How to Pitch Out of Thick Rough

In the golf seasons, we often can learn some skills to help us to improve our games from the golf pros. In this week, Tiger Wood's incredible pitch out of the deep rough on NO.16 Sunday will remember it as one of the greatest shots of the year.

Boynton Beach, AL (prHWY.com) June 7, 2012 - In the golf seasons, we often can learn some skills to help us to improve our games from the golf pros. In this week, Tiger Wood's incredible pitch out of the deep rough on NO.16 Sunday will remember it as one of the greatest shots of the year, maybe one of the best of Tiger's incredible career. It's so special that Jack Nicklaus calls it the most unbelievable and most gutsy shot he has ever seen.

Let's set the scene for those that might have missed it. Tiger Woods, trailing by one at the time, had just hit his 8-iron shot on the 3 par 16th into perhaps the worst spot he could meet. Into the thick rough over the green on the right, a chip that came up short would stay in the rough, a chip hit too hard would fly down the ridge and perhaps into the water. His lie was not good and if he wanted to have any chance to win, he needed to save par - something that seemed unlikely from his predicament.

Well, the skeptics were sort of right. Tiger did not make par. He took a mighty swing that resulted in the prettiest, softest pitch that just landed on the green and started to roll towards the pin. Incredibly similar to Tiger's famous Masters Chips on the 16th at Augusta National, this chip seemed as if it might stop or just miss right before dropping in for what may have been the loudest birdie in Muirfield Village history. After seeing Tiger's incredible chip, you can imagine how you will hit this shot. You've probably hit it many times actually, just most likely out of a bunker. Yes, the same technique that you'd use to get out of a bunker, you should use to hit the soft high flop out of thick rough.

However, when you are beginning your chip, there are three main points you should keep in your mind. First of all, you need to set the ball forward in your stance, open the clubface. Just like a bunker shot, you want to hit slightly behind the ball and use the rough as a springboard to gently pop the ball out. Second, you should keep a quiet lower body on the backswing. Most amateurs struggle with this, they are often straitening up in the back swing and shifting their low point of the swing. If you get too steep, you will slide right under the ball and the ball will not go far enough. At last, you must fire through to maintain your spine angle, and full rotate your hips on your swing. Watch Tiger's body as he finishes the swing. Notice how his belt buckle finishes to the left of the target line.

The goal here is get the ball on the putting surface, hopefully with a makeable putt. If you can get it close, that's an added bonus. If you can make it, well, that's Tiger-esque. But it certainly doesn't have to mean a big number. Play it like a bunker shot, commit to the swing and watch the ball float softly onto the green.

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Tag Words: chip, pitch, tiger woods

Categories: Sports

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