How to Plan a Rough Escape

How to Plan a Rough Escape Your lie — not your distance — is the key consideration By Eden Foster Top 100 Teacher This story is for you if... • You never analyze your lie unless you're absolutely buried in the rough. • You blame your swing for all your bad shots, not the lie. The Situation Your tee shot has landed in the rough about 200 yards from the green. You know you can reach the pin with a 3-wood or a long iron, but you're not sure how the grass will affect your swing. You fear coming up short, but you really want to get this ball on in regulation. The Solution Check how deeply the ball is sitting in the grass to determine whether you should go for the green or hit a safe layup. HIT A LAYUP The ball is too deep in the rough to get the solid contact you need to travel the full distance to the green. Take your 5-hybrid or 6-iron and swing down sharply on the ball, almost like a punch shot. Since all you're worried about here is clean contact, how you finish is insignificant. This means that your finish will be short (hands even with your shoulders). THE RULE: Ball sitting low, finish low.

GO FOR IT Once you make the decision to knock this ball on, don't hold back. However, this doesn't mean you should swing out of your socks. Firm up your grip pressure (an "8" on a 1 to 10 scale) and smoothly swing to a full finish with a full release of the clubhead. This means that your finish will be high (hands way above your shoulders). THE RULE: Ball sitting high, finish high.