Greens hit in regulation are critical to breaking 80. The more you hit in regulation, the lower your score usually. But sometimes even well-struck approach shots end up short of the green. When they do, you can find yourself in a short-sided position where the hole is cut extremely close to the green’s edge. Some times you can putt your way out of this predicament. Other times you can’t. What you need is a shot with a lot of height that lands softly on the green.
Below are six keys to hitting this shot:
- Use a narrow, open stance
- Open the clubface wide
- Point the handle at your belt buckle
- Lean weight slightly forward
- Hinge club quickly during takeaway
- Drive shoulders down through shot
Given the situation described above, you’ll need a soft shot with some height to it and a lot of spin to hold the green when it lands. To hit this shot you must make adjustments to your setup, takeaway, and swing.
The mini-flop is a lot like a chip shot, so use a narrow, open stance, just like you would if you were hitting a chip. Open the clubface wide, say maybe 6 to 7 degrees, lean your weight forward slightly but not as much as you would if you were hitting a chip, and point the club’s handle at your belt buckle, but not quite as forward as with a chip. Also, play the ball slightly forward in your stance.
Make an “armsy” type takeaway and hinge your wrists quickly. You don’t want to make a full transition of the front shoulder as you would with a full swing, but you do want to make a good wrist cock. From there, it’s all shoulders, driving the club down into the ball. Try to catch the ball clean.
The shot will pop up high and hit the ground softly with a lot of spin. The mini-flop shot requires a lot of practice to master, so work on it whenever you can. It’s a stroke saver.
