Course Program

Stop Ball on Dime

Stop on a dime, for a 26-handicap player, ~20 minutes at The River Club Golf Course

Short GameAll teesProgram HCP 26.38 drills54% match to course practice profile

Program Snapshot

Handicap range

10 to 45

Average HCP

26.3

Duration (single session)

3 hr 28 min

or

1 drill/day: 8 days · 26 min/day

Ideal tee

All

Skill Distribution

Distance Control34%
Accuracy20%
Alignment17%
Dispersion13%
Scoring7%
Aim5%
Trajectory2%
Precision1%

Overview

Program Structure

Stop Ball on Dime. Vary landing spot and stop on a dime. Focus on Distance Control, Accuracy, Alignment, Dispersion, Scoring, Aim, Trajectory, Precision. For a 26-handicap player, in ~20 minutes.

Skill

Distance Control

Shot

Chip

What you will improve

  • Distance Control
  • Accuracy
  • Alignment
  • Dispersion

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

Chip | Rough | Uphill/Downhill

Short Game

Up to 5 players hit two buckets of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) from the sloped rough grass; one bucket from the uphill slope and one bucket from the downhill slope.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Chip | Rough | Uphill/Downhill
1

Prepare 36 golf balls in 3 piles of 12 balls each.

2

Set up 3 target zones on the putting green: one uphill, one flat, one downhill.

3

From the rough, 5 to 30 yards away, chip 12 balls to land and stop in the uphill zone.

4

Chip 12 balls to the flat zone.

5

Chip 12 balls to the downhill zone.

6

A shot counts as a success if the ball lands and stops in the correct zone.

7

Keep the ball setup the same for each shot. Only change which zone to aim for.

8

Count how many shots landed and stopped in the right zones out of 36 attempts, and enter the score in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score312926221713963
02

Chip | Rough | Above/Below Feet

Short Game

Up to 5 players hit two buckets of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) from the sloped rough grass; one bucket with balls above feet level, and one bucket with balls below feet level.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Chip | Rough | Above/Below Feet
1

Put 3 target zones on the green, 6 feet apart in a line to the hole.

2

Set up two groups of balls for each player in the rough: one with balls above feet, one with balls below feet, from 5 to 30 yards away.

3

Hit 36 chip shots: 18 to the first target, 18 to the second target.

4

First, hit 18 shots from above feet to the first target.

5

Then, hit 18 shots from below feet to the second target.

6

Count a shot as a success if the ball stops inside the target zone.

7

Do not move the balls; only change target when needed.

8

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028262218141074
03

Chip | Perpendicular Piles | Quadrants

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop a chip 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 Chip | Perpendicular Piles | Quadrants
1

Set up 10 piles of balls in two lines: 5 piles in each line, 3 yards apart, and the lines 5 to 10 yards away from each other. Piles are 5 to 30 yards from the hole.

2

Use string or tees to mark 4 equal areas around the hole, each 6 feet from the hole.

3

Hit 36 chip shots, split into 4 groups of

9

Aim each group at a different area.

4

Start from a pile, chip 9 balls at the first area, then move to another pile for the next area. Do this until all 4 areas have 9 shots each.

5

Each shot that stops in the right area is a success.

6

Count the number of successful shots out of 36 and enter your score in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3230282520161285
04

Chip | Parallel Ball Lines | Multiple Targets

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop a chip 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 Chip | Parallel Ball Lines | Multiple Targets
1

Set up 4 rows of balls. Each row has 9 balls, 1 foot apart.

2

Space the rows 5 yards apart on grass, between 5 and 30 yards from the hole.

3

Put 3 targets by the hole: A at 12 o'clock, B at 4 o'clock, C at 8 o'clock, each 3 feet from the hole.

4

Split the 36 shots into 3 groups of

2

First 12 shots go to Target A, next 12 to Target B, last 12 to Target C.

5

From each row, chip the ball to try to stop it close to the chosen target. Ball setup does not change.

6

After 12 shots at one target, switch to the next target. Repeat until all 36 shots are finished.

7

Each ball that stops within 2 feet of the target is a success.

8

Count how many successes you had and enter your score in the app out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3129262318141074
05

Chip | Fairway | Above/Below Feet

Short Game

Up to 5 players hit two buckets of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) from the sloped fairway; one bucket with balls above feet level, and one bucket with balls below feet level.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Chip | Fairway | Above/Below Feet
1

Put 36 golf balls into 3 piles of

2

Place each pile 5 to 20 yards from the hole.

2

At the green's edge, set up 3 target zones in a line, each 4 feet apart. Mark them Zone A (closest), Zone B (middle), and Zone C (farthest).

3

Keep ball positions the same: first pile on a slope above feet, second pile on flat ground, third pile on a slope below feet.

4

Hit 12 chip shots to Zone A from the above feet position.

5

Hit 12 chip shots to Zone B from the flat position.

6

Hit 12 chip shots to Zone C from below feet position.

7

Count how many shots land and stay in the intended zone.

8

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302825211612853
06

Chip | Scattered Piles | Quadrants

Short Game

Scatter a bucket of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 8 equal piles of 5 balls and stop chip shots inside quadrants. Count the number of successes.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Chip | Scattered Piles | Quadrants
1

Scatter 40 balls into 8 piles of 5 balls each between 5 and 30 yards from the hole.

2

On the green, use markers to make a 6-foot circle around the hole and divide it into 4 quadrants.

3

Hit 36 chip shots.

4

Hit 9 shots at each of the 4 quadrants.

5

Hit each shot from a different pile and try to land it in the right quadrant.

6

Count a shot as a success if it stops in the correct quadrant.

7

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3230282520161285
07

Chip | Scattered Ball Lines | Multiple Targets

Short Game

Scatter a bucket of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 8 equal lines of 5 balls and stop chip shots close to multiple targets. Count the number of successes.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Chip | Scattered Ball Lines | Multiple Targets
1

Put 40 golf balls in 8 lines, 5 balls in each line, each ball 1 yard apart.

2

Set up 8 flags as targets, spaced apart so each one is clear.

3

Chip all 5 balls from each line to a different target flag.

4

Aim for all shots to land within 10 feet (3 meters) of the target flag.

5

Do this for all 8 lines for a total of 40 chips.

6

Only count 36 shots: skip 4 balls or do 4 fewer shots.

7

Give a point for each ball that stops within 10 feet (3 meters) of the target.

8

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3129262218141074
08

Chip | Deep Rough and Other | Flat

Short Game

Up to 5 players hit two buckets of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) from the flat deep rough and other extreme grass types.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Chip | Deep Rough and Other | Flat
1

Set up 3 target zones on the green at 6, 12, and 18 feet from the hole.

2

Place 36 golf balls between 5 and 30 yards from the hole in the flat deep rough.

3

Split the 36 balls into 3 groups of 12, with each group aimed at one zone.

4

Hit from the same rough spot, aiming at the same zone, until you finish 12 shots for that zone.

5

Count a ball as a success if it lands and stays in the right zone.

6

Add up all successful chips. Enter your score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028262218141174

Next Step

Ready to start this program?

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