Course Program

Vary your landing spot and see how soft you can land it

Feel the distance, for a 21-handicap player, ~20 minutes at Thompson Oaks Golf Course

Short GameAll teesProgram HCP 20.98 drills

Program Snapshot

Handicap range

7 to 45

Average HCP

20.9

Duration (single session)

3 hr 27 min

or

1 drill/day: 8 days · 26 min/day

Ideal tee

All

Skill Distribution

Distance Control30%
Aim14%
Precision13%
Accuracy11%
Alignment10%
Scoring9%
Trajectory8%
Dispersion4%

Overview

Program Structure

Vary your landing spot and see how soft you can land it. Feel the distance and stop close from tight lie. Focus on Distance Control, Aim, Precision. For a 21-handicap player, in ~20 minutes.

Skill

Distance Control

Shot

Flop

What you will improve

  • Distance Control
  • Aim
  • Precision
  • Accuracy

Program details

Sessions
8 focused drills
Recommended
2–3 sessions / week
Total duration
3 hr 27 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 | Parallel Piles | 3 Landing Zones

Short Game

Align a bucket of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 10 equal parallel piles of 4 balls and hit-and-land flop shots inside landing zones. Count the number of successes.

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

Set up 36 balls in 9 piles of 4 balls each, in two lines, 5–20 yards from the hole.

2

Put markers on the green to make 3 landing zones, each zone 6 feet apart in a line.

3

Hit 36 flop shots total, 12 to each landing zone.

4

Hit from any pile at the first zone for 12 shots, then move to the next zone for the next 12, then the third zone for the last 12 shots.

5

Switch piles after each shot, but keep the set up and distances the same.

6

Count shots that land and stay in the correct zone.

7

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302825211713963
02

Flop | Fairway | Uphill/Downhill

Short Game

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

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Flop | Fairway | Uphill/Downhill
1

Make 2 target areas on the green: one uphill, one downhill, about 6 feet apart.

2

Use markers to show the edges of each target area.

3

Choose a spot 20 yards from the hole and set up golf balls for uphill shots.

4

Hit 18 flop shots, trying to land each one in the uphill area. Try to keep each ball inside the zone.

5

Move to the downhill area, same distance from the hole.

6

Hit 18 flop shots, trying to land each one in the downhill area.

7

Keep all shots from the same spot on each slope. Do not move the ball for each shot.

8

Count shots that stop inside the right target area.

9

Add up the total number of successful shots and enter your score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028262218141074
03

Flop | Parallel Ball Lines | Multiple Targets

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop a flop 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 Flop | Parallel Ball Lines | Multiple Targets
1

Make 4 straight lines of 9 balls each on the grass. Keep each line 5 yards or meters apart.

2

Put the balls in each line about 1 foot apart.

3

Pick 3 targets (like flags or markers) in different spots around the green.

4

Hit 36 shots, in 3 groups of 12 shots.

5

Hit all balls in the first group to Target 1, then switch to Target 2 for the next group, and Target 3 for the last group.

6

Hit each ball trying to stop it close to the target for that group.

7

Count every ball that stops within 3 feet of the target as a success.

8

Add up the number of successful shots, out of 36 attempts, and enter 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 | Parallel Ball Lines | 3 Landing Zones

Short Game

Align a bucket of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 2 parallel 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 | Parallel Ball Lines | 3 Landing Zones
1

Place 40 balls in two lines of 20 balls. The balls in each line are 1 foot apart. The two lines are 5 to 10 yards apart.

2

On the green use sticks or string to make 3 landing zones in a straight line. Each zone is 6 feet apart.

3

Hit 36 flop shots from the ball lines to the landing zones.

4

Make 3 groups of 12 shots.

5

For each group aim for only one landing zone.

6

After each group of 12 shots, switch to the other ball line.

7

Count every shot that stops in the right landing zone.

8

When all 36 shots are done, add up your successful shots out of 36 attempts and enter your score in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028252218141074
06

Flop | Perpendicular Piles | Quadrants

Short Game

Align a bucket of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 10 equal perpendicular piles of 4 balls and stop flop shots inside quadrants. Count the number of successes.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Flop | Perpendicular Piles | Quadrants
1

Arrange 40 balls into 10 piles of 4 balls each. Set the piles in 2 lines that cross each other, with 5 piles in each line, about 2 meters apart.

2

Place the piles on grass 5 to 20 meters from the hole, not on the green.

3

On the green, use string or markers to divide a 10-foot (3 meters) circle around the hole into 4 equal parts.

4

Hit 36 flop shots, 9 shots for each quadrant, trying to stop the ball inside each part.

5

Take turns hitting from different piles, aiming for the set part each time.

6

If the ball stops in the right part, count it as a success.

7

After all 36 shots, count the total successes and enter the number out of 36 in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028252218141074
07

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

25 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Flop | Scattered Ball Lines | Multiple Targets
1

Make 7 lines of 5 balls each (35 balls total), with balls 1 yard apart. Put the lines on grass 5 to 20 yards from the hole, not on the green.

2

Put 5 markers on the green, each 6 feet apart.

3

Match each line of balls to a marker on the green.

4

Hit all 5 balls in the line as flop shots at the marker. Move to the next line and repeat with the next marker.

5

Count how many balls land within 10 feet of the marker.

6

When done, count total balls inside 10 feet, and enter score in the app out of 35 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions35
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028252218141074
08

Flop | Deep Rough and Other | Uphill/Downhill

Short Game

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

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Flop | Deep Rough and Other | Uphill/Downhill
1

Split 36 balls into two groups of

2

Make two target zones on the green, each about 5 feet wide: Zone A (left), Zone B (right).

3

For the first 18 balls, hit from uphill rough and try to land in Zone A.

4

For the next 18 balls, hit from downhill rough and try to land in Zone B.

5

All shots should be from the same spot in deep rough, 10 to 15 yards from the green.

6

Count balls that land and stay in the correct zone.

7

After 36 shots, enter the number of successes (out of 36) in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028262218141074

Next Step

Ready to start this program?

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