How to Hit a Flop Shot
The definition of a flop shot:
A flop shot is a type of golf shot that involves the opening of the clubface on a chip shot to get the ball over an obstacle and to either stop quickly or spin backwards once it lands.
The flop shot (or lob) is one shot that every golfer should know how to execute, no matter the skill level. Whether it’s your first year in golf or whether you’re a veteran on the professional tour, the flop is a shot you will need to call on several times during a round.
This type of shot (as with many others) requires very little thought, don’t over think it! This type of shot requires imagination and feel, that’s it!
Following on from what I’ve just said about over thinking things, you simply need to conjure up an image in your brain of the path the ball needs to travel up and to the hole.
The lie is the key to the lob shot. This determines how hard you have to hit it, and in turn how much spin you will get when the ball lands.
A clean lie on the fairway will produce a clean impact, so you can swing at your usual tempo. However, if you’re deep in some pretty awful rough, you may not be able to get the connection you need. If you’re too high up in the rough, you may get too much of a connection and the ball takes off, over-shooting the green.
In most situations though the tip that I’m about to share with you will work a treat.
Use This Flop Shot Technique
Maintain a feeling that your clubface is facing the sky. All the way through from the start of the swing to the follow through you should feel as though the clubface is facing up to the sky. I don’t mean that it actually does face the sky throughout, it simply feels that way!
Perhaps a better way to describe it is to lead the club with the heel, then your clubface will remain open and will finish facing up at the sky at the finish.
Use this flop shot setup
1. Setup your body in an open stance, which basically means you stand aiming to the left.
2. The ball should be placed a tad bit further forward of the middle of your stance.
3. Open your clubface and aim at the target.
4. Swing along the line of your body, not the target line.
This setup will allow you to create additional spin and loft compared to an ordinary flop shot setup, and should set you right for any lie the golf course throws at you.
Just remember to alter your body line based on the height and spin you need to acquire. Do not over think things in terms of the mechanics of the golf swing. And lead with the heel of the club to keep the clubface facing the sky!
Use these tips and this setup and you’ll be hitting perfect flop shots before you know it!
If you want to get down the range immediately, we recommend the Wilson Harmonized Black Chrome Golf Wedge to get you started!
