The Flop Shot

[alomar123]

Never use it as I hate to open my club, but I do carry a 62* wedge, so if I need to clear something I can.

[Blades4me]

Hey Everybody!

In Phil Mickelson's Secrets of The Short Game DVD he says that if you are relying on the flop shot more than once a round your course management needs work. With that said, he goes on to say that it wouldn't behoove one to learn the shot. I know how to do the shot and can do it, but I only use it when I have to which is around once every other round or so.

At this point in your game I'd concentrate on good, solid ball striking as that is the basic for everything in the golf shot. Once you get that down start learning the 3/4 shot which is another basic, but to the swing. The flop shot is way down the list of important shots to know how to do. Now, if you are dead set on learning the flop shot and you don't want to buy or watch Phil's DVD try this. Put the ball a little forward in your stance. Open up the face, (if you club doesn't have a "C" grind on the sole it will be a little more difficult to open up the face), open up your stance, do a full swing and stay down on the ball. This is not a good shot to try on thin lies.

[boogielicious]

Buy Phil's DVD and get Stan Utley's Secrets of the Short game. They both talk and short lofted shots. I personally love the flot shot and higher chip shots. They're fun shots. Phil's tip of continuing your hands toward the target is great advise and really helps prevent blading the shot. He opens the face so the toe is almost on the ground.

[CalBoomer]

"I seriously disagree with some of the advice expounded here, especially the concept that this is a "wrist flip" shot. Phil Mickelson is a master of this shot and his advice on a great youtube video is as follows: ball slightly forward in stance, slight forward press, clubface widely open, hands stay ahead of clubface, hit slightly down on the ball with relatively "dead" hands. Should be obvious from all of that, that this is no flip shot. I have practiced this a fair amount and can hit it off bare dirt without blading the ball. Wrist flip shots, on the other hand, are high susceptible to blading. I wouldn't recommend them.

[jamo]

Phil Mickelson is a master of this shot and his advice on a great youtube video is as follows: ball slightly forward in stance, slight forward press, clubface widely open, hands stay ahead of clubface, hit slightly down on the ball with relatively "dead" hands. Should be obvious from all of that, that this is no flip shot.

Do these look like "dead" hands?

I'll give you that this is a specialty shot where he is hitting a ball over Gary McCord (not Dave Pelz as the video states), but what he is doing here is just a flop shot. A shot made to go very high, with a long swing that produces little distance but a soft landing. If you pause it towards the end of the video where they show it in slow motion, he clearly flips his hands. I couldn't find any better video of Phil hitting a flop shot. This video also shows him hitting flop shots, and (although blurry) he obviously flips his hands at around 1:29: You can surely hit a pitch shot with dead hands (I do it all the time), but they don't go as high as what I would call a "flop" shot.

[CalBoomer]

Do these look like "dead" hands?

He specifically says at 1:21, "If you flip your wrists, you'll blade the shot." Did you miss that? The fact is that you can't tell how active his hands are just because he follows through. By dead hands, I mean no wrist break until after the ball is hit. Usually the bigger your follow through, the farther the shot goes. But it ain't done with the wrists/hands.

[max power]

He specifically says at 1:21, "If you flip your wrists, you'll blade the shot." Did you miss that? The fact is that you can't tell how active his hands are just because he follows through. By dead hands, I mean no wrist break until after the ball is hit. Usually the bigger your follow through, the farther the shot goes. But it ain't done with the wrists/hands.

He can say whatever he wants-the proof is in the video. Where you use the wrists makes a huge difference, but the flop shot is certainly more "wristy" than any other shot. Even when Phil hits it.

[jamo]

He specifically says at 1:21, "If you flip your wrists, you'll blade the shot." Did you miss that? The fact is that you can't tell how active his hands are just because he follows through. By dead hands, I mean no wrist break until after the ball is hit. Usually the bigger your follow through, the farther the shot goes. But it ain't done with the wrists/hands.

What he says and what he does are two totally different things.

He can say whatever he wants-the proof is in the video. Where you use the wrists makes a huge difference, but the flop shot is certainly more "wristy" than any other shot. Even when Phil hits it.

My point exactly.

[Zeph]

Flipping is a part of the flop shot, to expose the bounce and get the club sliding under the ball, popping it up. Like a pitch with a high lofted club, where hitting it with the leading edge will send it flying low.

Not rolling the arms over of course, but letting the flying wedge go.

[CalBoomer]

Flipping is a part of the flop shot, to expose the bounce and get the club sliding under the ball, popping it up. Like a pitch with a high lofted club, where hitting it with the leading edge will send it flying low.

Please look at the video at 1:19. At contact, Phil wants to hit the ball with his hands ahead of the club so as not to lift the leading edge and blade the ball. And he says so. If his wrists do anything, it is after the ball is on its way. On thicker grass, there is a lot more leeway. On a very tight lie, trying to time a wrist flip is a prescription for a blading disaster. Try actually doing what Phil says, not what you think you see. It is a lot more reliable and fool-proof. Try your technique and his on flat dirt and see which gives more consistent results.

[sean_miller]

Experience tells me you don't want to lead with the clubhead or flip - pretty much ever. For every magnificent shot there will be 10 bladed into the parking lot.

[keiko]

Great deal of hype on this shot. One of the simpler shots in golf, lay the club open, play the ball forward, take a full swing with very, very relaxed arms/hands, AND DON'T LOOK UP!!!!!!!!
LOL

[sean_miller]

. . . DON'T LOOK UP . . .

. . . until you hear the clink of the flagstick of the sound of breaking glass. Yeah, I think they're easy too, until you start making it more difficult that it is. Except for the fact not every lie is a flop shot friendly lie. Some times you have to just pitch it to the fat of the green.

[Varsity_Golf]

I don't like to use it if i don't have to. The main time I use it is if I am chipping either to a green that slopes away from me or I am above the green (height wise). This is only because I can open the club more and get the ball to stop quicker. The only problem with this is you better be able to do it and not blade it, because if you do, you'll have issues. Also, I don't like to hit it from the fairway unless it is a longer distance flop because I always seem to hit these longer. Oh well. Good luck with YOUR experiences with it......

Varsity

[jamo]

Please look at the video at 1:19. At contact, Phil wants to hit the ball with his hands ahead of the club so as not to lift the leading edge and blade the ball. And he says so. If his wrists do anything, it is after the ball is on its way. On thicker grass, there is a lot more leeway. On a very tight lie, trying to time a wrist flip is a prescription for a blading disaster. Try actually doing what Phil says, not what you think you see. It is a lot more reliable and fool-proof. Try your technique and his on flat dirt and see which gives more consistent results.

Who cares what he wants to do or what he thinks he is doing? I would rather look like what he is doing- especially right after he says something different (when he would be more inclined to do what he says).

[trickymicky69]

Hey Everybody!

Have you checked the bounce on your wedge is correct?

No point having loads of bounce on a hard fairway and vice-versa

[trickymicky69]

Also check you are not swaying as thats a big no-no, also weight more to the front foot

I have had extensive tutoring on this shot specifically and once learnt and ingrained its one of the easiest to replicate

After that its just distance control