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!

Make Your Practice Count

Make Practice Count by:

Rob Myers, PGA (Director of Instruction at SilverHorn)

I'm happy to say that over the past several weeks I have seen 

a number of new faces around the golf course practicing.  

Since this is a time of year where people spend a fair amount of time practicing, that is what I'm going to discuss today.  I would like to spend a few minutes talking about how to make your practice count.

Too often I hear people on the range talk about how long they practiced for, or how many golf balls they hit in a practice session.  While both of those things are admirable, it says very little about the quality of the practice.  I'm sure everybody is familiar with the saying, "practice like you play."  There is a lot of truth to that saying, especially with golf.  One of the most important things you can do on the driving range to have more meaningful practice is to slow down.  How often do you hit 4 shots in a matter of 60 seconds on the golf course?  Hopefully never, but it happens quite a bit on the range.  Next time you are at the range try taking your time in between shots.  Whether it's getting a drink of water, taking a practice swing, taking a deep breath, or simply just walking back to your golf bag to clean your club, make sure that you are slowing down your practice and giving each shot a little more thought. 

You might find that you hit half as many balls this way, but the shots you do hit will be well thought out, quality golf shots.  Remember it's not the amount of time you practice, but rather the quality of your practice that counts.  As always, good luck! 

Visit Rob at: www.riimgolf.com 

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

Grip Pressure

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Director of Instruction- Rob Myers, PGA is back again this week to teach us all about grip pressure. We all know the importance of a good grip. Take it away Rob...

"Today I will be disussing an something that is often forgot about or overlooked, but is an extremely important part of having consistency.  That something is your grip!  It's difficult to learn how to really swing the golf club properly if you never learn how to grip it properly.  Imagine trying to learn how to write if nobody ever taught you the most efficient way to hold a pen.  You would eventually find a way to do it, but odds are it  would be much more difficult and probably not very conventional.  There are two things that you need to understand in order to learn to grip the club properly.  Those two things are your hand position and your grip pressure.  This morning I will be focusing primarily on grip pressure.

I'm sure that many of you are familiar with the saying in regards to grip pressure that says, "hold the club like you would hold a bird; tight enough so that the bird won't fly away, but not so tight that you would crush it."  That would be fine if you were just holding the club and not swinging it, but thats not the case.  As you swing the golf club it generates a great deal of force that requires a firm grip on the club if you have any intention of controlling it.  I tell my students that they should be holding onto the club firmly with 5 fingers and loosely with the other 5.  With your top hand (left hand for right handers) you should be holding onto the club firmly with your pinky, ring, and middle fingers while the other 2 should be relaxed.  In your bottom hand (right hand for right handers) you should be gripping the club tightly with your thumb and pointer finger while the other 3 fingers are just along for the ride.  The 5 fingers that you are gripping the club firmly with are primarily responsible for releasing the club in a manner that will provide you with more power and consistency.  Having the pressure in the correct fingers will allow you to have the control of the club you need without feeling like you are strangling it.

This change to your grip pressure will most certainly feel awkward, but I have no doubt it will improve your solidness of contact and consistency.  Be patient as you make this adjustment as often times changes to the grip are some of the most difficult changes to make.  As always let me know if you have any questions!"

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. 

If you need new grips for your golf clubs hit up Chris Hopkins at chopkins@centurygolf.com. 

Are You a Loyalty Member?

The benefits of a Loyalty Membership:

-Save $5.00 on green fees
-Your choice of 2 Draft Beers or Fountain Drinks
-FREE Handicap Service
-Best Price Guarantee on Merchandise
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-Complimentary instruction at any of our Clinics

-Special Member events

-Discounted rates for private golf lessons

The best part about a Loyalty membership?

-Play 10 rounds receive a choice of FJ, Adidas or Callaway golf shoes
OR you can bank your rewards points and take steps toward a
bigger Reward at 20 rounds!

-Play 20 rounds for a choice of a Taylor Made or Callaway fairway wood, hybrid, putter or wedge

Are you over the age of 60? We have a special loyalty program for you: 

-  Save $5.00 on posted rate greens fees

-  Your choice of 2 Draft Beers or Fountain Drinks with each paid round

-  Warm up bag of Range Balls with each paid round

-  FREE Handicap Service

-  Best Price Guarantee on Merchandise

-  FREE Replays

- 50% Discount on Food

-  Complimentary instruction at any of our Clinics

-Discounted rates for private golf instruction

-  Special Member events

2012 Senior Rewards Program:

-Play 10 rounds receive a choice of FJ, Adidas or Callaway golf shoes
OR you can bank your rewards points and take steps toward a
bigger Reward at 25 rounds!

-Play 25 rounds for a choice of a Taylor Made or Callaway fairway wood, hybrid, putter or wedge

*Rewards Program runs from March 1, 2012 – February 28, 2013

What are you waiting for? Head into the golf shop today and sign up- just $10 a year for 365 days of golf rewards! 

Keep Up The Pace

Our director of instructor, Rob Myers is here today to educate us all on the best way to keep up the pace of play. 


Take it away Rob...


"As the weather continues to improve and more and more 


people begin flocking to area golf courses it is important that 


everybody understands the importance of pace of play.  Pace of play is something that is becoming a large area of concern for many golfers and golf courses as the popularity of the game increases.  Tonight, I am going to discuss a few small things that you can do to ensure that you are not contributing to a slow pace of play.  Hitting provisionals for lost balls, preparing for your shot while somebody else is playing their shot, and playing ready golf are just a few ways that you can help to keep a faster pace of play. 

1.  Hitting Provisional Shots

A provisional is an additional shot that is played when one is not certain where their first ball has come to rest.  This is a quick and easy way to help speed up your pace of play.  Next time you are out on the golf course, and you or one of your playing partners hits an errant shot that you are not able to see come to a complete stop, hit a provisional.  If you are unable to find your original shot than you can play your provisional ball which will save you the time of having to go back and replay the shot or to continue searching until you find the first ball. 

2.  Preparing For Your Shot Early

I often times see people on the golf course who wait until it is their turn to play before determining their distance from the hole, the type of shot they will play, or starting their pre-shot routine.  All of this can and should be done as soon as you reach your golf ball. 

3.  Playing ready golf

Playing "ready golf" is really just a fancy golf term for playing out of turn or hitting your shot as soon as you are ready.  Obviously during tournament play it is very important to maintain the appropriate order of play, but when playing recreationally it is far more important to keep a comfortable pace than play in the proper order. 

These are just a few simple things that can help to improve pace of play making the game much more enjoyable for others as well as yourself.  It doesn't take much effort to implement some of these things into your game, but it can make a monumental difference to the pace on the golf course if everybody is practicing these pace of play tips.  As always, let me know if you have any questions!  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.