Penalty or no?

[rwfastrax]

Last night during my round, I was teeing off with 5W. For this I always use a broken tee as I don't tee the ball up very high. I tee the ball...address it, takeaway..then on the downswing the tee topples over and the ball falls to the ground. I'd say I got about halfway on the downswing...but no further. If this would have been an at-bat in baseball I'd definitely have "checked" my swing. I re-teed and played a good ball. Was this a penalty?

[James_Black]

I don't think it is. You didn't "commit" to the stroke.

That's what I think anyway, I could be wrong

[JML22]

i always thought that if it moves once you address the ball its a stroke

[ajschn06]

I thought that was only while putting? I thought if you didn't make an attempt to hit the ball, your not penalized. Either way, if it was just a casual round, no way I'd take a penalty for that. In a league or tournament, I would ask some sort of official...

[JML22]

Yeah maybe not then
I asked someone at the last mens night if i was allowed to stop my swing if it didnt feel right
Sometimes my shoulder clicks and moves me out of position he said it was fine

[BC24]

I do not believe that is a penalty stroke. But I really need to brush on my rule of golf sometime soon. Too many of these posts regarding rules situations and I do not know for sure if i am correct on them.

[Fairway_CY]

You had no intention of making the stroke once you abandoned the swing. On the teeing area, if a ball falls off a tee before you make a swing, you replace it with no penalty. You played the hole correctly.

See Rule 11-3:

11-3. Ball Falling off Tee
If a ball, when not in play, falls off a tee or is knocked off a tee by the player in addressing it, it may be re-teed, without penalty. However, if a stroke is made at the ball in these circumstances, whether the ball is moving or not, the stroke counts, but there is no penalty.

CY

[JML22]

does a downswing an stop count as a stroke at it?

[Fairway_CY]

does a downswing an stop count as a stroke at it?

No. Tiger does it all the time. It's harder to do than you may think... but, if you stop your swing... there was no intent to strike the ball.

From the USGA Rules website: Stroke A "stroke" is the forward movement of the club made with the intention of striking at and moving the ball, but if a player checks his downswing voluntarily before the clubhead reaches the ball he has not made a stroke. CY

[Ryno314]

Interesting . Note taken!!

[JML22]

what about for putting?

[Yukari]

Putting is different because the ball is IN play. Rule 11-3 only applies when the ball is NOT in play.

That is why when you tee it up and you accidentally knock the ball of the tee (e.g., when addressing it), it does NOT count. I know a lot of people joke and say "that's one". But actually it is NOT. You can re-tee w/o any penalty or stroke being counted.

[saevel25]

Then waht about a ball in the fairway or on a puff of rough. Knowing you didn't touch the rough and it rolls. I thought the rules on that case were you put it back were it was previously, but i am not sure if you addressed the ball.

[Paradox]

someone will correct me if I'm wrong but I think that if you address the ball and its deemed that you caused the ball to move by pushing down some blades of grass the ball was sitting on or you accidentally "tapped it" or anything else, its a stroke penalty and the ball must be replaced.

[brgolf]

someone will correct me if I'm wrong but I think that if you address the ball and its deemed that you caused the ball to move by pushing down some blades of grass the ball was sitting on or you accidentally "tapped it" or anything else, its a stroke penalty and the ball must be replaced.

I know one of these days my complete lazyiness about looking up the rules is going to make me look stupid, but the above sounds correct. However on the tee box when the tee is in the ground and the ball upon it, unless you intend to make a stroke, there is no penalty even if you nudge the ball off the tee at address with the club face or pull out of your swing.

[double_j]

The key point is 'in play'.

On the tee, the ball is not yet in play until you intentionally move it through a forward stroke (even if the ball goes sideways )

Once in play, you're pretty much screwed if the ball moves while you're addressing it or do anything that might have influenced the movement (e.g., clearing away debris, etc.).

[zeg]

someone will correct me if I'm wrong but I think that if you address the ball and its deemed that you caused the ball to move by pushing down some blades of grass the ball was sitting on or you accidentally "tapped it" or anything else, its a stroke penalty and the ball must be replaced.

Once you've addressed the ball (i.e., taken your stance and grounded your club, unless in a bunker where it's merely taking your stance with no grounding necessary), if it moves, you caused it by rule. It doesn't matter where, whether it be fairway, rough, bunker, green etc. The situation in the OP is different because the ball is not yet in play. Until it's had a stroke played on it, it's not in play, so none of the penalties for moving it apply.

[Paradox]

Once you've addressed the ball (i.e., taken your stance and grounded your club, unless in a bunker where it's merely taking your stance with no grounding necessary), if it moves, you caused it by rule. It doesn't matter where, whether it be fairway, rough, bunker, green etc. The situation in the OP is different because the ball is not yet in play. Until it's had a stroke played on it, it's not in play, so none of the penalties for moving it apply.

right and I wasn't addressing the OP but the guy who asked about what happens if the ball is in the fairway or the rough. You get a 1 stroke penalty if the ball moves after you address it or if you are considered to have made the ball moved by removing an impediment.