four ways to conquer greenside rough
Greenside rough can be a very scary place for your ball to end up.
Whether you had a wrong distance and missed the green long, or your reoccurring slice came into play again. A lot of strokes can be lost when you’re in the nasty tall grass.
How do you conquer this and get your ball in the hole or near it?
Here are your four best options when your ball is sitting in the rough, only a few feet from the green.
- Bump and run: The timeless bump and run. This shot is effective from a lot of places on the golf course, but utilizing it in the greenside rough is one of the smartest plays. To perfect this shot grab a 8 or 9 iron (I prefer a 8), put the ball in the back of your stance and swing through the ball, taking a small divot. This will create a nice run out onto the green and if you have the shaft leaned a bit forward when you strike the ball you will get nice spin on the ball.
Bump and run
- Putter grip chip: This is a better technique if you’re trying to hole out, this shot creates a lot of spin and makes it a little more controllable. To do this shot grab a wedge ( I use my 50 degree) and put the ball back in your stance. The difference here is you are going to grip your wedge as if you were putting. Your swing should also look like your putter swing. Low and steady. Obviously you’re going to have to add a little more power to this than a putt. The ball should pop out of the rough nicely because of the loft, and have a lot of spin creating pin point accuracy.
- Putt it: This is a tad of a risky play. But not a bad play if the pin is middle of the green or a decent distance away. This shot is pretty self explanatory. The toughest part of this shot is trying to predict what the ball will do when it goes through the rough and onto the fringe. If you can guess that decently and then read the green like a putt, you should be able to hole out. So grab the flat stick and swing away.
Putt it
- Wood/hybrid putt: A little unconventional, but it works. Grab any wood or hybrid and address the ball like a putt. This shot works the best when you have a decent distance to go to the pin and the above shots would probably leave it short. If you’re facing a lot of green, this is your shot. Grip the club like a putter and swing away. The big head of a 3 wood or a 4 hybrid will send the ball a lot further than your blade putter.
Hybrid Putt
These shots will lower your strokes around the green. Flop shots are cool and all but it isnt cool when you skull it across the green and you send it into a bunker. Play it safe and use one of these shots.
