Heavy Rhododendron Puning

[Gpag]

I have several large Rhododendrons that have not been pruned for a long time, if ever. There are lots of intertwined branches and they are too tall. I want to prune these back but need help on the best way to do it. My goal is to eliminate Al, the runners off the main trunk so that I can get space between the foliage and ground, shorten them, shape them a little so that they look like the individual shrubs that they are rather than one unkempt mess.
I know that this is not the best time to prune these and I will be severely affecting the number of Spring blooms and it will take time for them to fill our with new growth but I don't care about that. I am willing to cut as much as I need to.
Thanks for any help.

 

[Owdboggy]

I cut three of ours down to the ground, leaving only about 2 inches of old stem. They are now about 2 feet tall with new growth despite the lack of rain, so yours will probably regrow from however you prune them.