by Aaron Hunt

Created on: November 15, 2008   Last Updated: December 28, 2008

You've left your approach to the green just a couple of feet short of a green-side bunker. The pin is cut just 6 paces onto the green and it's just on the other side of the bunker. If you chip across the bunker, the ball will most likely roll across the green and off the other side, and going around the bunker is basically a one-stroke penalty. What do you do? The Lob Shot This is a great time to have the lob shot in you bag of golf shots. The lob shot is a shot that flies much higher than it travels forward. It's also commonly called a flop shot. Executed properly, it lands softly on the green and practically stops in its tracks. It's perfect for crossing 20 feet of bunker and landing beside the pin when you've short-sided yourself. Phil Mickelson is the modern master of the lob shot, and he typically carries a 64-degree wedge to pull it off. That's right 64 degrees! Talented players can pull it off with a sand wedge, and many players carry a 60 degree wedge. But for the average player, the more loft the better.

Alignment To execute the lob shot, start by aligning the ball in the middle of your stance with your weight equally distributed on both feet. Pick a target that is approximately 5 yards to your right, and align your feet approximately 5 yards to the left. This creates a wide, open stance which is necessary to execute this shot.

Address Next, grip the club with the face open so that the club is almost lying flat. The leading edge of the club will be pointing more to the right than for a typical shot. This combined with the open stance is what creates the high trajectory and the soft landing with virtually no roll. The Swing Perhaps the hardest part of the lob shot to master is the swing. Even though the shot only flies 30 yards or less, it is still necessary to take a full swing with a complete follow through. Even for the shortest of lobs, you may take a half-swing with a full follow through. The goal is to swing the club so it glides across the turf and slides underneath the ball, gently lifting it into the air. To execute the lob swing, make sure there is acceleration through impact and that your wrists are firm.

Common Mistakes The most common failure is letting the wrists break down or try to roll over like you would in a full shot. The result is a thin shot that flies across the green and will roll farther than you ever though possible. The other common failure is to move your legs or change your posture by dipping down. This typically creates a fat shot, or "chili-dip", and in our scenario of trying to lob across a bunker the result will be hitting the next shot from the sand. Learning to execute the lob shot takes practice, but there are probably a few opportunities per round to save a stroke if you can pull the shot off consistently.

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