Q: Thomas:
Please give the best way to hit/chip/pitch from around the green in the very high rough. I either take too much or too little swing, the club gets hung up in the rough and the ball goes very short or not at all

A: Todd A. Sammons (South Florida Section):
In the high green side rough I would recommend hitting a sand wedge. Open the blade and swing the SW on a steeper plane than normal, harder than normal and try to hit behind the ball just a touch. Hope this helps!

Q: rick:
Help! Lately I have been driving the ball better than I ever have but my wedge play has been horrible. Its to the point where I either skull it or just fluff it. I hit it 275-280 then it takes 2 shots to get on the green. What can I do to get over this problem? Thanks!!

A: David Kraus (South Florida Section):
Rick, I am going to assume that because you hit the ball so far that when you have a wedge shot it is not a full swing. So you are having trouble adjusting to the length of the shot. There are a number of things to consider: have enough wedges in your bag with varying lofts to ensure that many of the wedge swings are full shots. Know the distances that you hit each of your wedges. Next comes the practice to determine how far you hit each of the wedges with 3/4 or 1/2 swings. If you carry 4 wedges - PW, SW, Gap and 60 degree you would now have 12 different distances for wedge shots. This should help calm the nerves when faced with that next short shot. Put a shaft label on each of the wedges with the three distances for that club.

Q: David Chin:
If I'm in a bunker, it is usually about two feet from a high lip with the ball on a uphill lie. The pin is far and the sand is usually firm. My weight is on my right foot and my wedge is wide open. I hit hard close to the ball, but it hits the lip of the bunker and falls back towards me. Do I need a wedge with more loft or is it the way I'm hitting the ball?

A: David Kraus (South Florida Section):
David, if you are in the scenario that you describe, your only option is to get the ball on the green and take your medicine. From where the ball is you are not going to get it close to the hole so make sure that your next shot is a putt. There is always the chance that lightning can strike and you hole the putt. But the odds are the second bunker shot won't be any easier than the first. So, set up with the face open and dig in with your feet. Get under the surface of the sand. Try to be as balanced as you can. You don't want the weight on the right side. You will need to stike the sand a couple of inches behind the ball with enough force to splash the sand and the ball out of the bunker. Trying to pick it means the ball gets driven into the bank, just as you described. With the face open and a hard swing the ball should pop almost straight up and out. Good luck.