How to hit from the Rough
By Steve Silverman
Hitting the golf ball out of the rough is a challenge that all golfers face. Even the best golfers in the world can't hit the fairway on every hole. Your ability to play the ball confidently from the rough will determine in large part whether you can put a respectable score on the card or whether your game falls apart when you are faced with trouble.
Instructions
Difficulty: Moderate
Play the ball in the middle of your stance. You want the ball to be midway between your front and back foot. Take an athletic position as you stand over the ball. Your knees need to be bent or flexed if you are going to transfer your weight properly in order to get your club head through the ball.
Check your distance to the green or the spot on the fairway at which you are aiming. If you are 150 yards away and you normally use a 7-iron from that distance, add at least one club length so that you are hitting with a 6-iron (if you have that club) or a 5-iron. The idea is to take a normal swing and not to try to kill it when you are in the rough.
Open your club face as you prepare to start your swing. That means that instead of having the club face aimed at the target, you will be aiming to the right (right-handed golfers). Turn the head of the club about five degrees to the right. This is because the blades of grass that your club will encounter will tend to close the club face when it makes contact with the ball. Opening your club face compensates for this.
Bring the club back as you normally do, but try to keep most of your weight on your front foot. This will help you get the club head through the ball on impact and not get caught up in the grass. Exaggerate your shot by emphasizing your right hand as you make impact. The right hand will make sure your club head gets through the ball and does not get stuck in the rough.
Tips & Warnings
Practice your swing from the rough when you get the chance. This is difficult to do when you are at most practice ranges, but if you get to your golf course early you can hit from the tall grass surrounding the holes. This is vital in order to get used to the feeling of your club getting through the rough.
About The Author
Steve Silverman is an award-winning writer, covering sports since 1980. Silverman authored The Minnesota Vikings: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly and Who's Better, Who's Best in Football -- The Top 60 Players of All-Time, among others, and placed in the Pro Football Writers of America awards three times. Silverman holds a Master of Science in journalism from the Medill School of Journalism.
