The flop shot is one of the most versatile shots in golf. It can be used to get out of trouble, to attack a pin, or simply to make a difficult shot easier. The golf ball trajectory of a flop shot is much higher and shorter than a standard pitch shot, making it perfect for landing the ball close to the hole on tight lies.
If executed properly, the flop shot is an incredibly powerful tool that every golfer should have in their arsenal. Now, I had my 60-degree lob wedge in my bag for a while but never had the confidence to hit it. I would rather hit a sand wedge or pitching wedge around the greens.
More about using my Sand Wedge in this article: Do I really Need Sand Wedge in My Bag
I suppose the flop shot is the last resort for most golfers. It looks so easy when the professionals do it on TV but try hitting one yourself and you will know how difficult it is.
But what if you need the ball to land softly and stop quickly on the green due to slopiness or undulation? That’s where the flop shot comes in.
The first thing you need to do is open the clubface. This will ensure that the ball gets up in the air quickly and doesn’t roll too much once it lands.
Next, take a slightly longer than normal backswing and really accelerate through the shot. The club should come down steeply onto the ball, which will make it fly high and land soft. Remember to follow through and finish high.
I’m still working on this shot and don’t hit it perfectly every time, but it’s a lot of fun to practice and can really pay off when executed properly. If you’re looking to add a new shot to your game, I highly recommend giving the flop shot a try.
Thomas Pieters has decided to use his lob wedge on the 4th hole in the second round of the Dutch Open. You will see from the video below that he had his club widely open. He then took a big backswing and really accelerated through the ball.
The key to hitting a perfect flop shot is “a good solid swing.” You can hear Sir Nick Faldo say in the video that you can’t do a flop shot with a slow swing.
He had a perfect lie which was almost identical to a driving range mat. This is important because you need a lie where the ball is sitting up. If the ball is sitting down in the grass, it’s much harder to hit a flop shot.
Thomas’s shot almost went in the hole, it has bounced out from the left side of the cup but it was a great shot! He then missed the putt but it was still an amazing flop shot. It only shows you how difficult some of the golf courses can be, where the greens are running so quickly, the slopes are very severe and there is a lot of undulation.
Enough said, enjoy the short video below of Thomas Pieters hitting the best flop shot of the year.
