone for each shot.
3
Hit 36 sand shots: 4 balls for each zone.
4
For each shot, aim to stop the ball inside the zone on the green.
5
Hit 4 balls for the first zone, then 4 for the second, and keep going until all 9 zones are done.
6
Count balls that stop inside the right zone as successful.
7
After all 36 shots, enter your number of successful shots out of 36 attempts in the app.
Scoring benchmarks
Repetitions36
Handicap
+9
+5
+1
5
12
19
27
36
54
Score
32
30
28
25
20
16
12
8
5
07
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
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
+1
5
12
19
27
36
54
Score
30
28
25
21
16
12
9
6
3
08
Sand | Parallel Ball Lines | 9 Stop Zones
Short Game
Align a bucket of balls in the sand (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 2 parallel lines 20 balls per line and stop sand shots inside 9 Stop Zones. Count the number of successful stops.
26 minFocus: Short Game
1
Make two straight lines with 20 balls in each line. Each ball is about 1 foot apart. The two lines are 5 to 10 yards apart.
2
On the green, mark 9 stop zones using buckets, string, or tees. Keep the zones apart.
3
Hit 36 sand shots from the bunker. Try to stop the ball inside the zones.
4
Split the 36 shots into 9 groups. Each group has 4 shots.
5
For each group, hit 4 shots from one ball line at one stop zone.
6
After 4 shots, switch to the other ball line. Aim 4 shots at the next zone. Keep going back and forth until you finish all 9 zones.
7
Count how many balls stay in the zone they were aimed at.
8
Add your total successes out of 36 and enter score in the app.
Scoring benchmarks
Repetitions36
Handicap
+9
+5
+1
5
12
19
27
36
54
Score
31
29
27
23
18
14
10
7
4
09
Sand | Scattered Piles | Quadrants
Short Game
Scatter a bucket of balls in the sand (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 8 equal piles of 5 balls and stop sand shots inside quadrants. Count the number of successes.
26 minFocus: Short Game
1
Make 8 piles of 5 balls each (total 40 balls) in sand bunkers 20–40 yards from the hole.
2
On the green, make a 10-foot circle around the hole. Divide the circle into 4 quadrants.
3
Hit 36 shots from the sand. Aim for 9 shots in each quadrant.
4
Hit from different piles to change distance and angle.
5
Try to stop each ball in the right quadrant. Count only the shots that stop in the correct quadrant.
6
Count successful shots in the correct quadrants. Enter score in the app, out of 36 attempts.
Scoring benchmarks
Repetitions36
Handicap
+9
+5
+1
5
12
19
27
36
54
Score
30
28
25
21
16
12
9
6
3
Next Step
Ready to start this program?
Start the drills at your own pace or work with a resident professional on this course.