Choosing the right golf club is essential to getting out of the rough. Every golfer, even the very best, finds herself in the shaggy green grass that lines most golf course fairways. The temptation is to use a long club (a 4 or 5 iron) especially if you are a good distance from the green. But unless the rough is very short, it’s likely that your ball is sitting down in the grass and you need a short iron with a higher loft (a 9 iron or even a pitching wedge) to get out. The goal is to get back on the fairway, not necessarily to hit the green (though that would be sweet.)

• Play the ball back in your stance
• lean on your front foot and
• hit down hard.

It takes some strength to hold the club face square to the ball as the thick grass will want to grab the club face and turn it, causing the ball to come out any which way but straight. To prevent this, you want to adjust your grip so that you open the club face. When the club hits the tall grass it will cause the club face to close and turn it square to the ball. To know how far you “open” the club, takes practice and is determined by the conditions of the grass. Watch the video below for a more detailed explanation. And don’t forget to follow through. If you don’t, the ball will just lob a few feet forward, and you’ll still be stuck in the mucky stuff.

Got stuck in heavy rough? This video by golf instructor Barry Power, has some great tips to help you get out of the tall grass.

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