What are the rules about hitting the ball off the tee mid-swing?
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The Rules of Golf are tricky! Thank you, we have a guru. Our Rules Guy knows the book front to back. Have a question? You have all the answers.
In a recent golf tournament, my opponent talked to his ball and it started swinging. In the middle of the swing, his ball rolled forward off the tee, and he stepped up and hit the ball. (The shot even found the fairway.) I know the rules penalize a player who hits the ball in motion. What is the story here? I hope you mean a two-stroke penalty or the loss of a hole. — Erik Morrison, via email
Not exactly a charitable soul, Erik, but at least he's honest.
The general rule of golf, as set out in Rule 10.1(d), is that you must play the ball at rest and cannot make a stroke on the ball in motion, lest you incur the usual penalty of two strokes for playing the stroke. and losing a hole in a match.
However – and this is where your disappointment will come in – there is a carve-out where, if the ball starts to move during a person's backswing, and you hit the ball while it is moving, there is no penalty.
That's true as it relates directly to a falling ball, per rule 6.2(b)/5 — yes, the rules cover almost everything — and anywhere else, per rule 9.1(b). In these cases, the stroke counts and you play the next shot from where it lies.
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For a tee-related guide from our guru, read on…
One day, I took a tee that someone had left in the box and started using it. My friend told me that this was a penalty, for using someone else's property. He said that if I want to use it, I must first put it in my pocket so that I can claim it as mine. What is the decision? —Wade Lindren, via email
This sounds like the trick of a deranged witch: “I put someone else's tea in my pocket … you say the magic words — 'It's mine!' – take the tee out of my pocket … and – presto! It's legal!”
Suffice it to say, your friend is very attached. The only restrictions on sharing resources pertain to clubs. There is absolutely no problem with using someone else's tee, towel, rangefinder or ball.
(If the one-ball Local Rule, Model Local Rule G-4, applies, you can still borrow the ball, as long as it's the same make and model as the one you used.)
Accidental use of another person's clubs is the usual penalty of two strokes in stroke play or, in match play, fixing the match by drawing one hole, with two such penalties at any one time. The club must be removed as soon as the player realizes his mistake – otherwise, he will be removed again when using the club.
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