Course Program

Pick a landing spot and stick it—pitching challenge

Pick landing spot, for a 15-handicap player, ~15 minutes at Whispering Oaks

Short GameAll teesProgram HCP 14.98 drills

Program Snapshot

Handicap range

6 to 25

Average HCP

14.9

Duration (single session)

3 hr 28 min

or

1 drill/day: 8 days · 26 min/day

Ideal tee

All

Skill Distribution

Accuracy35%
Scoring22%
Distance Control19%
Alignment14%
Visualization6%
Dispersion3%
Trajectory1%

Overview

Program Structure

Pick a landing spot and stick it—pitching challenge. Pitch close and pick landing spot. Focus on Accuracy, Scoring, Distance Control. For a 15-handicap player, in ~15 minutes.

Skill

Accuracy

Shot

Pitch

What you will improve

  • Accuracy
  • Scoring
  • Distance Control
  • 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

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, and one bucket with balls below feet level.

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

Choose two starting spots on a sloped fairway—one where the ball is above your feet, and one where it is below your feet.

2

Put 3 piles of 6 balls each above your feet, spaced between 30 and 60 yards from the hole.

3

Put 3 piles of 6 balls each below your feet, spaced between 30 and 60 yards from the hole.

4

Mark three target zones on the green: Left, Center, and Right, spaced about 6 feet apart.

5

Hit 6 shots from each above-feet pile, aiming at each target zone (18 shots total from above feet).

6

Hit 6 shots from each below-feet pile, aiming at each target zone (18 shots total from below feet).

7

Count a shot as successful if the ball stays in the target zone.

8

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score292724201512974
02

Pitch | Fairway | Uphill/Downhill

Short Game

Up to 5 players hit 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 Pitch | Fairway | Uphill/Downhill
1

Set up two target zones on the green: one uphill, one downhill. Use cones, clubs, or string to mark each zone about 6 feet wide.

2

From the fairway slope, 30 to 60 yards away, hit 36 pitch shots.

3

Split the 36 shots: 18 shots to the uphill zone, 18 shots to the downhill zone.

4

Keep your stance and ball setup the same for all shots.

5

First, hit 18 shots to the uphill zone. Then, hit 18 shots to the downhill zone.

6

Count a success if the ball lands and stays in the target zone.

7

When finished, add up the number of successful shots, and enter that number out of 36 attempts in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028262218141074
03

Pitch | Deep Rough and Other | Uphill/Downhill

Short Game

Hit 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 Pitch | Deep Rough and Other | Uphill/Downhill
1

Make 2 piles of 18 balls each, one uphill and one downhill, 30–60 yards from the hole.

2

Mark 3 target zones on the green: close (within 3 feet), medium (3 to 6 feet), far (6 to 10 feet) from the hole.

3

Hit 36 pitches in total, using both piles and aiming at all zones.

4

From the uphill pile, hit 3 shots at each zone (close, medium, far), for 9 shots.

5

From the downhill pile, repeat: 3 shots at each zone, for 9 shots.

6

Do steps 4 and 5 again, using both piles, until each slope has 18 shots (6 at each zone).

7

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

8

When finished, count successes and enter the number out of 36 attempts in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score292724201612853
04

Pitch | Deep Rough and Other | Uphill/Downhill

Short Game

Up to 5 players hit 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 Pitch | Deep Rough and Other | Uphill/Downhill
1

Prepare 36 balls in 6 groups of

2

Set up 2 target zones on the green: one uphill and one downhill, with markers 6 feet apart.

3

Hit 18 balls to the uphill zone and 18 to the downhill zone.

4

Hit 6 balls from the tough uphill spot to the uphill zone.

5

Hit 6 balls from the tough downhill spot to the downhill zone.

6

Do steps 4 and 5 two more times for all 36 shots.

7

Count each ball that stays in the right zone.

8

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028262218141074
05

Pitch | Parallel Ball Lines | Bullseye 2x

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop a pitch 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 Pitch | Parallel Ball Lines | Bullseye 2x
1

Put 4 straight lines of 9 balls each on the ground. Space balls 1 foot apart. Space each line 5 yards apart.

2

Set up these lines between 30 and 60 yards from the hole, on grass but not on the green.

3

On the green, make two circles around the hole: one with a 6-foot radius and one with a 15-foot radius.

4

Hit all 36 balls (9 from each line).

5

Hit every ball in a line before going to the next line. Any order.

6

Try to land each shot in the small or big circle around the hole.

7

If the ball stops inside the small circle, count as birdie. If the ball stops in the big circle but not the small, count as par.

8

Count how many balls finished in the big circle (including the small circle).

9

Enter this number in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302825211612853
06

Pitch| Scattered Piles | 9 Stop Zones

Short Game

Scatter a bucket of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 8 equal piles of 5 balls and stop pitch shots inside 9 Stop Zones. Count the number of successful stops.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Pitch| Scattered Piles | 9 Stop Zones
1

Separate 36 balls into 9 piles of 4 balls. Put them between 30 and 60 yards/meters from the hole.

2

Mark 9 stop zones on the green with tees, string, or markers. Make sure they are spaced out and about the same size.

3

Hit 36 pitch shots total, with 4 balls aimed at each zone.

4

Start at any pile and aim for the first zone. After 4 shots, aim for the next zone.

5

Keep hitting from different piles until you have aimed 4 shots at each of the 9 zones (36 shots total).

6

Count how many balls land and stop in the right zone.

7

Enter the number of successes in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score292724201612853
07

Pitch | 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 Pitch | Deep Rough and Other | Flat
1

Put 3 target zones on the green: left, center, right. Each 5 feet apart.

2

Put 12 balls in a pile, 30-60 yards from the hole, in deep rough.

3

Hit 12 shots trying to land in Zone A.

4

Hit 12 shots trying to land in Zone B.

5

Hit 12 shots trying to land in Zone C.

6

Keep balls in the same spot and rough for all shots.

7

Count each ball that lands and stays in the right zone.

8

After 36 shots, enter your number of successes into the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302825221713964
08

Pitch | 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 Pitch | Rough | Above/Below Feet
1

Make 3 piles of 6 balls each on sloped ground above your feet, 20 to 40 yards from the hole.

2

Make 3 piles of 6 balls each on sloped ground below your feet, same distance, opposite slope.

3

Hit 18 shots from above your feet and 18 shots from below your feet.

4

Mark 3 target zones on the green (left, center, right).

5

Hit 6 shots from above your feet at each zone.

6

Hit 6 shots from below your feet at each zone.

7

Score one point for each ball that lands and stops in the right zone.

8

Count successes and enter the total out of 36 attempts.

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.