Golf Tips Handbook: Your Free Guide Awaits

Unlock our Exclusive Golf Tips Handbook- a curated collection of the smartest, most practical lessons we’ve published this year.

Download now

Ever watch a Tour pro float a flop shot over a bunker and wonder how they make it look effortless? Rickie Fowler just broke down the exact technique that separates amateurs who chunk wedges from pros who land it soft every time.

The world No. 83 golfer recently demonstrated his flop shot fundamentals in a TaylorMade Golf YouTube video. He walked viewers through every detail of the shot that’s saved him countless strokes throughout his career. And the technique might surprise you. Fowler’s short game credentials speak for themselves. He led the PGA Tour in sand save percentage back in 2017 at 67.69%. This season, he’s maintained solid scrambling at 63.2%, converting 304 of 481 attempts. Those numbers prove his touch around the greens remains elite.

First comes the club face. It has to be open. Non-negotiable. Opening the face exposes the bounce, which prevents digging and allows the club to slide under the ball. Second, weight distribution. Fowler keeps his weight primarily on his left side throughout the entire swing. Most amateurs make the fatal mistake of leaning back, trying to help the ball into the air. That’s how you blade it across the green.

Third, the grip. Fowler uses a weak grip, similar to bunker techniques.

“This kind of goes back to some bunker techniques and how the face and bounce operate.”

That’s his exact explanation from the video. The weak grip helps maintain that open face position through impact.

Fourth, ball position. The ball sits left in his stance, forward near the front foot. Combined with forward weight, this setup creates the shallow angle needed to pop the ball high. Fifth, the release.

“I like to try and feel like that club head passes.”

Fowler wants the bounce to do the work when you trust the setup.

Top Stories

Rory McIlroy Suffers ‘Banana Peel’ Blunder as His Australian Open Setbacks Continue

PGA Tour Under Fire for Jeopardizing Careers by Cancelling Q-School Round at the Last Minute

Alex Noren’s Hot-Mic, Akshay Bhatia’s DOD & More: Top Moments From Hero World Challenge R2

Cameras Catch Rory McIlroy Lost in the Bushes Amid Disastrous Australian Open Round

Bryson DeChambeau Won’t Like the Penalty Kevin Kisner Wants LIV Golfers to Face on PGA Tour Return

Why Fowler’s weak grip technique mirrors bunker play

There’s a reason Fowler references bunker shots when teaching the flop. Both shots rely on identical bounce mechanics. Both require an open face throughout impact. Both demand the club slide under the ball rather than dig.

When Fowler dominated sand saves in 2017, he mastered these exact principles. The bounce angle between the leading and trailing edges of the wedge creates a gliding effect through sand or rough terrain. Opening the face at the address effectively increases that bounce angle.

The weak grip prevents the face from rotating closed through the hitting zone. This maintains the loft and bounce that generate the high, soft landing amateur golfers crave. Master these fundamentals in one area, and they translate directly to the other.

Most weekend players fail at flop shots due to three critical errors. They close their faces, seeking security but creating disaster. They shift weight backward, guaranteeing either a chunk or a skull. They decelerate through impact, leaving the ball in trouble. Fowler’s technique fixes all three simultaneously. The open face exposes bounce for clean contact. Forward weight ensures a consistent strike. Aggressive release prevents deceleration.

His approach transforms the flop shot from a gamble into a reliable scoring tool. The difference between pros and amateurs isn’t talent. It’s fundamentals. And Fowler just handed you the exact blueprint Tour players use.