Course Program

Dial in your aim: pitch to a tight pin

Hit intended line, for a 26-handicap player, ~20 minutes at Warner Springs Ranch

Short GameAll teesProgram HCP 26.39 drills68% match to course practice profile

Program Snapshot

Handicap range

6 to 45

Average HCP

26.3

Duration (single session)

3 hr 54 min

or

1 drill/day: 9 days · 26 min/day

Ideal tee

All

Skill Distribution

Aim34%
Scoring19%
Distance Control12%
Alignment9%
Accuracy9%
Dispersion9%
Precision8%

Overview

Program Structure

Dial in your aim: pitch to a tight pin. Dial in aim and set sights. Focus on Aim, Scoring, Distance Control. For a 26-handicap player, in ~20 minutes.

Skill

Aim

Shot

Pitch

What you will improve

  • Aim
  • Scoring
  • Distance Control
  • Alignment

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

Pitch | Fairway | Above/Below Feet

Short Game

Hit 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 Pitch | Fairway | Above/Below Feet
1

Pick a place on the fairway where the ball is above your feet and about 30 to 40 yards from the hole.

2

Put 18 balls in a pile on your side at this spot.

3

Pick a target on the green and keep it the same for the first 6 shots.

4

Hit 6 pitch shots trying to get close to the target from the above-feet slope.

5

Change the target after every 6 shots. Do this 3 times for a total of 18 shots from this spot.

6

Move to a place where the ball is below your feet, again 30 to 40 yards from the hole.

7

Put 18 more balls in a pile at this new spot.

8

Do exactly the same as before: 6 shots per target, 3 targets, 18 shots total.

9

Count a shot as a success if the ball stops very close to the target.

0

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028262218131074
02

Pitch| Parallel Ball Lines | Bullseye 2x

Short Game

Align a bucket of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 2 parallel lines 20 balls per line and stop pitch shots inside the Bullseye. Count the number of balls in the inner and outer Bullseye.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Pitch| Parallel Ball Lines | Bullseye 2x
1

Put two lines of 18 balls on the ground, with lines 5-10 yards/meters apart, and balls 1 foot/30 cm apart in each line.

2

Mark two circles around the hole: an inner circle with a 6 ft/2 m radius, and an outer circle with a 15 ft/5 m radius.

3

Hit 36 shots, 18 from each line.

4

Hit 3 shots from the first line, then 3 from the second line, and keep switching every 3 shots until all 36 are done.

5

Count balls that stop in the inner or outer circle. Balls outside both circles are misses.

6

Enter the number of balls inside either circle in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score282624201612853
03

Pitch| Scattered Piles | Bullseye 2x

Short Game

Scatter a bucket of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 8 equal piles of 5 balls and stop pitch shots inside the Bullseye. Count the number of balls in the inner and outer Bullseye.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Pitch| Scattered Piles | Bullseye 2x
1

Put 40 balls into 8 piles of 5 balls each, on grass 30–60 yards/meters from the hole.

2

Mark two circles around the hole: one with a 6-foot (2-meter) radius, and one with a 15-foot (5-meter) radius.

3

Hit 36 pitch shots in 3 groups of 12 shots.

4

Aim 12 shots for the small circle, 12 shots for the area between the two circles, and 12 shots for the big circle (includes the small one).

5

Use balls from any pile, but keep where and how you hit them the same.

6

Count each ball that ends inside the correct circle as a success.

7

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score282624201612853
04

Pitch | Deep Rough and Other | Above/Below Feet

Short Game

Hit two buckets of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) from the sloped deep rough and other extreme grass types; one bucket with balls above feet level, one bucket with balls below feet level.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Pitch | Deep Rough and Other | Above/Below Feet
1

Set up 3 targets on the green, each about 6 feet apart in a line or curve.

2

Stand in the deep rough, 30 to 40 yards away, where the ground is sloped above or below your feet.

3

Hit 36 pitch shots: 18 with the ball above your feet, 18 with the ball below your feet.

4

Divide each set of 18 shots into 3 groups of 6 shots.

5

For each group, aim all 6 shots at one target, then switch to the next target.

6

Start with shots when the ball is above your feet: hit 6 shots at Target 1, 6 at Target 2, 6 at Target

7

Then hit from where the ball is below your feet: 6 shots at Target 1, 6 at Target 2, 6 at Target

8

Count each shot that lands and stays near the target as a success.

9

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score282623181411853
05

Pitch | Parallel Piles | Multiple Targets

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop a pitch shot closest to the multiple target(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 Pitch | Parallel Piles | Multiple Targets
1

Make 10 piles of balls in two lines with 5 piles in each line. Lines should be 5 to 10 yards apart. Piles in each line are 4 yards apart.

2

Put the piles on grass between 30 and 60 yards from the hole.

3

Mark 3 targets with flags or markers on the green so they are spaced out and easy to see.

4

Hit 36 pitch shots total, in 3 sets of 12 shots.

5

For each set, hit all 12 shots at the same target. Use Target 1 for the first set, Target 2 for the next, Target 3 for the last set.

6

For each shot, pick any pile you want, but try to land the ball close to the target.

7

After each shot, check if your ball stops inside the scoring zone around the target.

8

Count how many balls land inside the target zone.

9

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302825211612963
06

Pitch | Parallel Ball Lines | Multiple Targets

Short Game

Align a bucket of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 2 parallel lines 20 balls per line and stop pitch shots close to multiple targets. Count the number of successes.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Pitch | Parallel Ball Lines | Multiple Targets
1

Line up 36 balls in two lines of 18 balls each. Keep each line 5 to 10 yards apart. Each ball should be about 1 foot apart in the line.

2

Set up three targets on the green, at least 10 yards apart from each other.

3

From the first line, pitch 6 balls to each target (18 shots total).

4

From the second line, pitch 6 balls to each target (18 shots total).

5

A shot counts as a success if it stops within 10 feet (3 meters) of the target.

6

Count how many balls stopped within 10 feet of each target, and add all successes together.

7

Record your total score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028252218141063
07

Pitch | 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 pitch shots close to multiple targets. Count the number of successes.

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

Make 8 lines with 5 balls in each line, spread out the lines on grass about 30 to 60 meters from the hole.

2

Put 6 flags around the green, each at least 3 meters apart.

3

Use 36 balls, split into 6 groups of 6 balls.

4

For each group, pick one flag and hit all 6 balls to land near that flag.

5

Move to the next flag and hit the next group, until using all 6 flags.

6

Count each ball that stops within 3 meters of the flag.

7

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028262218141074
08

Pitch | Scattered Ball Lines | Quadrants

Short Game

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

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Pitch | Scattered Ball Lines | Quadrants
1

Scatter 40 balls in 8 lines of 5 balls each, spaced 1 yard/meter apart, between 30 and 60 yards/meters from the hole.

2

Divide a 15-foot (5-meter) circle around the hole into 4 equal quadrants using string or tees.

3

Hit 36 pitch shots, in 8 groups of 5 balls each, aiming at a specific quadrant for each group.

4

For each group of 5 shots, pick one quadrant as the target and try to stop all 5 balls inside it.

5

Change target quadrant after every group, using all 4 quadrants at least once. The last group can target any quadrant.

6

Count every ball that stops in the chosen quadrant as a success.

7

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3129262218141074
09

Pitch | Scattered Ball Lines | Bullseye 2x

Short Game

Scatter a bucket of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 8 equal lines of 5 balls and stop pitch shots inside the Bullseye. Count the number of balls in the inner and outer Bullseye.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Pitch | Scattered Ball Lines | Bullseye 2x
1

Set out 40 balls in 8 lines of 5 balls each on the grass, with each ball 1 yard/meter apart. Place the lines anywhere from 30 to 60 yards/meters from the hole.

2

Mark two circles on the green around the hole: one with a 6-foot (2-meter) radius and another with a 15-foot (5-meter) radius.

3

Hit 36 pitch shots, divided into 3 groups of 12 shots.

4

In each group, hit 6 balls aiming for the smaller circle and 6 balls aiming for the larger circle.

5

Pick any ball to hit, but finish the required shots to each target zone in each group before moving on.

6

Score 1 point for each ball inside the small circle, 0.5 points for each ball in the bigger circle but outside the small one, and 0 for any ball outside both circles.

7

Add the points from all 36 shots and enter your score, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score282623191512853

Next Step

Ready to start this program?

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

Dial in your aim: pitch to a tight pin | Warner Springs Ranch