Course Program

Keep Ball Close To Hole

Use a short swing, for a 35-handicap player, ~30 minutes at Valley Hills

Short GameAll teesProgram HCP 358 drills

Program Snapshot

Handicap range

25 to 45

Average HCP

35

Duration (single session)

3 hr 28 min

or

1 drill/day: 8 days · 26 min/day

Ideal tee

All

Skill Distribution

Distance Control28%
Aim20%
Scoring16%
Alignment14%
Trajectory8%
Dispersion6%
Accuracy5%
Precision4%

Overview

Program Structure

Keep Ball Close To Hole. Focus on clean contact and use a short swing. Focus on Distance Control, Aim, Scoring. For a 35-handicap player, in ~30 minutes.

Shot

Bump'n'Run

What you will improve

  • Distance Control
  • Aim
  • Scoring
  • Alignment

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

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

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 Bullseye. Count the number of balls in the inner and outer Bullseye.

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

Place a bucket of balls next to the green with 2 straight lines of 20 balls arranged perpendicular to each other.

2

Space the lines 5 to 10 yards/meters apart, with each ball about 1 foot (30 cm) apart in each line.

3

Mark two circles on the green: an inner circle with a 6-foot (2 m) radius and an outer circle with a 15-foot (5 m) radius around the hole.

4

Hit 36 bump-and-run shots in 2 sets of 18 shots, switching between the two lines.

5

Hit 3 to 5 shots from one line, then switch to the other line, until all 36 balls are played.

6

Try to land balls in the circles: inside the inner circle is best, inside the outer circle is okay.

7

Count how many balls stopped inside the outer circle (including the inner circle), and enter your score in the app out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302825201512964
02

Bump-n-Run | Fairway | Above/Below Feet

Short Game

Hit bump-n-run shot two buckets of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) from the sloped fairway; one bucket with balls above feet level, one bucket with balls below feet level.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Bump-n-Run | Fairway | Above/Below Feet
1

Gather 36 balls and split them into 2 groups of

2

Stand on a slope where the ball is above your feet for the first 18 shots.

3

Choose one target on the green to aim at.

4

Hit 18 bump-and-run shots, trying to get close to the target from this lie.

5

Move to a slope where the ball is below your feet for the next 18 shots.

6

Hit 18 bump-and-run shots at the same target from this lie.

7

Count how many balls stop close to the pin. Record that number as your score out of 36 in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3129262218141063
03

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

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 close to multiple targets. Count the number of successes.

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

Put a bucket with 40 balls by the green. Set up two lines of 18 balls each, 1 foot apart. The lines are 6 feet apart.

2

Pick 3 different targets on the green. Each target should be 6 feet apart from the others.

3

Hit 12 shots at Target 1 from the first line.

4

Hit 12 shots at Target 2 from the second line.

5

Hit 12 shots at Target 3 from the first line.

6

Use the same setup for all shots. Leave balls in place between 1 and 10 yards from the green, and 5 to 30 yards from the hole.

7

A shot is a success if it stops within 10 feet of the target.

8

Count how many successful shots out of 36 attempts and enter score in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3230282520161285
04

Bump-n-Run | Parallel Ball Lines | 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. Up to 80 balls are needed.

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

Set up 4 lines of 9 balls each, with balls 1 foot apart.

2

Place the lines on grass, 1 to 10 yards from the green, 5 yards between lines.

3

Mark two circles on the green around the hole: one with a 6-foot radius, another with a 15-foot radius.

4

Hit 36 shots, in two groups of 18 shots.

5

For the first 18 shots, aim for the small circle. For the next 18 shots, aim for the big circle.

6

Hit balls in order from any line, switch lines as wanted.

7

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

8

After 36 shots, count how many hit their target circles and enter your score in the app out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3331282520161285
05

Bump-n-Run | Perpendicular Piles | 3 Landing Zones

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 hit-and-land bump-n-run shots inside landing zones. Count the number of successes.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Bump-n-Run | Perpendicular Piles | 3 Landing Zones
1

Set up 10 piles of balls with 4 balls in each pile.

2

Make 3 landing zones on the green, 6 feet apart in a straight line.

3

Hit 36 shots, with 12 shots at each landing zone.

4

Start from any pile and try to land 12 balls in the first landing zone.

5

After 12 shots, aim 12 shots at the second zone, then 12 at the third zone.

6

Count each ball that stays in the correct zone as a success.

7

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3129262318141074
06

Bump-n-Run | Rough | Above/Below Feet

Short Game

Hit bump-n-run shot two buckets of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) from the sloped rough grass; one bucket with balls above feet level, one bucket with balls below feet level.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Bump-n-Run | Rough | Above/Below Feet
1

Put the ball in the sloped rough, 5 to 30 yards from the hole, with the ball above your feet.

2

Place three targets evenly spaced left, center, and right of the hole, all about the same distance from your ball.

3

Hit 36 bump-and-run shots: 18 with the ball above your feet and 18 with the ball below your feet.

4

For each lie, split the 18 shots into 3 groups of 6, one group for each target.

5

With the ball above your feet, hit 6 shots to the left target, 6 to center, and 6 to right, in any order.

6

Move the ball below your feet and repeat: 6 shots to left, 6 to center, 6 to right.

7

Count each shot that stops inside the target area as a success.

8

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028262218141074
07

Bump-n-Run | 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 next to the green and hit-and-land bump-n-run shots inside landing zones. Count the number of successes.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Bump-n-Run | Parallel Piles | 3 Landing Zones
1

Set up 9 piles of 4 balls each (36 balls total) near the green. Put the piles on different grass areas between 1 and 10 yards/meters from the green and 5 to 30 yards/meters from the hole.

2

Use sticks, clubs, or string to mark 3 landing zones (6 feet or 2 meters apart) in a straight line at the edge of the green.

3

Hit 36 bump-and-run shots: 12 to each landing zone (Zone 1, Zone 2, Zone 3).

4

Hit from any pile and switch piles for variety. Hit 12 balls to Zone 1, then 12 to Zone 2, then 12 to Zone

5

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

6

After all 36 shots, enter total successful shots (out of 36 attempts) in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3230282520161285
08

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

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 close to multiple targets. Count the number of successes.

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

Scatter 36 balls into 6 lines of 6 balls each on grass near the green. Put each line 1 to 10 yards or meters from the green and 5 to 30 yards or meters from the hole.

2

At the edge of the green, set up 3 targets spaced about 6 feet (2 meters) apart in a straight line. Name them Target 1, Target 2, and Target

3

Hit 36 bump-and-run shots. Aim 12 shots at Target 1, 12 at Target 2, and 12 at Target

4

From each line, hit all 6 balls at the chosen target for that group of 12 shots. Switch targets after every 12 shots.

5

A shot is a success if the ball stops within 10 feet (3 meters) of the target.

6

Record how many shots land inside the 10-foot zone, out of 36 attempts, and enter the score 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.