5 Tips to Improve Your Chipping From Deep Rough Around the Greens

Tuesday, January 12th, 2010 at 8:27 am

One of the most difficult short shots in golf is playing out of the deep rough around the greens. Some golfers try to play this shot like any other chip shot. Playing these shots like any other chip shot will usually lead to disaster.

When you are dealing with heavy rough, the clubhead tends to get caught in the grass and will twist as your swing cuts through. This makes controlling your shot difficult.

With shots like this you need to have more control or it will cost you strokes.

Here are five tips to hitting a shot from thick rough around the greens:

1. Use a more lofted club like a sand wedge
2. Open your stance like playing from a green side bunker
3. Play the ball back in your stance
4. Pick a landing spot
5. Take a Steep Aggressive Swing

Seasoned golfers understand the need to be creative around the green. You can’t rely on just one shot approach to your short game shots. It is important to have different shots you feel comfortable playing around the green. You will be better prepared to allow the lie to determine what shot is best. These short chip shots from the greenside rough are one good reason to have practiced different shots around the green.

The best way to approach this shot is to select a more-lofted club than normal. You would want to either use a sand wedge or possibly a lob wedge if you carry one. The idea is to play this shot with a club that has a lot of “bounce” on the clubface’s bottom. This will allow the club to cut through the grass without getting tangled.

Play the ball back in your stance and open your stance slightly to allow your hands to clear.

Go through your normal pre-shot routine and pick an area to land the ball on the green.

Be sure to take a steep aggressive swing. The ball will pop out of the grass, bounce a couple of times on the green and then roll towards the hole.

Playing chip shots from deep green side rough can be a challenge. By taking the time to add this shot into your repertoire you will save strokes and lower your scores. Try these 5 tips to improve your chipping from the deep rough around the greens the next time you play and see if you don’t save a stroke or two.

For more tips on playing difficult shots, check out: The Ultimate Short Game System

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