Flop Shots- Golf Tips From Rob Myers, PGA

Today, I am going to talk about the challenging, yet fun shot that is commonly known as the flop shot.  We have all seen the guys on TV execute this shot to perfection all the while making it look easy!  For those of you who have rushed out and tried to duplicate this shot at your local range or course you have probably found that it's not as easy as it looks.  Before we get into the details let me first define the flop shot.  A flop shot can best be described as a greenside shot that is designed to fly higher than your normal chip or pitch and land on the green softly.  This type of shot requires an enormous amount of touch and feel as well as the proper fundamentals.

The key to hitting a successful flop shot is to make sure you have the proper setup.  So with that being said, lets first start with the proper setup to perform a flop shot.  Grab your highest lofted wedge (sand or lob) and begin by addressing the ball as you normally would for a standard chip shot.  The first adjustment you will make is to move the ball from the middle or back third of your stance to the front third.  Next you will pull your front foot back so that your stance is open.  You should now feel as though you are aiming left (for right handers) of the target.  In order to make up for being aligned left, you will lay the club face open so that the leading edge of the club is pointed at the target.  This adjustment has added loft to the club while still keeping your club pointed towards the target.  At this point you are now setup properly for this shot and ready to give it a try.  You will make an effort to swing the club along your foot line which will have the club moving from what feels like the "outside in" or "across" the ball.  By moving the club this way you are able to put fade spin on the ball which helps it to land softer on the green.  Notice that the bulk of these adjustments were made in your setup, so as you get more comfortable with this new setup you should start to see some better flop shot results.

It is my strong recommendation that you try this shot for the first time on the driving range where a poor result will not end up jeopordizing anybodys physical well being.  Once you gain some confidence in your ability to perform this shot successfully than you can try it around the green where there are other people practicing.  Please let me know if you have any questions as you practice, and I look forward to hearing your feedback!  Make it a great day!

Visit Rob at: www.riimgolf.com 

Call             210-545-5300       ext. 1 to book a private lesson.

Rob offers discounted lessons for SilverHorn members and you can become a member for just $10 a YEAR!

Putting On Fast Greens

SilverHorn  PGA, instructor Rob Myers is back with some more great advice that we could all benefit from- how to putt on fast greens.

"When you find yourself putting on fast greens there are a couple things that are super important to remember.  On fast greens it is imperative that you pick intermediate targets on the putting green, and it is equally important that the intermediate target you pick keeps you on the high side of the hole.   Not only will choosing an intermediate target help you get the ball started on the right line, but it will also help you focus on something that is short of the hole.  By focussing short of the hole you might be able to keep from hitting the ball as firm as you normally would.  This is a huge key in being able to "die" the ball in hole on quicker putting surfaces.  Another thing to make sure you are focussing on is making sure that the intermediate target you pick gets the ball started on the high side of the hole.  It's dangerous to get the ball on the low side of the hole too soon on quick greens because then the ball is rolling quickly away from the hole rather than towards it.  The longer you can get the ball breaking towards the hole and not away from it the better off you will be.

Putting on quick greens can be tricky, but if you are able to keep these couple things in mind they should help you be a little more consistent.  Over time you will probably find that while putting on fast greens is a challenge, its a fun one!  Let me know if you have any questions.  Good luck, and make it a great week!"

If you are looking to improve your golf game Rob is available for lessons at SilverHorn and offers discounted rates for members of SilverHorn (our lowest memberships start at $10 a month!). E-mail Rob at rmyers@centurygolf.com to schedule a lesson or to simply ask Rob a question.

Also visit Rob online at Rob's website: www.riimgolf.com. 

Hit Your Wedges Closer

We are lucky enough to have an excellent PGA teaching professional at SilverHorn, Rob Myers. Rob is here today to give us a little bit of advice on hitting our wedges...


"Today I'm going to spend a few minutes talking about wedge shots, and how you can better control your distances with them. When you are working on distance control with your wedges it's important to first have control over your trajectory. Without having control over your trajectory it will be very difficult to know exactly how far you will hit the ball. 

To better control your trajectory with your wedges you need to keep two things in mind, ball position and speed of swing. Moving the ball position in your stance can certainly help you to hit lower or higher wedge shots when desired. As you move the ball more forward in your stance you are likely to hit the ball higher while moving the ball back in your stance will encourage a lower ball flight. The speed of the golf swing plays a little bigger role in controlling trajectory then ball position. The harder you swing (particularly with your wedges) the more spin you put on the ball and the higher it is likely to fly. When you slow down the pace of your swing it is easier to flight the ball down. This might often times require you taking "more" club (a less lofted wedge) and swinging a little smoother.

The next time you are on the range spend some time practicing with your wedges. Experiment with the ball position and the pace of your swing and see how your trajectory changes. Once you are able to better control your trajectory you should find yourself having much more control over your distances. Best of luck, and let me know if you have any questions. Thanks, and make it a great week! "


If you are looking to improve your game Rob is available for lessons at SilverHorn and offers discounted rates for members of SilverHorn. E-mail Rob at rmyers@centurygolf.com to schedule a lesson or ask Rob a question. Also visit Rob online at Rob's website: www.riimgolf.com.