Zach Johnson - no penalty

[Roadking2003]

On 13 tee he hit his ball on his practice swing. No penalty and he got to re-tee.

Is that covered by the new "no penalty if accidentally moving your ball" rule?

 

[Matt J]

always been like that if you have no intent to make a stroke from the teeing ground

 

Tried to post a link from my phone about 5 times but the usga site is junk

 

https://www.usga.org/RulesFAQ/rules_answer.asp?FAQidx=69&Rule=18

[rogolf]

On the teeing area, wasn't a penalty last year and still isn't this year. Ball is not in play in the teeing area until the first stroke has been made at it (stroke is defined as the forward movement of the club to strike the ball (implies intent to do so).

[bigmoneyp]

http://once.unicornmedia.com/now/master/ct-playlist/4d993388-8b49-4f34-9e48-87906e690281/85957be9-026a-415e-a8ce-7bfdc19d5e23/d0e053d3-a633-4e16-81c1-8559a48f1b97/content.m3u8?visitguid=a470f46e-577d-41cd-94b5-c966eb763bdf&UMADPARAMreferer=http://www.espn.com/video/clip?id=26507023&UMADPARAMcsid=espnmobile:golf:story

[Roadking2003]

Thanks.

 

No penalty until he gets into the locker room.......I'm sure he will hear about it from the other players.

[Mr. Bean]

Why would he hear about it? Nothing extraordinary there.

[Mr. Bean]

> @"Matt J" said:

> always been like that if you have no intent to make a stroke from the teeing ground

>

> Tried to post a link from my phone about 5 times but the usga site is junk

>

> https://www.usga.org/RulesFAQ/rules_answer.asp?FAQidx=69&Rule=18

 

It is dangerous to refer to old Decisions as they are no longer in force. Many if not most of them still align with current Rules but not all of them so I would not use them publicly as a guideline.

[BrianMcG]

> @"Mr. Bean" said:

> Why would he hear about it? Nothing extraordinary there.

 

Oh, he will hear about it.

 

Probably the funniest thing I've ever seen at The Masters.

[Socrates]

> @BrianMcG said:

> > @"Mr. Bean" said:

> > Why would he hear about it? Nothing extraordinary there.

>

> Oh, he will hear about it.

>

> Probably the funniest thing I've ever seen at The Masters.

 

One of the funniest things I’ve seen from a Tour Pro. Kinda thing you see at your local muni from a 24 hcp. Wonder if anyone asked him if he got all of that one?

[Sawgrass]

Headline: Even Kevin Na laughs at Zach Johnson regarding his Teeing Area pre-stroke skills.

[HitEmTrue]

> @"Mr. Bean" said:

> Why would he hear about it? Nothing extraordinary there.

 

I’ve never seen a pro do that. Or any decent golfer. Bumping it off the tee is one thing...but hitting it with a practice swing?

[Mr. Bean]

> @HitEmTrue said:

> > @"Mr. Bean" said:

> > Why would he hear about it? Nothing extraordinary there.

>

> I’ve never seen a pro do that. Or any decent golfer. Bumping it off the tee is one thing...but hitting it with a practice swing?

 

I have and not only once. I feel sorry for having seen that as nobody else seems to not have seen it. I apologize.

[HitEmTrue]

@"Mr. Bean" fair enough....no need to apologize. I need to play more golf to increase my chances of seeing it!

 

[Skuller]

I noticed that Zack likes to make his practice swings without moving his feet away from where he's actually going to address the ball. How are you supposed to to know for sure if he's not going to hit his ball when his feet do not change position. Technically he's addressing the ball since he's not changing his position of feet when he goes to actually hit the ball. I'm not surprised that he's hit this ball during his so-called practice swing, I'm actually surprised he hasn't hit it other times.

[KevCarter]

> @Skuller said:

> I noticed that Zack likes to make his practice swings without moving his feet away from where he's actually going to address the ball. How are you supposed to to know for sure if he's not going to hit his ball when his feet do not change position. Technically he's addressing the ball since he's not changing his position of feet when he goes to actually hit the ball. I'm not surprised that he's hit this ball during his so-called practice swing, I'm actually surprised he hasn't hit it other times.

 

"So-called practice swing?"

It's not obvious to you?

 

[Newby]

> @Skuller said:

> Technically he's addressing the ball since he's not changing his position of feet when he goes to actually hit the ball. I'm not surprised that he's hit this ball during his so-called practice swing, I'm actually surprised he hasn't hit it other times.

Technically 'addressing' is not defined in the Rules.

Previously the definition of 'addressing the ball' did not include stance..

 

[LeoLeo99]

 

> @Skuller said:

> I noticed that Zack likes to make his practice swings without moving his feet away from where he's actually going to address the ball. How are you supposed to to know for sure if he's not going to hit his ball when his feet do not change position. Technically he's addressing the ball since he's not changing his position of feet when he goes to actually hit the ball. I'm not surprised that he's hit this ball during his so-called practice swing, I'm actually surprised he hasn't hit it other times.

 

It's golf. You don't need to know. The player needs to know their intention. Just like a whiff vs a practice swing.

[Augster]

> @Skuller said:

> I noticed that Zack likes to make his practice swings without moving his feet away from where he's actually going to address the ball. How are you supposed to to know for sure if he's not going to hit his ball when his feet do not change position. Technically he's addressing the ball since he's not changing his position of feet when he goes to actually hit the ball. I'm not surprised that he's hit this ball during his so-called practice swing, I'm actually surprised he hasn't hit it other times.

 

“So-called”?

 

I knew it was a practice swing when it didn’t hit the dead center of the club. These guys play off +6.

 

[Skuller]

> @Augster said:

> > @Skuller said:

> > I noticed that Zack likes to make his practice swings without moving his feet away from where he's actually going to address the ball. How are you supposed to to know for sure if he's not going to hit his ball when his feet do not change position. Technically he's addressing the ball since he's not changing his position of feet when he goes to actually hit the ball. I'm not surprised that he's hit this ball during his so-called practice swing, I'm actually surprised he hasn't hit it other times.

>

> “So-called”?

>

> I knew it was a practice swing when it didn’t hit the dead center of the club. These guys play off +6.

>

 

Well if you don't change your foot position after practice,how are you supposed to tell when he is or isn't addressing the ball officially?

[Hot Rod 71]

I've never understood why players (from pros to high handicappers) take practice swings and practice putting strokes so close to the ball.

[KevCarter]

> @Skuller said:

> > @Augster said:

> > > @Skuller said:

> > > I noticed that Zack likes to make his practice swings without moving his feet away from where he's actually going to address the ball. How are you supposed to to know for sure if he's not going to hit his ball when his feet do not change position. Technically he's addressing the ball since he's not changing his position of feet when he goes to actually hit the ball. I'm not surprised that he's hit this ball during his so-called practice swing, I'm actually surprised he hasn't hit it other times.

> >

> > “So-called”?

> >

> > I knew it was a practice swing when it didn’t hit the dead center of the club. These guys play off +6.

> >

>

> Well if you don't change your foot position after practice,how are you supposed to tell when he is or isn't addressing the ball officially?

 

"Addressing the ball officially" has nothing to do with making a stroke. It's all about intent, and clearly there was none...

 

**Stroke**

 

The forward movement of the club made to strike the ball.

 

But a stroke has not been made if the player:

 

Decides during the downswing not to strike the ball and avoids doing so by deliberately stopping the clubhead before it reaches the ball or, if unable to stop, by deliberately missing the ball.

 

Accidentally strikes the ball when making a practice swing or while preparing to make a stroke.

 

When the Rules refer to “playing a ball,” it means the same as making a stroke.

 

The player’s score for a hole or a round is described as a number of “strokes” or “strokes taken”, which means both all strokes made and any penalty strokes (see Rule 3.1c).

[nsxguy]

> @"Hot Rod 71" said:

> I've never understood why players (from pros to high handicappers) take practice swings and practice putting strokes so close to the ball.

 

It's funny. Many years ago I used to stand very close to the ball taking a practice putting stroke before resetting for the actual stroke and once, just once, I accidentally grazed the ball and paid the price. NEVER again. And now it's NOT a penalty, correct ?

 

Speaking of Zach Johnson taking a practice driving stroke while standing "exactly" where he does when he DOES hit the ball reminds me of Dustin Johnson's practice putting stroke. He does the same as Zack, only with the putter. He places his feet, takes a practice stroke without hitting the ball then places the putter behind the ball and makes the stroke. I forget but he *might* "inch" his feet slightly towards the ball but nowhere near the same distance as the putter moves from practice stroke to actual.

 

Can't quite figure out how that's a great way of making a practice stroke.

[Mr. Bean]

> @nsxguy said:

> Can't quite figure out how that's a great way of making a practice stroke.

 

Well, maybe because it is not a practice stroke but a practice swing...

[Newby]

> @nsxguy said:

> > @"Hot Rod 71" said:

> > I've never understood why players (from pros to high handicappers) take practice swings and practice putting strokes so close to the ball.

>

> It's funny. Many years ago I used to stand very close to the ball taking a practice putting stroke before resetting for the actual stroke and once, just once, I accidentally grazed the ball and paid the price. NEVER again. And now it's NOT a penalty, correct ?

Correct

[nsxguy]

> @"Mr. Bean" said:

> > @nsxguy said:

> > Can't quite figure out how that's a great way of making a practice stroke.

>

> Well, maybe because it is not a practice stroke but a practice swing...

 

Except that my statement wasn't "Rules-wise" but "description-wise" so practice "stroke" describes it just as well.

 

But thanks anyway,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

[Colin L]

> @nsxguy said:

> > @"Mr. Bean" said:

> > > @nsxguy said:

> > > Can't quite figure out how that's a great way of making a practice stroke.

> >

> > Well, maybe because it is not a practice stroke but a practice swing...

>

> Except that my statement wasn't "Rules-wise" but "description-wise" so practice "stroke" describes it just as well.

>

> But thanks anyway,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

No it doesn't. It describes something different.

[Newby]

.

 

 

[Roadking2003]

> @nsxguy said:

> It's funny. Many years ago I used to stand very close to the ball taking a practice putting stroke before resetting for the actual stroke and once, just once, I accidentally grazed the ball and paid the price. NEVER again. And now it's NOT a penalty, correct ?

I think that happened to Davis Love at TPC Sawgrass many years ago. And then I believe he failed to put the ball back, so got another penalty.

 

 

[mwmgolfx]

How do you tell this isn't a setup type of thing where if the caddy is behind him that he automatically incurs a penalty because his caddy is there when he first takes a stance, even if he isn't intending to hit the ball with that setup and swing why isn't he penalized. Is it because its on the tee only.

[LeoLeo99]

> @mwmgolfx said:

> How do you tell this isn't a setup type of thing where if the caddy is behind him that he automatically incurs a penalty because his caddy is there when he first takes a stance, even if he isn't intending to hit the ball with that setup and swing why isn't he penalized. Is it because its on the tee only.

 

That's only for putting. You can just reset to avoid the penalty off the green.