23.YOUR TECHNIQUE ON DEEP GRASS SHOTS SHOULD BE GEARED – FAIRWAY SHOTS – The Guide To Golf

Your technique on deep grass shots should be geared toward minimizing the intervention of the grass. In other words, you want to hit the ball as cleanly as possible. To do that, you need to move the ball back in your stance.

If, for instance, on a 5-iron shot from the fairway you position the ball off your left heel, move it back to a spot an inch to the right of your heel for a shot from the rough.

This ball position should leave your hands slightly ahead of the clubface at address. From that setup you’ll tend to swing the club up a bit more vertically on the backswing and return it a bit more steeply to the ball. With this steeper attack the clubface will come down on the ball rather than brush through the grass.

For really deep grass, again, the idea is to minimize the presence of the grass and how it will affect your shot. Once again, play the ball back in your stance, but this time, play it two inches back instead of one, because you’re going to have to go down after the ball.

To further increase the steepness of the swing, open your stance a few degrees so that your feet, knees, hips and shoulders align to the left. Yourclub head should align square to the target line.

It’s the same basic alignment as for a slice, but when playing a short iron from the rough 1 you won’t have to worry about any sideward spin. Since the grass will grab at your club and close the face: at impact, you’ll want an extra-firm grip in your left hand. Alternatively, you can aim the clubface a bit right of your target at address, thereby allowing the grass to turn the face into a square position at impact.

The swing should be an aggressive, forceful one. If you get a kick out of swinging hard, this is the place to enjoy yourself. It’s a powerful, steep chop that must go down and through the thick stuff. Be sure to keep the club accelerating through impact; otherwise you’ll risk moving the ball only a few feet.

The faster you can get the club moving through the ball, the faster that ball will climb out of its nest and the farther it will go.

Eventually, you’ll be close enough to chip.