Course Program

Up-and-down contest: how many can you save in a row?

Turn into birdies, for a 20-handicap player, ~20 minutes at Yoshii Nanyoudai

Short GameAll teesProgram HCP 20.48 drills

Program Snapshot

Handicap range

6 to 45

Average HCP

20.4

Duration (single session)

3 hr 28 min

or

1 drill/day: 8 days · 26 min/day

Ideal tee

All

Skill Distribution

Scoring36%
Accuracy16%
Aim15%
Alignment10%
Dispersion6%
Visualization6%
Precision4%
Distance Control4%
Trajectory3%

Overview

Program Structure

Up-and-down contest: how many can you save in a row?. Save par clutch and up-and-down contest. Focus on Scoring, Accuracy, Aim. For a 20-handicap player, in ~20 minutes.

Skill

Scoring

Shot

Pitch

What you will improve

  • Scoring
  • Accuracy
  • Aim
  • 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| 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
02

Pitch | Parallel Ball Lines | Quadrants

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 quadrants. Count the number of successes.

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

Arrange 40 balls in 2 lines of 20 balls each, 5 to 10 yards apart, with 1 foot between each ball.

2

Set up a 15-foot circle on the green, and divide it into 4 equal quadrants using string or tees.

3

Hit 36 pitch shots: 18 from the first line and 18 from the second line.

4

Hit 9 shots at each quadrant, for 4 groups of 9 shots.

5

Hit 9 shots from the first line to the first quadrant.

6

Hit 9 shots from the second line to the second quadrant.

7

Hit 9 shots from the first line to the third quadrant.

8

Hit 9 shots from the second line to the fourth quadrant. Enter score in the app out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score312926221813963
03

Pitch | Fairway | Flat

Short Game

Hit two buckets of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) from the flat fairway.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Pitch | Fairway | Flat
1

Pick two spots on the fairway that are 30 to 60 yards from the hole.

2

Put three targets on the green, spaced at least 6 feet apart.

3

Hit 18 pitch shots from the first spot and 18 pitch shots from the second spot.

4

From each spot, hit 6 shots to each target.

5

Line up and aim at each target before hitting.

6

Count every shot that lands close to the target and stops there as a success.

7

After all 36 shots, record how many were successful out of 36 in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028252218141074
04

Pitch | Rough | Above/Below Feet

Short Game

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

Find a rough, sloped area near the green where golf balls can sit above or below foot level.

2

Place two piles of 18 balls each: one pile on a slope above foot level, one pile below foot level, both 30-40 yards from the hole.

3

Mark three zones on the green in a line, 6 feet apart. These show where to land and stop the ball.

4

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

5

From above your feet, hit 6 shots at each zone in order.

6

From below your feet, hit 6 shots at each zone in order.

7

Count the shots that land and stop in the correct zone.

8

Use the same stance and ball position each time.

9

After all 36 shots, count how many successes, and enter the score in the app out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302724201612963
05

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, and one bucket with balls below feet level.

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

Put 4 piles of 9 balls on a slope, 2 piles above feet, 2 piles below feet, 30 to 60 yards from the hole.

2

Mark 3 target zones on the green: left, center, right, each about 6 feet wide.

3

Hit 36 pitch shots, 18 from above feet piles, 18 from below feet piles.

4

For each area (above and below feet), hit 6 shots to each zone.

5

Switch between piles of the same area as you hit, aiming for the target zone.

6

A shot counts if the ball stops in the right zone.

7

Count how many shots went in the target zones and enter score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score292724201612964
06

Pitch | Scattered Piles | 3 Landing Zones

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to land a pitch shot inside the landing zone(s). The player with the most points wins the challenge. One bucket of balls per player is needed.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Pitch | Scattered Piles | 3 Landing Zones
1

Set up 3 target zones on the green in a straight line, 6 feet apart.

2

Make 6 piles of balls between 30 and 60 yards from the hole.

3

Split 36 balls into 3 groups of

4

Hit 12 shots to target zone 1 from any pile.

5

Hit 12 shots to target zone 2 from any pile.

6

Hit 12 shots to target zone 3 from any pile.

7

Count how many shots stop inside the correct zone.

8

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302826221713963
07

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
08

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

Next Step

Ready to start this program?

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