Hitting out of deep rough?

[cooke119]

Since my friends and I find ourselves in the rough more often than not, and I mean deep rough, we all have trouble getting it out and at least advancing it down the fairway. If I'm 150 out and want to get it out with an iron what is the best approach? I've tried hybrids but they don't work much better. I sometimes find myself just chipping onto the fairway and taking the stoke. But then I see guys who can really get it out, frustrating.

[Patch]

What kind of rough? How deep? Kind of depends on what you are in. 

Some times all you can do is chip out. Take your medicine, and move on. 

What ever club you use, a steeper than normal down swing is rquired. More likely than not, grass is going to get between the ball and club face which can cause a flier ball flight. Lots of roll.  The grass is probably going to slow the club head down if you don't have a clear shot at the ball.

I choke down as needed to help get the club on the ball. Choking down gives me more control of the club head. 

 

 

[saevel25]

Open the clubface a tad, Weight forward, feel like you keep it forward, swing down at the ball, try to maintain the V your arms make. 

[boogielicious]

14 hours ago, cooke119 said:

Since my friends and I find ourselves in the rough more often than not, and I mean deep rough, we all have trouble getting it out and at least advancing it down the fairway. If I'm 150 out and want to get it out with an iron what is the best approach? I've tried hybrids but they don't work much better. I sometimes find myself just chipping onto the fairway and taking the stoke. But then I see guys who can really get it out, frustrating.

I like what @saevel25 states about your set up. I would add to focus on getting out and advancing toward the target to put the ball in a safe position. Depending on the lie, I would go with an 8 iron and aim so the ball ends up in the fairway or close to the green and not back in the rough or bunker or hazard.

[Moxley]

It's hard. I really struggle from the heavy rough, and , although it goes against a lot of the distance vs accuracy stuff on here, I tend to score a lot better when I play safe & don't go in it.

However, once in the heavy rough, I generally do the above what @saevel25 said and account for a miss well to the right when selecting my target. If a miss to the right could put me into a bad trouble again, I play a shorter shot back to safety. 

 

[DaveP043]

This is the time of year when the rough grows the fastest and thickest, and it can get to US Open levels at my home club.  Generally, @saevel25 has described the method I use to hit most of these shots.  Even with that technique, there are some lies where the longest club I can hit is a wedge or 9-iron.  Sometimes the ball sits up, and you have to be careful not to swing right under it.  A big thing is to learn to read the lie, to assess your chances of hitting an acceptable shot.  Your accuracy, both side-to-side and distance, will generally suffer.  You really need to play more conservatively, select a shot that's pretty likely to end up in a good place.  Aim diagonally across a fairway to ensure that you're not in the rough again.  

I guess my advice boils down to this.  Even with the best technique, your shot selection from the rough is really important too.  Pick a club that you know you can hit, even if its a wedge.  Distance is important, but trying to hit a 5-iron from the bottom of 6-inch deep rough is a bad idea, at least for me.  Pick your target carefully, give yourself a larger-than-normal landing area.  And do your best to stay out of the rough.

[cooke119]

Sorry for not giving enough info about the lie I'm talking about but I appreciate all the good advise. Usually I'm 5 maybe 10 feet off the fairway. The ball sits down in the grass where there is maybe a half to a full inch above the ball. As stated above the grass is thick this time of year, we've had a lot of rain. I get under the ball, usually, but the grass grabs the club head and I get no distance, sometimes not even getting out the rough. I'll put the good advise to use on my next round. Unfortunately I don't have a practice range around here where you can hit off of grass, only mats and they are of no help. Thanks again.

[DaveP043]

1 hour ago, cooke119 said:

Sorry for not giving enough info about the lie I'm talking about but I appreciate all the good advise. Usually I'm 5 maybe 10 feet off the fairway. The ball sits down in the grass where there is maybe a half to a full inch above the ball. As stated above the grass is thick this time of year, we've had a lot of rain. I get under the ball, usually, but the grass grabs the club head and I get no distance, sometimes not even getting out the rough. I'll put the good advise to use on my next round. Unfortunately I don't have a practice range around here where you can hit off of grass, only mats and they are of no help. Thanks again.

I know exactly that lie, we get them here when the grass is growing so fast the mowers can't keep up.  I think its important to learn your limitations.  In a really thick lie, ball sitting down, just give in and take your medicine.  Hit a short iron or wedge, hit down on it as outlined in a few posts above, and get it back where you CAN hit the next one.  I was lucky enough to Marshall at the 1997 US Open at Congressional, and the rough was severe.  I saw the best players in the world try, and fail, to hit even mid-irons from the rough.  If they can swallow their pride and wedge to the fairway, we should do the same thing too when its required.

Edited June 1, 2018 by DaveP043
correct the year

[boogielicious]

1 minute ago, DaveP043 said:

I know exactly that lie, we get them here when the grass is growing so fast the mowers can't keep up.  I think its important to learn your limitations.  In a really thick lie, ball sitting down, just give in and take your medicine.  Hit a short iron or wedge, hit down on it as outlined in a few posts above, and get it back where you CAN hit the next one.  I was lucky enough to Marshall at the 19977 US Open at Congressional, and the rough was severe.  I saw the best players in the world try, and fail, to hit even mid-irons from the rough.  If they can swallow their pride and wedge to the fairway, we should do the same thing too when its required.

Did you use a time machine? 

[DaveP043]

LOL

3 minutes ago, boogielicious said:

Did you use a time machine? 

Don't know what you're talking about, it says 1997 (now) 

[boogielicious]

1 minute ago, DaveP043 said:

LOL

Don't know what you're talking about, it says 1997 (now) 

I liked the other date better!

[cooke119]

I know I should but when I get to the ball I start thinking with the little head versus the big head and try for all the distance I can, bad idea, as it is said, "know your limitations."

[DaveP043]

10 minutes ago, cooke119 said:

I know I should but when I get to the ball I start thinking with the little head versus the big head and try for all the distance I can, bad idea, as it is said, "know your limitations."

There's no question, you really SHOULD go for all the distance you can, taking into consideration all of the pertinent factors.  Get a copy of Lowest Score Wins, written by some guy named Barzeski, for a great explanation on how to evaluate those factors, along with lots of other great stuff.  But sometimes a wedge is as long as you should try to go

[cooke119]

Another fun day with the deep rough, this time I just hit for the fairway with an iron, screw the distance just got it back in play. Worked out much better. I think I have learned my lesson.