Playing from the semi rough/fringe of the fairway?

Beezerk

Beezerk

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Joined a local course recently which is really nice however I'm having problems hitting clean balls when I don't land on the fairway (most of the time but that's for another day lol).
My problem is the grass either side of the fairways is kind of quite short and light but dense if that makes sense?
The balls nestles in it so I have to almost chunk it out, I'm losing masses of distance with my irons, I also get the club head tangled at times which changes alignment on impact usually causing hooks and shanks.
I'm a high handicapper so I don't do the "divot after the ball" thing yet but these shots are really hurting my scores.

Does anyone have some tips how to improve my shots from here? Hitting down on the ball rather than my usual trying to hit under it?
Obviously I need to hit more fairways but like I say, that's for another discussion :D
 
Get out of the habit of trying to hit under it for a start, it is a recipe for disaster. Lots of vids on Youtube about hitting down on the ball, find one you like and understand and the rest will follow
 
Beezerk said:
Hitting down on the ball rather than my usual trying to hit under it?
Click to expand...

I tend to do exactly that move the ball just a fraction further back in my stance, accept that it's going to come out lower and running, and if there's trouble in front of the green just accept it's going to take accept it's going to take an extra shot to get there and lay up!
 
The best way ive found to hit down on it is imagine your hitting it out of the trees and you want to keep it low, your hands would lead the clubhead.
 
lyden said:
The best way ive found to hit down on it is imagine your hitting it out of the trees and you want to keep it low, your hands would lead the clubhead.
Click to expand...

Surely this is the way to hit it low by delofting the club? To hit down on the ball and take a divot after the ball you should move the ball back in the stance slightly and play a normal swing/shot, this allows the loft of the club to lift the ball?
 
Last edited:
Beezerk said:
Joined a local course recently which is really nice however I'm having problems hitting clean balls when I don't land on the fairway (most of the time but that's for another day lol).
My problem is the grass either side of the fairways is kind of quite short and light but dense if that makes sense?
The balls nestles in it so I have to almost chunk it out, I'm losing masses of distance with my irons, I also get the club head tangled at times which changes alignment on impact usually causing hooks and shanks.
I'm a high handicapper so I don't do the "divot after the ball" thing yet but these shots are really hurting my scores.

Does anyone have some tips how to improve my shots from here? Hitting down on the ball rather than my usual trying to hit under it?
Obviously I need to hit more fairways but like I say, that's for another discussion :D
Click to expand...

I would say it depends on how far you're trying to make the ball go. You have to be realistic and play the shot your lie dictates.

You have to accept that if the ball has nestled down in the grass, the chances of you getting a clean strike into the back of the ball are slim at best. Choose a club that gives you the best compromise of getting the ball out of its current lie, with the distance you need to get to your target area.
 
Sound advice above - to that I would add that the most important thing is to make sure that no matter what shot you take on, your next shot will be from the fairway. Nothing worse than (for example) being in the left semi rough and trying to hit it so hard you pull it into the deeper rough. That way 7s and 8s lie. If you're really uncomfortable about how much its sat down dont take any more than an 8 iron, choke down and pop it out 100 yards down the fairway rather than taking on a hero shot you have little confidence in making.

As a high handicap when you stand on the tee on an e.g easy par 4 you should be thinking "how do I make par here". That might be drive to middle of fairway, hit middle of green, 2 putts - and any deviation from that plan (e.g. you didnt hit the fairway) should be followed by "how do I make bogey here". Obviously on very difficult holes the goal might be bogey from the tee.
 
Curls said:
As a high handicap when you stand on the tee on an e.g easy par 4 you should be thinking "how do I make par here". That might be drive to middle of fairway, hit middle of green, 2 putts - and any deviation from that plan (e.g. you didnt hit the fairway) should be followed by "how do I make bogey here". Obviously on very difficult holes the goal might be bogey from the tee.
Click to expand...

Interesting read, I'm pretty sure I'm guilty of trying to hit the green from 200 yards out in the semi rough :o
 
Beezerk said:
Interesting read, I'm pretty sure I'm guilty of trying to hit the green from 200 yards out in the semi rough :o
Click to expand...

just have to make sure you catch the ball first and practice.

I have to say though, when i started playing i hated hitting it off the fairway and always pref to be in he first cut. ;)
 
As already mentioned, ball a bit further back in the stance. I also take an extra club because I'm not using a full swing, and have the mental image of just bashing the club into the ground steeply where the ball is.
It might not be the 'correct' way to do it, but it works ok for me. The steeper I get the less grass the club has to come through before it reaches the ball, and therefore less chance of being grabbed by the grass.

If it's really thick and will definitely grab the club and twist it before you get to the ball, then I will grip the club harder than normal and maybe open the face a bit.
 
Beezerk said:
But did yours travel 100 yards up and over the fairway to the rough on the other side? :D
Click to expand...

Nope, went under a tree, saw exactly where it went but inexplicably lost the ball, was stableford and I didn't have a shot so took a blob.

I didn't start well.... Blob, Blob, 3 points, blob. You have to laugh, otherwise you'd by crying.

Rallied to 33 but for the 4th time this year missed the buffer by a shot or 2. Haven't had much of a chance to get going this year cos of work/travel, shame with the nice weather but someones got to pay the bills!
 
Great reading this thread, just been thinking about the first hole I played last night.
Hit tee shot to 50 yards from green in the semi on the left but behind numerous tall trees, couldn't hit a low one through trees onto green due to a bunker in the way. Decided to go over trees which I obviously failed badly, landed behind another tree, eventually took 7 I think.
Should have knocked out to the right leaving a clear 30 yard pitch onto green for 3 and finish from there.
My game seems to be strewn with bad decisions like that, I'm not ignoring the fact I've recently developed a really bad shank which has also crippled my game but I've definitely taken note of some of the posts on here.
 
I played up Chester last night beezerk. Time did you play? It's looking good a the moment. Don't worry if your just off fairways I think the fairways are tight up there
 
Indeed, take 1 more club (always a good idea anyway!) and hit slightly more down on the ball. Ever so slightly thing wouldn't be a bad thing either.

Key is to not try to hit it harder, as the extra club has been th allowance for the loss of distance.

And if you are using anything more than a 7 or 6 iron, I would question whether you are 'managing' the course correctly. It's unlikely that you will make the green, so are you really achieving anything by attempting to do so from the rough (even semi). Likely batter to play something like an 8 or less to close, then wedge on.

Light semi can be better to hit from than the tight lie found on the fairway, but where it sits down a little can be frustratingly difficult!
 
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