How to Hit Out of the Rough – part 2
You hit a long, long drive, it hits the middle of the fairway, bounces off a
sprinkler head, goes left, and your are in that nasty, thick rough that is just
off the fairway. After you stop cursing (I must be politically correct: Don’t
curse on the golf course. Instead, throw your clubs in anger. It’s much more
acceptable). After you get over your bad luck, and you decide not to simply
kick the ball out of the rough to the low stuff, you have to hit your ball.
How?
At address, play the ball BACK in your stance. This allows you to ATTACK the
ball with the club coming in at a steeper angle, which makes sense. It makes
the ball go get up and out quickly, and the least amount of time your club and
ball spends in the rough, the better! Aim your target line slightly left
(righthanders!) of target, because the rough will send the ball right.
This is one time that I believe a TIGHTER grip should be used. You are hitting
into hard stuff, and you can’t afford to let your club head come apart on
impact. Your backswing should be slightly longer, and taken further back. This
helps with the angle of attack. Hit and swing firmly (DO NOT COME OUT OF YOUR
SWING. IN OTHER WORDS, DON’T TRY TO KILL IT. THE PROPER SETUP AND GRIP WILL
TAKE CARE OF THAT). Now, watch the ball soar out of the rough, and smile…
