How often do you flop?

[wrx_junki]

Flop shots, how often do you find yourself using them? I think the last time I used one was back in the early part of this year. When I first learned how to flop, I used to use it all the time and was fairly good with it but I never use it anymore.

[chef35ca]

Whenever needed. I don't often use a fullswing flop, but i hit alot of wide open faced wedges to elevated greens where the pin is right in front.
Just open up the stance, aim a little left & let 'er go. I'm suprised i haven't holed one yet this year. Been so close so many times.
I'm suprised by the amount of people that struggle with this shot. It just takes a little practice. I find it much easier than judging bump n runs.

[Danattherock]

  wrx_junki said:

Flop shots, how often do you find yourself using them?.

Too much. I do it when I can. Many times per round. In doing so, I have learned it well and have more control than I would have thought possible. Best way to learn a shot, do it and do it often. Range is great, but real practice for me is on the course. Especially when it comes to hitting a flop shot from various lies. The thing that has helped me the most is when I vary the degree of the face being open. I used to take my 60 and lay her wide open. Sure, needed (or fun) in many cases. But try 1/2 open, or 2/3 open, etc.. and you will get more control I think. -Dan

[Yukari]

Hmmmm. And I thought this was a post about a failure..

Up until about 5 years ago, I used to use flop shot almost every time near the green. I was good at it and impressed the heck out of my buddies. But then I noticed that when I chip and let it run, there was more chance of actually going in the hole than the flop shot. So, now I only use it when that is the only option I have (e.g., when I miss on the short side with a bunker in between the ball and the green).

[Lefty-Golfer]

  Danattherock said:

Too much. I do it when I can. Many times per round. In doing so, I have learned it well and have more control than I would have thought possible. Best way to learn a shot, do it and do it often. Range is great, but real practice for me is on the course. Especially when it comes to hitting a flop shot from various lies. The thing that has helped me the most is when I vary the degree of the face being open. I used to take my 60 and lay her wide open. Sure, needed (or fun) in many cases. But try 1/2 open, or 2/3 open, etc.. and you will get more control I think.

  Yukari said:

Hmmmm. And I thought this was a post about a failure..

I think anyone who has learned to use a flop has felt this way at one point or another!!

[saevel25]

about 10 times a year, but i play alot. Only when i need to get over a bunker and the pin is short sided. Other times i prefer just to accept 15-20 foot putt comming back than ending up somewere bad with another chip.

[Zeph]

A fully fledged open faced lob wedge sending the ball straight up is not very common, but a semi-flop pitch shot is something I hit all the time when the lie permits it.

[jamo]

  Zeph said:

A fully fledged open faced lob wedge sending the ball straight up is not very common, but a semi-flop pitch shot is something I hit all the time when the lie permits it.

I'm pretty much the same. I only hit an all out flop shot when I need to, but I hit most of my pitches with the clubface a bit open.

[BostonSully]

  saevel25 said:

about 10 times a year, but i play alot. Only when i need to get over a bunker and the pin is short sided. Other times i prefer just to accept 15-20 foot putt comming back than ending up somewere bad with another chip.

This I was always pressured by all my friends to only use 56-60* clubs for chip ons. Until i realized one day that I can just take a much easier swing with a 50* or even an 8i and roll the ball up and on. Its much safer for me and I can usually get closer than having a flop shot land and stop dead 25ft from the hole.

I still use them to get over bunkers, or if I need to get up on an elevated green though. (I also lost my brand new cg15 60* and broke my 56* so now I have to only use my 50* haha and borrow a SW if I need one lol.) Ill probably pick up another 60* this winter when something goes on sale.

[TourSpoon]

I only flop when I need to and if I had to pick an average it would be once a round to once every other. I don't hit this shot just to hit it as I think it has it's definite place in the short game arsenal.

[te3point5]

I only flop it when I feel like skulling it over the green and into a bunker

[Fourputt]

  Yukari said:

Hmmmm. And I thought this was a post about a failure..

Yep. Me too. I think that a lot of guys who think that they are hitting a flop are actually just hitting a high lob. A true flop where you flip the clubhead under the ball takes a lot of practice to master the technique and it's still easy to screw it up if you just use it once every few rounds in the heat of battle. I don't even try it unless every other option is closed to me.

[JML22]

I dunno about flopping but i'll open the face to hit something that'll approach fast and check up fast

[Leftygolfer]

I don't know. If I am playing really bad, I'll get myself in places where it is the only way to have a chance at par, so maybe a couple of times in a round. But when I'm playing well, I really don't miss greens that bad. I have no fear of the shot but would prefer to not use it as it is really hard to judge it well.

[wrx_junki]

I think I've done maybe one full on flop shot in my short golf career and that was just to clear a small tree that was quite close to me and I needed to get over it to be somewhere on the green.

[xxsoultonesxx]

Only when the shot is absolutely needed. Over a greenside bunker, or sticking it to a narrow spot on a green, but that is pretty rare. I can flop it pretty well, though.

[shankalots]

I only hit a full flop if I've missed the green and behind a tall tree and cant punch under it...etc. I do hit a ton of semi-open 60* shots, because the courses I play have lots of elevated greens with front pin placement and with my handicap I miss a majority of them :)