Short Game · Drill
Make a Scrambling Circuit
Part of our short game programs for thin or bladed. Build a program with it
One chip, over and over, from one spot won't get you ready for real rounds. Mix it up. Drop three balls around the green. Scatter them: a fluffy lie, a bare lie and a sloping lie. Each gets its own target. Before each shot, read three things. How much room to the pin? What's the lie? Where's the safest miss? Pick your shot. Then commit. Don't change your mind halfway through the swing. Keep score of your up-and-downs.
The drill
- Drop balls in rough, on a tight lie and on a slope.
- Change targets every lap.
- Read the green, the lie and the safe miss.
- Choose your shot and commit.
- Count your up-and-downs.
Why it works
On the course you rarely get the same chip twice. Each lie changes how the club meets the ball. A fluffy lie needs the club to slide under the ball, a bare lie needs a clean strike, and a slope changes where the club bottoms out. Reading the shot first and committing to it trains the decision-making you need when the result counts, and scoring up-and-downs gives each shot a consequence.
Common mistakes
- You use the same club and swing for every lie.Choose the club and ball position for each lie, such as more loft from rough and a lower, running shot from a bare lie.
- You skip the read and hit as soon as the ball is down.Take a few seconds to judge the distance to the pin, the lie and the safest miss before you pick the shot.
- You change your mind mid-swing and decelerate or quit on the shot.Finish your read, make one practice swing for the shot you chose, and then swing through to a full finish.
How you'll know it's working
- You pick a different shot for each lie and can say why.
- Your misses finish on the safe side of the pin instead of in trouble.
- Your up-and-down count rises over several laps, or holds steady as you make the targets harder.
Make it easier or harder
Easier: Use wider targets and the same flat spot for each lie until the shot choices feel clear.
Harder: Use tighter targets, add a short-sided pin or a downhill slope, and set a goal for how many up-and-downs you must make in a row.
Common questions
What counts as an up-and-down?
An up-and-down is getting the ball in the hole in two shots from off the green: one chip or pitch, then one putt. Count it only if you hole the putt.
How many balls should I use in a scrambling drill?
Three balls work well because each one gets a different lie and you still have to reset and re-read between shots. Walk around the green and change the spots each lap.
