Course Program

Master the art of touch: no more long comeback putts

Master touch, for a 24-handicap player, ~20 minutes at The Club At Old Hawthorne

Short GameAll teesProgram HCP 249 drills76% match to course practice profile

Program Snapshot

Handicap range

10 to 45

Average HCP

24

Duration (single session)

3 hr 54 min

or

1 drill/day: 9 days · 26 min/day

Ideal tee

All

Skill Distribution

Distance Control35%
Aim15%
Precision12%
Dispersion11%
Scoring8%
Accuracy7%
Alignment7%
Trajectory5%

Overview

Program Structure

Master the art of touch: no more long comeback putts. Control rollout and master touch. Focus on Distance Control, Aim, Precision. For a 24-handicap player, in ~20 minutes.

Skill

Distance Control

Shot

Bump'n'Run

What you will improve

  • Distance Control
  • Aim
  • Precision
  • Dispersion

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

Bump-n-Run | Parallel Ball Lines | 9 Stop Zones

Short Game

Align a bucket of balls next to the green (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 2 parallel lines 20 balls per line and stop bump-n-run shots inside 9 Stop Zones. Count the number of successful stops.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Bump-n-Run | Parallel Ball Lines | 9 Stop Zones
1

Place two parallel lines of balls beside the green. Each line has 18 balls spaced 1 foot apart. The lines are 5 to 10 yards apart.

2

On the green, mark 9 stop zones using tees, string, or buckets. Arrange the zones in 3 rows of 3, spaced evenly.

3

Hit 36 bump-n-run shots. Divide them into 9 groups of 4 shots.

4

Hit 4 shots from one ball line toward Stop Zone

1

Try to stop each ball in that zone.

5

Switch to the other ball line and hit 4 shots toward Stop Zone

6

Keep switching ball lines and hit 4 shots at each stop zone in order (Zone 1 to Zone 9).

7

Count every ball that stops in the right stop zone as a success.

8

Add total successful stops and enter the score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3230282520161285
02

Bump-n-Run | Scattered Ball Lines | Bullseye 2x

Short Game

Scatter a bucket of balls next to the green (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 8 equal lines of 5 balls and stop bump-n-run shots inside Bullseye. Count the number of balls in the inner and outer Bullseye.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Bump-n-Run | Scattered Ball Lines | Bullseye 2x
1

Put 40 balls in 8 lines of 5 balls each around the green. Lines should be about 1 yard/meter apart and placed 1 to 10 yards/meters from the green and 5 to 30 yards/meters from the hole.

2

On the green, mark two circle zones around the hole: one with a 6-foot (2 meter) radius and another with a 15-foot (5 meter) radius.

3

Hit 36 bump-and-run shots—first 18 shots aiming for the small inner circle, then 18 shots aiming for the bigger outer circle.

4

Use any line of balls. Hit shots for the inner circle for 18 attempts, then switch to hitting shots for the outer circle for another 18 attempts. Change lines as wanted.

5

Count each ball that stops in the circle aimed for as a success.

6

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3230282520161285
03

Bump-n-Run | Scattered Ball Lines | 9 Stop Zones

Short Game

Scatter a bucket of balls next to the green (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 8 equal lines of 5 balls and stop bump-n-run shots inside 9 Stop Zones. Count the number of successful stops.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Bump-n-Run | Scattered Ball Lines | 9 Stop Zones
1

Put 40 balls in 8 lines. Each line has 5 balls, about 1 yard apart. Lines can be 1–10 yards from the green and 5–30 yards from the hole.

2

Mark 9 stop zones on the green using buckets, string, or tees; label them 1 to

3

Hit 36 bump-and-run shots.

4

Split the 36 shots into 9 groups of 4 balls.

5

For each group, try to stop all 4 balls in one stop zone.

6

Hit 4 balls from one line to the first stop zone.

7

Move to a different line and hit 4 balls to the second stop zone.

8

Repeat until 4 balls have been hit to every stop zone.

9

Count each ball that stops in the right zone as a success.

0

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3230282520161285
04

Bump-n-Run | Parallel Ball Lines | Quadrants

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop a bump-n-run shot inside the quadrant(s). The player with the most points at the end wins the challenge. 25 balls per player are needed.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Bump-n-Run | Parallel Ball Lines | Quadrants
1

Set up 4 rows of 9 balls each, spaced 1 foot apart. Each row is 3 yards apart.

2

On the green, use strings or tees to mark 4 circles, each 6 feet wide.

3

Hit 9 balls at each circle, for a total of 36 shots.

4

Start at any row. Hit 9 balls at the first circle, then the next 9 at the second, and so on for all circles.

5

Keep the balls in the same place and aim at the target circle each time.

6

Count how many balls stop inside each circle after 9 shots.

7

Add up the number of balls that stopped inside the target circles out of 36, and enter score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028262218141074
05

Bump-n-Run | Scattered Piles | Quadrants

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop bump-n-run shot inside the quadrant(s). The player with the most points wins the challenge. One bucket of balls per player is needed.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Bump-n-Run | Scattered Piles | Quadrants
1

Prepare 36 balls and make 4 piles of 9 balls each.

2

Put each pile in a different spot, 1 to 10 yards from the green and 5 to 30 yards from the hole.

3

Mark 4 areas on the green using string or tees, each area should be about 6 feet across.

4

Hit 36 bump-n-run shots, trying to land 9 balls in each area.

5

Start from one pile, aim at one area, and hit all 9 balls. Move to the next pile and area.

6

Keep going until all 36 shots are done, 9 shots per area.

7

Count how many balls stopped in the target area each time.

8

After all 36 shots, enter how many successes out of 36 in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3129272318141074
06

Bump-n-Run | Perpendicular Ball Lines | 9 Stop Zones

Short Game

Align a bucket of balls next to the green (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 2 perpendicular lines 20 balls per line and stop bump-n-run shots inside 9 Stop Zones. Count the number of successful stops.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Bump-n-Run | Perpendicular Ball Lines | 9 Stop Zones
1

Place two lines of 18 balls each next to the green, 1 foot apart. Lines are at right angles, 5 to 10 yards apart.

2

Mark 9 stop zones on the green using buckets, tees, or string. Make 3 groups with 3 zones each, spaced evenly.

3

Hit 36 bump-and-run shots: 12 at each group of 3 zones (4 shots per zone).

4

From the first line, hit 12 shots at the first group of 3 zones (4 shots per zone).

5

Move to the second line, hit 12 shots at the second group of 3 zones (4 shots per zone).

6

Go back to the first line and hit 12 shots at the third group of 3 zones (4 shots per zone). Enter score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

7

Count each success where the ball stops in the target zone. Add all successes for your score.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score2927252218141074
07

Bump-n-Run | Perpendicular Piles | Bullseye 2x

Short Game

Align a bucket of balls next to the green (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 10 equal perpendicular piles of 4 balls and stop bump-n-run shots inside Bullseye. Count the number of balls in the inner and outer Bullseye.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Bump-n-Run | Perpendicular Piles | Bullseye 2x
1

Make 10 piles of 4 balls (40 balls) in two lines, crossing each other near the green, 1 to 10 yards from the green and 5 to 30 yards from the hole. Keep piles 2 yards apart, lines 5 to 10 yards apart.

2

On the green, use string or tees to mark two circles around the hole: one with a 6-foot radius (inner), the other with a 15-foot radius (outer).

3

Use only 36 balls (9 piles of 4) for this test.

4

Split the 36 shots into two groups of

5

For the first 18 shots, try to land the ball inside the small circle.

6

For the next 18 shots, try to land the ball inside the big circle but outside the small circle.

7

Play bump-and-run shots by hitting from different piles, one after the other, keeping the same setup and order.

8

Count as a success if the ball stops in the correct circle. If not, it is a miss.

9

Count how many balls finished where they should in both circles. Enter your score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3230282520161285
08

Bump-n-Run | Parallel Ball Lines | Multiple Targets

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop a bump-n-run shot closest to the multiple target(s). The player with the most points at the end wins the challenge. Up to 80 balls are needed.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Bump-n-Run | Parallel Ball Lines | Multiple Targets
1

Set up 4 lines on the grass, each with 9 balls spaced 1 foot apart. Put the lines 5 yards apart, between 3 and 15 yards from the green.

2

Place 3 targets on the green in a straight line, 3 feet apart.

3

Divide the 36 shots into 3 groups of

2

Aim each group at a different target.

4

Hit 12 shots at the first target from any line, then 12 at the second target, then 12 at the third target.

5

Try to stop each ball as close to the target as possible.

6

Count a shot as a success if it stops close to the target, for example within 2 feet.

7

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3129262318141074
09

Bump-n-Run | Perpendicular Piles | Bullseye 2x

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop a bump-n-run 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 Bump-n-Run | Perpendicular Piles | Bullseye 2x
1

Set up 10 piles of balls in two lines that cross each other. Put 5 piles in each line. Leave space between all piles and lines.

2

Put the piles 1 to 10 yards/meters from the green and 5 to 30 yards/meters from the hole.

3

On the green, mark two big circles around the hole. Make the first circle 6 feet (2 meters) out from the hole, and the second circle 15 feet (5 meters) out from the hole.

4

There are 36 shots total. Split them into 3 groups of 12 shots.

5

First 12 shots: try to stop the ball inside the small (inner) circle. Next 12: try to stop the ball inside the big (outer) circle but outside the small circle. Last 12: try to keep the ball anywhere on the green.

6

Hit one ball from each pile. Keep moving around the piles any way until all 36 shots are done using the right target for each group.

7

Count how many balls land in the right place for each group: inside the small circle for the first 12, in the big circle but outside the small one for the next 12, and anywhere on the green for the last

2

Enter score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3230282520161285

Next Step

Ready to start this program?

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