How to play out of deep rough

Everyone will get a first hand look from watching the US Open at Congressional this week at how hard it is to play a shot from very deep rough.  If it is difficult for tour players, which makes it even harder for the average golfer.

When you are assessing your shot you must first evaluate how bad the ball is sitting.  Think about as 2 different lies, if the blades of grass are lower than the top of the ball you shouldn’t have much trouble getting the ball out.  If the blades of grass are higher than the top of the ball (as shown below) we have some issues.

The key to playing the shot is in the setup.  The shot requires a steeper swing path than you would probably make for your normal swing.  Setup with an open stance(aiming slightly left) and place to ball in the middle of your stance.  When making your backswing you want to try to have your backswing consist of more arms taking the club away and less or your traditional shoulder turn.  This will make the club swing slightly on a steeper path or more upright and help get the club down on the ball and out of the rough.

Reminder:  The club still has to get lower than the ball in order for it to come out.

The difficult part about playing from the rough is that all that grass gets trapped between your club and the ball and wants to grab onto your club.  Your club starts to slow down because of all the interference of the grass, and the ball does not get a direct hit like you are used to.  If you believe you can still get to the green with the lie you have you will want to take additional club to offset the interference.  If you don’t believe you can get to the green you will want to choose a club with a lot of loft to help you get the ball up and out of the long grass as quick as possible.  Sometimes it makes more sense to get the ball back out into the short grass and have a slightly longer next shot than to be a hero and try for the green and end up still in the rough.

You will see these tips used at Congressional all week and they will help you when faced with the same situation.

Good Luck

Michael J Kenny, PGA

Needwood Golf Course

Feeling the Pressure . . .?

                                . . . Let it go

There are a lot of ways that pressure can creep into your otherwise enjoyable golf experience. Most of these pressures have a detrimental effect on your performance.

• Your opponents or playing partners are all safely on the green or in the fairway and you are the last to play.
• You need a few extra yards to carry a hazard or reach a green
• Your ball is down in some thick rough ( it can be quite healthy this time of year)
• You’re down a few strokes in a match or struggling to play up to your own standards.

Most often, these pressures manifest themselves in the way we grip the golf club. Fear and anxiety turn into Tension and Increased Grip Pressure. When we squeeze on the handle of a club,

·         we choke off the flow of energy to the club head and the ball ( slower swing speed )

·         put the brakes on the natural rotation that the face of the club, needed for a square impact with the ball

·         Decrease the effective mass of the club head. The harder you squeeze, the lighter the club head becomes.

Why spend $ 300 dollars on a golf club and then squeeze it until it performs like a $ 3 piece of lumber?

The next time you’re stuck in the rough, or need a few extra yards, or feel added pressure to make a good swing, go ahead and squeeze it as hard as you can. Then release the pressure until most of your fingers are at about half as tight as you could hold them; or “5” on a scale of 1 to 10.

For optimum club head speed, the only squeezing should take place as far away from the club head as possible; in the first 3 fingers of your top or gloved hand, and should decrease from finger to finger as you go down the club. So, on the 1 to 10 scale from the top of the grip, you should feel “9-8-7-5-5” on the top hand, then

“5-5-5-5-5” on the lower hand; freeing up the club head to swing while giving you plenty of control of the club face.

Feeling the Pressure . . .?

                                                          . . . Let it go

 . . . and dial 987-555-5555
                                            . . . for better performance

Martin Zadravec

Northwest Golf Course
Golf Professional, Instructor

How to Correct your SLICE

Before we correct a slice, it is important to understand what causes the slice.  Players that slice the golf ball are swinging too steep and coming from outside to inside which will leave the club face open at impact and will put a clockwise spin on the golf ball for a right handed player.   

                                                      A        B        C

                                                                        

 The following picture shows a swing from 5:00 to 11:00 which will leave the club face open at impact and cause the slice.

 The following picture shows a swing from 6:30 to 11:30 which will square the club face at impact and allow a straight shot.

The following picture shows a swing from 7:00 to 11:00 which will close the club face at impact and create a hook. 

 

            Now that we understand what causes a slice, here are some tips on how to cure it.  The first thing you want to check is your grip, the V’s on your thumb and forefinger on both hands should be pointing towards you right shoulder.  Next , check your grip pressure, light grip pressure is another way to help you hit it straighter.  On a scale of 1 to 10 (1 being light and 10 being tight) you want to grip it with a 3 or 4.  Finally, your forearms should rotate counter clockwise and this will allow you to square the face of the club at impact.

           The following is a drill that I use with my students to cure a slice. 

1.     Take a club shaft and put it into the ground 1 club length behind the ball and one club head length outside the target line.  Make the shaft angle the same as the lie angle of your club head.

2.     Make practice swings that pass under the shaft

3.     Start hitting balls when the club passes under the shaft.

4.     Feel the swing working from inside to outside which will allow your club face to square up at impact.

I am confident that with these corrections you will enjoy the game much more.

Gary Kelley, PGA
Head Professional
Sligo Creek Golf Course