Tips
from LPGA Tour Pros:
How
to hit out of the
Deep
Rough
Stuck
in the heavy stuff? Top LPGA tour pros share their secrets
for getting your ball safely back in play.
Karrie
Webb:
"I
play the ball toward my back foot, put a little more weight
on my front foot and open my stance and clubface.
Instead of taking a full swing, I hit a cut punch shot with
a shorter follow through. Playing it this way stops the
rough from grabbing the heel of the clubface and turning
over.
Juli
Inkster:
"What
I try and do is lighten my hands, take a steeper backswing
and just accelerate through the shot. Don't worry about
advancing the ball too far."
Patricia
Meunier-Lebouc:
"If
you're in heavy rough around the green, use a lob wedge and
play it like a bunker shot. Open the clubface and bring it
into the ball at a steep angle. Take the minimum
amount of grass and use the bounce of the club, thumping the
sole against the ground before following through.
Betsy
King:
"If
the grass is really deep, you have to hit the ball first and
the grass second, using a more vertical downswing. I usually
take an extra club and try to hit it smoothly. The
high numbered woods, like a 7 or 9 wood, help a lot out of
the rough."
Sandra
Haynie:
"If
you're in deep rough, take trying to get on the green out of
the equation. Just extricate yourself and get your
ball back into play. You don't necessarily have to
swing harder to get it out, either. Just don't compound
your problem by failing to get out of the rough."
Nancy
Lopez:
"I
try not to get in it! But if I do, I use a more lofted
club because the grass tends to grab the clubhead and close
it down, which causes a lower than normal shot."
Dottie
Pepper:
"I
move the ball bck in my stance and play a slight cut, with
more upright swing."
Carol
Mann:
"The
very best thing to do is get the ball back in play as
quickly as possible. It's called 'taking your medicine'.
Sacrifice the fewest number of strokes possible. Also,
don't try to advance the ball too far. A 60 to 80 yard shot
is fine."
Val
Skinner:
Club
selection is your number one decision, based on how deep the
rough is and how thick it feels. Sometimes an 8-iron
is the most club you can use because you need loft to be
able to get the ball out."
Source:
Golf For
Women, July/August 2003.
For
more tips, check out: www.golfforwomen.com
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