How to get out of thick rough every time

If you’re struggling to get your golf ball out of the thick rough, you’re either using the wrong club or most likely, an incorrect technique.

To play this shot successfully it is imperative that you use your most lofted club in the bag. For most golfers, that’s going to be the lob wedge. Even if you’re trying to advance the ball a long way, if you use a lofted iron, there’s a good chance your ball will stay where it is. That’s the last thing we want.

As well as that, you want your impact to be as close to the ball as possible. The less grass you can get between the club and the ball, the better, especially with the thickness of the grass. To do this, try and get as steep an angle of attack as possible. Here’s how you can do that.

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How to get your ball out of the thick rough every time

To get the ball out of thick rough, you need a steep angle of attack. To do this, you will need to make some changes in your approach. At setup, ensure the ball position is just inside your trail foot and your weight is slightly in favour of your lead side.

Hinge your wrists very early in the backswing, keeping your weight in favour of your lead side, and hold that angle during the downswing, hitting down towards the ball. Ensure you use plenty of speed and commit to the shot. You need speed to cut through the thick stuff.

Notice below how my wrists have hinged very early in the backswing which helps create an angle between the lead arm and shaft, which then helps to facilitate a steeper angle of attack in the downswing.

Keep your swing short and fast

Even though this shot is played with considerable speed and strength, the follow-through is going to be very short due to the speed of the club and the thickness of the grass. You need to commit to carrying plenty of speed to make sure you get back in play.

Gavin Abson is the Head PGA Professional at West Lancashire Golf Club. You can follow him on X.