Flop Shot
Also known as: lob shot, Phil shot
A flop shot is a very high, soft-landing chip or pitch played with a wide-open lob wedge that stops quickly — used when there is little green between the ball and the hole.
The flop requires opening the face significantly (sometimes 90° from normal), taking a wide stance, and swinging across the ball with a long, aggressive motion. Done correctly the ball floats high and lands almost dead, with very little roll. Done incorrectly (often by deceleration) it produces a skull, blade, or chunk. It is a high-risk, high-reward shot best reserved for situations where a lower, running shot is not possible. Phil Mickelson popularized it at the professional level.
Example
A ball resting tight against the fringe with only 15 feet to the pin — a flop shot is the only way to get the ball high enough to land softly and stop near the hole.
Related terms
- ChippingChipping is a short shot played from just off the green — a small swing that gets the ball rolling on the green quickly, using the putting surface to carry it to the hole.
- PitchingPitching is a mid-range short-game shot that carries the ball most of the way to the target with a descending blow and controlled spin, typically from 30–100 yards.
- Short GameThe short game is all shots played around and on the green — putting, chipping, pitching, and bunker play — and typically accounts for 60–65% of strokes in an average round.
- DecelerationDeceleration is when the club slows down through the impact zone instead of accelerating past the ball — a common cause of mishits on chips, pitches, and bunker shots.
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