Score 18 challenge
Randomly place 9 golf balls around the green in a variety of positions — short chips, longer shots, uphill, downhill, rough, and tight lies.
The challenge is simple:
- Chip each ball onto the green
- Then try to hole the putt
- Your target score is 18 or better
That means averaging:
- 1 chip
- 1 putt
for every ball.
It’s a lofty goal, but a fantastic way to test and improve your short game skills under pressure.
This drill encourages players to:
- Think carefully about shot selection
- Focus on landing areas and pace
- Develop consistency around the greens
- Build confidence with both chipping and putting
To make it even more competitive, keep track of scores over time and try to beat your personal best.
Chip zone drill
Place several golf clubs on the ground, spacing them about 2–3 metres apart to create landing zones.
Using your favourite chipping club, try to land the ball in each zone one after another.
For example:
- First chip lands in Zone 1
- Next chip lands in Zone 2
- Then Zone 3, and so on
The challenge is to complete every zone in order without missing. If you fail to land the ball in the correct zone, start again from the beginning.
This drill is excellent for developing:
- Distance control
- Feel and touch
- Consistency of strike
- Focus under pressure
As players improve, make the zones smaller or increase the distance between them to add difficulty and variety.
Choose your club drill
Around the edge of a green, lay several clubs on the ground with a golf ball beside each one. Use a variety of clubs that could all be used for chipping — for example:
- 7 iron
- 8 iron
- 9 iron
- Pitching wedge
- Gap wedge
- Sand wedge
- 60-degree wedge
Play one shot with each club toward the same hole and observe how differently the ball reacts.
Notice:
- How high the ball launches
- How much the ball rolls after landing
- Which club feels easiest to control
- Which club gets closest to the hole
Rotate the clubs and change targets for variation.
This drill helps players understand that there is more than one way to play a chip shot. It builds creativity, decision-making, and feel around the greens while teaching players how different clubs can produce different ball flights and roll-out distances.
The towel drill
Place a towel on the ground just behind your golf ball — about one clubhead width away.
The aim of the drill is to chip the ball cleanly without hitting the towel. This encourages better contact, helping players strike down correctly and avoid “chunking” their chips.
Once you become consistent at missing the towel, progress the drill by moving the towel out in front of you and using it as a landing zone.
- Try to land the ball on the towel and let it roll out toward the hole.
- Experiment with different clubs and landing spots.
- Focus on developing feel and understanding how the ball reacts after landing.
This is an excellent drill for improving contact, confidence, and distance control around the greens.
Putting distance drill
A great way to improve your distance control on the greens is to match the length of your stroke to the distance the ball travels.
Place 4 golf balls in a line directly behind your ball and another 4 golf balls directly in front of it. The balls act as markers for your stroke length.
- Take the putter back to the length of the 4 balls behind the ball.
- Then swing through to the length of the 4 balls in front.
- Observe how far the putt rolls.
Once you’ve done that, repeat the drill using:
- 3 balls back and through
- 2 balls back and through
- 1 ball back and through
The goal is not accuracy — it’s learning how different stroke lengths affect distance. Over time, you’ll begin to build a natural feel for how far the ball rolls with each size of putting stroke.
This is a simple but effective drill for juniors and experienced golfers alike, helping players develop rhythm, consistency, and better pace control on the greens.
