Get steep into impact to get out of heavy rough’

Every golfer hits the ball into the thick rough sometimes. The type of shot you play to recover is dependent on the lie – sometimes you can get lucky and be able to get to the back of the ball, but more often than not it’ll be buried with loads of grass behind it.

Follow these set-up and swing tips from Tour player Brandon Stone to make sure you get the ball back in play when it’s buried in the rough.

Take your medicine and loft up to get it out

Take plenty of loft to guarantee you get the ball back into play. You’ve hit a bad shot if you’re in this kind of rough so take your medicine and get the ball out safely. The last thing you want to do is leave it in the thick rough by being too ambitious with your recovery.

Move the ball back for a steeper attack

You have to get really steep on the attack angle to minimise the amount of grass the clubhead has to get through and reduces the amount that is trapped between the clubface and ball at impact. Moving the ball back in your stance a little will encourage this.

Turn your chest as you pick the club up

You want to feel like you’re picking the clubhead up really steeply in the backswing to help create the desired steeper attack angle. At the same time, you need to remember to use your big muscles and turn your torso to create power rather than just using your wrists and arms.

Grip firm and swing fast through impact

Despite the set-up alterations, it’s inevitable you’re going to move the club through a lot of grass so you want to generate as much clubhead speed as possible and grip the club a little bit tighter to minimise the loss in speed and hold the face square as it passes through the grass.