So in continuation of Monday’s post on the flop shot, here are some of the points that are helping me. Please keep in mind most of these are right from the video and are working for me with a little tweaking here and there.
The basics:
Position the ball closer to the back foot. I break the space between my heels into quadrants. You want the ball to
Ball Positioning
be at the beginning of the last quadrant closer to your back foot.
Open the face of the club, how far? Depends on the distance you want to travel and the height as well. I started at about 45 degrees when practicing. A bit more when I am in the sand.
Aim the club to the ball where the hosel meets the face. Imagine the ball traveling at an angle from the bottom of the hosel/face intersection to the high part of the toe of the club.
Swing through the ball, if done properly the sole will “thunk!” the ground as you get under the ball. TIP! Be committed when you hit the flop. I have found that If you hold back you are sure to blade the ball, the most common type of mis-hit.
Weight should be on your forward foot as you begin your swing and through the impact of the ball.
At the end of the swing, I try and have the club end vertical with my position, not in back of me. This could easily be something that just works for me so I caution you on worrying about this point. I would suggest ending the swing however is comfortable to you.
Impact Point and Ball Path
I certainly believe this is by far easier to write about then to execute. Give it a try and rest assured that frustration will be involved at the beginning. Some of the same techniques are what I also use to get out of bunkers. I will refer to this post again in the near future in the “enemies” category to provide some of the same ideas of what has worked for me in getting out of the nastiest of traps.
Let me know how this works for you or if maybe you have any other suggestions by leaving a comment. Enjoy!
It has been several months now that I have been working on a particular type of shot. From what I have read and experienced it is one of the most difficult and frustrating to learn and master. To this day I get so excited to just get one right that it invigorates me and makes all the failed attempts worth while well, for the most part anyway. The flop shot is simple in explanation, it is a shot made at a pitch or chip distance from the green that is normally executed to get over an obstacle. The obstacle could be anything from a bunker, hazard, tree, rocks, just about anything that is in between the hole and the lie of the ball. The idea is to hit the ball high and have it land as vertical as possible to the target. Normally this shot has a considerable amount of spin so when the ball does land it “sits” or slightly rolls next to the landing area.
I find that the hardest part of what I consider a proper execution is to properly gauge the distance the ball will travel. Not only in height to get over any obstacle that may be in front of you but in actual distance as well. As in everything else in golf it takes a considerable amount of practice in order to get a handle on this shot. I found that as I was practicing it I had many people try and help me make a better decision on my next hit. Perhaps the ground was too hard, or there was no need since there was nothing to get over, not in the sand the list went on and on. I am stubborn though, I want to learn this shot and will keep doing it until I feel I have a great handle on it. In my opinion, I feel that the lob shot if mastered would be the most valuable asset in my short game. Why? Well if you pitch or chip a ball from off the green, I feel there are entirely too many variables within the fairway / greens to judge the distance of the ball roll. Maybe an unforeseen mound, or you catch the green transition and the ball kicks forward it could be anything. By no means am I thinking that the flop shot does not have several of the same issues to consider but I do feel that if the ball is hit properly and it sits, the variables are in the height and spin of the hit both of which I control at inception.
I learned the majority of the technique from Phil Michelson’s video on the flop shot and the explanation he gave.
Add a bit of Haney’s club position at the end of a spin hit and practice, practice, practice.
I’m going to continue the post tomorrow with what has been working for me. See you then!
Just heard of another sale going on this weekend at Roger Dunn in Santa Ana. These sales happen about twice a year and you can really get some great deals on new items and used if you look for them. Another awesome feature is that you have multiple vendors at the same place at the same time. Similar to the LA Golf show, it is a great opportunity to talk and try out the latest and greatest from Mizuno, Ping, TaylorMade, etc. Seems like all the major companies will be there demoing their new clubs. It’s not specifically mentioned but the last show had the Bridgestone truck to allow players to get ball fitted (and get a free sample pack of balls!)
I have been to 2-3 of these now and I have the following suggestions.
It’s big, but not as big as you may think. I have heard many people walk up and ask, “Is this it?” Manage your expectations, there are great deals here and it’s basically a second store in the parking lot or a second rented facility.
Balls are generally $2.00 off per box. There are other deals but I found that this is pretty much the standard
The best deals that I have found are the used clubs (normally 10-20% further discounted) and the clothes (normally about 30-50% off). Could be that the golf clothes are previous seasons or samples, I don’t know but I have purchased nearly all my clothes at these sales.
If you are going for used clubs, go early! They open on Friday but if you can’t make it I suggest going there first thing on Saturday morning. It is just like anything else, the best deals and the “elite” clubs will go fast.
Shoes are also on deep discount, if you are a non-popular shoe size you can get some CRAZY deals.
Bags and New Clubs are displayed but I have found that they are generally not discounted that much.
One thing is for sure, the staff are busy but when you can grab them up they are always really helpful. Have a great time, maybe I will see you there!
