How to play from the deep rough
By Steve Silverman
Every golfer finds himself in the rough from time to time. Nobody can avoid hitting a shot that veers off course and lands in the tall grass. Playing from the rough can be troubling, but it is not impossible. It requires a strong grip, solid concentration and a determined swing.
Instructions
Difficulty: Moderate
Stand about two or three inches closer to the ball than you normally do. You want to create a more vertical swing plane because if you attempt to sweep the ball out of the grass, your club face will get caught up in the rough. Come down on the ball with speed and follow through.
Open your club face when you line up to hit it. This will get the ball in the air a bit quicker than normal and when you play from the rough, the grass tends to grab the club face and pull it closed. By hitting the ball with an open face, the ball should stay on line and go straight.
Play the shot from the deep rough about one ball length closer to your back leg than your front. This may feel a little awkward, but you are creating a steeper angle of attack and giving yourself a chance to hit the ball without getting caught up in the high grass. The steep angle of attack will increase the degree of difficulty, but you will get excellent results when you execute this shot correctly.
Grip the club a bit tighter than normal. The high grass tends to slow down the club face as it gets through to the ball and that slowing or stopping action will be felt in your hands. Add pressure to your grip. Hold on to the club at about a "6" on a 1-to-10 scale. Normally, you should grip the club at about a 5.
Use a shorter club than you think you might normally need. If you would normally use a 4-iron from 150 yards out, use a 5-iron when playing from the rough. This might seem a bit strange since it is hard to hit from the long grass, but you will actually get less backspin. That means less stopping action on the ball. It will tend to bounce and roll more than a shot struck from the fairway.
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.
