Hitting a flop shot is not only super-satisfying when executed properly, it’s also guaranteed to impress your playing partners.
But it can also go wrong — very wrong! — and needs to be practiced before it can become an effective tool on the course.
So what’s the secret to hitting a proper flop? I asked Stefanie Shaw, a teaching professional at Ocean Reef Golf Club in Key Largo, Fla., for a step-by-step guide to doing it correctly.
How to hit a flop shot
1. Use a club with a lot of bounce
Bounce and loft are not the same! Instead of selecting your highest-lofted wedge, go for a club with bounce. Bounce is essentially a club’s resistance to digging, and it’s what helps the ball up in the air. In most standard sets, a sand wedge has the bounce you need to hit a flop.
2. Set up for success
Open your stance a bit and position the ball forward of center. This will also naturally open your shoulders.
Jordan Spieth hit a miracle flop. But what came *before* made it more wild
3. Open the clubface
Open the clubface slightly, so you can still utilize the bounce.
4. Swing the club along your shoulder line
Thanks to your setup, your shoulders are open. Now all you have to do is swing along your shoulder-line. Flop activated!
“The length of your swing correlates with how far you want to ball to go,” Shaw said. “Your tempo should always stay the same, but the length of the swing can change as much as you need.”
The club should scrape the grass for as long as possible to get the most out of the bounce, Shaw said. Once you get the hang of it, enjoy that soft-landing spin — and the impact it will have on your scores.
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