Pitching From the Rough
By
Jason Suedhof
IMG
Leadbetter Certified Golf
Instructor
Pitching out of the rough can be very
intimidating and challenging. Lie,
slope, distance and pin position are
just a few of the difficult elements
that come into play. However, some basic
techniques – grip pressure, having a
sharp angle of attack, keeping your
chest moving through the ball and simple
fundamentals – will give you an edge
when attempting this shot.
First, using a bit more grip pressure
when pitching out of the rough will
allow your club to work through the
heavy grass without the head twisting.
The thick rough can catch the hosel and
heal of your club, opening or closing
the face, and causing your ball to go in
either direction. On a scale of one to
ten, we recommend that you hold the club
at a five or six for a normal golf shot.
For a deep rough shot, firm up that grip
to a seven or eight.
Once you have a good grip, you can
widen your stance slightly compared to
the narrow stance typically used for a
pitch shot. The clubface should be
slightly open. Make sure your knees and
hands are in a pre-impact position,
meaning both are slightly forward of the
ball. Your ball position
should be a little right of center
allowing you to have a sharp angle of
attack. This means the club will fall
down on the ball and as it makes
contact, roll up on the face, keeping
the grass from being between the ball
and clubface.
Finally, the motion of the shot is
crucial to a good execution. The weight
of the club head will set the wrists.
The swing is symmetrical, so the club is
a mirror image of itself as it moves
from back to front. It is
easy to decelerate and land short of the
target, so it is important to keep the
chest moving through the ball. Remember
that the body is our engine of the golf
swing and the turning of the body
controls distance.
Once you have hit the shot, you will
see a real difference with the reaction
of the ball on the green. Due to the
lie, you will not pinch the ball between
the face and ground and generate a lot
of backspin. Your shot will release
more, so be sure to land it on an
intermediate target well short of the
pin.
Applying these simple swing keys,
while maintaining fundamentals, will
give you the preparation and allow you
to execute a great shot when pitching
from the rough. Have fun and good
luck!
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