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Playing out of "lush" rough

ShotScope
Dazinkster

Dazinkster

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Stokenchurch, Bucks, United Kingdom, United Kingdo
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Right, so I'm just about entering my first ever winter season of golf. As you may have guessed from the title I'm having trouble playing out of the thick stuff. As it rains a fair bit in the UK the rough is now all juicy and thick. In particular I'm having trouble judging how far shots will go out of it, particularly with my short irons and wedges. Obviously I understand the thick grass will slow the clubhead down, but I was wondering if there were any different techniques I should be using compared to playing off the fairway (as I can dial in my wedges pretty well off the nice stuff).

Cheers in advance!
 
Great question. The first thing to look at is the lie. How clean can you get at the back of the ball? If the contact will be pretty clean with minimal grass between the ball and the club plan on the ball coming out high and hot (very little spin when it hits). If you cannot get clean on the back of the ball plan on this shot coming out dead. Meaning the ball will come out but well short of normal distance. Once you have a feel for what to expect from the lie you can start to plan your shot.

If it is clean hit the normal club and make a smooth swing make sure you make good contact and aim at a spot on the green where some run out won't hurt you.

If the lie is thick play more club to start. I would like you to set up with the ball a ball or two back in the stance. From here you need to hit down, and I mean go down after the ball. It will come out dead so you have to be aggressive here. Pick a safe line to an opening to the green. Don't try to fly a bunker in this situation. Let me know how this goes and if there is more I can do to help.
 
Something else to consider is that the ball will tend to go left (for a right handed player) because the grass will often grab the hosel and twist the club. I see so many players try to play straight to the hole from a heavy lie in the left rough, then the ball comes out farther left than planned and never clears the rough, so the next shot they face the same issue just a few yards closer to the hole. It can be hard to judge this shot, even for an experienced player. I tend to err on the side of caution... plan to play to a safe spot and leave wiggle room on the left side of my aiming point.
 
Thanks guys, I'm heading out early in the morning so there'll be dew on the ground and it's been raining all day today so I should be able to try this out. Both your posts are in line with what I've observed (now I think about it), just couldn't figure it out on my own so thank you :)
 
This helped a little bit, I think I still need to take even more club though out of the thick stuff. It's just so hard to take a 6/7 iron for a 130 yard shot when a few months back they'd go 160+

Also, I couldn't test out these theories properly as I drove the ball pretty well and found the fairway a lot...and when I did miss it seemed to work out that I required my hybrid to make the green.
 
Grandfather always told that if the lay is real bad in hihg rough to pretend it is a bunker shot. Open the face slightly since the grass will close it and be sure to follow through or you will do it all over again :)
 
I have also been told to take your stance an inch or 2 closer to the ball to promote hitting down on this shot. Give that a try also. :golf2:
 
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