Ever hit a great approach shot only to have the ball bounce off the green and into deep rough? We’re talking rough so deep you can hardly find your ball. If you’re close to the green, a good chip sets you up for an easy putt. The bad news is that hitting an accurate chip from deep rough is dicey. Mis-hit it and you could cost yourself more strokes.
Below are six keys to this shot:
• Adopt an open stance
• Play the ball in the middle
• Open the clubface
• Pick up your arms quickly
• Let the club sink into the grass
• Keep your follow through short
First, identify the ball. Make sure it’s yours. Playing the wrong ball results in a two-stroke penalty in stroke play and the loss of the hole in match play.
Play the shot as if you were hitting a sand shot from a greenside bunker. Take a sand wedge from your bag, use an open stance with your feet close together, as you normally would for a chip, and position the ball middle to slightly back in your stance.
Make sure you open the clubface before taking the club back. This move is key. You want to use the club’s leading edge to cut through the grass as you reach impact.
Pick up your arms quickly while maintaining a little bit of wrist cock and swing down on the ball. Set the clubface down in the grass just behind the ball. Keeping your follow-through short. This pops the ball up so it lands softly on the green.
The secret to his shot is keeping the clubface open through impact. That’s hard to do be-cause the grass tends to close the clubface as during the swing. To compensate, grip the club a little firmer before starting your swing. You may also want to choke down about an inch or two from the butt end.