Five shots you’re bound to find in the rough, and how to execute them (Part 3)

Continued from blog entry – “ROUGH STUFF: Five shots you’re bound to find in the rough, and how to execute them (Part 2)”
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THE GREENSIDE CHIP

In most situations around the green (7), if you can get the clubhead into the grass the ball will come out. Most amateurs, however, get too cute. They try to help the ball into the air by flipping their hands or by leaning backwards to try to increase the loft of the club. As a result, they wind up hitting their next shot from exactly the same spot, or close to it. Because the distance to the hole is short, you will want to keep the body quiet and use more of an arms-and-shoulders swing, hinging the club quickly, then dropping the clubhead into the grass using very little follow-through (8). This causes the ball to pop out high and soft. Be careful: Any time you play a chip from deep grass, the ball is not going to come out spin­ning. So don’t plan on it. Do not play directly at the pin. Pick out a spot where you want to land the ball, and let it release and roll to the pin.

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From a Downhill Lie

This is the most difficult lie around the green because you’re fighting gravity. As opposed to the uphill shot, you will want to play as much loft here as you can (9) since the downslope will act to deloft the club. So instead of a short iron, choose your pitching wedge or lob wedge.

Again, play the pop shot, allowing the ball to release and roll down the hill. Since it’s downhill, you won’t have to carry the ball as long and make as big a swing. Let the contour of the green do its thing. A few other keys:

.Photography by Leonard Kamsler

• Preset the clubface more open;
• Position the ball more towards the back foot;
• Match the angle of your shoulders to the incline of the hill;
• Swing “along” the downslope.
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From an Uphill Lie

This is the easiest lie you can have around the green for two reasons: 1) you have a lofted club in your hands; and 2) you have an uphill launch angle, which further increases loft. So if you’re using a 48-de­gree pitching wedge, it’s going to play more like a 60-degree lob wedge. If you can get the clubhead into the grass, the ball is going to pop up and out. The mistake you make is when you try to add even more loft to the shot, either by sliding the clubhead under the golf ball or by opening the face even more. A few other keys:

• Position the ball more towards your front foot;
• Match your shoulders to incline of hill, distributing weight evenly (10);
• Lean into the hill, not away from it;
• Swing “along” the upslope.