Grassy Lies

[erwintrace08]

Hey Guys,

I've heard tons of different opinions on this for some reason and just wanted to clear the air. It's a relatively simple, question:

When you have a grassy lie, does the grass open the club face or close it?

I've heard answers where it's 1) Close 2) Open 3) I don't know

Can you guys help put this to rest? In my mind, I think the answer is the grass closes the face, so you have to open it a little when hitting.

Thanks,
e

[Zeph]

It usually closes the club face. The reason is that the grass gets gathered up in the hosel, as the club travels closer to the ball, more grass gather up and drags the clubface shut. If your clubface is open enough, the grass can open it up even more, but then it'll be pretty grassy. Move the ball back in the stance, promote a steep angle to take most of the grass out of play. That'll give you a good chance to reach the ball with the still going down and hitting it while the clubface still is aimed at your target.

[tonyy]

Yep, grass will definitely close the face. As Zeph said, open up the clubface a little more and have a steeper angle of attack to minimize it.

[erwintrace08]

Sweet. Thanks guys. I'm the worst out of the rough. I usually try to over power it to get it out and hit it fat. Hard to trust that the club will do all the work...

[Zeph]

In difficult lies, the most imporant thing to remember is to hit the ball first. That'll make it travel up your clubface and into the air. If you have to swing through grass long before you reach the ball the chances of the clubface shutting down or you hitting it fat is much greater. If it's a bad lie and you need more power, take a practice swing with two clubs to get the feeling of really throwing it down and popping the ball out.

Don't necessarily worry too much about the follow through. After impact the grass will catch your club and hold it back. By promoting a steep angle you will also be digging the club into the ground, taking some grass with you. I suggest you find a place where you can practice this. It's very hard to do if you encounter these lies once or twice on a round without having practiced them, so you know exactly what to do.

Don't know what clubs you use from the thick stuff, but I really like my hybrids there, they are much easier to just trown down on the ball and popping it out. Don't pick a club with too small angle either, that'll make it really hard coming down on the ball and it may launch it so low that you don't even get out. Consider your possibilities and take a shorter club with greater angle to get yourself out of that stuff and onto the fairway if you are far away from the green. Hitting the ball over 150 yards with an iron from the rough is not easy. It is easier with a hybrid or fairway wood, but still needs practice.

[Petden]

If i need maximum distance it is usually a 7I or sometimes a 5 wood if the grass isn't too tall. If the grass is very thick and tall then you are looking at no larger then a 9I, IMO.

[clearwaterms]

im pretty bad off the Tee and often end up in the fringe or rough on par 4's. and I have little difficulty getting clubs as high as a 5 iron out of all but the thickest stuff. I will lose distance without a doubt, but i find that I can power through it, and since the ball isn't on dirt if I get my club head down to dirt i usually get the ball up in the air.

[Petden]

Im almost embaresed to say this but I dont mind the rough as long as its not very tall. I find it elevates the ball and allows me to get under it more.

[clearwaterms]

Im almost embaresed to say this but I dont mind the rough as long as its not very tall. I find it elevates the ball and allows me to get under it more.

don't be embarresed, I feel the same way.

[erwintrace08]

don't be embarresed, I feel the same way.

I like it as well. I would take a ball in the very short rough any day over a ball in the fairway when it's like a hard pan area when I'm using a 3 wood. It's just like as if it was teed up for you.

[Fourputt]

One more tip for deep grass. Grip the club tighter than usual with the last 3 fingers of your top hand (for righties that's the left hand). That helps to delay the release and keep the clubface more square/open. It's a normal part of bunker technique, but I find that it applies well to heavy rough too.

[osean79]

i usually shorten my backswing to about shoulder height max and take an extra club.
I do this up to about a 6 iron, but anything longer i use my 4 hybrid accordingly to the distance i would like to hit.