Getting out of thick rough!

The key is to keeping it straight off the tee; however this is easier said than done and inevitably you are going to end up in the rough at some point in your round.

The most common mistake people make is taking way too much club out of the rough. They stand there thinking they can maybe get a 6 or 7 iron out of it, have an almighty slash at the ball and the ball travels about 10 yards in front of them with no height, facing the same shot again. Club selection is so important when hitting out of thick rough for this exact reason given. It is always much better to take a wedge and get the ball out of the rough and back into play, than trying to make an heroic shot.

When hitting your wedge out of the rough there are a few keys points to keep in mind below:

1. Ball position should be towards the right foot for a right handed golfer, left foot for left handed golfer.  

2. Aim right if you’re right handed and left if you’re left handed. This is because the grass grabs the club and closes the face. Therefore the ball will come out left if right handed and right if left handed.

3. This one is probably the most important factor to keep in mind. Don’t dig and stab at the ball. To allow the ball to come out you have to hit down, but you have to still hit all the way through the ball. This will keep the momentum of the club travelling through the long rough, therefore getting the ball out of the rough. If you dig and stab at the ball, then the club will carry no momentum and will just stop dead as it impacts the rough.

Give these tips a go and see how you get on.