The flop shot looks like pure wizardry when the pros pull it off, but honestly, it's just a really clever way to get yourself out of a jam.
If you're short-sided near the green with barely any room to work with, or the pin's hiding behind a bunker, the flop shot is your go-to move for saving par, or at least avoiding a disaster.
To master the flop shot, you need three things: a solid setup with an open clubface and wide stance, a committed swing with soft arms, and a clear sense of when to play it safe versus going for broke.
We've all wanted to hit that jaw-dropping, high-spinning shot like the ones on TV, but without the right technique and a bit of caution, you can rack up strokes fast.
The flop shot is crazy versatile around the greens, but it demands practice and respect. Let's dig into everything from picking the right wedge to some drills that'll help you land shots as soft as a marshmallow.
Key Takeaways
- Use your highest-lofted wedge, open the clubface, take a wide stance, and play the ball forward to get max loft
- Commit to the swing with relaxed arms and a light grip; keep your lower body quiet
- Practice and good judgment go a long way—know when to go for it and when to dial it back
What Is a Flop Shot?
The flop shot is a high-flying, soft-landing shot that launches almost straight up and comes down with barely any roll. You break it out when the pin is tight and you don't have much green to use.
Defining the Flop Shot
A flop shot sends the ball way up with tons of loft and not much forward motion. The arc is steep, and the ball stops fast.
You get this by opening the clubface a ton—usually with a lob wedge or sand wedge. That open face can bump your loft up to 65 or even 70 degrees.
The ball sits forward in your stance, pretty much off your front foot. The swing is steep and a bit outside-in, so the club glides under the ball.
A proper flop shot:
- Launch angle: Super high, almost vertical
- Spin rate: Lots of backspin, stops the ball quickly
- Carry distance: Short, but you can dial it in
- Roll: Hardly any after landing
You want to hit the turf just after the ball—let the club's bounce slide under, not dig in.
When to Use the Flop Shot
You really only want to try a flop shot in certain spots where your usual short game shots just won't cut it.
Best times for a flop:
- Pin is tucked right near your side of the green
- There's a bunker or water in the way of a tight pin
- The green is elevated and you need to get the ball up fast
- Greens are hard and fast, so a chip would run too far
It works best from a good lie—fairway or light rough. Clean contact is non-negotiable.
Distance: Flop shots are for 10-30 yards. Any farther and it's tough to control.
Skip the flop if you're on hardpan, deep rough, or have plenty of green to work with. A regular chip or pitch is usually smarter.
Risks and Rewards of Attempting a Flop
The flop shot can save you, but it's risky. You need to know what you're getting into.
If you pull it off:
- You can get close to pins that seem impossible
- It feels awesome and looks cool
- Stops quickly on slick greens
- Clears stuff other shots just can't
But here's what can go wrong:
- Skulled shots that rocket over the green
- Fat shots that barely move
- Distance control is tough—mistakes are costly
There's not much room for error. A little mishit can mean big trouble, maybe even extra strokes.
So when should you risk it? Only if a chip or pitch really can't get you close. If you have a safer play, don't be a hero.
Practice before you try this shot for real. If you don't have the technique down, it's better to keep it simple and give yourself an easier next shot.
Choosing the Right Wedge
Your wedge choice can make or break your flop shot. Loft, bounce, and club design all matter for getting that high, soft landing.
Lob Wedge vs. Sand Wedge
The lob wedge is the classic flop shot club—58° to 64° of loft. It gives you the height and stopping power you want.
With a 60° lob wedge, you can open the face a ton and get even more loft—sometimes over 70°.
Sand wedges (around 56°) work too, especially for beginners. They're a bit more forgiving because they usually have more bounce.
Lob Wedge Pros:
- Gets the ball up highest
- Softest landings
- Best for pins you barely have room for
Sand Wedge Pros:
- Forgives mishits a bit more
- Works well from firm lies
- Easier to control distance
Go with whichever wedge feels good in your hands. Seriously, confidence is worth more than some "perfect" club.
Understanding Loft and Bounce
Loft makes the ball go high, bounce keeps the club from digging in. For flops, you want high loft and a decent amount of bounce.
Bounce (10-14 degrees is usually good) helps the club glide under the ball. Too little and you'll dig; too much and you might blade it if the face is wide open.
| Bounce Range | Best For |
|---|---|
| 8-10° | Firm turf, tight lies |
| 10-14° | Most flop shots |
| 14°+ | Soft turf, bunkers |
The wedge grind matters too. C-grind or S-grind gives you flexibility to open the face.
How Wedge Choice Affects Shot Height
Your wedge choice straight-up controls how high you can hit it. A 64° lob wedge opened up can send the ball nearly vertical.
Lower-lofted wedges mean you need perfect technique to get the same height. You have to open the face even more and nail the contact.
Rough height guide:
- 60°+ wedge: 15-20 feet up
- 56° wedge: 12-15 feet
- 52° wedge: Just don't—it's not built for flops
Some wedges have more offset, which makes opening the face tricky. Less offset is better for flops.
Wider soles with the right bounce give you a bit more forgiveness if you miss it slightly.
Essential Setup Fundamentals
If you want to hit a flop shot, you have to set up for it. Open stance, ball forward, max out the clubface loft, and get your weight in the right place.
Stance and Ball Position
Take a stance that's wider than your regular chip shot. It helps you stay balanced when you take a bigger swing.
Set your feet open to the target (to the left if you're right-handed). Your toe line should point left of where you want the ball to land.
Ball position is huge—play it up by your front foot. That lets you swing up on the ball and get it airborne.
Where to put the ball:
- Short flop (10-20 yards): Just inside front heel
- Medium flop (20-30 yards): Center of front foot
- Longer flop (30+ yards): Slightly forward of center
Playing it forward helps you catch the ball on the upswing. The wide stance keeps you from swaying or losing balance.
Open Clubface Techniques
Opening the face is what makes the flop shot possible. You need to open it way more than feels normal.
Grip the club first, then rotate it open so the face points almost at the sky.
It'll look weird—almost horizontal—but that's what you want for the high, soft shot.
How much to open:
- Moderate: 20-30 degrees
- High: 40-50 degrees
- Max: 60+ degrees
Set your grip after you open the face—don't try to twist it open during the swing.
Weight Distribution and Posture
Put about 60% of your weight on your front foot at address. That helps you hit down and slide the club under.
Don't lean back or you'll hit it fat or blade it. Stay relaxed and athletic—bend a bit at the hips, let your arms hang.
Quick posture tips:
- 60% weight front foot
- Shoulders open to the target
- Hands in line with the ball
- Spine tilted a bit away from target
Let the shaft lean slightly away from the target to boost loft even more. This combo gives you the launch you need.
Perfecting the Flop Shot Swing
The swing is all about keeping the right path, using your wrists properly, and generating enough speed for height and spin.
Swing Path and Tempo
Swing along your shoulder line, not straight at the target. Shoulders should be open, and the clubface stays open the whole way.
Key points:
- Swing along your shoulders
- Keep the clubface facing up through impact
- Let the club bounce—not dig—through the turf
Keep your tempo steady. It's tempting to rush, but you want a smooth, even rhythm, no matter the distance.
Change distance by making a bigger or smaller swing, not by swinging harder or faster.
Accelerate through the ball—don't decelerate or you'll chunk or skull it. Imagine you're "painting" the grass with the clubhead.
Wrist Hinge and Release
Wrist action is what gets you that steep angle. Hinge your wrists early in the backswing to form an L-shape with your lead arm and the club.
Hold that hinge until after impact. Don't release too soon or you'll lose loft.
Wrist checkpoints:
- Backswing: Hinge early
- Impact: Hold the angle
- Follow-through: Let it release naturally
Keep your grip pressure light. Squeezing too hard kills wrist movement and slows the club.
Let the release happen after you hit the ball, not before. That way you strike it clean and keep the loft.
Increasing Clubhead Speed
You need speed to get height and spin, even though it feels risky. The trick is smooth acceleration, not a violent hit.
Think about cracking a whip—start slow, build up speed, and let it flow.
How to get speed:
- Take a longer backswing for more distance
- Keep your grip light
- Accelerate smoothly through impact
- Finish your swing—don't quit at the ball
Let the club's bounce do the work. Too slow and you'll dig; too fast and you might lose control.
Take a few practice swings to find the right feel. It should feel like you're tossing the clubhead under the ball, not chopping down on it.
Creating a Safety Margin
The flop shot is risky, so you need a built-in safety net. Know your limits, manage risk, and you'll save yourself strokes when things get dicey.
Managing Misses and Minimizing Risk
Before we even try a flop shot, we have to think about where our worst misses could end up. Even Tour pros mess this shot up. It's just part of the game.
Typical misses:
- Thin shots that sail over the green
- Fat shots that barely move the ball
- Skulled shots that shoot across the green
Our margin for error starts with checking the lie. Only hit flops from lies with some cushion under the ball. Tight lies? Honestly, that's asking for trouble.
Club choice matters. A 60-degree wedge is usually more forgiving than a 64. Sand wedges with extra bounce can bail us out if we catch it a little heavy.
Practice tells us a lot about our own misses. Some folks always come up short, others blast it long. Knowing your pattern helps you aim smarter and pick safer spots.
Shot Selection for Safety
Sometimes, we just need to be honest—does the flop really make sense here? Most of the time, a bump-and-run or standard pitch gets us closer and keeps the heart rate down.
Here's a quick checklist before going for it:
- Soft lie with grass under the ball
- Enough green to land the ball safely
- Pin tucked so high and tight you need air and spin
- Feeling at least a 7/10 confident
If there's 15 feet or more of green to work with, a lower shot is nearly always safer. The flop is for those rare moments where only height and soft landing will do.
Weather can wreck our plans. Wind makes flop shots wild. Firm greens? Good luck stopping the ball, even with perfect form.
Learning When Not to Try the Flop
Knowing when to skip the flop is a skill on its own. Some situations just scream "don't even try it," no matter how good you think you are.
Hard no-flop situations:
- Hardpan or bare dirt
- Wet turf that messes with clean contact
- Rushed or high-stress moments
- Any doubt creeping in about the shot
The short game gets a lot better when we choose the boring, safe shot instead of the flashy one. A so-so chip on the green always beats a flop gone wrong.
Stick with standard pitch shots the vast majority of the time—maybe 80%—and only pull out the flop when it's truly the best play. That keeps scores steady and still leaves room for the occasional hero moment.
Practice Drills for Flop Shot Mastery
Getting good at flop shots takes focused practice on contact, face angle, and distance. Here are three drills that actually help when the pressure's on.
Ground Strike Development Drill
Clean contact is everything. We want that shallow, sweeping strike that brushes the turf—not a dig.
Set up on a firm lie with your lob wedge. Ball goes a little forward in your stance, weight balanced. Try to just nip the ground behind the ball.
How to do it:
- Hit 15 balls, caring only about strike quality
- Picture the club sliding under the ball
- Keep your hands relaxed to avoid chopping down
If you keep digging, check your weight—too much on the back foot causes that. Tempo matters. Rushing ruins the feel we're trying to build.
Clubface Adjustment Drill
Clubface angle changes everything—height, spin, feel. This drill helps you dial in what works for you.
Start with a neutral clubface. Open it up in small steps, maybe 5 degrees at a time, and lower the handle a bit to add loft.
Try this:
- Hit 5 shots at each face angle
- Watch how the ball flies and lands
- Mark which setting gives you the best height-to-distance mix
Grip pressure matters too. An open face can slip if you don't have a secure hold.
Most of us overdo the face opening at first. Look for that sweet spot where the ball pops up but doesn't fly the green.
Landing Target Challenge
Distance control is what separates good flop shots from ugly ones. You need to know how swing length changes the carry.
Set up targets at 10, 15, and 20 yards. Towels or sticks work fine as landing zones.
Here's the drill:
- Hit 5 balls to each target
- Change only your swing length, not your speed
- Count how many land within 3 feet of the target
Start close. Short flop shots are weirdly tough because we want to swing harder, not shorter.
The lightbulb moment? A smooth, long swing works way better than a jabby, short one. This drill builds that distance feel you need on the course.
Frequently Asked Questions
Alright, we've talked technique, but here are the questions that come up again and again when learning flop shots.
What's the ideal ball position for executing a crisp flop shot?
Put the ball forward in your stance, just inside your front heel. That lets you catch it on the upswing with max loft.
It should be a bit forward of center—not as far as a driver, though. The goal is a sweeping motion that slides under the ball.
Too far back and you'll dig. Too far forward and you'll top it. It's a bit of a Goldilocks thing.
How does club selection impact the success of a greenside flop shot?
Usually, we grab our highest-lofted wedge—58 or 60 degrees. Those clubs give us the height without having to force it.
A 56-degree can work, but you'll need to open the face more. Lower lofts just make things harder.
Let the club do the work. If you have the right tool, you don't need to help the ball up.
Can you break down the fundamental differences between a flop shot and a chip shot?
A flop flies high, lands soft, and barely rolls. A chip flies low and rolls out a bunch. Flops are for clearing obstacles or when the pin is tight.
Setups are totally different. Chips: ball back, square face, putting-style stroke. Flops: ball forward, open face, fuller swing.
Think of it like rolling a ball across the floor versus tossing it into a basket.
What are some safety considerations to keep in mind when swinging for a flop shot near the green?
Always check for people in your landing area—flops can go farther than planned if you misjudge it. Safety first, always.
Wind is a big deal. A gust can send your ball way off line or long.
The lie matters too. Flopping off hardpan or tight lies is asking for a rocket across the green.
What's the secret sauce to maintaining a consistent setup for flop shots?
Build a pre-shot routine: open the clubface, grip, ball forward, shoulders a touch left of target.
Practice the routine until it feels automatic. Sometimes I just rehearse setup on the range without hitting balls. It helps.
Don't rush. A steady setup leads to better shots. Hurrying? That's when the chunks and skulls show up.
In a pinch, what's a solid strategy for choosing between a flop shot and a lob shot?
We usually pull out the flop shot when we absolutely need max height to clear an obstacle and get the ball to stop fast near a tight pin. If there's more green to play with, the lob shot just makes more sense.
Think about the risk and reward. Flop shots can go wrong pretty quickly, so we only try them when something like chipping over a bunker feels even sketchier.
Honestly, if we're unsure, we lean toward the safer lob shot. It flies at a decent height and keeps us out of trouble. I'd rather be ten feet from the pin every time than end up in the bunker chasing some highlight-reel shot.