Legality of using a training aid, but not hitting a ball with it?

[Mych]

I have one of the grip trainers below. I don't play any serious tournaments, but just curious whether it would be legal to snap this onto a club to take a practice swing during a round, then removed prior to the actual shot. Also, with regard to things like an Orange Whip, the rules interpretation seems to be that you can't take a swing with them. For something like this, if a player used it as a quick reference for grip, but never swung or even waggled the club with it. Would that make it legal? Would it be treated differently than using a towel or headcover under an armpit to simulate that drill?

 

Thoughts?

 

Edited February 15, 2023 by Mych

[Colin L]

Does this help?

 

4.3a (6)

Not Allowed.

Using any type of golf training or swing aid (such as an alignment rod or a weighted headcover or “donut”) or a non-conforming club in any way that creates a potential advantage by helping the player in preparing for or making a stroke(such as help with swing plane, grip, alignment, ball position or posture).

[Krt22]

This actually had me wondering recently. A few guys on tour now use their shirt as a swing aid, JT does it on full swings, some guys do it putting. Despite not being a secondary device,  how is that not a swing aid?

[Strategery]

LOL, who cares what anybody does in a fun round.

[Mr. Bean]

23 minutes ago, Strategery said:

LOL, who cares what anybody does in a fun round.

 

This IS a Rules forum and the OP asked for a ruling.

 

Edited February 15, 2023 by Mr. Bean

[Mr. Bean]

36 minutes ago, Krt22 said:

This actually had me wondering recently. A few guys on tour now use their shirt as a swing aid, JT does it on full swings, some guys do it putting. Despite not being a secondary device,  how is that not a swing aid?

 

You may pick a branch from the ground and swing it as much as you want as it is not a training aid per design. Same goes with a shirt or any other piece of clothing for that matter.

[Augster]

4 hours ago, Krt22 said:

This actually had me wondering recently. A few guys on tour now use their shirt as a swing aid, JT does it on full swings, some guys do it putting. Despite not being a secondary device,  how is that not a swing aid?

Tiger won like 11 majors using his shirt “illegally” like that. I’d postulate he stopped winning majors when he stopped wearing those huge baggy shirts. There’s a reason he went 11 years without a major. The style changed among other things. 
 

Vijay won 9 times one year tucking his shirt under his armpit. 
 

It really should be illegal. Alas, a shirt is just a shirt. It’s not a training aid. 

[Mych]

13 hours ago, Colin L said:

Does this help?

 

4.3a (6)

Not Allowed.

Using any type of golf training or swing aid (such as an alignment rod or a weighted headcover or “donut”) or a non-conforming club in any way that creates a potential advantage by helping the player in preparing for or making a stroke(such as help with swing plane, grip, alignment, ball position or posture).

 

Well, there it is 🙂

 

Thanks!

[elsie451]

Just wondering if you had a grip that was permanently shaped like this device (not something you snap on and off), would that be ok? It would seem similar in concept to a golf pride align grip in that it is a specially shaped grip to help with holding the club consistently.

[Colin L]

"The grip must be fixed to the shaft, must be straight and plain in form, must extend to the end of the shaft and must not be moulded for any part of the hands." 

[ Equipment Rules 2.8]                                         

[antip]

As Colin notes, moulded grips are illegitimate. But if a grip moulds through use over time that is not an issue.

[Mr. Bean]

2 hours ago, elsie451 said:

Just wondering if you had a grip that was permanently shaped like this device (not something you snap on and off), would that be ok? It would seem similar in concept to a golf pride align grip in that it is a specially shaped grip to help with holding the club consistently.

 

So what you are essentilly asking is it ok to circumvent the Rule by using something not allowed to be used occasionally during a round to be used all the time.

 

Once you think it over you will surely see the light 😇

[elsie451]

2 hours ago, Mr. Bean said:

 

Once you think it over you will surely see the light 😇

No, i totally get it and agree that it is not and should not be allowed. Really just idle curiosity about the golf pride align mixed with to much time on my hands today.🤪

[Colin L]

17 hours ago, Colin L said:

"The grip must be fixed to the shaft, must be straight and plain in form, must extend to the end of the shaft and must not be moulded for any part of the hands." 

[ Equipment Rules 2.8]                                         

Sorry - the reference is wrong.  The quotation is from Rule 2.3a.

[Nels55]

Okay, suppose that I wanted to Dr. Kwon's rope swing drill during a round.  I assume that it would be okay to take a jacket or sweatshirt and do the drill with that?  How about a piece of rope, would that be considered a training aid?  LOL or maybe a bungee cord that I am otherwise using to hold my oversize bag on my old beat up push cart?

[umamimami]

On 2/14/2023 at 6:35 PM, Krt22 said:

This actually had me wondering recently. A few guys on tour now use their shirt as a swing aid, JT does it on full swings, some guys do it putting. Despite not being a secondary device,  how is that not a swing aid?

Sorry how does one use their shirt as  an aid?

[SNIPERBBB]

5 hours ago, umamimami said:

Sorry how does one use their shirt as  an aid?

You can tuck it under your armpit like the towel/glove drills. You could bite the collar to tam excess head movement

[szaino]

On 2/15/2023 at 7:50 PM, elsie451 said:

No, i totally get it and agree that it is not and should not be allowed. Really just idle curiosity about the golf pride align mixed with to much time on my hands today.🤪

 

The USGA equipment rules define what is a conforming grip. The golf pride align meets these rules, the molded alignment grip does not. 

[davep043]

3 hours ago, szaino said:

 

The USGA equipment rules define what is a conforming grip. The golf pride align meets these rules, the molded alignment grip does not. 

From everything I've seen and read, the Align grips are just a more expensive version of the old-style ribbed grips, which have been conforming for as long as I can remember.

[Mr. Bean]

1 hour ago, davep043 said:

From everything I've seen and read, the Align grips are just a more expensive version of the old-style ribbed grips, which have been conforming for as long as I can remember.

 

 These Align grips are available from most manufacturers and they sure fulfil the requirements of Equipment Rules. But molded align grips do not as they are molded to keep hands in same position every time. I have a short training "club" with a weight at the end and molded grip for consistent grip.

[davep043]

1 hour ago, Mr. Bean said:

 

 These Align grips are available from most manufacturers and they sure fulfil the requirements of Equipment Rules. But molded align grips do not as they are molded to keep hands in same position every time. I have a short training "club" with a weight at the end and molded grip for consistent grip.

I know the kind you mean, and I was indeed referring to the Golf Pride Align grips that you linked.  And I agree completely, one is conforming, the other is very much not.