Question about missing the balll...

["Richard"]

So me and my friend were talking and for some reason with this guy we always come up with the mist retarded scenerios. What would be the ruling if someone missed the ball completely and at the very end of the back swing the club head comes flying off hits the ball off the tee and into the fairway?

I say it counts, he said no way it could possibly count

[1dash1]

Thotho:

I presume that you mean that the clubhead came off at the end of the follow through after he completely whiffed the ball.

The stroke counts by definition (the forward movement of the club with the intention of hitting the ball) AND the player is penalized for breach of Rule 18-2 (accidentally hitting the ball when the clubhead separated from the shaft at the end of the swing). The penalty is one stroke and the ball must be replaced.

So, the net result of this situation is that the player adds two strokes to his score for the hole and the ball must be replaced.

RETRACTION: After giving the matter further thought, I suggest that the clubhead separation was part of the single act of taking a swing, rather than a separate act at the end of the swing.

The stroke counts and the ball must be played as it lies. No penalty.

["Richard"]

i was wrong

my logic was it was one motion... but more often than not... I'm wrong


PS this i has never hapened to either of us, just a disagreement

[Maverick]

Sort of in the same subject, what if you hit the ball (say.. with your 3i) and the clubhead break on impact, the ball moves forward at ground level and the clubhead hit it again, 20 yards away from you, what the hell happen beside an uncontrollable laugh?

That happened to me last year...

[LobWedge]

Sort of in the same subject, what if you hit the ball (say.. with your 3i) and the clubhead break on impact, the ball moves forward at ground level and the clubhead hit it again, 20 yards away from you, what the hell happen beside an uncontrollable laugh?

That happened to me last year...

If the ball wasn't moving see Rule 18-2, if it was still moving when the clubhead hit it see rule 19-2.

[1dash1]

Lob Wedge:

I'd suggest that the applicable rules in this situation would be Rule 18-1 and Rule 19-1 respectively.

Reference: Decision 14/5.

While the decision isn't explicit, in my opinion, the broken off piece of club is treated as an outside agency.

http://www.usga.org/playing/rules/books/decisions/dec14.html

[zoic]

Man, like it is not bad enough that your club breaks, but you get a penalty stroke or two as well.
That is it for me, I am fed up with these rules, so I am not going pro after all, so there. LOL.