Air Shots

thelank1985

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Hi Guys what are the rules for air shots does it make a difference if the ball does not move?

Tiger woods has the ability to miss the ball if he feels this swing is not going to perform.

Are there any penalties or when does the shot count?
 

Imurg

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The shot counts if you are aiming to hit the ball but don't...

Tiger, in the Masters a couple of years ago, pulled out of a drive on the 13th as a bird flew right past him. This would have broken most peoples backs but he made it obvious that he didn't intend to hit the ball.
Is it Na who has practice swings above the ball? Dangerous but if he has no intention of hitting the ball then it's ok.
 

la_lucha

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Yep an air shot counts as a shot if the intention was to hit a ball.

I had this argument with a playing partner recently, whereby he was in a dry water hazard, took an air shot and grounded the club. The dirty git tried to get away without counting it as a shot (it may have even counted as 2)?
 

Colin L

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Count the airshot shot plus a 2 shot/loss of hole penalty for a breach of Rule 13-4 by touching the ground in the hazard.

Point him to Decision 13-4/35 if he doesn't believe you.
 

Imurg

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Count the airshot shot plus a 2 shot/loss of hole penalty for a breach of Rule 13-4 by touching the ground in the hazard.

Point him to Decision 13-4/35 if he doesn't believe you.

Now that does sound harsh..
He's played a stroke at the ball.
He's missed, so it counts.
He's then got a 2 shot penalty for grounding his club?

What if he plays, hits the ball but it stays in the hazard?
He's played a shot at it but in doing so grounded his club.
Does he still get a penalty?
 

rosecott

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Now that does sound harsh..
He's played a stroke at the ball.
He's missed, so it counts.
He's then got a 2 shot penalty for grounding his club?

What if he plays, hits the ball but it stays in the hazard?
He's played a shot at it but in doing so grounded his club.
Does he still get a penalty?

If I understood the post correctly then Colin is prefectly correct. He made an air shot - counts as a stroke, situation over. New situation - he then grounds his club - penalty, nothing to do with the air shot.
 

BTatHome

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Not sure that comparing PGA pros with is relevant as I would have thought unless they are in a particularly bad lie/hazard/rough then a tour pro is highly unlikely to perform an air shot .... On a typical medal afternoon at most clubs there is a much higher chance of seeing an air shot from the middle of the fairway though :)
 

BTatHome

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If I understood the post correctly then Colin is prefectly correct. He made an air shot - counts as a stroke, situation over. New situation - he then grounds his club - penalty, nothing to do with the air shot.
Is the grounding after the air shot, or part of the stroke though ? Surley if when paying the air shot the sand is touched as part of the stroke then the penalty is not valid? Whereas paying and air shot then resting the resting the club on the sand after would be classed as penalty.

Would seem very harsh if that's not the case.
 

Imurg

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I had this argument with a playing partner recently, whereby he was in a dry water hazard, took an air shot and grounded the club. The dirty git tried to get away without counting it as a shot (it may have even counted as 2)?

If I understood the post correctly then Colin is prefectly correct. He made an air shot - counts as a stroke, situation over. New situation - he then grounds his club - penalty, nothing to do with the air shot.

I read that to mean he grounded his club in the process of missing the ball.....
 

Colin L

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My reply was on the understanding that he had an air shot and after that grounded his club. In that case there is a 2 stroke penalty just that same as if a player touched the ground in a hazard before playing his first stroke from it. It seemed a fair interpretation if you take "air shot" literally to mean totally missing everything - ball and ground - and just hitting the air ;)

If a player made a stroke at the ball in a hazard and hit the ground and not the ball, that would count as a stroke but there would be no penalty. I would tend to call that a complete duff rather than an airshot though. What I would call myself if I did it will remain unprinted.

Whether the player completely misses, hits the ground or hits the ball and fails to get out of the hazard, his ball is in the hazard and he is liable to the penalty if he subsequently touches the ground in breach of 13-4.
 

la_lucha

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I read that to mean he grounded his club in the process of missing the ball.....

Air shot, in the process of which his club hit the bank.
He then grounded the club a second time after being annoyed with the air shot.
 

Colin L

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Very clear. One stroke for the airshot (doesn't matter that he hit the bank in the process of the stroke) plus the 2 stroke penalty for the grounding.
 

North Mimms

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With Women, you can always tell the difference between an unintentional air shot and a practice swing close to the ball.
We normally yelp after an air shot!
 

rosecott

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Nothing at all to do with the OP's question but a situation that happened to me and I flummoxed many golfers over the years with the following question? (answer's simple when you think about it)

How did I manage to play 4 off the tee on the 3rd hole?

This topic pushes you towards the answer. I had an airshot, played again and put it OOB, teed up again and played 4 off the tee.
 

sev112

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Is it Na who has practice swings above the ball? Dangerous but if he has no intention of hitting the ball then it's ok.

Hmm.. i might be misunderstanding you, but if he is having a practice swing and he hits his ball, it's not a stroke but he has to replace the ball under penalty (other than on the tee)
So still potentially dangerous
 

6inchcup

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i have done this from the tee box in the past,having a practice swing with my driver and caught the ball,never intended to strike the ball so laughed and said i will go and retrieve it and offered my apologies ALL HELL BROKE OUT,being told my ball was in play etc etc in the end we had to phone the pro to tell my playing partners the rule even then they refused to agree and the one marking my card refused to sign it when we finished.
 
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