Simple tricks to try if you get stuck in heavy rough

We have been blessed with some brutally thick rough so far this year. We need to keep a few things in mind as we work to escape it.

If we find ourselves in such a lie, first, we need to assess the lie - how much grass is behind the ball and how much is in front of the ball which is equally important. This will determine your club selection as we need to get the ball to launch high enough to get it out of the heavy lie. A low lofted club will make it difficult to escape if you have a lot of grass either in front or behind the ball. Always realize loft is your friend and your first priority is to get the ball back in position in the fairway or green if possible. Using a higher lofted club may sacrifice distance but will make it easier to escape and be able to play your next shot from a better lie.

A couple of simple things we can do to help escape are:

1. Narrow your stance slightly and keep the ball position just forward of center to allow a slightly steeper angle of attack.

2. Grip down slightly to allow the club to better contact the ball. Many times we are on wet turf which will result in us sinking a bit into the turf as we address the ball. If we grip the club normally it will effectively be too long and likely cause a fat shot.

3. Open the clubface slightly to prevent the heavy rough from turning the clubface closed

4. Be sure to swing through to the full balanced finish - avoid trying to gouge it out.

Give these ideas a try next time you are confronted with a shot in the heavy rough.

• Bill Abrams conducts the Golf Solutions Academy at Balmoral Woods in Crete, IL.