Does this count as a putt?

[Shakey]

Hi folks,

First post, so please go easy on me!

I've got a habit before I make a putt of making a stroke behind the ball and towards it. It's a practice stroke that does NOT touch the ball, but I wondered if it should count as a shot, strictly speaking?

I guess I do it to check that i'm going back and through in a straight line towards the hole.

Reason I ask is that if I were to join a club, I want to get myself out of this habit before it becomes too ingrained....if it should really be counted as a putt/shot.

Cheers,

S.

 

[pogle]

A stroke is the forward motion of the club with the intention to hit the ball. So your action isn't a stroke as the intention isn't there.

However, if you accidentally do strike and move the ball, then you still haven't made a stroke, but you will incur a one shot penalty and will need to replace the ball.

 

[Shakey]

Thanks pogle. That's what I wanted to hear! It's a daft ritual, but it does help me line up and check my stroke.

Thanks again...all the best.

 

[Tommo21]

Hi folks,

First post, so please go easy on me!

I've got a habit before I make a putt of making a stroke behind the ball and towards it. It's a practice stroke that does NOT touch the ball, but I wondered if it should count as a shot, strictly speaking?

I guess I do it to check that i'm going back and through in a straight line towards the hole.

Reason I ask is that if I were to join a club, I want to get myself out of this habit before it becomes too ingrained....if it should really be counted as a putt/shot.

Cheers,

S.

Hi There and welcome.............I would get out of that habit as soon as. If you touch and move the ball then it's a question if you made a stroke or not. If you make the backward motion, then forward hitting the ball and move it then it really is a stroke, so you wouldnt replace it, just count it as a stroke. Just dont do it, it will cost you one way or the other.

 

[rulefan]

If you make the backward motion, then forward hitting the ball and move it then it really is a stroke, so you wouldnt replace it, just count it as a stroke.

That is not correct. Post #2 has the correct answer.

[h=2]18-2a/20[/h][h=4]Ball in Play Moved Accidentally by Practice Swing[/h]Q.A player makes a practice swing and accidentally moves his ball in play with his club. Has he made a stroke?
A.No. He had no intention of moving the ball - see Definition of "Stroke." However, he incurs a penalty stroke under Rule 18-2a for moving his ball in play, and the ball must be replaced.

 

[Colin L]

If you make the backward motion, then forward hitting the ball and move it then it really is a stroke.

Listen to Pogie and Rulefan! It would be wise to be re-think your understanding of this. If you don't mean to hit a ball, it aint a stroke. And for that matter, if you mean to hit it and miss, it is a stroke. Pogie was actually quoting from the Definition of a stroke above:

A “stroke’’ is the forward movement of the club made with the intention of striking at and moving the ball, but if a player checks his downswing voluntarily before the clubhead reaches the ball he has not made a stroke.

As to the habit of making practice swings behind the ball, I don't see it is any more or less likely to result in accidentally hitting the ball than practising swings alongside the ball. Indeed, I like the idea of the practice swing being directly behind enough to give a try next time I'm out.

 

[CMAC]

Many have the practice stroke above the ball so you are on the same line, any practice stroke near the ball can result in an embarrassing collision with your ball spinning away at right angles while your playing partners laugh uncontrollably as you had a putt for the win..................apparently

 

[sajkox]

That is not correct. Post #2 has the correct answer.

[h=2]18-2a/20[/h][h=4]Ball in Play Moved Accidentally by Practice Swing[/h]Q.A player makes a practice swing and accidentally moves his ball in play with his club. Has he made a stroke?
A.No. He had no intention of moving the ball - see Definition of "Stroke." However, he incurs a penalty stroke under Rule 18-2a for moving his ball in play, and the ball must be replaced.

I once had a situation like that on the tee: my prectice shot touched the ball that went 5 ft right into bushes. I was told to play from there but does that mean that I could have simply made my 2nd shot (considering 1 stroke penalty) from the tee again ?
Or is my ball not in play yet and therefore there is no penalty whatsoever ?

 

[rulefan]

Your ball was not in play and you did not make a stroke so there is no penalty. You simply retee.

[h=2]18-2a/19[/h][h=4]Ball Moved Accidentally by Practice Swing Prior to Tee Shot[/h]Q.Before playing from the teeing ground, a player took a practice swing, in the course of which he accidentally struck and moved the teed ball with his club. Did the player play a stroke or incur a penalty?
A.The player did not make a stroke - see Definition of "Stroke." Since the ball was not in play - see Definition of "Ball in Play" - he incurred no penalty under Rule 18-2a. The player must put a ball into play from the teeing ground.

 

[sajkox]

great ! thanks a lot.
A have a rules book but find it impossible to remember them !

 

[Tommo21]

That is not correct. Post #2 has the correct answer.

[h=2]18-2a/20[/h][h=4]Ball in Play Moved Accidentally by Practice Swing[/h]Q.A player makes a practice swing and accidentally moves his ball in play with his club. Has he made a stroke?
A.No. He had no intention of moving the ball - see Definition of "Stroke." However, he incurs a penalty stroke under Rule 18-2a for moving his ball in play, and the ball must be replaced.

So you play in say an open comp or with guys you've never played with before...............first green and you hit the ball by accident.........how do you explain to your playing partner I was only taking a practice stroke after addressing the ball, tell them before you start your round that you have this habit when putting. Thats why I said "just dont do it, it will cost you one way or the other". At the very least it will be controversial and hard to explain.

It's still one shot, the main question is putting it back or not.

 

[rulefan]

Yes. There would be an advantage if you accidentally knocked the ball from 10' to 1" from the hole and then said it was intentional.
That would be 2 strokes and holed.
Replacing it, would cost the 1 stroke penalty, plus still having a 10' putt.

 

[Colin L]

Yes. There would be an advantage if you accidentally knocked the ball from 10' to 1" from the hole and then said it was intentional.
That would be 2 strokes and holed.
Replacing it, would cost the 1 stroke penalty, plus still having a 10' putt.

That doesn't make a lot of sense. Accidentally knocking your ball to an inch from the hole and then saying it was intentional is, I suppose, possible but it would simply be cheating. How that would turn into "2 strokes and holed", I have no idea.

But never mind, let's just get this straight and not end up with people getting confused. The OP asked about the situation if you accidentally hit your ball while making a practice stroke. It happened to be a putt, but it applies to any practice stroke other than on the tee. That's clearly answered: it is not a stroke but costs you a penalty stroke for moving the ball (Rule 18-2) and you must replace the ball. That's it, rules question asked and answered.

Additionally, the question is asked about accidentally hitting the ball on the tee. Before you make your first stroke on the tee, the ball is not in play, and so if you accidentally knock it off its tee or even into the bushes, there is no penalty and you can re-tee the ball.

 

[Tommo21]

Your ball was not in play and you did not make a stroke so there is no penalty. You simply retee.

[h=2]18-2a/19[/h][h=4]Ball Moved Accidentally by Practice Swing Prior to Tee Shot[/h]Q.Before playing from the teeing ground, a player took a practice swing, in the course of which he accidentally struck and moved the teed ball with his club. Did the player play a stroke or incur a penalty?
A.The player did not make a stroke - see Definition of "Stroke." Since the ball was not in play - see Definition of "Ball in Play" - he incurred no penalty under Rule 18-2a. The player must put a ball into play from the teeing ground.

Nothing to do with the putting green......

 

[sajkox]

Nothing to do with the putting green......

that was reply to my question about similar situation but when teeing off

 

[Shakey]

Thanks for the replies - and warm welcome, all.

Really pleased I joined up: I looked at Hackers Paradise and Sand Trap, but opted for this one as the others are American (nothing against our American counterparts, but we've got stuff like courses, cold weather(!) etc in common)

I think maybe I was over-egging when I called it a practice 'stroke'. I never get within 3 inches of the back of the ball....it's more of an alignment thing (and I generally only do it on longer putts) and making sure my stroke is aiming at the hole, or line of the putt.

I can feel a new thread coming on: 'What little quirks / pre-shot rituals do you have?'

 

[Colin L]

How that would turn into "2 strokes and holed", I have no idea.
.

Probably because I was being thick. You meant the player would have holed out in 2 strokes no doubt.