flop shot

**XgolfaddictX** · 07-02-2006

Can someone help me master the flop shot? I can do a flop shot with alot of grass under the ball and know somewhat where it will go, however when there is not a little grass under the ball i tend to blade it or hit it about 2 inches.....any tips?

**collegegolfer** · 07-02-2006

Originally Posted by XgolfaddictX

Can someone help me master the flop shot? I can do a flop shot with alot of grass under the ball and know somewhat where it will go, however when there is not a little grass under the ball i tend to blade it or hit it about 2 inches.....any tips?

Don't use the flop. Bump & run instead.

**AJW** · 07-02-2006

When you open up the face of a wedge your effectively adding bounce so if your wedge has 12 degrees before you open the face it may have much more after, this bounce hits the ground first and does its job of stopping the club digging and as a consequence the leading edge hits the ball and you blade it. Either buy a wedge with less bounce or a heal relief grind which will allow you to open the face with out adding much effective bounce.

**bdgiant** · 07-02-2006

It is not the easiest shot in the bag, but can be very effective when pulled off under needed conditions. This is how I pull off a flop:

Open club face - while gripping the club (don't re-grip the club with an open face)
Open Stance & bend knees a little more
Put hands slighty forward...slightly, to facilitate...
High use of wrists - I cock my wrists early for this shot (the use of your wrists is very important)
Ball stays in the middle of my stance
Line up the ball towards the hosel of the club face (not ON the hosel, obviously)
Don't trap the ball like a normal iron shot - you don't need a lot of spin

It may seem like a lot to think about, but most of this you already know how to do, I assume.

To note, I use a normal LW with 10*/8* bounce. It's 10* at the toe, 8* at the hosel. Most wedges are designed that way, even they don't specify.

**KrnGolfer** · 07-02-2006

This helps!! put the ball to the left when doing a flop shot

but not as far as to the left foot.. about to just before that would be fine

**pingman360** · 07-02-2006

Originally Posted by KrnGolfer

This helps!! put the ball to the left when doing a flop shot

but not as far as to the left foot.. about to just before that would be fine

no... even as far as the left foot is fine. but if you do make sure that the shaft is angled back past your belt buckle.

**KrnGolfer** · 07-02-2006

oh -_-;; i forgot that my pitching stance is kind of wide,,,

it depends on what kind of stance..

\ l

vs.

\ l <- in this case i find it hard for my clubhead to accelerate under the ball with control.. since the ball gets so far from my swing's center axis.

**KrnGolfer** · 07-02-2006

come on .. on a rough lie that's possible but on tight lies? no.. a wedge has a BOUNCE you would blade the ball with the ball up that far

**bdgiant** · 07-02-2006

Hey! It works for me. I said this is how "I" make a flop. If you have anything helpful add, go right ahead. This is how Gary Player takes a flop, so I took what I learned from him. I have made several clutch flop shots. It's what works for me, maybe not for the nay-sayer.

**Shea_Butler** · 07-02-2006

no krngolfer you just need to hit the ball and the ground at the same time on a tight lie

**Jimbo1013** · 07-02-2006

Originally Posted by collegegolfer

Don't use the flop. Bump & run instead.

Couldn't agree more, this is not the type of lie you want for a flop shot. Bump and run or nip it. The flop is a specialty shot for certain types of situations, this is not one of those situations.

**Shooter72** · 07-02-2006

I use the flop alot. It's all about feeling like you're trying to slide the club under the ball instead of striking it. Even on a tight lie it gets easy once you've gotten used to where the low point of your swing is.

I can't hit a flop shot using my normal stance and grip. I have a slightly open stance and the ball is about three ball lengths from center-forward. I have to use my right hand at the bottom of the swing to get the club under the ball. I actually extend my pointer finger of my right hand down the shaft and hold tight- which I never do with any other shot.

It's not difficult to do, it just takes getting used to hitting the ball a different way.

**KrnGolfer** · 07-02-2006

you must have a wedge with not much bounce.

unless you have a wedge with under a 8 degree bounce,

its not likely that one can hit a consistent ascending blow

that is all the way out to the left side of the left foot on a fairway lie

with a stance just smaller than your shoulder width.

closer to the instep of the left foot is what I think the most consistent flop shot

making ball position is, not all the way left of the left foot.

of course, if you have a 4 degree bounce, it would be possible

**bdgiant** · 07-02-2006

Originally Posted by KrnGolfer

you must have a wedge with not much bounce.

unless you have a wedge with under a 8 degree bounce,

its not likely that one can hit a consistent ascending blow

that is all the way out to the left side of the left foot on a fairway lie

with a stance just smaller than your shoulder width.

closer to the instep of the left foot is what I think the most consistent flop shot

making ball position is, not all the way left of the left foot.

of course, if you have a 4 degree bounce, it would be possible

I'm glad this works for you. HOWEVER, you don't need a low-bounce wedge to pull off a flop shot. There are two reasons you open the club face. 1-to put more loft on your club and 2-to lessen the bounce. Take a ball and a LW (with 10* bounce), open the face and see where the blade touches the ball. Take a picture if you like, it's quite interesting.

I can use (and have) this shot off fairways and light rough. If the "tight lies" you are reffering to include a cart path, then yes, a flop would be pretty hard doing it my way. But then again, I never thought to try.

**Sandpiper6** · 07-02-2006

lol.... this is funny.... i can hit it semi-effectively (hit the ball properly, just dnot get the weight sometimes). Im not even guna try and explain wat i do cause unless u have someone rright there besides u showing it to you, or have proper illustrations, you cant get the just of a shot like this from ppl bickering about "how to" on a board.... Find someone u know whose fairly good at it, or find a young-ish kid on the range practising it (effectively), because chances are, he's a low 'cap and knows what he's doing.

**KrnGolfer** · 07-03-2006

-_-;;;;

come on I've explained myself already

and that's even sustained by the teachings in golf digest's book

breaking 100,90,80

in the pitch shot section, there is a lesson where you use a lob wedge in a "tight lie"

which was a fairway. they instructed rather to put the ball on the right side and let the

club's loft do the work. I put it rather more left than that instruction, however, for

consistent crisp contact, the ball towards your pinkie of your left foot is not advisable, the heel's instep would work though

and everybody can check that book out by golf digest -_- and see what I'm talking about

rather than using a ultra lofted wedge and putting the ball to the pinkie of your left foot AND opening the club head to reduce the bounce as BdGiant claims. that would have so much loft you can flop it over a building -_- but who can control that much loft consistently? maybe Mickelson