Course Program

Can you stop the ball close from a tight lie?

Vary landing spot soft, for a 19-handicap player, ~15 minutes at Par 3

Short GameAll teesProgram HCP 198 drills

Program Snapshot

Handicap range

7 to 45

Average HCP

19

Duration (single session)

3 hr 28 min

or

1 drill/day: 8 days · 26 min/day

Ideal tee

All

Skill Distribution

Distance Control27%
Precision21%
Scoring14%
Accuracy12%
Alignment11%
Trajectory9%
Dispersion2%
Aim2%

Overview

Program Structure

Can you stop the ball close from a tight lie?. Vary landing spot soft and stop close from tight lie. Focus on Distance Control, Precision, Scoring. For a 19-handicap player, in ~15 minutes.

Skill

Distance Control

Shot

Flop

What you will improve

  • Distance Control
  • Precision
  • Scoring
  • Accuracy

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

Flop | Scattered Piles | 3 Landing Zones

Short Game

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

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Flop | Scattered Piles | 3 Landing Zones
1

Put 40 balls into 8 piles of 5 balls each on grass or a slope, between 5 and 40 yards from the hole but not on the green.

2

On the green make 3 landing zones, each 6 feet apart in a line.

3

Hit 36 flop shots, 12 for each zone.

4

Hit 12 shots to the first zone, then 12 to the second, then 12 to the third. Switch between piles if wanted.

5

Count shots that land and stop in the correct zone as successes.

6

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302825211612853
02

Flop | Fairway | Flat

Short Game

Up to 5 players hit flop shot two buckets of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) from the flat fairway.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Flop | Fairway | Flat
1

Set up 3 target zones on the green at 5, 12, and 20 yards from where the balls will be hit. Mark each zone with cones.

2

Place 36 balls in 3 groups of 12 balls each.

3

Hit 12 balls to try to land them in the 5 yard zone.

4

Hit 12 balls to try to land them in the 12 yard zone.

5

Hit 12 balls to try to land them in the 20 yard zone. Enter your score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

6

Do not change your ball position or stance during the test.

7

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302824201612964
03

Flop | Perpendicular Ball Lines | 9 Stop Zones

Short Game

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

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Flop | Perpendicular Ball Lines | 9 Stop Zones
1

Put 36 balls in two crossing lines with 18 balls in each line. Balls are 1 foot apart.

2

Make 9 stop zones on the green using tees, strings, or markers. Keep them spaced out and easy to see.

3

Hit 4 flop shots to each stop zone. This makes 36 shots total (4 shots for each of the 9 zones).

4

From the first line of balls, hit 4 shots, one to each of the first 4 stop zones.

5

From the second line, hit 4 shots, one to each of the next 4 stop zones.

6

Use the rest of the balls to hit 4 shots to the 9th stop zone, then enter score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

7

Count a shot a success only if the ball stops inside the right stop zone.

8

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3230282520161285
04

Flop | 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 flop shots close to multiple targets. Count the number of successes.

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

Put 40 balls into 8 piles of 5 balls, spaced between 5 and 40 yards from the hole on the grass or slope.

2

Place 3 flags as targets around the green at different distances, each with a 10-foot circle marked.

3

Hit 36 flop shots; make 3 groups of 12 shots for the 3 target zones.

4

First 12 shots go at the first target, next 12 at the second, last 12 at the third.

5

Hit 2-5 shots from each pile, switching piles each time, keep ball setup the same.

6

Count any shot that stops inside the 10-foot circle as a success.

7

After 36 shots, add up how many stopped in the circle and enter score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score282622181410742
05

Flop | 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 flop shots inside Bullseye. Count the number of balls in the inner and outer Bullseye.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Flop | Perpendicular Ball Lines | Bullseye 2x
1

Place 40 balls in two lines with 20 balls in each line, spaced 1 foot apart.

2

Set the two lines so they cross each other, about 5 to 10 yards apart, on grass away from the green but 5 to 40 yards from the hole.

3

Mark two circles around the hole on the green. The small circle is 6 feet from the hole. The big circle is 15 feet from the hole.

4

Hit 36 flop shots, 18 from each line.

5

Hit 3 to 5 shots at a time from one line, then switch lines and keep going until finished.

6

Try to land each ball inside the circles. Shots inside the small circle are birdie, inside the big one are par.

7

Count all balls that land inside either circle.

8

Enter the total successful shots out of 36 in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302826221713963
06

Flop | Scattered Piles | Bullseye 2x

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop a flop 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 Flop | Scattered Piles | Bullseye 2x
1

Pick two random spots 5-20 yards from the hole and place two piles of balls. Make spots and surfaces random but similar.

2

Make two circles on the green with string or tees: one circle 6 feet from the hole, one circle 15 feet from the hole.

3

Hit 36 flop shots: 18 shots at the small circle, 18 shots at the big circle.

4

At the first pile, hit 9 balls at the small circle, then 9 at the big circle.

5

At the second pile, again hit 9 at the small circle, then 9 at the big circle.

6

Count balls that stop inside the small circle as birdie. Count balls in the big circle (but outside small) as par.

7

Add up all balls that stayed in both circles. Enter score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score282623181411853
07

Flop | Perpendicular Ball Lines | 3 Landing Zones

Short Game

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

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

Arrange 36 balls in two lines of 18 balls each. Lines cross each other and are 5 to 10 yards apart. Balls are 1 foot apart in each line.

2

Put three landing zones in a row on the green, 6 feet apart.

3

There are 36 shots. Aim 12 shots at each landing zone.

4

From one line, hit 6 shots at the first landing zone.

5

From the other line, hit 6 shots at the second landing zone.

6

Go back to the first line and hit 6 shots at the third landing zone.

7

Switch lines and keep repeating until all 36 shots are done, with 12 shots at each landing zone.

8

Count each shot that lands and stops in the right zone as successful.

9

After all 36 shots, count successful shots and enter your score in the app out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3129262218141074
08

Flop | Perpendicular Piles | 3 Landing Zones

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop a flop 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 Flop | Perpendicular Piles | 3 Landing Zones
1

Set up 10 piles of balls in two lines, making a cross. Each line has 5 piles. Piles are 3 yards or meters apart and are between 5 and 40 yards or meters from the hole on grass.

2

On the green, use sticks, clubs, or string to mark 3 landing zones in a straight line, spaced 3 feet or 1 meter apart.

3

There are 36 flop shots in total. Divide them into 3 groups of 12 shots, aiming each group at a different landing zone.

4

Pick any pile to start. Hit each shot, trying to land the ball in the right zone.

5

After 12 shots to the first zone, do 12 shots to the next zone, then finish with 12 shots to the last zone.

6

Count the number of balls that land and stop in the correct zone.

7

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302825211612853

Next Step

Ready to start this program?

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