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HOW TO… HIT A FLOP OFF A DOWNHILL LIE

This is a last resort shot, and can go one of two ways. Essentially, it’s a little chip shot, but the precision means you’ll either earn a round of applause or a shake of the head from your playing partner. The natural reaction when playing any shot off a downhill lie is to stand up and help the ball into the air, but you actually need to do the opposite and stay low throughout the shot. The same rules apply for a flop shot. To create a stable base, you need to take a wide stance and limit the amount of shaft lean to stop the leading edge from digging in. From here, lay the face open so the back of the club sits flat and set the shoulders parallel to the slope. To give you a bit of leeway with the strikepoint, use the bounce of the club and feel like you’re skimming the ground half an inch behind the ball before impact. This will stop you from thinning it and help you to release the club under and down the slope.

Keep the weight on your front foot (90/10) and flex the knees more to lower the handle. This will help the club to skim along the ground so the ball pops up.

To engage the bounce, exaggerate the wrist hinge so the thumbs point up in the backswing. Try to feel like you’re swinging down, not up, the slope.