Golfing Getting out of those rough situations
By Gord Percy Kevin Haime Golf School
WHLE PLAYING GOLF at many of the local courses, no doubt you’ve probably yourself in a predicament. No worries. The tips below are sure to assist you in a few parts of your game. Commit them to memory and you’ll be out of the rough and enjoying this quality low-impact exercise.
Grip
If you are righthanded, your left hand is the one closest to the end of the club. The grip is more in the fingers than in the palm with the heel pad of your left hand on top of the club, with the thumb down the center or slightly to the right side of the grip. Grip pressure should not be tight or tense, just snug.
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Pitching from the rough
The right hand grip is in the fingers and not the palm. You can overlap/interlock one finger or have all on the grip so long as both hands are together. Your right hand should feel more on top of the grip with no sign of your left thumb and right thumb slightly over to the left side of the grip.
If you have a good grip, you should see two knuckles in the left hand with the heel pad on the top of the club. The creases formed between the thumbs and index fingers should point toward your right shoulder. If you have a good grip, you should be able to hinge the club up towards your nose – this is how they work during the swing.
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This shot is often required to get the ball out of, or over, trouble such as rough, sand, or water. The ball is placed closer to the middle of your stance and your weight should be 50/50 to start with. Hold down on the club a bit for control. This setup and shot are just mini-versions of your normal full swing.
The backswing should not be as long as a full swing. You want to control distance by how far back you take the club. You should feel some wrist hinge and your weight should shift to your back foot, just as you should in a full swing. If you are in trouble on the course, use this technique to get yourself back
safely to the fairway. You should feel some ground contact as you come forward to the ball. Accelerating past the ball is a must to ensure you get the ball up into the air and the club through the rough. Your follow-through should at least match the length of your backswing and you should finish with most of your weight on the front foot.
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