Here is what a 20-plus handicap golfer should be scoring across the Adaptive Golfer drills. Most of these targets come straight from the book's benchmark tables; the ones marked below are ours. Each drill trains one of the five pillars. Hit them consistently and your handicap follows.
| DRILL | TARGET |
|---|---|
| Pressure Putting (Points System) | 10–14 points (higher is better) |
| The 10-Rep Pressure Routine Test | 5–7 committed routines (higher is better)DERIVED |
| The 10-Swing Start-Line Freeze | 4–6 on-line freezes (higher is better)DERIVED |
| The 9-Shot Landing Zone | 10–14 points (higher is better) |
| The Alignment Stick Impact Drill | 3–4 clean passes (higher is better)DERIVED |
| The Chalk Line Low Point Drill | 4–5 post-ball contacts (higher is better) |
| The Gate Drill | 3–4 clean passes (higher is better) |
| The Gate Putting Drill | 3–4 clean passes (higher is better) |
| The Lag Putting Ladder | 3–5 inside the circle (higher is better) |
| The Living Room Putter Drill | 2–3 on the coin (higher is better)DERIVED |
| The Mirror Setup Drill | 4–6 setups passing (higher is better)DERIVED |
| The Smart-Target Rehearsal | 1–1 rehearsal complete (higher is better)DERIVED |
| The Up-and-Down Competition | 3–5 points (higher is better) |
| Worst-Ball Scoring | 19–22 strokes (lower is better) |
Targets marked DERIVED are ours, not the book's: the drill either has no per-handicap table in the book, or is not a book drill at all.
Beginners improve fastest by building repeatable contact and a simple short game. Reducing duffs and three-putts is worth far more than chasing distance.
Benchmarks tell you the target. The Adaptive Golfer tells you your real weakness and exactly what to practice next.
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