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Your NPR (nearest point of relief) is where it would be to play that shot. Looks like that's on the bush-side of the cart path. You're then free to re-assess and take further relief if you want. Or an unplayable, etc. Looks like he should have dropped in the bush, or maybe slightly behind it if that is within the relief area. Oh, and you have to take complete relief.

I hear you, that price is ridiculous. I’ve been dealing with AS pain for a recently, and it really messes with your game. I tried everything—painkillers, stretches, you name it—but honestly, cannabis helped me more than I thought. It didn’t take all the pain away, but it eased the stiffness and helped me move more freely, which is huge for golf. I could actually swing without feeling like my back was gonna snap.  

Day 245 (4 Jan 24) - Colder blustery day (temps in the upper 30’s), so I opted to work with the 7i in the back yard, hitting 30-40 yds pitches.  Stayed within pre-shot process and working smoothly thru downswing and ball.  Nice easy day reinforcing short game work in the pitch and roll arena. 

Okay, so like 5-6 years ago a buddy of mine and I are playing golf in Nevada. Not a tournament, but we're betting 20 bucks a side. I don't think this actually affected the outcome but I'm curious how you all would have ruled this.  We are playing a hole in which on one side of the concrete cart path is the grass on the other side is rocky, desert. My buddy hits his tee shot which comes to rest on the other side of the cart path under a prickly ugly bush. He's right handed but he turns his 7-iron upside down and addresses the ball left handed, with the club upside-down. Then he says "I get relief because I'm standing on the cart path."  "Okay" I say.   Then he drops the ball (from the shoulder as this is pre-2019) on the "good" side of the cart path within 2 club lengths no closer to the hole.  I believe he should have had to hit from the crappy side of the cart path, by dropping the ball within 2 club lengths no closer to the hole.  My contention is the nearest point of complete relief is in the desert. His contention is as long as it's within 2 club lengths no closer to the hole he can drop anywhere he wants. Who's right?  Okay, now the kicker. He declares his ball in play. Now admittedly it is less than 2 club lengths from where it came to rest and isn't any closer to the hole. Then he addresses his ball (7 iron again) right handed this time and declares he gets relief again, because he's standing on the cart path. ... Which he is.  He drops again, and now he's on the fairway, not even in the rough.  So, with two drops and no stokes he's moved from under a bush in the desert, to the rough, to the fairway.  Here's a picture which may help.   So he hits his 7 iron on the green. No penalty. I guess he may be right, but it's always felt shady and we've poked fun at each other over this incident for years now.  What do you all think? 

Day 3 - limited time today so did 5 minutes of mirror work in hotel room. Sequencing weight shift on full swing.