The flop shot: Two wrongs make a right

Your approach shot has ended up left of the green, and now you have a greenside bunker between your ball and the hole. With a tight pin location, there isnt a lot of green to work with, and it appears the situation now calls for a flop shot  a rather intimidating play for most amateurs.

To help set you up for success with the flop shot, Bill Rabuck, head golf professional at The Bog in Saukville, lends some advice on how to address and successfully pull off one of golfs more nerve-wracking shots:

"My teacher taught me that two wrongs make a right when setting-up for a flop shot. On normal shots, the correct thing to do is address the ball with a square stance and a square clubface. But for this shot, open the clubface a certain amount depending on how high and soft you want to hit the shot, and open your stance an equal amount. In other words, if you open the clubface 10 degrees, open your stance 10 degrees. From there, swing the club along your open shoulder line."

Rabuck also advised to only use the flop shot when the situation deems it necessary.

"Too often I see people attempting to hit the flop shot when a simple chip or pitch would be a better and safer choice, he said. Even with good technique, the flop shot carries considerably more risk."