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Obstacles & HardshipsCourse Management Wedges Beginner / Intermediate ⏱ 2 min 🇫🇷 Video in French

Getting Out of Thick Rough in Golf: The Pitch Shot

Is your ball buried in some terrible rough, and does the flag seem really close? Marion Ricordeau, the world university golf champion, shows that the right choice here is first and foremost a strategic one: get out of the rough, get back on the fairway, and then make up ground.

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Marion Ricordeau
Marion Ricordeau · his YouTube channelFree lesson selected by Fred P.

To be continued

3 minSame problemHitting Over a Tree on the Golf Course: The Club Shaft TrickKarine Icher · Beginner / Intermediate2 minSame problemThe Low Punch Under the Branches: David LeadbetterDavid Leadbetter · Beginner / Intermediate2 minFrom the same proBuilding Your Golf Bag: The Clubs, Marion RicordeauMarion Ricordeau · Beginner

What the lesson shows

Marion Ricordeau finds her ball in a awful place, about a hundred meters from the flag: the penalty for the bad shot is enforced. She won't be able to reach the green, so The goal is simply to get out of the rough and get back onto the fairway. She chooses the shortest path toward the fairway, perpendicular to the direction of the hole.

She takes the most open club in the bag, his sand wedge, and takes a shot like a swing of a pickaxe: a vertical swing that digs into the ground to lift the ball and send it about thirty meters down the fairway. She doesn't attempt a spectacular shot toward the green; instead, she keeps the ball centered on the fairway so she can make up for any mistakes later.

The Exercise, Step by Step

  1. Assess the lie: if the ball is buried deep, don't try to reach the green, even if it's close.
  2. Look for the shortest path to the fairway, perpendicular to the direction of the hole.
  3. Take the widest club from your bag.
  4. Make a vertical swing, like a pickaxe striking the ground.
  5. Aim for a shot of about 35 yards to get back onto the fairway.

Key Takeaways

When you're in a terrible lie, you no longer aim for the green.
We take the shortest route to the fairway.
The club with the widest face in the bag, like a sand wedge.
A vertical swing of a pickaxe that drives into the ground.

Mistakes to Avoid

  • Attempt a spectacular shot toward the green from a bad lie.
  • Aim for a long pass forward instead of taking the shortest route.
  • Choose a club with a narrow face when hitting from thick rough.

Driving Range Mode

Keep it in plain sight, on the rug.

  1. Hitting out of thick rough with a sand wedge, using a digging stroke
  2. Consistently choosing the shortest route to the fairway
  3. Short shots of about 35 yards from the rough

Your Questions

Should you aim for the green from deep rough?

No, if the lie is bad. Marion Ricordeau, about a hundred meters from the flag, simply chooses to step off the green and return to the fairway.

Which club should you use in thick rough?

The club with the most open face in the bag; in the video, a sand wedge.

What is the best way to hit the ball out of the rough?

A pick-and-shovel stroke: a vertical motion that drives into the ground to lift the ball and move it forward, even if only about thirty meters.

Learn More

All “Obstacles & Struggles” videos →Find the lesson that's right for youAll “Course Management” videos →Find the lesson that's right for you Hitting Over a Tree on the Golf Course: The Club Shaft TrickPlace the clubface flat in front of the ball, with the shaft pointing toward the obstacle: the angle of the shaft indicates whether the ball will go over or under the trees. Fairway Bunker: Marion Ricordeau's Simple EscapeIn a big fairway bunker 130 yards from the green, without grounding the club: ball slightly back in your stance and ball-then-sand contact for a reasonable distance. Side Water Hazards in Golf: The Options, Marion RicordeauBall in the water next to the hole: mark the point of entry, choose from four options, then drop the ball at knee height, with Marion Ricordeau. Marion RicordeauAll of his lessons

Video posted on YouTube by its creator (Marion Ricordeau). Best Golf Tips selects and summarizes the best free lessons, without hosting them.

* Amateur competitions with guidance from the pros