The ability to make a good score even when the chips are down is one of the things that separates the top golfers from the rest. Players like Seve Ballesteros and Tiger Woods are masters of the recovery shot when a drive has gone wayward.

1. Make a steep swing in the rough

One of the most important things of hitting out of the rough is to make contact with the ball before hitting the turf. You should meet the ball with a sharply descending clubhead. An upright backswing, with early wrist-break, will help this.

2. Extend down slope to avoid fats and thins

David Leadbetter recommends that you hit some practice shots off a downhill lie with a short iron and play the ball back in your stance. The downslope will encourage you to extend your follow-through low to the ground and also to transfer your weight correctly across to the left foot in the downswing.

3. Take a pitching wedge to play a water shot

If your ball is in the water, make sure at least half of it is visible before you even think about a shot. Take a firm stance and a pitching wedge - the reason for using this club is it has a sharper leading edge than a sand wedge. This will help you to cut through the water.

4. Move ball back in stance for any bad lie

If you are in any doubt as to your ability to hit a shot from a poor lie, play it further back in your stance to give you a good chance of getting it up in the air.

5. Choke down the grip from sloping lies

Choking down on a sloping lie will give you greater control from your disadvantageous position. So you will lose some length but gain control and spin.

6. Avoid wedges when playing from hardpan lies

Wedges are a lot flatter and have a tendency to "bounce" on a hard lie. Instead use a more upright club so you get a good sweeping action on the floor. Remember: your aim is not to make a divot as this will cause the clubhead to bounce and could prove disastrous.

7. Fade the ball from a flyer lie

Weather and wet ground conditions often produce the dreaded "flyer" - a shot that travels farther but with significantly less spin - just what you don't want on the green. You could take less club, but attempting to hit a fade shot will add extra height and sidespin, counteracting the effects of the moisture on the ball.

8. Stand tall when the ball is above your feet

Because the ball is actually a little closer to your upper body when it's above your feet, you must adapt your posture to compensate. Tiger Woods says that a really good tip he uses is to think of himself as standing tall throughout the swing. This is crucial in helping you keep your balance through the shot .

9. Stop at a 4-iron from fairway bunkers

From a fairway bunker, Tiger Woods advises amateurs against anything longer than a 4-iron unless the ball is lying perfectly on the sand and sitting up nicely.

10. Aim right when ball is above your feet

With a sidehill lie where the ball is above your feet, you should aim right as the combination of the slope and the closed clubface at impact will cause the ball to fly left in the air.

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