Golf Glossary
Flop Shot (Lob)
In short
A flop shot is a short approach shot that flies very high and drops almost vertically onto the green. It is usually played with a lob wedge and an open clubface. The ball stops quickly after landing and hardly rolls. That helps when the flag is tucked just behind an obstacle.
What is a flop shot in golf?
The flop shot belongs to the short game. It is a shot with a very steep flight: the ball climbs high into the air and drops almost vertically. Because it lands so steeply, it rolls only a few metres after impact or barely at all.
You will also hear the word ‘lob’ or ‘lob shot’. In everyday use both terms mean much the same thing. Strictly speaking a lob is any high, soft shot, while the flop shot is the extreme version: the clubface is opened wide and the swing is big even though the ball only travels a short distance. The club of choice is the lob wedge, which usually has around 58 to 64 degrees of loft, so the ball gets airborne very easily. The American Phil Mickelson is regarded as one of the best-known masters of the shot and has played it again and again from difficult spots in tournaments.
When do you use the flop shot?
The flop shot is a specialist shot for particular situations. Typical examples are:
- The flag is just behind an obstacle such as a bunker or a ridge and you have little room to let the ball run out.
- The green is fast and slopes away from you, so a low shot would run too far.
- The ball sits well in the grass, ideally resting slightly on top of the rough or on soft fairway.
When it is better not to play it: with a very tight, hard lie, where the ball sits almost directly on firm ground, the risk is high. The club can catch the ball low on its surface and send it shooting across the green. And if there is plenty of room to run the ball, a low shot is usually safer. That includes the chip and the bump-and-run. Many good players say the simplest shot is the best shot, and the flop shot is rarely the simplest.
Technique and setup: how to play a flop shot
A good setup is the key. Work through it in this order:
- Open the clubface first and take your grip afterwards. That way it stays open during the swing.
- Take an open stance, with your feet turned slightly left of the target (for right-handers). The clubface points at the target.
- Position the ball further forward in your stance than for a normal shot.
- Bend your knees a little more and keep your weight balanced, slightly towards the front foot.
In the swing the club slides under the ball through the grass. The club usually enters the grass just behind the ball. The height comes from the loft and the distance from the length of the swing. You do not need force for it. It is important to swing through to a high finish. If you decelerate, the club hits the ground too early and the ball just hops a short way forward.
Practical example: a flop over the bunker
Imagine a par-4 hole. After your drive and second shot, your ball lies twelve metres short of the green on soft grass. A bunker sits between you and the flag, and the flag is only five metres behind its edge. A low chip would end up in the bunker or run through the green.
You choose the lob wedge, open the face and swing through with a full, calm movement. The ball climbs steeply, clears the bunker and lands softly on the green. It rolls only about a metre and stops one and a half metres from the flag. You hole the putt.
That is four strokes on a par 4, so a par. In golf language this is an ‘up and down’: you got the ball from off the green into the hole with one shot to the green and one putt. Without the flop shot the result could easily have been a bogey.
Bounce, lie and club: what matters
Two properties of the wedge decide how well the flop shot works: loft and bounce. The bounce is the curved sole of the club that stops the leading edge from digging into the ground. When you open the clubface, the effective bounce gets bigger. That helps on soft grass and in sand, but on hard ground it can make the club bounce off the surface.
So it pays to look at the lie, the position of the ball. On soft, thick grass a wedge with more bounce slides nicely under the ball. On thin grass or firm ground a wedge with low bounce is an advantage. A sand wedge with around 56 degrees of loft also works for a flop shot when the ball sits well. The ball then flies a little lower, but many players find the shot easier.
Common flop shot faults
The flop shot is not very forgiving. These faults happen most often:
- Too little speed: the swing looks big and many players decelerate for fear of sending the ball too far. The club then hits the ground too early (a ‘fat’ shot) and the ball stays short.
- Weight on the back foot: leaning back means contacting the ball low on its surface. The result is a low, fast shot that flies over the green.
- Clubface not open enough: without the loft the ball flies too low.
- Flicking the hands: opening the wrists just before the ball costs you control of the contact point.
- The wrong choice: playing a flop shot when a simple chip would do. The gain is then smaller than the risk.
A small error in the contact point decides whether the ball lands softly or flies well past the green.
Practising the flop shot: simple drills
Do not practise the flop shot off a mat. Use real turf, where a wedge can slide properly. On a hard surface the club bounces easily and the shot becomes needlessly risky. These drills help:
- Start with a sand wedge, and only move to the lob wedge when the contact point is right.
- Lay a towel as a target about five metres away and try to land the ball on it.
- Swing deliberately evenly, with the same tempo in backswing and follow-through.
- Hit ten balls and count how many finish within a three-metre circle around the target.
Be patient. Only many repetitions make the flop shot reliable. A coach can check your setup and contact point in a single lesson.
Try it at Golf Lounge
You can train the short game specifically at Golf Lounge Resort Hamburg. According to the course map there is a putting and chipping area on site for practice. If you want to build your flop shot properly, book a 60-minute one-to-one lesson with a PGA Pro or a short impulse session that focuses on the short game, for example. Lessons are available daily by appointment and are booked online.
Frequently asked questions
What is a flop shot in golf?
A flop shot is a short, very high approach shot in which the ball climbs steeply and lands almost vertically on the green. It is usually played with a lob wedge and an open clubface. The ball hardly rolls and stops quickly, which is helpful when the flag is tucked just behind an obstacle.
What is the difference between a lob and a flop shot?
A lob is any high, soft shot with plenty of loft. The flop shot is the extreme version, with a wide-open clubface and a big swing over a short distance. In everyday talk the two words are often used interchangeably. The technique is similar, but the flop shot is riskier and needs a good lie.
Which club do you use for a flop shot?
Most often the lob wedge, which usually has around 58 to 64 degrees of loft. A sand wedge of about 56 degrees also works, especially for beginners. What matters is that the ball sits well and the club suits the surface: enough bounce for soft grass or low bounce for firm ground.
When should you not play a flop shot?
Avoid the flop shot with a very tight, hard lie and when there is plenty of room for the ball to run. In those cases a chip or a bump-and-run is safer. If you rarely practise the shot, the risk of a mishit is too great as well. Choose the simplest route to the flag instead.
How do I learn the flop shot?
Learn it on turf with a sand wedge and only then move to the lob wedge. Open the clubface before you take your grip and swing at an even tempo to a high finish. A towel as a target lets you measure progress. A coach is the quickest way to check your setup and contact point.
As of: October 2026