Is this a stroke?

[Eagle x 4]

Today I was addressing the ball for my 2nd shot on a par 5. Lately I've been having a hard time making my first move and I've also been doing a little forward press before I start my backswing. Well, today when I did the forward press the club kind of slipped and actually hit the ball and moved it forward a few inches. I hadn't even started my backswing yet.

The other element is that we had agreed that we could bump, clean, and replace if the ball was in the fairway. My ball was in the fairway. I'm not sure if this makes any difference or not in the rule interpretation.

The player whom I was betting against said it was a stroke and we played it that way. Was that correct?

Thanks!

[RIduffer]

The lift-clean-place rule doesn't seem to have any relevance here, as you were addressing the ball. Definitely a stroke.

[zeg]

If it was not intentional, it was not a stroke. Because you had not yet begun your backswing, you should have replaced the ball and taken a one stroke penalty. Since you did not replace the ball, there is an additional penalty of two strokes for playing from the wrong place. (actually, I have a vague inkling that this two stroke penalty may supersede the one stroke penalty for moving your ball netting only two strokes total, but I can't find that in the rules).

[RIduffer]

If it was not intentional, it was not a stroke. Because you had not yet begun your backswing, you should have replaced the ball and taken a one stroke penalty. Since you did not replace the ball, there is an additional penalty of two strokes for playing from the wrong place. (actually, I have a vague inkling that this two stroke penalty may supersede the one stroke penalty for moving your ball netting only two strokes total, but I can't find that in the rules).

Thank you for clarifying.

[Zeph]

Source: USGA Definitions
Addressing the Ball
A player has " addressed the ball " when he has taken his stance and has also grounded his club , except that in a hazard a player has addressed the ball when he has taken his stance.

http://www.usga.org/Rule-Books/Rules...ressingtheBall

Source: Rule 18-2
b. Ball Moving After Address

If a player's ball in play moves after he has addressed it (other than as a result of a stroke), the player is deemed to have moved the ball and incurs a penalty of one stroke .
The ball must be replaced, unless the movement of the ball occurs after the player has begun the stroke or the backward movement of the club for the stroke and the stroke is made.

http://www.usga.org/Rule-Books/Rules.../Rule-18/#18-2

Source: Rule 20-7
Playing from Wrong Place

a. General

A player has played from a wrong place if he makes a stroke at his ball in play:

(i) on a part of the course where the Rules do not permit a stroke to be played or a ball to be dropped or placed; or

(ii) when the Rules require a dropped ball to be re-dropped or a moved ball to be replaced .

c. Stroke Play

If a competitor makes a stroke from a wrong place, he incurs a penalty of two strokes under the applicable Rule.
He must play out the hole with the ball played from the wrong place, without correcting his error, provided he has not committed a serious breach (see Note 1).

If a competitor becomes aware that he has played from a wrong place and believes that he may have committed a serious breach, he must, before making a stroke on the next teeing ground, play out the hole with a second ball played in accordance with the Rules. If the hole being played is the last hole of the round, he must declare, before leaving the putting green, that he will play out the hole with a second ball played in accordance with the Rules.

If the competitor has played a second ball, he must report the facts to the Committee before returning his score card; if he fails to do so, he is disqualified.
The Committee must determine whether the competitor has committed a serious breach of the applicable Rule. If he has, the score with the second ball counts and
the competitor must add two penalty strokes
to his score with that ball. If the competitor has committed a serious breach and has failed to correct it as outlined above, he is disqualified.

http://www.usga.org/Rule-Books/Rules.../Rule-20/#20-7

[zeg]

Yep, those are the rules that are applicable. So the net is a 3 stroke penalty.

One other comment is that I've never heard of "bump, clean, and replace." Do you mean lift, clean, and place? If not, then I think whatever you and your friends agree is the interpretation can stand, since contemplating what the official rules say in a situation where you're not actually using them is kind of silly. I don't mean to suggest that there's anything wrong with playing modified rules if it increases your enjoyment, but you need to be aware that it's up to you to decide which of the "real" rules still apply. If I were playing in your group with my guess at what your rule modification means, I'd argue that the standard penalties apply.