Please help a newbie!

[Davie81]

I took up this wonderful game around a year and a half ago and recently bought myself a Vokey 60 degree wedge which I had custom fitted.

Been trying to learn how to hit a flop shot and although I've managed it a few times I'm having a really poor flop to shank/thin ratio and I'm wondering if I should just forget about this shot and work on normal chipping etc. I've heard that this is one of the hardest shots to master and it's only really popular due to Mickelson having this impressive shot in his locker.  Also this might sound crazy but what are the chances of me damaging/altering the lie angle already by hitting this shot a lot of driving range mats?

Any help or advice is gratefully received.

[SloverUT]

Are you a newbie to golf or to hitting a flop shot?  If you are a newbie to golf I think you would be better off focusing on regular chipping/pitching and other aspects of the game.  I personally wouldn't worry about the flop shot until I became a much more well rounded golfer.

If you are just new to hitting a flop shot, I couldn't help ya.  I haven't felt the need to learn it as of yet.

[Davie81]

Originally Posted by SloverUT

Are you a newbie to golf or to hitting a flop shot?  If you are a newbie to golf I think you would be better off focusing on regular chipping/pitching and other aspects of the game.  I personally wouldn't worry about the flop shot until I became a much more well rounded golfer.

If you are just new to hitting a flop shot, I couldn't help ya.  I haven't felt the need to learn it as of yet.

Took up golf in general a year and a half ago.  I started off on 28 and got down to 26 but I really want to learn as much as possible.  Can I damage the lia angle off the mats?

[wadesworld]

The flop is not that hard of a shot to hit.  However, because of the large swing it requires for a short distance, it's difficult to make yourself commit to it. Thus, people often "bail out" and flub it.  Additionally, playing the lie properly makes a big difference.  On a tight lie, you have to have your weight forward and hit down into the ball.  If you try that on a fluffy lie, you'll go right under it and miss the ball completely.  A fluffy lie requires a more balanced stance.

The biggest thing though is the technique.  You really have to feel like the club is staying inline with your right forearm.  That allows the club to scoot under the ball and keeps the face open.  If you allow your your wrists to turn over at all, you're gonna blade it.

In short, it IS harder than a regular chip, so particularly as a beginner, the only time you should break it out is when you have no other choice.  However, it certainly doesn't hurt to practice it.  I would wait until I had real grass to practice it though, rather than a mat.