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Have you ever made two birdies in a row and followed them up with two double bogeys? How about starting a round with a drive in the middle of the fairway and walking away with 7 on the card? Golf is just as much a mental game as a physical one (some may argue even more). If you think your mental game might have something to do with your inability to reach your goals on the course, here are a few mental traps you may be up against.

1. The “all or nothing” self-talk trap

With the “all or nothing” self-talk trap, after one bad shot, you immediately think that you are terrible at golf or that there is no recovery for this hole or maybe even the entire round.

Absolute language, used negatively, has no place on the golf course. Saying “I always slice” or “I’ll never hit the green” leaves you with little hope.

Bouncing back, recovering and making saves are all part of the game and you have to be willing and ready to do them if you are going to succeed.

The fix:

When I was younger, my favorite shot to practice in the backyard was the flop shot. There’s something fun about launching the ball high into the air, watching it travel a short distance and stopping it exactly where you want. As I got more confident, I’d open the clubface more and more.

But as much as I practiced flop shots, I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve hit a true, full-on flop shot in a competitive round. The conditions must be just right for the risk to be worth it.

So when should you attempt a golf flop shot and when should you play it safe? I’ve broken it down, along with some tips from the best in the game to help you execute it properly when the situation calls for it.

When you can consider a golf flop shot

The ideal conditions for a flop shot are when you have a ball sitting up in some rough and you have short-sided yourself with an obstacle like a bunker between you and the pin. You need to clear the obstacle but don’t have much room to work with.

Short-sided with an obstacle (bunker, rough, etc.) – If you need to clear an obstacle and have confidence in your technique.
Fluffy lie in deep rough – Ball sits up, allowing the club to slide under it.
Soft ground with plenty of grass – More margin for error, making it easier to use the club’s bounce effectively.
Casual round with no consequences – A great time to practice the shot without pressure.
If you’re confident in your execution – This is not a shot to attempt if you are worried about your ability.

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