Christopher Lane
The rules of golf are tough! Fortunately, we have a guru. Our Rules The man knows the book from front to back. Got a question? He has all the answers.
My friend’s racket has a forked back section. He hit a slam dunk off the green that popped into the air and lodged in the turnbuckle. Is there a penalty and what do we do? —Richard Barnes, Clarkston, Washington.
Assuming the paddle is indeed compatible, if your friend followed the rules correctly, he wasn’t completely forked.
According to Rule 11.1b(1), when a moving ball rests on top of (or, in this case, within) a moving outside impact, the player must drop the ball into a relief area of one club length.
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This area is based on the spot directly below where the ball first came to rest on that club and in the same area of the court, not near the hole. There is no penalty.
A ball stuck in a bat… There’s a first time for everything.
For more putter tips from our expert, read on…
I play right handed. Recently, a ball stopped two inches off a tree trunk. I considered turning my 4 iron upside down to hit the ball as a lefty, but decided to play left handed with the back of my bat. Permissible? Dave Silkwood, Troutdale, Raw.
Yes, Dave, that’s allowed – provided you don’t push, scrape or scoop the ball with the head of any club, per Rule 10.1a, lest you get a general penalty of two strokes in play and losing a hole in the match plays.
The ball must be “hit fairly,” which thankfully is not the same as saying it must be hit well.
Without wanting to throw a jab at your backhanded hitting skills, we hope you’ll consider using Rule 19.2 instead – sometimes penalty relief is a percentage to play.
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