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Week 1: Swing Week 2: Short Game 🔒 Week 3: Course Mgmt 🔒 Week 4: Mental Game 🔒
1
Week One Free

Build a Swing You Can Trust

This week isn't about overhauling your swing. It's about making what you have more repeatable under pressure.

What this week fixes

  • Inconsistent contact
  • Pushes and pulls
  • Lack of confidence over the ball

What you'll gain

  • More solid strikes
  • Predictable ball flight
  • A repeatable pre-shot routine
Alignment Stick Gate Drill
Swing path consistency

Most amateurs don't have a swing problem — they have an alignment problem. Two sticks create a visual gate that trains your clubhead to travel on a consistent path through impact.

How to Do It

  1. Place two alignment sticks parallel to your target line, about 6 inches apart, just ahead of the ball.
  2. Set a third stick along your toe line aimed at the target.
  3. Hit shots with a 7-iron. Swing the clubhead cleanly through the gate without touching either stick.
  4. Start with half-swings. Once you pass through 8 out of 10 times, go to full swings.
  5. Narrow the gate by 1 inch each session.
15 minutes
🎯 30 balls
📈 3 sessions
If the gate feels easy, you're ready to narrow it. That's progress.
Progression Checkpoint

By end of week: pass through a 5-inch gate on full swings, 7 out of 10 attempts.

Source: Based on Ben Hogan's swing plane principles from Five Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf. Hogan emphasized that a consistent swing plane is the foundation of shot accuracy.
🎶
9-to-3 Tempo Drill
Rhythm and balance

A rushed backswing is the most common amateur timing fault. This waist-to-waist swing eliminates the urge to overswing and isolates smooth acceleration through the ball.

How to Do It

  1. Take your 8-iron. Set up normally.
  2. Swing back only to waist height — hands at trailing hip, shaft parallel to ground.
  3. Swing through to waist height on the other side.
  4. Count "one" on backswing, "and-two" through impact. The transition should feel unhurried.
  5. Ball should travel 60-70% of your normal 8-iron distance. If more, you're swinging too hard.
  6. After 15 shots, extend to a 10-to-2 swing, keeping the same tempo feel.
12 minutes
🎯 25 balls
📈 4 sessions
If this feels easier than full swings, you're doing it right. Don't chase distance — chase repeatable.
Progression Checkpoint

10 consecutive 9-to-3 shots within a 15-yard circle. Consistent distance = consistent tempo.

Source: Adapted from Ben Hogan's tempo concepts in Five Lessons. Hogan taught that the downswing should be initiated by the lower body while the hands "wait."
Enjoying these? There are 12 more drills in the full system. See all 4 weeks →
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One-Club Challenge
Course management introduction

Play 9 holes with only your 7-iron and putter. No club selection anxiety. Just positioning, trajectory control, and creative shotmaking.

How to Do It

  1. Go to the course with only your 7-iron and putter.
  2. Play 9 holes. Tee off, approach, and chip with the 7-iron.
  3. Before every shot, ask: "Where is the safest place to put this ball?"
  4. Track your score and count how many times you avoided trouble by choosing conservative targets.
  5. After the round, write down the three smartest decisions you made.
~90 minutes
🎯 9 holes
📈 Once this week
Most players surprise themselves. The constraint clarifies your thinking.
Progression Checkpoint

Target: break 50 for 9 holes with just a 7-iron and putter.

BONUS TIP

Use your putter like an alignment stick when hitting your 7-iron.

Source: Based on Jon Sherman's strategy principles from The Four Foundations of Golf. Sherman argues most strokes are lost to poor decisions, not poor swings.
🧠
Pre-Shot Routine Lock-In
12-second habit building

A pre-shot routine isn't superstition. It's a trigger that shifts your brain from thinking to playing. This builds a repeatable 12-second routine for every shot.

How to Do It

  1. Behind the ball (4 sec): Stand 3 feet back. Pick an intermediate target 2-3 feet ahead. Visualize the ball flight.
  2. Walk in and set up (4 sec): Align clubface to intermediate target first, then set feet. One waggle.
  3. Commit and go (4 sec): One look at target, one look at ball, swing. No extra waggles.
  4. Execute this on EVERY range shot — even warm-up.
  5. Use a phone timer to calibrate: 10-14 seconds total. Faster = rushing. Slower = overthinking.
All practice
🎯 Every shot
📈 All week
Don't chase perfect — chase automatic. If you have to think about the steps, keep practicing.
Progression Checkpoint

By end of week, the routine should feel automatic. Test: can you do it without thinking about the steps?

Source: Adapted from Jon Sherman's mental game framework in The Four Foundations of Golf. Sherman emphasizes that a consistent pre-shot routine is the single most impactful habit for on-course performance.

Ready for Week 2?

If you followed this week, your swing is more consistent. But consistency alone won't lower your handicap. Weeks 2–4 cover short game, course management, and the mental side — the three areas where most strokes are actually lost.

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2
Week Two

Save Strokes Where It Matters Most

The short game is where scoring happens. Distance control with wedges, a reliable chipping method, bunker confidence, and putting with purpose.

What this week fixes

  • Inconsistent wedge distances
  • Skulled or chunked chips
  • Bunker fear
  • 3-putts from inside 20 feet

What you'll gain

  • 9 calibrated wedge distances
  • Landing-spot chipping accuracy
  • Consistent bunker escapes
  • Better start line on putts
🔭
Distance Wedge Ladder
Precision distance control

Most amateurs guess their wedge distances. This drill builds a personal 9-distance matrix — three swing lengths with three wedges — so you know exactly how far every shot flies inside 100 yards.

How to Do It

  1. For each wedge (PW, GW, SW), establish 3 swing lengths: 7:30, 9:00, and 10:30 (clock positions for your lead arm).
  2. Start with the 7:30 swing. Hit 10 balls with your PW. Average the carry distance. That's your "PW short."
  3. Repeat at 9:00 (hip height) and 10:30 (three-quarter). Record each average.
  4. Do the same for your other two wedges. You now have a 9-distance matrix.
  5. Write these numbers down and tape them to your bag. Use on the course instead of guessing.
30 minutes
🎯 45 balls
📈 2 sessions
Once you have your numbers, you'll never stand over a 75-yard shot guessing again.
Progression Checkpoint

Have 9 recorded distances (3 clubs × 3 swing lengths) with no more than 5-yard variance each.

Source: Based on Dave Pelz's clock system from Short Game Bible. Pelz's research showed amateurs lose more strokes from poor distance control inside 100 yards than anywhere else.
Landing Spot Chip
Chipping with purpose

Stop aiming at the hole when you chip. By targeting a specific landing spot on the green, you convert an unpredictable feel-based shot into a measurable, repeatable task.

How to Do It

  1. Set up around the practice green, 10-15 feet off the edge with the pin 20 feet on the green.
  2. Place a towel on the green where you want the ball to LAND (typically 3-5 feet onto the surface).
  3. Hit 10 chips trying to land on the towel. Focus only on the landing spot, not the hole.
  4. Track how many land within 2 feet of the towel.
  5. Move to 3 different positions: uphill, downhill, sidehill. Each lie changes the optimal landing spot.
  6. Rule: pick the landing spot BEFORE taking the club back. Not sure where to land it? Don't hit yet.
20 minutes
🎯 30 chips
📈 3 sessions
Your resulting putts will be shorter even when the ball doesn't go in. That's the win.
Progression Checkpoint

7 out of 10 chips land within 2 feet of your target spot by end of week.

Source: Based on Dave Pelz's research in Short Game Bible. Pelz proved landing-spot targeting dramatically improves proximity vs. "feel-based" chipping.
🏖
Bunker Line Drill
Consistent sand contact

Bunker shots aren't about hitting the ball — they're about entering the sand in the right spot. This line drill trains a consistent entry point so the ball rides out on a cushion of sand every time.

How to Do It

  1. In a practice bunker, draw a line in the sand perpendicular to your target. No ball yet.
  2. Make 10 swings trying to enter the sand 1-2 inches BEHIND the line. Watch where the divot starts.
  3. Now place a ball on the line. Same goal: enter 1-2 inches behind it. The ball rides out on the sand cushion.
  4. Hit 10 bunker shots. After each, redraw the line and place a new ball. Check entry point each time.
  5. Key feel: the clubhead bounces off sand, not digs. Open clubface at address, keep it open through impact, follow through.
15 minutes
🎯 20 shots
📈 2 sessions
Don't focus on distance yet — just getting out consistently is the Week 2 bunker goal.
Progression Checkpoint

8 out of 10 balls get out of the bunker and land on the green.

Source: Based on Dave Pelz's research in Short Game Bible. Pelz proved consistent entry point (not swing speed or face manipulation) is the primary driver of successful bunker play.
🔴
Gate Putting Drill
Putter face alignment

Face angle at impact accounts for ~80% of a putt's starting direction. Two tees create a gate that instantly tells you whether your stroke is on line — no guessing required.

How to Do It

  1. Find a straight, flat 6-foot putt on the practice green.
  2. Place two tees just wider than your putter head, about 1 foot in front of the ball on your start line.
  3. Putt through the gate. If the ball clips either tee, your face angle or path is off.
  4. Hit 20 putts. Track how many pass cleanly through the gate.
  5. Once you make 15/20, move the gate to 2 feet in front and repeat — harder because the ball has more time to deviate.
  6. Finally, try on a breaking putt: set the gate on your intended start line, not at the hole. This trains commitment to your read.
15 minutes
🎯 20 putts
📈 3 sessions
Start every putting practice with this. It only takes 15 minutes and immediately tells you if your stroke is on.
Progression Checkpoint

17/20 through the gate at 1 foot, and 14/20 at 2 feet. Your 6-foot make percentage will noticeably improve within 2 rounds.

Source: Based on Dave Pelz's putting research in Short Game Bible. Pelz showed face angle at impact accounts for ~80% of a putt's starting direction.
🔒

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3
Week Three

Play Smarter, Not Harder

The fastest path to a lower handicap isn't a better swing — it's better decisions. Strokes gained data and strategy frameworks to eliminate the shots that wreck your scorecard.

What this week fixes

  • Penalty strokes from poor targets
  • Double bogeys from hero shots
  • Misallocated practice time

What you'll gain

  • Personal strokes gained data
  • Target selection based on your miss
  • Par-3 pre-planning strategy
📊
Strokes Gained Shot Audit
Find where your strokes actually go

Most amateurs practice what they enjoy, not what costs them strokes. This one-round audit gives you personal data showing exactly where your game leaks the most shots.

How to Do It

  1. Play 18 holes tracking: club used, target, result, and distance to hole before and after every shot.
  2. After the round, categorize every shot: Drive, Approach (100+ yards), Short Game (inside 100), Putting.
  3. For each category, count shots that COST you vs. shots that SAVED you.
  4. Identify your "biggest leak" — the category where you lost the most strokes vs. a bogey golfer baseline.
  5. This becomes your priority area for remaining program time. Your data tells you where to practice.
1 round + 30 min analysis
🎯 18 holes
📈 Once this week
If your answer to "biggest leak" is "everything" — your tracking wasn't specific enough. Redo it next round.
Progression Checkpoint

You should have a clear answer: "Which part of my game is losing me the most strokes?"

Source: Based on Mark Broadie's strokes gained analytics from Every Shot Counts. Broadie's PGA Tour data showed most amateur practice time is misallocated.
🎯
Target Zone Mapping
Play to your real miss pattern

You don't hit the ball where you aim — you hit it in a zone around where you aim. This drill maps your actual dispersion pattern so you can center it on safe zones instead of pins.

How to Do It

  1. At the range, hit 20 balls with your 7-iron at a specific target. Note the pattern — how far left/right is your average miss? This is your "shot zone."
  2. On the course for every approach shot: identify your shot zone and center it on the MIDDLE of the green, not the pin.
  3. If the pin is tucked right with a bunker, and your shot zone is 20 yards wide, aim center-left. Your worst miss stays on the green.
  4. After the round, count greens hit. Compare to a typical round where you fire at pins.
20 min range + 1 round
🎯 20 balls + 18 holes
📈 Once this week
This is the #1 decision that separates 90s shooters from 80s shooters. Aim at the green, not the flag.
Progression Checkpoint

You should hit 2-4 more greens in regulation than a typical round. If not, you're still aiming at pins.

Source: Based on Mark Broadie's Every Shot Counts + Jon Sherman's The Four Foundations. Broadie's data: aiming center of green vs. pin saves 2-3 strokes per round for 15-handicappers.
🚩
Penalty Elimination Round
Zero penalties, zero hero shots

A single penalty stroke costs the average amateur 0.7 additional strokes from poor recovery position. This round eliminates all penalty risk through deliberate club and target selection.

How to Do It

  1. Play a full round with one rule: you cannot bring a penalty stroke into play. Every tee shot and approach must have zero OB/water risk.
  2. Before each tee shot, identify every hazard. Choose the club and target that makes it IMPOSSIBLE to reach any of them.
  3. This might mean hitting 5-iron off the tee on a tight par 4. That's the point.
  4. On approaches: if water guards the green and you're 190 out, lay up to your comfortable wedge distance. No hero shots.
  5. Track: penalty strokes (should be zero), big numbers (double bogey or worse). Compare to your last 3 rounds.
Full 18-hole round
🎯 18 holes
📈 Once this week
Your score will be 3-6 strokes lower — all from decisions, not swing changes. That's the proof.
Progression Checkpoint

Target: zero penalty strokes, maximum one double bogey. If achieved, the improvement came entirely from strategy.

Source: Based on Mark Broadie's course management data in Every Shot Counts. Eliminating penalties is the highest-ROI strategy change available to amateurs.
🔧
Par-3 Strategy Drill
Pre-planned hole approach

Most amateurs average 3.8-4.2 on par 3s because they wing it every time. Pre-planning each par 3 before you arrive eliminates on-course indecision and drops your scoring average.

How to Do It

  1. For each par 3 on your home course, write: actual yardage, your club for that distance, where the trouble is, where the safe miss is.
  2. For each hole, decide your "automatic" play before you arrive. Example: "Hole 7, 155 yards. 6-iron. Aim center-left. Safe miss: short-right."
  3. Play a round using ONLY your pre-planned strategy on par 3s. No on-course changes. The plan is the plan.
  4. Track par-3 scoring. Your target is under 3.5 average.
  5. After the round, evaluate the plan with data. Adjust only if the numbers say so — not because of one bad shot.
20 min planning + 1 round
🎯 18 holes
📈 Once this week
Pre-planning par 3s takes 20 minutes and pays off for every round after. It's the simplest strategy upgrade you'll make.
Progression Checkpoint

Hit 2+ greens on par 3s with zero penalty strokes. Average par-3 score should be 3.5 or lower.

Source: Based on Jon Sherman's The Four Foundations + Mark Broadie's Every Shot Counts. Sherman advocates pre-round planning; Broadie's data shows par-3 scoring has the most room for strategy-based improvement.
🔒

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4
Week Four

Finish Strong When It Counts

The mental game is the difference between a front-nine 41 and a back-nine 48. Practical mental skills for managing expectations, recovering from bad holes, and performing under pressure.

What this week fixes

  • Back-nine scoring collapse
  • Spiraling after a bad hole
  • Disconnected practice sessions

What you'll gain

  • Pressure-tested pre-shot routine
  • Back-nine composure protocol
  • Post-round learning system
💪
Pre-Shot Routine Pressure Test
Routine under artificial stakes

Your routine works fine when nothing's on the line. This drill creates artificial pressure — a consecutive-shot challenge that exposes exactly where your routine breaks down.

How to Do It

  1. Set a challenge: hit 5 consecutive shots that land inside a specific target zone (e.g., within 15 yards of the 150 marker).
  2. If you miss, start over from zero. You must get 5 in a row.
  3. On EVERY shot, execute your full 12-second pre-shot routine. No shortcuts, even at "4 in a row."
  4. If you catch yourself rushing or skipping steps — that's exactly what shows up on the course. Reset to zero.
  5. Track how many total shots it takes to complete the challenge. Improve each session.
20 minutes
🎯 Until 5 in a row
📈 2 sessions
If it takes more than 25 shots, your routine collapses under pressure — useful information. Slow down the mental steps.
Progression Checkpoint

Complete the 5-in-a-row challenge in fewer than 15 total shots.

Source: Based on Jon Sherman's mental game framework in The Four Foundations of Golf. Sherman: the pre-shot routine is the anchor point — testing it under artificial pressure prepares it for real pressure.
Back-Nine Composure Protocol
Stop the scoring collapse

The 42-on-the-front, 48-on-the-back pattern isn't physical fatigue — it's mental. Playing well raises expectations, which creates anxiety. This 5-minute turn protocol breaks the cycle.

How to Do It

  1. At the turn: Do NOT look at your front-nine score. Put the card away. The back nine is a new round.
  2. Physical reset: Eat something with protein. Drink water. Take 5 deep breaths — in for 4, out for 6. Not meditation; it's lowering cortisol.
  3. Strategy reset: Say aloud: "My only goal is to play each shot with my routine and hit my target." No score targets.
  4. Expectation anchor: Before hole 10, remind yourself: bogey is a perfectly acceptable score on any hole. Making bogeys is how you shoot in the 80s.
  5. After the round: compare front vs. back nine. Track over 3 rounds. Closing gap = protocol working.
5 min at the turn
🎯 Every round
📈 All week
Takes 5 minutes. Returns 3-6 strokes. Best ROI of any mental game technique.
Progression Checkpoint

Back-nine score should be within 3 strokes of front nine. If the gap is larger, expectations are still too high.

Source: Based on Jon Sherman's mental game research in The Four Foundations of Golf. Sherman: most back-nine collapses are mental — golfers raise expectations after a good front nine, creating anxiety.
🔄
Post-Hole Reset Routine
Break the spiral

Bad holes spiral into bad rounds because frustration tightens your grip, speeds up your routine, and clouds your target selection. This 30-second reset interrupts negative momentum before it compounds.

How to Do It

  1. Walking off the green (10 sec): Acknowledge the result plainly. "That was a 7. It's done." Don't analyze or blame.
  2. Walking to next tee (15 sec): Take 3 deep breaths. On each exhale, deliberately relax your grip and shoulders. Physical tension from frustration tightens your swing.
  3. On the tee box (5 sec): Before taking the club out, say your one commitment: "I will execute my routine on every shot." Nothing else.
  4. Practice this on EVERY hole transition — not just after bad holes. Automating it on good holes means it's ready when needed.
  5. Track: after a double bogey or worse, what do you score on the next hole? Target: no more than 1 over your average.
30 sec between holes
🎯 Every hole
📈 Every round
This is a lifetime habit, not a 4-week drill. The players who recover fastest are the ones who practiced recovery most.
Progression Checkpoint

After a double bogey+, your next hole averages no more than bogey. If you regularly follow doubles with doubles, slow down the breathing step.

Source: Based on Jon Sherman's emotional momentum research in The Four Foundations of Golf. Sherman: emotional momentum is the biggest scoring variable golfers don't practice managing.
📓
Round Review Journal
Connect rounds to practice

Without deliberate reflection, your practice sessions are disconnected from your on-course performance. Five minutes of structured review after each round bridges the gap.

How to Do It

  1. Within 30 minutes of finishing, answer these 5 questions in writing:
  2. Best decision: What was the smartest shot choice you made today?
  3. Worst decision: What was one shot where you chose the wrong target or club? (Bad choice — not bad swing.)
  4. Routine grade: On a 1-10 scale, how consistently did you execute your pre-shot routine? Be honest.
  5. Biggest leak: Which area cost you the most today: driving, approach, short game, or putting?
  6. Next practice plan: Based on today's round, what specific drill will you do in your next practice session?
5 minutes
🎯 After every round
📈 All week
After 3 rounds of journaling, you'll see a pattern in your "biggest leak" answer. That's your real priority.
Progression Checkpoint

After 3 rounds, you should see a clear pattern. Same area every time = your offseason priority. Changes every round = your self-assessment needs calibration.

Source: Based on Jon Sherman's practice philosophy in The Four Foundations of Golf. Sherman: deliberate reflection is the bridge between playing and practicing.
🔒

4 drills locked

Unlock all 4 weeks to access the complete system — 16 drills, a practice schedule, and a progress tracker.

Unlock the Full System — $29
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Built on books, not buzzwords.

Every drill cites its origin. Here are the four works that form the foundation.

Jon Sherman
The Four Foundations of Golf

Strategy, expectation management, mental game, and practice framework. The most practical golf improvement book of the last decade.

Used in: Weeks 1, 3, 4
Ben Hogan
Five Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf

Swing plane, grip, and tempo fundamentals that have stood the test of 70 years.

Used in: Week 1
Dave Pelz
Dave Pelz's Short Game Bible

Research-backed wedge, chipping, bunker, and putting methodology tested on thousands of amateur golfers.

Used in: Week 2
Mark Broadie
Every Shot Counts

Strokes gained analytics that changed how golf performance is measured.

Used in: Week 3