Escape the thick rough

You have to know how to read your lie and take a calculated risk when you hit out of the rough. If you aren’t sure if you can get the club on the back of the ball cleanly, a cut shot is a great play. If you don’t retain your angle like I am in the pictures here (left), you’ll make too much contact with the grass and lose clubhead speed. Resist the temptation to lift the ball out. Instead, rely on the club’s loft and open the clubface to do the job. Use a more lofted club and swing softer, trying to hit it about 70 percent to avoid a flyer over the green.