Course Program

Thread the gap: precision short irons to the pin

Get close to pin, for a 33-handicap player, ~30 minutes at Winkler County Golf Course

Driving RangeAll teesProgram HCP 32.58 drills33% match to course practice profile

Program Snapshot

Handicap range

10 to 45

Average HCP

32.5

Duration (single session)

4 hr 8 min

or

1 drill/day: 8 days · 31 min/day

Ideal tee

All

Skill Distribution

Precision32%
Mechanics23%
Trajectory22%
Aim8%
Scoring8%
Dispersion4%
Visualization3%

Overview

Program Structure

Thread the gap: precision short irons to the pin. Thread the gap and leave tap-ins. Focus on Precision, Mechanics, Trajectory. For a 33-handicap player, in ~30 minutes.

Skill

Precision

Club

Short irons (9,8)

What you will improve

  • Precision
  • Mechanics
  • Trajectory
  • Aim

Program details

Sessions
8 focused drills
Recommended
2–3 sessions / week
Total duration
4 hr 8 min
or
1 drill per day
8 days · 31 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

Short irons (9,8) | GIRs Simulation

Driving Range

Simulate X number of GIR (Green in Regulations) using short irons only. Hit one bucket of ~50 balls. Count total number of greens hit.

31 minFocus: Driving Range
Diagram for Short irons (9,8) | GIRs Simulation
1

Pick a flag for your 9 or 8 iron on the range.

2

Make a green zone around the flag with cones, buckets, or imagine a small circle (5% of the distance to the flag).

3

Split 36 shots into 3 groups of

4

Try to land each shot in the green zone.

5

Change between 9 and 8 iron, but keep ball setup the same.

6

Count how many balls landed in the green zone when all 36 are done. Enter your score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score312926221713963
02

Short irons (9,8) | Backswing

Driving Range

Work only on backswing using short irons only. Hit one bucket of ~50 balls.

31 minFocus: Driving Range
Diagram for Short irons (9,8) | Backswing
1

Pick one flag or target on the range suitable for short irons (9 or 8).

2

Hit 36 shots using only short irons (9 or 8), focusing solely on backswing.

3

Use at most two backswing thoughts or tasks to produce any ball flight pattern.

4

Set up the same for each shot, using the same swing thoughts.

5

After each shot, observe the ball flight relative to the target.

6

Finish all 36 shots, switching irons if desired. At the end, total the number of successful shots and enter your score in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3129272319151174
03

Short irons (9,8) | Impact and Follow Through

Driving Range

Work only on impact and follow through using short irons only. Hit one bucket of ~50 balls.

31 minFocus: Driving Range
Diagram for Short irons (9,8) | Impact and Follow Through
1

Pick a flag or marker on the range suitable for your 8- or 9-iron shots.

2

Hit 36 shots, all aiming at the same target.

3

Focus on good contact and smooth swings with your 8- or 9-iron.

4

Set up the ball the same way every time.

5

After completing all 36 shots, count how many balls landed within a 5-foot area around the target.

6

Enter your score out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score2927252218141074
04

Short irons (9,8) | Takeaway

Driving Range

Work only on takeaway using short irons only. Hit one bucket of ~50 balls.

31 minFocus: Driving Range
Diagram for Short irons (9,8) | Takeaway
1

Set up a single target suitable for your 8 or 9 iron.

2

Hit 36 shots aiming exclusively at this target.

3

Focus on your takeaway, working on at most two takeaway thoughts or tasks to influence the ball flight.

4

Keep your setup and stance consistent throughout the drill.

5

After each shot, check if the ball lands near the target.

6

Count the shots that land near the target as successes.

7

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028252218141174
05

Short irons (9,8) | Opposite Shots Challenge

Driving Range

Complete the Opposite Shots Challenge using short irons only. Hit one bucket of ~50 balls.

31 minFocus: Driving Range
Diagram for Short irons (9,8) | Opposite Shots Challenge
1

Pick one target on the driving range for short irons (9 or 8 iron).

2

Break the test into 4 groups of 9 shots (36 total shots).

3

In each group, hit alternating pairs of opposite shot types: fade/draw, high/low, pull/fade, push/draw.

4

Hit 5 pairs, but drop 1 shot from the last pair so each group is 9 shots.

5

Use only 9 or 8 irons with the same ball setup for every shot.

6

Try to make each shot land near the target and curve the right way.

7

Count as a success if the shot matches the shape and lands near the target.

8

Do all 4 groups for a total of 36 shots.

9

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302825211612853
06

Short irons (9,8) | Downswing

Driving Range

Work only on downswing using short irons only. Hit one bucket of ~50 balls.

31 minFocus: Driving Range
Diagram for Short irons (9,8) | Downswing
1

Pick a flag or target on the driving range suitable for short irons (9 or 8).

2

Take 36 shots using only the 9 or 8 iron.

3

Focus solely on your downswing, using at most two swing thoughts or tasks to control the ball flight.

4

Aim at the same single target for all 36 shots.

5

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

6

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3129272419151174
07

Short irons (9,8) | Low/Mid/High Shot

Driving Range

Produce low/mid/high shots using short irons only. Hit one bucket of ~50 balls.

31 minFocus: Driving Range
Diagram for Short irons (9,8) | Low/Mid/High Shot
1

Pick one target suitable for short irons (9 or 8 iron).

2

Use the same ball setup and position for all shots.

3

Hit 36 shots in 3 groups of 12: 12 low shots, 12 mid shots, and 12 high shots, all aimed at the same target.

4

Try to make each shot fly at the correct height: low, mid, or high.

5

Count shots that land close and stop near the target as successes.

6

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3230282520151285
08

Short irons (9,8) | Left-to-R and Right-to-L Shot

Driving Range

Produce left-to-right and right-to-left shots using short irons only. Hit one bucket of ~50 balls.

31 minFocus: Driving Range
Diagram for Short irons (9,8) | Left-to-R and Right-to-L Shot
1

Pick a target suitable for short iron shots (9 or 8 iron).

2

Hit 36 shots: alternate between producing left-to-right and right-to-left ball flights, all aimed at the same target.

3

Use the same setup and stance for every shot, focusing on shaping the ball to curve correctly.

4

Count shots that land and stop near the target as successful.

5

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3230282520161285

Next Step

Ready to start this program?

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

Thread the gap: precision short irons to the pin | Winkler County Golf Course