How to Hit a Flop Shot: 5 Steps for High, Soft Landing Shots
A flop shot isn’t a percentage shot. It’s not something you will want to hit in every round, but there are situations where the flop shot is the best and sometimes only choice.
Every golfer should have the keys and basics to this shot.
The flop shot tends to intimidate people, but you should know that if you can learn to control your wrist angles in your short game, the flop shot is not difficult.
We will guide you through the step-by-step process of hitting a flop shot, and then provide you with a few drills to make the flop shot easier to execute.
Key Takeaways
If you don’t have time to read our entire guide on how to hit a flop shot, here are some key pieces of advice to take with you right now.
- Use a high-lofted wedge (58–62 degrees) for best results.
- Stand slightly farther from the ball with an open stance and clubface.
- Focus on maintaining wrist extension (cupping) through impact to maximize loft.
- Swing along your body line, trusting the loft to send the ball upward.
- Use HackMotion to measure wrist mechanics and ensure you are allowing yourself to maintain extension through impact and improve consistency.
Contents
1. What do you want to improve in your full swing?
How to Hit a Flop Shot
Here are the steps to hit a flop shot. Follow these in order and build these core fundamentals into your short game routine.
Club Selection and Setup
Start by choosing the right club. For a flop shot, you need the most loft you can find.
Choose the highest lofted wedge available, typically ranging from 58 to 62 degrees.
Set your stance slightly wider than usual, ball slightly forward of center, and open the clubface before gripping the club.
Once the clubface is open, you can now take your normal grip.
Golfers find that opening first before gripping the setup feels more natural, and you’ll be less likely to manipulate the clubface manually.
Adjust Your Alignment
Next is the alignment; you need to adjust your alignment and body position at impact so that the ball flight is as high as possible.
Open your stance and body line slightly left of the target (for right-handers).
This encourages a swing path that cuts across the ball, promoting higher loft.
1. What do you want to improve in your full swing?
Lead Wrist Extension
Your wrist action in your short game shots is what controls the clubface. Lead wrist flexion closes the clubface, and lead wrist extension opens it.
For a high and soft flop shot, you want more extension in the lead wrist.
Keep the lead wrist more cupped through the backswing and follow-through. This wrist position adds loft without forcing you to flip your wrists at impact.
HackMotion wrist sensors help you measure and improve your wrist mechanics. Monitor your wrist extension in real-time and ensure you maintain the correct position throughout the swing.
Commit to the Swing
With a flop shot, you have to be aggressive when you swing through the golf ball.
A tentative swing usually results in poor contact or a trajectory that is lower than you would like for it to be. You have to learn to trust the loft and your wrist mechanics.
To get the desired high soft shot, you have to commit and strike the ball with confidence. Focus on trusting your setup and position to make clean contact.
Follow Through High
Always make sure your end goal is a high finish. Finish with your clubface pointing back toward you, maintaining the lead wrist extension.
The high follow-through indicates that you have successfully kept the face open and the wrist correctly positioned.
A thought many golfers have when hitting these flop shots is to hold the face open through the ball.
1. What do you want to improve in your full swing?
Drills to Practice Flop Shots
To make sure you are confident with hitting flop shots, you’ll want to incorporate some practice and drills into your next short game session.
These drills can help you be prepared when you want to use a flop shot on the course.
Plane Chipping Drill
This drill ensures you’re swinging on the correct plane, preventing an overly inside or outside swing path.
Ensuring your swing plane is correct is crucial when hitting low chips and high flop shots.
- Video timestamp – 0:30
Plane Chipping Drill – Step by Step:
- Set Up: Place four water bottles around the ball — two outside the takeaway path and two along the follow-through path.
- Initial Swings: Make practice swings without hitting any of the bottles, focusing on a neutral, slightly outside-in swing path.
- Refine Control: Gradually move the bottles closer together to make the gate tighter as your accuracy improves.
- Hit Balls: Once you can consistently swing without hitting the bottles, start hitting actual chip shots.
- Goal: Build consistent control over your takeaway and follow-through path for clean, repeatable chip shots.
Touch and Feel Drill
Improving feel and finesse is essential for delicate flop shots around the green.
This drill doesn’t even use a club; it just helps you learn to get more delicate with your touch around the greens.
- Video timestamp – 2:14
Touch and Feel Drill – Step by Step:
- Set Target: Place a small bucket or mark a small target area 10–15 feet away.
- Setup: Use your normal flop shot stance with an open clubface and open stance.
- Toss Balls: Underhand toss golf balls softly into the target, focusing on relaxed motion.
- Feel the Motion: Focus on soft, natural arm and wrist movement for better touch.
- Progress: Transition to light wedge swings while maintaining the same feel and touch.
Flexion/Extension HackMotion Wrist Mechanics Drill
HackMotion helps you train wrist mechanics by tracking lead wrist extension to maximize loft. For most full-swing shots, you have to work on closing the clubface as you swing through impact.
Keep the extension for these flop shots using this drill.
Flexion/Extension HackMotion Wrist Mechanics Drill – Step by Step:
- Set Up: Put on your HackMotion sensor and address the ball normally.
- Make a Stroke: Take a putting or small swing motion while focusing on minimizing big wrist changes.
- Monitor: Watch HackMotion flexion/extension data. Try to stay within 2–3 degrees of your starting position during the stroke.
- Adjust: If you see spikes in the graph, rehearse smoother swings until the wrist angle line stays steady.
- Progress: Start with short swings and gradually move to longer ones while keeping wrist mechanics stable.
Final Thoughts
Hitting a flop shot confidently requires the right setup, wrist mechanics, and plenty of practice.
By focusing on maintaining lead wrist extension, you’ll consistently produce high, soft shots without flipping or losing control.
Take these tips and drills to your next practice session, and consider integrating HackMotion into your routine to fine-tune your wrist action and become more precise around the greens.
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