Deep greenside rough, short sided pin

[BioGolfNebraska]

Now that I have been driving further, and trying to drive some of the short par 4s around here (270 yards and less, with slight doglegs, bunkers, tough greens, tough greenside rough, etc.), it seems like I have this shot almost every round but blow it.  My last couple rounds I was only 5-10 yards off the green in my first shot on a couple par 4s, and second on this one par 5, but carded bogies on all of them (bogies are great for me, but I feel like I'm giving strokes up- my differential the last few rounds has been ~20, though, so I think my handicap might start coming down as I accumulate rounds).

How do you guys handle the shot from the thick rough 5-10 yards off the green to a short sided pin (or to any hole location, actually), in order to get the ball to a reasonable spot on the green?

[saevel25]

First, if your in heavy rought, short sided, i would just assume your not going to get it close to the pin. So stop trying to finesse a shot. because majority of the time you will end up with something bad.

so basically i just take the pin out of the equation, if the ball happens to come out soft and end up closer, then its ok, but i just accept i will be looking at a 20' putt.

Let me ask you this, what if you hit an iron off the tee, gave yourself a yardage you know and your able to hit it closer than trying to chip out of this thick rough. Wouldn't that be better. I can understand if you had a lot of green to work with, but if your going to short side yourself, you take away all the advantages of hitting it near the green. I rather be able to make a play from the fairway than having to get lucky out of thick rough. Just my opinion.

But, i usually put the ball back in my stance, Usually slightly back of center, i really just try to hit down on the ball with a steeper angle. I want to really take out as much rough as possible. If i am sweeping through it, its almost impossible to judge whats going on. A lot of times i can hit the ball higher on the clubface as well and get it to come out softer. I do this for when i have to hit the ball high over trees, i will purposely hit the ball high on the clubface, out of the rough. It just skies the ball into the air.

Just practice this as well, find a course that has thick rough around a chipping green. Just hack at it till something works.

[BioGolfNebraska]

Honestly, I've never come close to an eagle chance until the last few rounds so now that my drives are actually giving me opportunities it is so hard to turn down.  I'm a little unsure how far my drives are going to go now that I am more comfortable with my driver, so these past few times I have outdrove the fairway a bit.

My 3 wood only goes 220y at the very maximum, and I am very consistent with this club off the tee, so I'll probably just try using that on these par 4s.  The par 5 is only 400 yards partly downhill, and my driver left me with less than 150 yards (a gentle 5 iron for me), so I will still go for it in this situation.  The green on the par 5 is ridiculous, though, and it is very possible to putt into a bunker.

For the shot you are talking about in the rough, what club do you typically use?

[Truegolf]

For short side situations I usually try to use the bounce to get a higher lob/flop type short that lands with little/no roll.

I personally find it harder on a hardpan lie more difficult if im short sided than a very grassy lie.

[Audaxi]

I play it similar to a bunker shot myself. One of the courses I play at has a grass "bunker" in front of a green with 4" grass, so I've played this kind of shot many of times.

[lumpuckeroo]

Originally Posted by saevel25

First, if your in heavy rought, short sided, i would just assume your not going to get it close to the pin. So stop trying to finesse a shot. because majority of the time you will end up with something bad.

My thought exactly, I'd rather be putting for par from 20' than chipping again.  My only thought at this point would be get on the green and give myself a putt, I've made a heck of a lot more putts of 20' than chips of any length.

[BioGolfNebraska]

Originally Posted by lumpuckeroo

My thought exactly, I'd rather be putting for par from 20' than chipping again.  My only thought at this point would be get on the green and give myself a putt, I've made a heck of a lot more putts of 20' than chips of any length.

Here is where we are different.  I have holed about a dozen chips this season but have never made a 20 foot putt in my year and a half of golf.

As far as the deep greenside rough:  I'm going to try putting it back in my stance and opening up the face with a sand wedge to try and plop it up to allow me to swing a little harder at it without fear of it going to far.

Truegolf-  I agree about preferring a grassy lie with a sandwedge to a tight lie, but only when it isn't too buried.  I'd rather have a tight fairway shot that I could chip with a little finess than a deep shot where I have to muscle it to even get it out.

[dak4n6]

http://thesandtrap.com/t/62207/how-would-you-play-this-common-shot

[saevel25]

For me, i have a wierd combination of wedges, 52 degree and a 58 degree. Its kinda a tweener between sandwedge and lob wedge. I really like this club. But, the bounce will help a bit in pushing the grass down instead of having it dig in the club.

Depends on the lie though. If the ball is sitting down, i kinda like to just hitting down on the ball, and it kinda just pops out soft. If the ball is sitting up, i kinda have to choke down a bit and then try to just sweep the ball a bit more to make sure i don't get underneath it. Nothing worse than trying to hit a higher shot there and having the club go completely under the ball.

But, just practice some shots at a course that has a chipping green. Experiment and see what works best for you. What i do might not be comfortable for you. There are some shots that i have taken that some people would cringe at, but i know i can do.

[Elvisliveson]

In the situation described by the OP, I would take out my 60* wedge and play a flop shot - ball aligned with front foot, weight on back leg, blade opened way up and swing hard and decisively.