Top Coach Zane Scotland's 3 Keys to Escaping the Rough

Most golfers treat a shot from the rough the same way they'd play one from the fairway, a mistake that costs strokes long before the swing even starts. Teaching pro Zane Scotland says the fix begins with the setup, not the swing itself.

What goes wrong with iron shots from the rough?

The core problem is grass getting between the clubface and the ball at impact, which kills speed and control. Scotland's first fix is a steeper angle of attack, built into the address position rather than forced during the swing: a slightly lower lead shoulder, a touch more weight on the front foot, and less forward shaft lean than a standard iron shot to preserve loft through impact.

How should grip pressure change in the rough?

Scotland recommends gripping the club firmer to resist the grass twisting the clubhead and taking speed out of the swing. Keeping the lead shoulder low through the downswing helps maintain that steeper attack angle. The tradeoff is distance — a tighter grip shortens the swing, so the ball won't travel as far as it would from a clean lie.

What's the best way to practice this?

Before committing to a shot, Scotland suggests taking a few practice swings in rough of similar length near the ball, without touching the actual lie, to see how the clubhead reacts moving through the grass. If there's any doubt about getting the ball airborne, the advice is to take more loft rather than less. In especially thick, "juicy" rough, that means swinging harder and aiming for the widest part of the fairway rather than the flag, since distance control becomes unreliable.