Picking up a Twig

[Aflighter]

A little off topic but ive always been under the impression that you cant pick anything up off the green if your not on  the green.Other week I saw pro doing that on tv.Monday I had  putt from fringe and had a small twig in my line.I didnt pick it up.Whats rule?

[iacas]

A twig is a loose impediment. If it's not embedded, pick it up and toss it to the side.

[Dormie1360]

Just to add, the only time you can not pickup a loose impediment is when your ball and the loose impediment lie in the same hazard.  (Water hazard or bunker)

[Asheville]

The information for the correct responses above comes from two places in the Rules.

First in Definitions:

"Loose impediments" are natural objects, including:

stones, leaves, twigs, branches and the like,
dung, and worms, insects and the like, and the casts and heaps made by them,
 

provided they are not:

fixed or growing,
solidly embedded, or
adhering to the ball.

Sand and loose soil are loose impediments on the putting green, but not elsewhere.

Snow and natural ice, other than frost, are either casual water or loose impediments, at the option of the player.

and second from Rule 23 which talks about loose impediments:

23-1. Relief, Except when both the loose impediment and the ball lie in or touch the same hazard, any loose impediment may be removed without penalty.

[Patch]

I pick up loose impediments on the green. From the tee to just off the green, I can't remember the last time I removed anything. Probably cost myself a stroke or three by not doing so. I do take relief from casual water. Just always been a hit it as it lies kind of golfer. 

[Buckeyebowman]

Sometimes the rules are there to help you, not just penalize you.

[Ernest Jones]

  On 6/10/2016 at 8:20 PM, Aflighter said:

A little off topic but ive always been under the impression that you cant pick anything up off the green if your not on  the green.Other week I saw pro doing that on tv.Monday I had  putt from fringe and had a small twig in my line.I didnt pick it up.Whats rule?

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A little of topic, but how can the first post of a thread be off topic? :-P

[iacas]

  On 6/11/2016 at 4:40 PM, Ernest Jones said:

A little of topic, but how can the first post of a thread be off topic?

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I moved it to its own topic.

[Ernest Jones]

  On 6/11/2016 at 4:59 PM, iacas said:

I moved it to its own topic.

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Ahh...now it makes sense!