ROUGH - AND WHAT TO DO FROM IT
W L
GOLF
ROUGH - AND WHAT TO DO FROM IT
BY TOM ATKINSON , PGA GOLF PROFESSIONAL
We ’ re experiencing yet another warm and wet summer this year . That only means one thing on the course , lush rough .
The bane of many a golfer ' s life , but it need not be the case , you just have to understand how it will affect your shot . of making that par or bogey if your next shot is from twice as close as it was when you were in the rough , the alternative being from just a few yards in front of you .
Pay attention to the grass and how the ball is lying in it more than the yardage of the shot . The way the grass is growing relative to the direction of ball flight is huge .
A ball sat with the grain growing into the shot for example will come off the face a lot slower as it gets trapped between club and ball . The result will be shorter lower shots so make sure you club accordingly . Not only this but the friction will also be greater now as the grass resists the club head , make sure you keep a firm grip at impact .
On the flip side when the grass is flowing with the shot then it ’ s going to come out a lot faster so clubbing down may be an option to consider , remembering here that the club will glide along the surface so contact can be quite hot ( flier ).
The buried lie is an altogether different challenge , it ' s a do what you can to get the ball back in play situation , in most cases you ' ll need to put the ball way back in your stance , take as much loft as you ' ve got and hit sharply down at the back of the ball , it ' s like a stabbing motion , the ball may not move far but as long as its far enough for you to get reasonable contact on your next shot then you ' ve done well .
The key to keeping the scores down once you ' ve found yourself in the rough is definitely in club choice , take your medicine most of the time by getting the ball back in play , you will have much more chance
Chipping from the rough can also pose problems , yes you should have more loft in your hand at this point but the grain can play havoc with the contact , try this :
• When into grain , in the slower lie from earlier on have a go at fading or slicing your chip shots , the steeper , more out to in approach to the ball will help to eliminate the effect that the grass has on the hosel of the club , thus not interfering with the face as much , be mindful that the ball should pop out a bit higher and possibly move to the right .
• To the contrary when down grain look to try and play a little draw chip , a lower more running shot is to be expected so be sure to factor this into your landing zone .
As is the case throughout all aspects of the game , not all lies are going to be equal , that ' s part of the beauty of it , the ability to adapt to what ' s in front of you , you ' re only going to improve through experiencing it on the practice ground or the course but take these tips out there with you as you go . For help with your game , please contact us on 0151 342 7431 .
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