Course Program

Thread the gap: flop through a narrow landing zone

Precision from tough lie, for a 15-handicap player, ~15 minutes at Te Pohue

Short GameAll teesProgram HCP 15.45 drills

Program Snapshot

Handicap range

10 to 45

Average HCP

15.4

Duration (single session)

2 hr 10 min

or

1 drill/day: 5 days · 26 min/day

Ideal tee

All

Skill Distribution

Precision31%
Distance Control18%
Scoring17%
Aim13%
Dispersion12%
Trajectory10%

Overview

Program Structure

Thread the gap: flop through a narrow landing zone. Precision from tough lie and pinpoint flops. Focus on Precision, Distance Control, Scoring. For a 15-handicap player, in ~15 minutes.

Skill

Precision

Shot

Flop

What you will improve

  • Precision
  • Distance Control
  • Scoring
  • Aim

Program details

Sessions
5 focused drills
Recommended
2–3 sessions / week
Total duration
2 hr 10 min
or
1 drill per day
5 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

Up to 5 players compete to land a flop shot inside the landing zone(s). The player with the most points wins the challenge. One bucket of balls per player is needed.

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

Place 3 landing zones on the green, 3 feet (1 meter) apart in a straight line.

2

Make 6 piles of 6 balls each around the green, 5 to 40 yards from the hole.

3

Hit 36 flop shots, 12 to each landing zone.

4

For the first 12 shots, aim for Landing Zone 1, hitting 2 balls from each pile.

5

For the next 12 shots, aim for Landing Zone 2, hitting 2 balls from each pile.

6

For the last 12 shots, aim for Landing Zone 3, hitting the remaining 2 balls from each pile.

7

Count how many balls land and stay in the correct landing zone.

8

Enter your number of successful shots in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028252218141174
02

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
03

Flop | Scattered Piles | 9 Stop Zones

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop a flop 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
Diagram for Flop | Scattered Piles | 9 Stop Zones
1

Divide 36 balls into 9 piles with 4 balls each. Put each pile in the chipping area, not on the green, between 5 and 20 yards from the hole.

2

Mark 9 stop zones on the green using tees, string, or buckets, spaced across the green.

3

Hit 4 flop shots at each stop zone, trying to stop each ball in the zone.

4

Start at any pile and pick a stop zone. Hit 4 balls from the pile to that zone.

5

Move to the next pile and new stop zone. Keep going until all 9 zones have 4 shots each (36 shots total).

6

Count each ball that stops inside the right stop zone.

7

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302826221713963
04

Flop | 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 flop shots inside 9 Stop Zones. Count the number of successful stops.

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

Place 40 balls in 8 rows with 5 balls each, spread between 5 and 40 yards from the hole.

2

Mark 9 target zones on the green with buckets, string, or tees.

3

Hit 36 flop shots, grouped as 9 sets of 4 shots.

4

For each set, aim to land the ball in one specific target zone.

5

Go through all 9 zones, hitting 4 shots into each (total 36 shots).

6

Keep the setup the same for every shot.

7

Count how many balls land in the intended target zone.

8

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302825221713963
05

Flop | Parallel Piles | Multiple Targets

Short Game

Align a bucket of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 10 equal parallel piles of 4 balls and stop flop shots close to multiple targets. Count the number of successes.

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

Set up 3 flags spaced about 6 feet apart.

2

Make 9 piles of 4 balls each, with two lines and space between them.

3

Put the piles 5 to 20 yards away from the flags, but keep the piles the same.

4

Hit 36 flop shots in 3 groups of

5

For each group, try to land balls within 10 feet of the right flag, first flag, second flag, then third.

6

Switch between piles as you want.

7

Each ball that stays within 10 feet of the right flag counts as a success.

8

Count the successful shots.

9

Enter your total successes out of 36 attempts in the app.

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.

Thread the gap: flop through a narrow landing zone | Te Pohue