Shoot 89
← All drills
shortGame

The Clock Drill

No feel for partial-swing distances around the green.

20 minintermediatechippingAreaWorth ~1 stroke/round
7:008:009:007:00 CARRY8:00 CARRY9:00 CARRY
Side view · three backswing lengths on the clock face — three carry distances you own

Set up

Pick a wedge. Hit shots at 7-, 8-, and 9-o'clock backswing lengths.

The reps

5 balls at each length, in shuffled order — never the same length twice in a row. Note the carry distance for each.

How you know it's working

Three repeatable carry distances you can call on under pressure.

Why it works

Blow-up holes often start with having only one greenside gear. Three known distances turns panic into a decision.

The evidence

Broadie's strokes-gained work shows the shots inside 100 yards account for about a third of the amateur-to-good-player gap — and partial wedges are the most common of them. The shuffled ordering is deliberate: random practice schedules beat blocked ones for retention in golf skill studies.

See the full method & sources →

Want this drill scheduled for your game?

Your coach puts the right drills into your week based on where you actually lose strokes — the same evidence-based method behind Shoot 89.

Get my free plan →