Leaving a Mark to Help my Swing

[iceman777 8]

Ive been trying to use a more open stance , due to a hip problem . Trying to swing along  my setup line . Is it illegal to place something like a coin or marker on the ground , away from the ball , as a spot to aim my finish ?

[iacas 7,949]

Yes

Just pick out a spot of grass or something.

[Hardspoon 529]

That was easy.

It's Rule 8-2, I believe.

[Martyn W 97]

16 minutes ago, iceman777 said:

Ive been trying to use a more open stance , due to a hip problem . Trying to swing along  my setup line . Is it illegal to place something like a coin or marker on the ground , away from the ball , as a spot to aim my finish ?

You may place something, but you must move it before making the stroke.

8-2a/1

 

Club Placed on Ground to Align Feet

Q.A player places a club on the ground parallel to the line of play to assist him in aligning his feet properly. Is this permissible?

A.Yes, provided the player removes the club before playing his stroke. Otherwise, a breach of Rule 8-2awould occur.

[turtleback 682]

46 minutes ago, Martyn W said:

You may place something, but you must move it before making the stroke.

8-2a/1

 

Club Placed on Ground to Align Feet

Q.A player places a club on the ground parallel to the line of play to assist him in aligning his feet properly. Is this permissible?

A.Yes, provided the player removes the club before playing his stroke. Otherwise, a breach of Rule 8-2awould occur.

I would assume/guess the answer is yes, but would it still be a penalty if the player removes the club but it leaves the imprint of the club on the grass, as in the case of a dewy morning?

Or in the case of the OP he puts down a big coin firmly so it leaves a discernible mark once he removes it?

 

[Martyn W 97]

26 minutes ago, turtleback said:

I would assume/guess the answer is yes, but would it still be a penalty if the player removes the club but it leaves the imprint of the club on the grass, as in the case of a dewy morning?

Or in the case of the OP he puts down a big coin firmly so it leaves a discernible mark once he removes it?

Yes, that would be making a mark in breach of 8-2

[DrvFrShow 272]

You may do it on the driving range. It is not allowed in competitive rounds or rounds that you're applying to your handicap. If you're playing a solo practice round and feel you need the training wheels on the course, go for it. Otherwise, keep it confined to the driving range.

[Papa Steve 55 83]

On the tee box just look for a broken tee in front. Tee up behind it, using it for your follow through aiming. You cant place it, but use it if its already there.

[jkelley9 70]

That's one of the nice things about a less-maintained course. Usually there's more "spots" you can use to aid your alignment, including on the greens :) 

[boogielicious 2,013]

On 7/17/2016 at 9:49 AM, iceman777 said:

Ive been trying to use a more open stance , due to a hip problem . Trying to swing along  my setup line . Is it illegal to place something like a coin or marker on the ground , away from the ball , as a spot to aim my finish ?

When I was working on my alignment, I would pick a spot and use my club to identify a spot to put the tee. Now I just hold the club up in front of you and create a line to the spot.

[rehmwa 597]

On 7/17/2016 at 0:10 PM, DrvFrShow said:

You may do it on the driving range. It is not allowed in competitive rounds or rounds that you're applying to your handicap. If you're playing a solo practice round and feel you need the training wheels on the course, go for it. Otherwise, keep it confined to the driving range.

^ This is the best answer.  You can do whatever you want when not playing strict rules-based comps or for handicap.  (bad form if betting also unless everyone doesn't care)

Doesn't have to be solo either.  If just playing for fun and not putting it in for handicap.

(Though I find it's good practice to just picks spots of grass or etc even then so it more closely matches 'real life' ).

 

Here's a variation - in a rule-based round, can someone place/teeup the ball so aligns with something that is ALREADY lying there (broken top of a tee or something...?  seems to not be in the spirit of the rule though)

 

(seems to always be a little bloom/fuzz to line up with, heck, the divots can somtimes show a very long line in the right direction....I think it's a silly rule as such since you can always find a legal alignment)

[WUTiger 548]

On 7/18/2016 at 3:32 PM, jkelley9 said:

That's one of the nice things about a less-maintained course. Usually there's more "spots" you can use to aid your alignment, including on the greens :) 

The anti-smoking movement has definitely shaken up golf. It used to be, there was a cigarette butt every 5 yards you could use as an alignment point.

[Grinde6 54]

I like picking out a spot about a foot or two in front of my ball to use as my starting point for the ball.  I do this on the range as well...it makes it much more transferrable to the course if you do it that way.

[WUTiger 548]

If I lay down the alignment sticks regularly when I practice at the range, I find I can visualize them in my "mind's eye" when I line up out on the course. Kind of like the football "first down" line that magically appears on-screen during TV games.

[iacas 7,949]

On July 19, 2016 at 10:19 AM, rehmwa said:

Here's a variation - in a rule-based round, can someone place/teeup the ball so aligns with something that is ALREADY lying there (broken top of a tee or something...?  seems to not be in the spirit of the rule though)

That's fine.

[DeadMan 607]

On the tee box, you can also use the tee markers as the alignment aid. 

[Buckeyebowman 417]

On 7/17/2016 at 10:28 AM, Martyn W said:

You may place something, but you must move it before making the stroke.

8-2a/1

 

Club Placed on Ground to Align Feet

Q.A player places a club on the ground parallel to the line of play to assist him in aligning his feet properly. Is this permissible?

A.Yes, provided the player removes the club before playing his stroke. Otherwise, a breach of Rule 8-2awould occur.

 

Like iacas said, any thing that is already lying there, that you did NOT place there, is fair game to be used as an aim point. I've done it many times. You are not interpreting the "spirit" of the rule correctly, rehmwa. It's about "natural" help versus "artificial" or "constructed" help.

[cutchemist42 38]

I know on the teebox things like divots and such can help in alignment. If you're off the teebox, things like leaves or grass spots can also help. Absent really easy-to-see markers, is it legal to place a leaf or ball-marker on your target line to help in aiming?

 

Tried searching through Google first but couldnt find an answer.

Edited September 27, 2016 by cutchemist42