swanny32
Journeyman Pro
I read the "cheating" article in this months magazine this morning and saw something mentioned about a ruling of if you hit a tree on your back swing.....what are they talking about?
Rules question from this months GM
- Thread starter swanny32
- Start date
Val
Ryder Cup Winner
If you hit trees or branches when having a practice swing. This isnt allowed and a penalty shot (i think 1 shot) is incurred.
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pbrown7582
Money List Winner
I think it was a practice swing? If so and you hit the tree dislodging part of it it is a penalty as the part of the tree hit is growing and not a loose impediment? This is how I interpreated it anyway?
pbrown7582
Money List Winner
swanny32
Journeyman Pro
Sometimes it's impossible not to hit a branch though?
chris661
Money List Winner
Is it not something to do with improving your lie? Haven't read it yet so don't know the ins and outs but you can take a practice swing but if you go at it like a mad axeman and remove leaves,twigs etc and improve your lie then it is against the rules*
*Disclaimer - I could be taking rubbish though
No doubt one of the rules dudes will be along with an answer.
*Disclaimer - I could be taking rubbish though
No doubt one of the rules dudes will be along with an answer.hackamore
Medal Winner
Its only a penalty if you break/dislodge part of the tree in your practice swing. It's fine to break as many branches as you want if you're swinging to hit the ball.
Val
Ryder Cup Winner
You cant practice beside the ball then
connor
Tour Rookie
i take a practice swing at times just to see if im going to hit a tree, not because i care about the tree more to the point of im concerned about damaging my clubs. I didnt think i would get a penalty for touching the tree, i was on the understanding if i broke things i get penalised as it then would improve my origional hampered swing
Val
Ryder Cup Winner
Is it not something to do with improving your lie? Haven't read it yet so don't know the ins and outs but you can take a practice swing but if you go at it like a mad axeman and remove leaves,twigs etc and improve your lie then it is against the rules*
*Disclaimer - I could be taking rubbish though
Spot on :thup:
To add if you hit the branch technically you would be penalised if a leaf fell off so best avoiding alltogether.
chrisd
Major Champion
This one is a really strange rule to interpret. If you have a practice and hit somthing (eg a tree branch) and by doing so, inprove your swingpath then it's penalty time. If it doesn't materially alter the swing path then it's ok. The R & A say that a tree with a few big leaves would possibly be affected if one or two were dislodged, but if it had small leaves, dislodging a couple would not necessarily matter.
Try arguing that on a Sunday morning comp!
Try arguing that on a Sunday morning comp!
swanny32
Journeyman Pro
So say for arguments sake I'm in an area with staked tree's and I'm trying to work out whether one of them impedes my swing, I stand with my club behind the ball and make a slow back swing then a slow down swing and clip one of the staked tree's telling me that it does impede my swing. Would this be a penalty?
BTatHome
Tour Winner
It's only a penalty if it improves the line of your swing. Knocking down a leaf does not automatically mean penalty, as Chrisd pointed out.
Hard to argue in the heat of the moment, but certainly one to remember, particularly in Matchplay if someone tries to claim the hole.
Hard to argue in the heat of the moment, but certainly one to remember, particularly in Matchplay if someone tries to claim the hole.
connor
Tour Rookie
staked trees are a whole different thing all together as from them i think there is a possability of relief?????
duncan mackie
Money List Winner
well you have set it out well here - what's so difficult on a Sunday morning?
the rule relates to improving the area of your swing, for which the accidental removal of the odd leaf isn't likely to matter (banana trees excluded!)
Smiffy
Grand Slam Winner
chrisd
Major Champion
It's the guys who don't know either the rule or the interpretation of the rule. Players often think that they know, get adamant about infringments and are often wrong or, alternativly, they are upset when you point out an infringement that they had never heard of before.
So you have a practice swing in your matchplay game, and your opponent, the Club Captain Mr Knowitall, says " I saw two leaves fall from the tree on your backswing so thats a penalty" and you say "that may be so but it hasn't improved my swing path" - can you imagine the argument that could follow and as its matchplay you can hardly ask for a ruling when you get in.
duncan mackie
Money List Winner
2-5 tells you the procedure for a matchplay dispute and you do get a ruling when you get in (don't use a mobile to call for one, do use it to photograph the situation if that might help later as it saves all heading out in buggies to look at the situation later!!!) It's less than perfect IMO as you have a match going forwards with 2 possible scores, and because there's no downside to the player that makes the claim.
In this instance the captain has to make a valid claim "breach of 13-2 by removing 2 leaves from a huge tree with a practice swing - loss of hole claimed" and the committee, or it's appointed representative, will resolve it at the earliest opportunity - in this case, on the basis of the facts presented, claim dismissed.
bladeplayer
Money List Winner
As said below its only penalty if it improves the actual shot swing path.. very hard to judge this one unless your right behind the player ... regarding staked trees you will find most local rules state you MUST take relief ,, if you take swing to see IF tree is affecting your shot & you knock something off it , its not a penalty , it just confirms that you are entitled to relief .. & you take your free drop ..
chrisd
Major Champion
But I was pointing out the difficulty of the rule. You certainly can take a picture of the leaves but you cant take a picture as it was before the incident and, you know, I bet they would find for the Captain anyway!
