Greenside Flop

A greenside flop is a short golf shot played from just off the green that flies almost straight up, lands softly, and barely rolls. Golfers use it to carry an obstacle, such as a bunker, and stop the ball quickly next to the hole.

What is a greenside flop?

A greenside flop, more often called a flop shot or lob shot, is one of the highest-risk plays in the short game (the shots played within roughly 100 yards of the green). The golfer opens the face of a lofted wedge and makes a surprisingly full swing, sending the ball high into the air over a short distance so it drops onto the green with almost no forward roll.

The shot exists because sometimes there is no room to land a normal chip or pitch. If a bunker sits between the ball and a hole cut near the edge of the green, a low, running shot has nowhere safe to land. The flop solves that problem with height instead of roll.

The word “greenside” simply describes where the shot is played from: the area immediately around the green, whether that is fringe, light rough, or a closely mown collection area. Phil Mickelson made the shot famous, and many golfers still call a spectacular high lob a “Mickelson shot.”

How the shot works

The physics come down to loft, the angle between the clubface and the ground. A flop is normally played with the most lofted club in the bag, a lob wedge, which carries between 58 and 64 degrees of loft, according to golf publication LiveAbout. By laying the face open at address, a player can push the effective loft to 65 or even 70 degrees, per short game coaching site Giraffy Co.

With that much loft, the clubhead slides underneath the ball rather than driving it forward. The launch is steep. From there, the ball drops almost vertically, so it stops fast on landing; a well-struck flop from 15 yards can finish within a few feet of where it first touched the green.

The shot is short by design. Most flops are played from inside 30 yards, and even an aggressive one rarely travels more than 50. Because the swing is long but the distance is tiny, the margin for error is small: catching the ball thin sends it racing across the green, while hitting the turf first can leave it at the player’s feet.

When golfers use a greenside flop

The classic scenario is being short-sided, which means the ball has missed the green on the same side as the hole, leaving little green between the fringe and the flag. With no room for a chip to land and roll out, a flop lets the player stop the ball quickly.

A flop also makes sense when an obstacle sits directly on the line to the hole. A greenside bunker, a mound, or a patch of thick rough between ball and pin all call for a shot that travels over trouble rather than through it. Fast greens are a third trigger, since a soft, steep landing keeps the ball from releasing past the hole.

Coaches generally treat it as a last-resort option. In a 2024 Golf Digest piece on greenside strategy, strategist Eduardo Molinari noted that amateurs often reach for a lofted shot when the smarter priority is simply getting the ball onto the green. If a chip, pitch, or even a putt from off the green can get close, most instructors recommend the lower option.

Greenside flop vs. chip and pitch

Most confusion around this term comes from its overlap with two other short-game shots. A chip stays low and runs along the ground after landing. A pitch flies higher and rolls a moderate amount. The flop is the extreme end of the spectrum: maximum height, minimum roll.

Shot	Trajectory	Roll after landing	Typical club	When it is used
Chip	Low	Long roll-out	7-iron to pitching wedge	Plenty of green between ball and hole
Pitch	Medium-high	Moderate	Gap or sand wedge	Mid-range shots needing some carry and some roll
Greenside flop	Near vertical	Minimal	Lob wedge (58-64 degrees)	Short-sided lies, obstacles, fast greens

“Flop shot” and “lob shot” mean the same thing, and golfers use the terms interchangeably. Mickelson himself explained the shot in a 1999 Golf Digest feature, describing a 60-degree wedge struck about two inches behind the ball so the club slides under it. He was still producing the shot decades later: at the 2025 LIV Golf Virginia event, aged 54, he holed a sideways flop that Golf.com described as one of the most spectacular shots of his career.

Related Golf Terms

Bump shot — A low running chip played into a slope near the green.
Bladed shot — A thin mishit struck with the club’s leading edge.
Skipper — A low shot intended to skip across water or hard ground.
Layup shot — A deliberate short shot to a safe position short of trouble.
Check shot — A shot that stops quickly on the green thanks to backspin.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a greenside flop the same as a lob shot?

Yes. Both names describe the same high, soft-landing shot, and “greenside flop” simply adds where it is played: the area immediately surrounding the green.

What club is used for a flop shot?

Usually a lob wedge of 58 to 64 degrees, often with the face laid open to add loft. A sand wedge can work if the player opens the face further.

How far does a greenside flop travel?

Most are played from inside 30 yards, and the practical maximum is about 50 yards. Beyond that, distance control becomes unreliable.

Is the flop shot difficult?

It is considered one of the riskiest short-game shots. A slight mishit can produce a bladed shot across the green or a chunk that moves the ball only a few feet.

Which professional is famous for the flop shot?

Phil Mickelson, winner of 45 PGA Tour events per MyGolfSpy, is the player most associated with it. His high, soft flops have been a signature for over three decades.

Sources

Golf Digest. “The ‘important’ key to Phil Mickelson’s signature flop shot, revealed.” Accessed July 4, 2026.
https://www.golfdigest.com/story/phil-mickelson-flop-shot
Golf Digest. “Why pros use this disaster-avoidance greenside strategy.” Accessed July 4, 2026.
https://www.golfdigest.com/story/putting-from-off-the-green-golf-digest-rbc-heritage
Golf.com. “Phil Mickelson holes ‘genius’ sideways flop ahead of U.S. Open.” Accessed July 4, 2026.
https://golf.com/news/phil-mickelson-holes-genius-sideways-flop-us-open/
LiveAbout. “What Is a Flop Shot in Golf?” Accessed July 4, 2026.
https://www.liveabout.com/what-is-a-flop-shot-1564147
Giraffy Co. “Greenside Flop Shot.” Accessed July 4, 2026.
https://giraffyco.com/blogs/news/greenside-flop-shot-setup-swing-and-safety-margin
MyGolfSpy. “These Are My Three Favorite Phil Mickelson Tips Of All Time.” Accessed July 4, 2026.
https://mygolfspy.com/news-opinion/instruction/these-are-my-three-favorite-phil-mickelson-tips-of-all-time/