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TROUBLE SHOTS
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Hitting Out of Long Rough
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At some point during a round, every golfer faces a difficult shot.
Whether a sweeping hook played through a small gap in the trees or a long
bunker shot from a downhill lie, tough shots can make or break your momentum
on the course. The shots I want to focus on in this article are those
played out of long rough.
Anyone who has played eighteen holes has had the misfortune of watching
helplessly as their ball careens off line into thick, U.S. Open-like rough
that seems to devour any ball that comes near it. Long, heavy primary
rough is no place to be. However, there are ways out; there are even ways
to save a decent score from such a position. In order to play from the
rough successfully, golfers must learn what clubs to use, how to approach
the shot, and what to expect as a result.
Let's discuss how to play a long approach shot out of heavy rough. Difficult
approach shots can be the result of poor bounces or other strokes of bad
luck. More often than not though, they are the result of mishit tee-shots
that leave the golfer a longer shot than usual from a difficult lie.
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Flier Lie
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With any luck, the golf ball will remain on top of the long grass, resulting
in a "flier lie". The name stems from the fact that the ball tends
to carry further than usual from such a position. What should you do if
you find yourself with a "flier lie"?
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First,you should gauge your distance carefully. As mentioned above, the
ball will fly further when it is sitting on top of the rough. This is because
the ball must be swept up into the air from this type of lie, much like
a driver sweeps the ball off the tee. This, along with the long blades of
grass getting in between the ball and the club, cause the ball to jump off
the clubface with very little backspin. Therefore, you should take a club
or two less than you would normally play from the same distance.
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Second, don't fire at difficult pins. Distance is a major concern on these
shots, so don't try to be a hero. Play for the shot that you know you can
hit. Aim for the center of the green.
Third, make a normal swing. It is difficult not to swing hard at a shot
from a "flier lie" because you have less club in your hands than
normal. If you just make solid contact with the ball, it will travel the
proper distance, leaving you with two putts for par.
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Buried Lie
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Now we will talk about a more common trouble shot -- one where the ball
sits down in the long stuff. This shot is more difficult than a shot played
from a "flier lie" since the grass makes it much more difficult
to place the clubhead squarely on the ball. Unlike a ball that sits on top
of the grass, a ball played from a buried lie in the rough will not fly
a long way. If you watch pros when they catch bad lies in the rough, you
will find that the key to hitting the shot is being smart.
Of course we've all seen Tiger Woods hit 9-iron from a buried lie 200 yards
onto the green. How can that be a smart play? Well, Tiger is a lot stronger
and has had a lot more practice than the majority of us; therefore, he is
able to play that shot. All too often, amateurs who find themselves with
a shot sitting down in the rough will aim at the flagstick and try to rip
a shot onto the green, only to find themselves in a green-side bunker or
even further off the fairway than they were before. Understand that the
best way to approach a shot out of the long rough is to move the ball up
the fairway and use your short game to score.
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First, take a middle iron, you don't need more than a 6-iron, and play
it back in your stance. By playing the ball back, you will approach it from
a steeper angle and not allow as much grass to get in between the club and
the ball. This will result in greater consistency and more clubhead speed
through impact.
Next, grip the club a little tighter than normal. This will help you control
the clubhead better when the long grass grabs it.
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Finally, hit down on the shot. With the ball back in your stance and your
grip a little tighter, swing down on the ball like you are attempting to
hit a punch shot. As mentioned before, this will help you get less grass
between the club and the ball. Expect the shot to roll quite a bit once
it hits the fairway, so be careful where you aim. Following these steps
will help you get into a position where you can still get up and down for
par.
Going For the Green
There are instances where you can have a go at the green out of the long
rough. Be sure there is an adequate area in front of the green to roll the
ball up and that the ball does not have to carry any dangerous hazards.
Play the shot in a similar manner as you would to punch it up the fairway.
Be aggressive through impact and expect the ball to roll anywhere from 10
to 30 yards depending on the trajectory of the shot and the firmness of
the surface you are playing on.
As always, the best way to get consistency from shots out of the long rough
is practice. The steps above should serve as a good guide, but practice
will help you feel the proper motions and allow you to gauge your clubs
better. By learning how to play these shots, you may just be able to shave
a couple of strokes off of your score. However, the most important fix may
be to find out why you are always playing shots out of the rough in the
first place.
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