When faced with a shot from the rough, use your head to think your way out of trouble. The best rule to follow is to play it safe and choose the shot that offers the best recovery with the minimum risk of leaving yourself in an even more difficult situation. Trying an almost impossible recovery shot seldom succeeds and a double or triple bogey usually follows. Treat the rough with the respect it deserves, striving to incorporate the following general tips into your recovery strategy.

Use a more lofted club to get maximum loft quickly. 'Pop' the ball out of heavy or high rough. If you are a mid to high handicapper, choose the 5 wood over a long iron. There is less tendency for the clubhead to get caught up in the grass.

Choke down on the club 1" to 2". Open your stance slightly. Take the club up more abruptly than a regular shot with the wrists breaking early.

In heavy rough, open the clubface slightly. Grass can wrap around the hosel and close the clubface.

In light rough, take a more upright swing and hit down and through the ball.