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What should I have hit?

I typically have trouble with those types of shots too. Since I am more comfortable from 100-110 than from 50-60, I would have tried to lay up to around 110 and then go from there. Other than that, maybe just some practice with your 60* so you gain comfort with that club at that distance in various lies.
 
Just choke down next time.
 
Hawk said:
Just choke down next time.
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Yep, that's usually my play from there. Or, I take one more club and choke down.
 
Jman said:
Yep, that's usually my play from there. Or, I take one more club and choke down.
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The ever-wise Trout Bum taught me that at Caledonia in 2012.
 
Hawk said:
The ever-wise Trout Bum taught me that at Caledonia in 2012.
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He IS ever wise. That's a fact.

We overcomplicate things way too much in this game.
 
I found myself in a similar situation recently.

My normal choice in a good lie from that distance would be my 58* wedge with a 3/4 swing.

In that rough lie, while sitting up I used an 8i, with maybe a 1/2 swing, I did not ground the club, or take a practice swing.
I just addressed the ball, and made a controlled swing focusing on keeping down on the ball, and playing it as sort of a bump and run type shot.

The outcome was not perfect, but left me with a putt on the next shot.
 
I would have layed up. If I can't make it to the green the worst thing you can do is leave yourself a touch shot, especially in the rough. Closer isn't always better. I still have to learn this lesson the hard way sometimes.
 
For a ball sitting up in the rough, I usually just try to make sure I have more of a shallow angle of attack.
 
deuce said:
I played poorly this past weekend, but one shot in particular really got to me. It was a par 5, I had a decent drive which put me in the middle of the fairway. I followed it up with a 3W that placed me about 65 yards from the green, but I was in the rough. It was deep rough, Bermuda grass, and the ball was sitting up. That distance is typically my 60* wedge. I took a nice swing on it, but I wound up getting underneath the ball, popping it up and seeing it travel 30 yards and settling back into the rough. Flustered, I delofted the same club and wound up punching it over the green on my next shot. I went from a decent shot at birdie (or two putt for par) to a double bogey.

Given the thickness of the rough, and the lie of the ball ... how should I have properly approached that shot?
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That's a really tough shot.. I probably would have grabbed a PW and taking a more methodical swing similar to a bunker shot, at about 3/4 with a slightly open face. More or less trying to pick the ball rather than dig down.
 
It sounds like you hit the correct club, just didn't make good contact. That happens to all of us. Maybe play the ball farther back in your stance, or choke up an inch or so if the rough is very thick.
 
What should I have hit?

Putter. You should have used a putter...

Edit: :alien:
 
next time lay up lol. when the ball sits up in the rough I play it back in my stance .unless you are a incredibly good ball striker its easy to sweep under the ball.
 
For me, that distance would typically be a 60º wedge. With that kind of lie from the rough I wouldn't even think about it. Too much loft on the club and too easy to do what you did and scoop under it. Depending on trouble having to going over, my shot would have been a 56º punch shot. I'd be choked down a bit and take about a 1/2 to 3/4 swing and the position would be somewhere my back foot . The big key however you play it is to hit the ball first with a descending blow. With the ball sitting up, if you don't hit the ball first the club will go under or hit too high on the face and not go anywhere.
 
deuce said:
I played poorly this past weekend, but one shot in particular really got to me. It was a par 5, I had a decent drive which put me in the middle of the fairway. I followed it up with a 3W that placed me about 65 yards from the green, but I was in the rough. It was deep rough, Bermuda grass, and the ball was sitting up. That distance is typically my 60* wedge. I took a nice swing on it, but I wound up getting underneath the ball, popping it up and seeing it travel 30 yards and settling back into the rough. Flustered, I delofted the same club and wound up punching it over the green on my next shot. I went from a decent shot at birdie (or two putt for par) to a double bogey.

Given the thickness of the rough, and the lie of the ball ... how should I have properly approached that shot?
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For me when I'm in a similar situation with a fluffed lie that I can get under easily, I'll try and take out my gap wedge or pitching wedge and run it up rather than going at it hard and doing the same thing you did on this shot you described.


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Depending on the situation, I might have done the same thing. I'm usually pretty good with these shots and would have gone with the same type of approach.
 
Use the 56 or 60 but choke up the same distance the grass was where the ball was sitting up. Then swing with a slightly flatter yet decending blow. Play for the safest biggest part of the green, no reason to try to bite more than you can chew after an errant lay up. Take your medicine and move on.

Unless the pin was easily accessible and you had some room to run. Then i'd say grab a PW and hit a low bump n run out of the rough by keeping your hands low even after you hit the ball and driving through the rough...still choking up though.
 
I'd hit a 5hy from the middle of the green and leave myself 120-100 yard full wedge or A-wedge. If I know I can't comfortably reach the green on my second shot, I scale back and hit the most comfortable shots. There's no reason to advance the ball as far as I could, at best I'd be in an uncomfortable distance or worse rough.
 
I've had this exact same scenario and issue multiple times this year. The best approach I've come up with for me is to take an extra club or two, choke down, and swing easier, hitting ball only and essentially picking it out.


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deuce said:
The 60* is a go to club for me. It's the rough that messed me up. Never played in rough that thick before.

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I'da prolly messed up, too, but I'd have choked down on the wedge due to the ball sitting up.....but there's 10K better golfers here than me,so take that with a grain of salt....
 
I choke up on those a little to keep from going under too far. Usually works for me.
 
I guess knowing the lie would have been my first order of business. Golf balls that come to rest on the top of Bermuda have to be played a certain way,. If you play them in a normal fashion you will catch the top of the club face. It really is a shot that requires practice. You played the hole exactly how I would have played it.
deuce said:
I played poorly this past weekend, but one shot in particular really got to me. It was a par 5, I had a decent drive which put me in the middle of the fairway. I followed it up with a 3W that placed me about 65 yards from the green, but I was in the rough. It was deep rough, Bermuda grass, and the ball was sitting up. That distance is typically my 60* wedge. I took a nice swing on it, but I wound up getting underneath the ball, popping it up and seeing it travel 30 yards and settling back into the rough. Flustered, I delofted the same club and wound up punching it over the green on my next shot. I went from a decent shot at birdie (or two putt for par) to a double bogey.

Given the thickness of the rough, and the lie of the ball ... how should I have properly approached that shot?
Click to expand...
 
I would lay up in the fairway to a number that I know I can get close. My course has two holes I can not reach in 2 and I play to a certain number on both holes.
 
I took the 60* wedge out of my totally to avoid doing exactly what you described. I would have used my 56 or 52 depending on the situation. I did hear something on the Golf Channel that talked about examining the situation before selecting a club, basically what us amateurs do is just take a familiar club and try and hit a shot. I have tried to use this bit of advice and it is really hard to break old habits.

For the shot you referenced you could have even taken a 9 or 8 iron just get enough club on the ball.
 
Being as a 3 wood got ya only 65 yards from the green im guessing it wasn't reachable for you so as a few others had said i would of took that whole shot outta play, i would of probably played a 7 iron or something to about 100-120 yards out and hit a full 56* or 60* in from there, if i have no chance of making it in 2 i never try and get closer than 100 yards


Sent from my iPhone because I'm sledding or to lazy to get off the couch
 
with that thick of rough i take an extra club and swing easy
 
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