Is there a difference between a flop and a lob?

[dchoye]

I heard these two terms used interchange as meaning the same yet demonstrated differently. Are they the same ? Or different shot ?

[Fourputt]

I heard these two terms used interchange as meaning the same yet demonstrated differently. Are they the same ? Or different shot ?

A lob is just hitting a shot with a high arc using a normal pitching stroke.

A flop actually involves flipping the clubhead under the ball ahead of the hands, thus adding loft.  It's a shot which takes practice, but when done right the ball can be hit almost straight up with an open 60° wedge.  It's usually a good idea to have a low bounce wedge when trying this shot, especially if the lie is even a little bit tight.  I would almost never try it from a fairway lie... too easy to just skull the ball over the green.  I've caught it thin and hit the ball 50 yards when trying to hit it 10 yards.  There is very little room for error because you are swinging very hard for a short distance.  When done right, the ball lands dead, with very little spin.

[iacas]

A flop is simply a higher lob shot. Everyone likely defines it a little differently.

[mvmac]

I did a short game trajectory video here, a flop would be on the "high, high" end of the spectrum

http://thesandtrap.com/t/54556/short-gametrajectories

Like Erik said a flop is just a higher lob.

[dchoye]

Ok after a few years, I came up with this conclusion: 

Flop is a really high shot around the greens, famously used by Phil.

Ball goes straight up immediately. Sometimes with Phil can go straight up and backwards.

Easier on a uphill lie, softer turf. The trajectory is extremely high with apex  >10 feet.

 

Lob is more of a parabolic trajectory and easier to control when the apex is at eye level/shoulder level.

Expect much  more roll out than a flop.

[iacas]

19 minutes ago, dchoye said:

Ok after a few years, I came up with this conclusion: 

Flop is a really high shot around the greens, famously used by Phil.

Ball goes straight up immediately. Sometimes with Phil can go straight up and backwards.

Easier on a uphill lie, softer turf. The trajectory is extremely high with apex  >10 feet.

Lob is more of a parabolic trajectory and easier to control when the apex is at eye level/shoulder level.

Expect much  more roll out than a flop.

I've definitely hit shots > 10 feet that I wouldn't call a flop. I've probably hit the ball 40 feet in the air and would call it a lob.

I'm sticking with what I said in my earlier post.

[Patch]

I hit flops with an open club face that sends the ball quite high, quite fast. The ball falls almost straight down, bounces once or twice, and stops....... ........as long as the landing area is some what level.  This is my favorite shot around greens when I can use it. I just have a knack for hitting this shot. 

My lobs are more horizontal than my flops, and my long pitch shots.  It looks almost like a slow pitched softball that a pitcher throws under handed. The ball lands, and rolls just a bit more than my flop shots, but much less than my longer pitch hots.

Then again I have heard folks say that lobs, and pitches were "almost" the same shots with carry distance being the only difference.

To each his own.

[dchoye]

15 hours ago, Patch said:

I hit flops with an open club face that sends the ball quite high, quite fast. The ball falls almost straight down, bounces once or twice, and stops....... ........as long as the landing area is some what level.  This is my favorite shot around greens when I can use it. I just have a knack for hitting this shot. 

My lobs are more horizontal than my flops, and my long pitch shots.  It looks almost like a slow pitched softball that a pitcher throws under handed. The ball lands, and rolls just a bit more than my flop shots, but much less than my longer pitch hots.

Then again I have heard folks say that lobs, and pitches were "almost" the same shots with carry distance being the only difference.

To each his own.

That's a good description 

I also find that going for a green that is elevated significantly above the fairway/fringe/sand pit that it is easier to visualize a flop 

I reserve the lob for a green that is more level to the pitch location.  

Pitch to me is a general term that can mean either lob or flop

[dchoye]

Revisitiing this thread and I feel that for me lob and flop does look similar in flight  

To differentiate between the two I think intention might be  better way to define 

The flop is a more indirect impact to the ball like greenside bunker shots or off soft lies that sends ball up very quickly 

The lob is a direct contact ball and off more firm lies but can be used for longer bunker shot with clean sand lie if my intent is not to take any sand 

[roamin]

On 4/6/2017 at 3:54 PM, dchoye said:

Revisitiing this thread...

Why?!? 

Does it really matter? Can we let this one die? It's been unearthed and put (back) to rest a couple times now.

(Sorry, in a snarky mood, I guess. )

[boogielicious]

5 hours ago, roamin said:

Why?!? 

Does it really matter? Can we let this one die? It's been unearthed and put (back) to rest a couple times now.

(Sorry, in a snarky mood, I guess. )

It's like a zombie. We have to kill the brain for it to really die.

[jamo]

On 11/10/2013 at 7:12 AM, iacas said:

A flop is simply a higher lob shot. Everyone likely defines it a little differently.

This. 

[David in FL]

If I pull off the shot it's a lob.  If I don't, it was a flop...

 

[dennyjones]

A flop happens in professional soccer.....    or that was the sound when DJ fell down the stairs...

[span3636]

There are the same thing. There is different ways to hit them. One requires hitting ball first then the ground. The other is played like a bunker shot out of the rough. You intentionally hit behind it. Check out Phil Michelson on YouTube and watch his technique.

[dchoye]

On 2013-11-10 at 6:12 AM, iacas said:

A flop is simply a higher lob shot. Everyone likely defines it a little differently.

Been overthinking this. This is a good simple explanation   

Had a situation where the pin was at the back and normally like to lob as there is some roll to my lob shots but the green was running away from me and not much green to work with as it was an old style course with small green 

A flop shot with no roll would have the better option 

Also been using my 60 degree for both   The major difference is I open up the blade for the flop and aim for the landing spot for no run 

[MuniGrit]

I suggest watching Phils secret to short game youtube videos on how to hit a flop. I don't skull them anymore since I watched it. I never realized how you could take a divot \with a flop and his technique works well on hard pan sun baked Arizona soil. You just have to take into account the ball will fly farther off the harder surfaces.

[Hardspoon]

The phrase that comes to mind: "It is a distinction without a difference."