By Rob Duca
When a professional golfer hits the ball into the deep rough, the main issues are that he can’t spin the golf ball or control his distance as easily. But when an amateur finds the rough, it’s an entirely different story. Most amateurs don’t have the strength or swing speed to advance the ball a sufficient distance, and many have difficulty even putting it back onto the fairway.
The problem is that the grass in deep rough can snag your clubface and cause it to close, creating a draw, hook or pull. The grass will also slow down your club, causing you to lose speed and power.
With that in mind, here are a few tips for handling deep rough. Keep in mind these tips are geared toward a righty golfer. Lefties should reverse the tips discussing placing weight on one side, turning your hand on the grip and aiming at the target.
- Hold on tight
Usually, light grip pressure is preferable, but not when you’re hitting out of thick rough. Then, you need a firm grip to prevent the club from twisting in your hands. Don’t turn your knuckles white, but hold on tight to stop the clubface from closing.
- Play the ball off your back foot
It’s critical to hit the ball before the ground in order to eliminate the grass from closing your clubface. By playing the ball farther back, you’ll steepen your angle of attack and ensure you hit down on the ball. For a righty golfer, it’s also a good idea to set up with a little more weight on your left side.
- Take a weaker grip
A weaker grip has nothing to do with how firmly you hold the club; it refers to the position of your hands on the grip. If there’s grass behind the ball, place your left hand slightly clockwise to your standard position. This will help to stop the clubface from turning over too much through impact.
- Aim right
Even with using the above tips, thick rough still tends to force the clubface to close a little. To counteract that, aim right of your intended target, thus allowing for a draw or hook.
- Swing hard
This might sound obvious when trying to extract the ball from deep rough, but you’d be surprised at how many amateurs take a lazy swing. Hitting out of the rough requires commitment, which means you’ve got to generate added clubhead speed. Don’t be afraid to come out of your shoes a little, and make sure you swing down on the golf ball.
- Take extra club
That said, the ball is not going to fly as far from the rough. It just isn’t. Therefore, take one or two extra clubs, depending on the thickness of the rough. Be aware that the rough will probably promote a lower trajectory and more roll, so if you’re close to the green you need to take that into account.
- Check your ego at the door
Many times, despite these tips, the rough is too thick or the ball is too buried in the grass to advance it to the green. We’ve all heard the adage about taking your medicine. Sometimes, it’s best to chip the ball back to the fairway and remove that big number from your scorecard.
On those occasions when it’s truly unplayable, take your penalty stroke and move on. Hero shots are called hero shots for a reason: they are special and rarely come off. For every hero shot where you end up making birdie, there are probably 10 times where you’ll card triple bogey.