the FLOP

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chip barm

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Had a spare half hour before my round started yesterday so went onto the practice area playing wedges to a green. For the last ten minutes I moved up to a bunker and attempted to play flop shots over it to one of the holes. It went ok and at the end of the session I was grouping balls fairly well on the green. Tough shot but one i want to continue with as i think it could be useful. Anyone mastered the flop? Is it a shot you find yourself playing very often? Any tips?
 
No tips as such but as with the rest of the short game I find you've constantly got to play regular or practice it regular to at least keep the feel and at least maintain what you've got.
 
Each to their own but despite being an iffy golfer I can play this shot very consistently. My own method is to use quite a bit of bottom hand in the shot. Have 3-4 practice swings to groove in the shot and then go for it. My method may not be technically correct but it works for me and I can repeat it over and over again. Great shot to have in your armoury although there is always an element of risk with it.
 
Extremely high risk shot for the average golfer, smart option is to accept a dropped shot and play to a safe part of the green and 2 putt from there. Chances are you won't get up and down anyway but you bring a big number into the equation if you take it on.

It really is all about course management but go for it if you want to.
 
Its a shot that i will use if i have to. To be honest it does work out for me more often than not but you do have to commit to it or you can end up in even worse trouble. I practice it on really tight lies with a 60 degree and low bounce club face wide open. Its a shot though i may use maybe once every couple of rounds but when it comes off it feels great.
 
TBH its not a shot a use much myself far to high a risk option on a links IMO, esp off a bare lie.

used it a bit when i was a member of a parkland course that had very small greens.
 
Blah to all you doomsayers. This shot is a load of fun and makes you grin like a buffoon when you play it well. Mainly a parkland shot and not one you will use regularly but worth practicing and having it available.
 
This all depends on;

How the lie is? If the ball is sitting up in the rough then perfect pass me a wedge. If it is really down in the rough, look at percentages. It may be best to play to a different part of the green.

If the ball is sitting on a tightly cut fairway? Then I'll look at gaining loft but using more of a pitch style as opposed to a flop.

Always aim to make Par.

Don't try and get the ball inside 2 foot of the pin and think you'll have a chance of birdie because the chances of you thinning the ball and then having to chip back on and before you know it, you've had 4 extra shots.

Play safe, not silly.
 
Might be a little basic but afterv the club has been adjusted, re grip so that you are hitting a full normal swing, i always used to forget and had a massively open stance!
 
I use it now and again. Only Caveats being that it has to be in a fluffy lie, that i am already having a good "chipping" day and that i am not playing a competitive round.

Can be spectacular when you pull it off but you can look a complete whopper if you dont.

It is fun though, mucho mucho fun
 
Open the club face - point it at the target
Open body up
I find its a dead lazy swing as if you've got some dead arms - don't try and force it - don't even think the ball is there.
 
Lord Tyrion said:
Blah to all you doomsayers. This shot is a load of fun and makes you grin like a buffoon when you play it well. Mainly a parkland shot and not one you will use regularly but worth practicing and having it available.
Click to expand...

Yep it certainly is fun. Would you still be grinning like a buffoon after you have knifed one OOB?
 
Flop shot isn't that hard ... if you have practiced it many times.


You need to learn what lies you can play if from and others that are a bit iffy or a complete no no.


Go to the practice green and try as much as you can. Make a mess of it, get it right but keep working on it.

Off a super tight lie it is not recommended unless it is your only option. Up and down for a point / half the hole.

Any kind of grass under the ball will help. You are looking to slip the club underneath so it sitting in semi rough is ideal. Longer rough it is still playable.

One thing I would say is it really isn't the best time for year for this shot as the soft turf can give way and you end up fatting it.

Stand open
Open clubface
Ball forward of centre
Hit a touch behind the ball as you would in a bunker ( must learn to trust the bounce that the club will slip in under the ball and you do not have to strike the ball first)
Let club head overtake the hands through the strike
Accelerate and follow through to the finish. Dont quit.
Trust that ball will pop up and go higher the harder you hit it.


Much better to hit it hard and trust the technique and over hit it than decelerate and dump the ball in the bunker.

Flops will always be a part of my short game practice due to how much fun they are to play. They would certainly be a strong part of my game but this last few years I've learned to only go to it as a last resort.

Small tip - lower the handle at address for even more loft. :thup:
 
Tough shot, but very satisfying if you can pull it off.

Can't say I play it much, I play to avoid short siding myself and in the eventuality this plan fails and I need it, the conditions/lie will determine if I give myself the go-ahead. Probably play to a safer part of the green and take my chances with a 10-15 footer to save par more times than not.
 
I remember on the 9th at Arden I was on a bank up by the green just by a tree, behind a bunker and the pin was at the front of the green. Decided (for whatever reason) to take on the flop and absolutely nailed it. Popped straight up, bounced twice on the green and rolled into the hole. Couldn't probably repeat that shot if I tried it 1000 times over, but felt amazing. My opponents congratulated me even though it meant they had lost the hole. Probably bladed more than I've accomplished though, but it's rare you have to play it really.
 
I taught myself how to do them as until a couple of years back my most lofted club (other than a very deep soled sand iron) was a basic 46* pitching wedge.
 
drive4show said:
Yep it certainly is fun. Would you still be grinning like a buffoon after you have knifed one OOB?
Click to expand...
To be fair you could do that with a simple chip and not a flop.:whistle:

I like the flop shot out of heavy rough where you aim to hit the ball fat. Full swing and the ball could go an inch if too fat, or 100 yards if knifed. :eek:
 
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