More courses are now featuring long fescue grass alongside the fairways. The fescue helps courses save on maintenance costs, and it contrasts beautifully against the rich green. But when you hoist your tee shot into that stuff, it's no fun. Your best bet from the tangle of fescue is to take your lumps and pitch out to the fairway. There are just too many ways for a hero shot to go bad. So unless you have a perfect lie, keep your chances of par alive by following these rules.

1. Use your most lofted club and position the ball off your right heel. You want about 70 percent of your weight on your left leg.

2. Pick the club straight up by hinging your wrists quickly before you turn your shoulders. The more vertical your swing, the less likely the club is to be snagged by the tall grass on the way back as well as into the ball.

Angus Murray Set weight left.

Angus Murray Get club vertical.

3. Swing down aggressively, hitting the ball and then the grass. Don't worry about your follow-through. The key is to have the steepest angle into the ball so you minimize the amount of grass you catch before contact.

Strategy:
You can go for the pin if you're inside 100 yards and have a fairly clean lie without any hazards between you and the green. You'll have to allow for some run because there won't b any spin on the ball, and aim to the right because the clubhead is going to twist like mad when you slam it into the fescue.