Most Front Range golfers won’t face 3- or 4-inch rough like the gnarly stuff that has challenged players in the U.S. Open this weekend.
But that doesn’t mean TV viewers can’t learn something by watching the world’s top players hack it out.
The first tip from golf instructors are words of caution.
“People need to realize their strength and not try to take on more than they can handle,” said Dennis Murray, director of golf instruction at the Ridge at Castle Pines North. “The longer and thicker the rough is, the more powerful you have to be to negotiate it.”
Too many amateurs try to make the heroic shot from thick rough. More often than not, that backfires.
“When you get in trouble, the first thing you have to do is get out of trouble,” Murray said. “Most people try to do too much from a bad lie. They would be better off to try to figure out what they would like to do and then back off a couple of notches, down to what they can do.”
Use a more lofted club than you normally would, said Don Hurter, head golf professional at Castle Pines Golf Club and a nationally recognized instructor.
“Most amateurs just assume that they’ll try to hit a 5-iron, when they should be using a pitching wedge,” Hurter said. “You need to use enough loft to get back in play. You never want to follow up one bad shot with another bad shot.”
As for technique out of thick rough, Hurter recommends gripping a bit tighter with your left hand (for right-handed players) so the face of the club does not turn over in the grass.
A steeper swing is a necessity.
“Most times, the golf swing is an elongated ‘U.’ But out of the rough, the angle should be more like a ‘V,’ ” Murray explained. “When hitting out of rough, the ball needs to be farther back in the stance than normal. The backswing needs to be more abrupt, with an earlier setting of the wrists. That puts you in position to hit down on the ball more steeply.
“Usually what happens when people try to make their normal swing in rough, they get their clubface tangled up in the grass before it reaches the ball. That shuts the face and the ball goes low left, if it goes anywhere.”
It’s OK, Hurter added, to hit a bit behind the ball to let the grass help the ball out. “It’s similar to a sand shot,” he said.
Those watching the action from Bethpage on television can learn a lot from observing what pros do around the greens, Murray said.
“They’ll see that pros ‘release’ the club, so the shaft of the club is more vertical at impact,” Murray said. “That allows the face to bottom out and lets the flange of the clubface bounce through the deep grass, causing the ball to come out softly. The straightening of the shaft at impact is important around the greens.”
For a final piece of advice, Hurter said golfers should not try to swing harder if the ball is sitting down.
“Just use a nice, smooth swing and, using enough loft, let the club do all the work for you,” he said.
Tom Kensler: 303-954-1280 or tkensler@denverpost.com
