Matthew Wolff and Rule 13 (Tapping Down Spike Marks)

[Rick Graham]

Did anyone see Matthew Wolf last week, I can't remember what hole it was, but the tv camera caught him tamping down spike marks on the green when he had a  foot putt.  I know the rules now allow this, but it seemed to me that he was going overboard with this.......on his 2 foot putt he spent about 30 seconds really tamping down hard the whole area between the ball and the hole....to me this is an infraction of rule 13.

[iacas]

Got video?

[Rick Graham]

I wish i did

[jamo]

I didn't see him do that, but I noticed last week watching the highlight videos from when he was contending in Detroit that he finds something to tamp down after every time he sinks a putt or taps in.

Since he must know that he can fix/tamp down spike marks and ball marks before the putt, I thought maybe he thinks he puts too much weight on the putter when he leans over to grab his ball, and he's just trying to even out that spot. It's pretty clear, though, that isn't the case either. 

 

[billchao]

1 hour ago, jamo said:

I didn't see him do that, but I noticed last week watching the highlight videos from when he was contending in Detroit that he finds something to tamp down after every time he sinks a putt or taps in.

Since he must know that he can fix/tamp down spike marks and ball marks before the putt, I thought maybe he thinks he puts too much weight on the putter when he leans over to grab his ball, and he's just trying to even out that spot. It's pretty clear, though, that isn't the case either. 

 

Looks to me like he’s targeting the spot his foot was and not the putter.

Not what @Rick Graham is talking about, though.

[Yukari]

Interesting.  So in theory, if you tap down the line of your putt so that your ball tracks that line, is it still allowed?  Just a hypothetical question.

I thought I read somewhere that some pro left a water hose on a practice green so that it forms imperceptible track to the hole and bet on other pros during putting practice.  Could be just an urban myth.

[iacas]

1 hour ago, Yukari said:

Interesting.  So in theory, if you tap down the line of your putt so that your ball tracks that line, is it still allowed?  Just a hypothetical question.

You cannot do that, no. It's not "still" allowed as it has never been allowed.