2-MINUTE CLINICS
How to hit a flop shot
A pitch shot that flies super high and lands with a thud, a flop, should only be attempted if you have a little cushion or the ball is sitting up. If you have a good lie, here's how to do it. —Katie Dahl, one of Golf Digest's Best Young Teachers in America
- Select your most lofted wedge
- Hold the club in front of you and turn the face open a little (clockwise for righties)
- With the face open, take your normal grip, holding the club lightly
- Take a wide stance with more knee bend, like you're starting to sit down
- Lower your hands toward the ground
- Shift a touch more weight onto your front foot
- Set the handle in line with the clubhead and the ball just forward of center
- Start the clubhead back on a wide arc
- Hinge the club up when you get about halfway back
- Make a full backswing but don't rush it to the top
- Think slow and smooth as you come down
- Keep your grip pressure soft
- Don't stop your body rotation toward the target
- Let the clubface slide under the ball
- Be sure not to increase grip pressure through impact
- Keep your body turning until you face the target
- For a tension-free finish, let the club slide down your fingers
