Playing out of Thick Grass

[Ctp722]

How do most of you gauge what club to hit out of thick grass, I'm not talking about grass up to your knees just normal off the fairway grass but thick enough to slow the ball down.

So whats happening is a good bit of the time I am coming up short (club up dummy), yea I know but how much and how to do you get a feel for it is what I want to know. Does anyone have a system they use or tips?

Also for long range shots do you prefer a hybrid, wood, or irons. I am beginning to think I hit my hybrids best, but just wondering others thoughts on the matter.

Thanks

[phillyk]

I usually club up one and really focus on hitting down on the ball to get as little grass as possible and get the ball into the air as quickly as possible.  I use a 4-brid and it definitely makes hitting out of the  heavier rough easier, but I think it also depends on the person.  Some people can hit hybrids very well, and some prefer irons over them.

[mdl]

This totally depends on the rough.  I play public course in LA, and the rough isn't usually that punitive.  Often it's almost like slightly long fairway at some of the munis.  So answers may vary.  But when I do find myself in real rough with a pretty buried lie, I've found one club up usually does the trick for me.  Hitting down on the ball also works good for me.

The key thing to remember for me is to not both club up and feel worried about coming up short and trying to kill the ball.  When I do that I either hit just an awful shot cause I was yanking all over the place trying to kill it, or if I do manage to strike the ball well, then it goes close to regular distance for that club and thus to the back of or over the green...

[awmgolfer]

That's about what I do, take an extra club and move the club back a little bit in my stance. I actually just got back from playing a round and we've had steady rain the past couple of days. It's quite early in our season so the course has not really been cut well yet so some of the rough was thick and wet. Just clubbing up and moving it back a little in the stance with a steep swing in to it really made it pop right out.

[Ctp722]

I will try to club up a little more often. I'm just afraid of blasting past the green. Will try and update.

[Shindig]

I will try to club up a little more often. I'm just afraid of blasting past the green. Will try and update.

I used to have this fear in a number of circumstances, and then realized that I rarely blast it past the green. It's helped fix that anxiety by realizing it's not a problem I have frequently.

[LankyLefty]

Depends on the Lie. If its floating up on top I just go with my normal club If its is really dug in I got a club down. If its sort of like an overgrown fairway I don't change anything either.

[turtleback]

I think we are approaching this the wrong way.  Yes, the lie is important, but much more important is where the trouble by the green is.  If there is more trouble in front than over you definitely want to club up.  Unless the grass is growing towards the green in which case there might be too much danger of a flier.  But if the front is pretty open and there is trouble over the green then I'd go ahead and hit my regular shot, and if I come up a little short I still have a good chance for an up and down.

I guess what I am saying is that you have to look at the whole shot, not just the lie.

[boogielicious]

+1 to Turtleback and the lie.  If the clubhead has a path to strike the ball with no grass in between, then you will get good impact and decent spin.  If it will hit grass first, then it won't spin as much and will roll out and possibly be much shorter than expected.  Studying the lie and knowing where your trouble is the best approach.

[ezmorningrebel]

if i'm sitting down in bad rough i'll typically just hit a high lofted club to a safe layup distance in the fairway.  if it's sitting up and i'm going to have a go at the green i typically don't club up as i will instinctively swing harder since it's in the rough.  i'm more of a sweeper so i really have to focus on getting steep.