How would YOU play this common shot ??

[lumpuckeroo]

Originally Posted by Spyder

I will typically play the ball off of my front foot with an open-to-target stance and play my 56° opened up. Making sure to accelerate through the shot is the most important thing in my opinion. I will typically take a 3/4 swing or 1/2 depending on how far I need to fly it.

Decelerating into impact with this shot can cause huge issues though. The ball will either not move, duff forward a few feet, or you run the risk of catching it thin and skulling it to the other side of the green.

Staying under the ball with club acceleration is definitely important. I'm not sure if this is "standard" procedure on this lie, but this is how I approach it with decent success. All in all it's a terrible lie and this shot promotes the most confidence at address, for me, so I stick with it.

My approach also, and my though is get the ball on the green.  I'm better off having a 25 foot putt for par then having to try and hit another chip.

[dak4n6]

Originally Posted by inthehole

do you mean intentionally jab the wedge into the ground & stop all forward motion of the club on contact ?    I've actually done this (not intentionally), and as I recall it works - now I need to practice doing it on purpose.

Ummm, I wouldn't recommend this. Just a comment about the 'flop'. There are many degrees of 'flop'. You don't have to open the face all the way so it points at the sky. You can just open the face ten degrees or so, or to whatever amount you need. This is the creativity of wedge play. Hitting a partially open wedge is really an easy shot. That fully open Mickelson uber-flop where he hits it right over the dude's head standing 4 feet in front of him is the hardest kind of flop to hit, and is almost never needed.

[boogielicious]

I really like the flop/bunker style shot in a lot of situations, but if the ball is down deep with a lot of grass behind it, it may be tough to get the club to make good contact with a typical pitch/flop shot swing.  I can do a flop shot off a tight lie much more repeatably.  If there is a big nasty tuft of grass behind the ball, it is like an offensive lineman protecting the quarterback.  I have used the chunk and run technique with some success in this situation.

Best advise is to practice the different technique at a practice range.  Work on uphill and downhill lies with the ball down deep and resting on top.

[sean_miller]

Not a flop. I'd try to thump it out like bunker shot and vary the approach much like different lies in the sand. I'd assume club/ball contact would be minimal and allow for some roll. Target = 1/2 between the fringe/apron and the hole. I'd prepare myself mentally for a 25 foot putt.

[dak4n6]

Even in just moderate rough a bunker-style swing works fine. Deep down in consistent rough is where I use a partially open wedge. It's kind of a hybrid between the pop-the-ball swing and the slide-under-the-ball swing. But if there is a big nast tuft right behind the ball then there's not much you can do - just chop down on it and somehow make it move.

[tiger187126]

Originally Posted by colin007

If it's nestled all the way down in deep rough, i come down steep, sometimes stopping the club in the ground, and try to pop it out

this is what i do when i'm uncomfortable with the rough. i've slid under the ball too many times trying to be cute and this little pop shot gets some spin, but keeps the distance in the air fairly short.

[k-troop]

Another vote for the mini-bunker shot with the face open using a lot of bounce.

You only have to pop the ball out a few feet, so I try to basically not make contact with the ball at all.  Start with my 58* wedge with 12* bounce, and I open the blade.  I use a slightly longer, tempo swing that comes in steep behind the ball.  I don't try to stop the club, but I don't make an effort to accelerate through it either.  Basically, I'm trying to simply drop the club in about an inch behind the ball, and let the momentum of the club dropping in just thump it out about 4 feet.  The club may stop in the grass, or it may slide through a few feet past the impact position.  The ball will pop out 3-5 feet and roll 5-10 feet, depending on the speed and slope of the green.

Acceleration through this shot is what causes you to hit it 30 feet past, at least in my opinion.  I'm not thinking "accelerate through" when I hit this shot.

It's really not that hard of a shot if you learn the technique.  It's actually easier than a bunker shot, because there's no lip and you can rehearse your swing and impact position a few times, and get a feel for the grass, before you hit it.

[Spyder]

Originally Posted by k-troop

Another vote for the mini-bunker shot with the face open using a lot of bounce.

You only have to pop the ball out a few feet, so I try to basically not make contact with the ball at all.  Start with my 58* wedge with 12* bounce, and I open the blade.  I use a slightly longer, tempo swing that comes in steep behind the ball.  I don't try to stop the club, but I don't make an effort to accelerate through it either.  Basically, I'm trying to simply drop the club in about an inch behind the ball, and let the momentum of the club dropping in just thump it out about 4 feet.  The club may stop in the grass, or it may slide through a few feet past the impact position.  The ball will pop out 3-5 feet and roll 5-10 feet, depending on the speed and slope of the green.

Acceleration through this shot is what causes you to hit it 30 feet past, at least in my opinion.  I'm not thinking "accelerate through" when I hit this shot.

It's really not that hard of a shot if you learn the technique.  It's actually easier than a bunker shot, because there's no lip and you can rehearse your swing and impact position a few times, and get a feel for the grass, before you hit it.

I agreed with you until the section that I highlighted in bold, but I know you said "in my opinion" so you're saying it's a fact across the board.

My experience is that trying to keep a consistent or "dropped club" speed results in the club stopping, or skulling. When I said accelerate through the shot earlier, I simply meant just that.. accelerate. Not overly fast, such as you're flopping 20-30 yards. But enough to invoke confidence that your club will not stop, you won't flip the club or get handsy and that you will remain under the ball to promote a short "flop n drop".

[dak4n6]

Agree with Spyder in that I have to at least think accelerate to myself to offset the natural inclination to baby this shot and decelerate out of fear, which usually results in the dreaded flub.

I have noticed that pros always accelerate throught the ball, even if they only pull the club back 1 ft and want the ball to fly 1 ft.

[k-troop]

Originally Posted by dak4n6

Agree with Spyder in that I have to at least think accelerate to myself to offset the natural inclination to baby this shot and decelerate out of fear, which usually results in the dreaded flub.

I have noticed that pros always accelerate throught the ball, even if they only pull the club back 1 ft and want the ball to fly 1 ft.

Not saying this is the lesson tee solution, but the way I hit it.  I'm trying to hit a flub--that's the whole point.  The key is a long bhackswing--a 1-foot backswing executed this way will move the ball only six inches, if at all.

[dak4n6]

Originally Posted by k-troop

Not saying this is the lesson tee solution, but the way I hit it.  I'm trying to hit a flub--that's the whole point.  The key is a long bhackswing--a 1-foot backswing executed this way will move the ball only six inches, if at all.

Yes, we know that this is just your pretty unique way...a deliberate long flub shot...interesting indeed, but that illustrates the creativity of wedge play.

[Spyder]

I do wish I could flop like Phil in his demonstration in the video that I posted in this thread from the fairway. It's a "pointless" shot from that type of lie, but if you had that confidence and shot in your bag.. your creativity jumps leaps and bounds over most other golfers. His 64° full power swing from the fairway is just insane.

[wadesworld]

Quote:

Also, is the ball on the side of a hill, meaning, your front foot will be higher than your back foot. If so, then the shot i like to play is were you kinda hit the ball and the ground at the same time, no follow through, just a thud. The ball will just pop out and fly about 2-3 yards and land softly.

This.  If the ball is buried in deep rough, you have to accept that you've hosed yourself and take your medicine.  Pop it out as described and hope it stops.

[Truegolf]

My shot would be similar to the flop/bunker shot with a wedge and utilize the bounce.

depending on how deep  the ball I try to anticipate the of feel the bounce either hit turf or air and judge the appropriate swing doing doing a few practise strokes.

how another pro show how to and how not to do it.

I like how he deals with bladed shots and not to be afraid to try again.

[Mr. Desmond]

I'm trying to remember this shot - experiment with it. I learned it from a pro who teaches touring pros.

I just can't remember if I have it right. I keep on forgetting to use it.

Take a lob or sand wedge with a regular grip, take your address position, now turn your hands to open it up wide - yeah, don't change your grip, open it up with your hands.

Now swing.

If it's the shot I'm thinking about, it worked for me in the rough every time, deep bermuda rough, and I have no idea why. I just did as told, and it worked. You've got to experiment to get a feel as to swing and choice of loft.

I took a 2 year break from golf from 2009-11 so I can't remember half the things I've forgotten.

:-)

[evan01]

Spyder look at Phil's ball it's sitting perfectly on top of the grass. The thread is  asking about a ball sitting down in deep grass. That flop is easy just need a little confidence and commit to the swing!

[Leftygolfer]

Its impossible to describe exactly how I'd play that shot.  I'd have to see the lie, feel the ground, on the upslope or not, can I get the club under the ball, etc.  I might play a mini bunker shot, a chip type swing with the face way open, a almost no swing swing.  (just hinge the wrist and drop the club on top of the ball with little follow through).  The one consistant thing is its going to be a guess and the ball will not have much spin.

I'd just practice this a bunch.  It is something you can do in your back yard or wherever.

[Truegolf]

Phil can superflop of tight lies however the turf condition has to be soft Even if the ball was sitting dowm in healthy grassy lie I'm sure the turf would be on the soft side to use the bounce I feel a far worse shot for me would be hard pan lie with turf like cement and being short sided Then I would reconsider not using the bounce and take my lumps and use a standard chip like shot and hope to get 15 feet from the hole