How to Chip Out of Deep Rough

With a little practice, most golfers can learn how to be accurate with chip shots from good lies.

But when a golfer approaches the green and sees his ball buried in high rough, he may quickly lose confidence in his ability to execute the shot. Typical errors include hitting behind the ball and leaving it short -- sometimes not even reaching the green -- or swinging too hard and knocking the ball over the other side of the green.

1. Select a high lofted club, such as a pitching wedge, gap wedge or sand wedge. A chip shot out of deep rough will tend to come out lower. Using a wedge allows you to get the clubhead through the thick grass without tangling the club and turning the clubface.

1. Plan for a different shot shape than normal. A chip shot out of high rough will land on the green with less backspin and more roll. Plan to land the ball a longer distance from the pin than normal and let the ball roll up close to the hole.

1. Grip down on the club for better control. For chip shots, the instruction book "Master Strokes" recommends a grip with the forefinger of your lower hand almost down to the metal shaft. With practice, this will give you a better feel for how hard to hit the shot. Grip the club more tightly than you normally do to maintain control through the tall grass.

1. Play the ball back in your stance and shift your weight more to the left foot. The instruction book "The Golf Handbook" recommends taking a wider stance than with a chip from short grass to facilitate weight transfer on the backswing and downswing. Address the ball with your hands forward.

1. Concentrate on making a smooth, rhythmic swing. The backswing and follow-through positions should be approximately the same height. Make sure your hands lead the clubhead through the ball.