An odd rules question

[Mizuno Guy]

I play a Fisher putter and when a ball is dragged along the green with it the ball sticks to the face. My teaching pro and I were messing around at work one day as it is dead at a golf store this time of year in MA, we where hitting putts by setting the club behind the ball and pushing it forward. I was wondering if this is legal or not because the ball is only making contact with the putter once until it is released?

This is not an attempt to gain any sort of advantage it is just a question purely based on curiosity.

Thanks if anyone knows

[Fourputt]

Rule 14-1:

Quote:

14-1. Ball to Be Fairly Struck At

The ball must be fairly struck at with the head of the club and must not be pushed, scraped or spooned.

I'm not exactly sure what you are describing, but if you are simply pushing the ball, then it is not allowed.  It would be a 2 stroke penalty.

[Mizuno Guy]

Thank you this clears it up for me as I would be pushing the ball.

[The Recreational Golfer]

Now can anyone tell us what scraping and spooning mean?

[sacm3bill]

Originally Posted by The Recreational Golfer

Now can anyone tell us what scraping and spooning mean?

I hate to be a smartass, but: www.dictionary.com , perhaps?

[The Recreational Golfer]

It sounds like something left over from the 19th century. Spooning might mean lifting the ball and flinging it off a concave clubface (then had clubs like that back then), and scraping might mean dragging, but I really don't know about either term. They must have some kind of historical meaning, though.

[sacm3bill]

Originally Posted by The Recreational Golfer

It sounds like something left over from the 19th century. Spooning might mean lifting the ball and flinging it off a concave clubface (then had clubs like that back then), and scraping might mean dragging, but I really don't know about either term. They must have some kind of historical meaning, though.

I really don't think these terms are archaic or historical, they're simply exactly as you describe them: Scraping is dragging the ball across the ground, spooning is scooping the ball and flinging it (the clubface doesn't have to be concave to do that.)

[Fourputt]

Originally Posted by sacm3bill

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Recreational Golfer

It sounds like something left over from the 19th century. Spooning might mean lifting the ball and flinging it off a concave clubface (then had clubs like that back then), and scraping might mean dragging, but I really don't know about either term. They must have some kind of historical meaning, though.

I really don't think these terms are archaic or historical, they're simply exactly as you describe them: Scraping is dragging the ball across the ground, spooning is scooping the ball and flinging it (the clubface doesn't have to be concave to do that.)

The key is that all 3 methods use no backswing.  The forward motion is started with the club in contact with the ball.  The ball is not being "fairly struck at" as the rules require.