"Don't Make The Same Mistake As The
Pros At The 2008 Open Championship!"
Let's consider the subject of addressing
your ball, which applies anywhere on the course but is
most likely to be an issue on the putting green, where the
grass is at its shortest and balls can move off their spot,
due to wind or gravity.
You need to know what constitutes 'addressing'
your ball. It's when you've taken your stance and have also
grounded your club, except that in a hazard a player has addressed
their ball as soon as they've taken their stance, as you're
not permitted to ground your club in a hazard.
If your ball moves after you have addressed
it, you're deemed to have moved it, and incur a one stroke
penalty. You must replace the ball where it was prior to it
moving. If the ball moves before you have addressed it, due
to wind or gravity, there isn't a penalty, and the ball is
played from wherever it comes to rest.
A ball is only deemed to have moved
if it leaves its position and comes to rest in any other place.
So, if it oscillates in the wind, but always returns to the
same spot, then it hasn't moved under the Rules.
A good tip in windy conditions
is not to ground your club, so that if the ball does move
off its spot you don't incur a penalty as you haven't addressed
your ball. I noticed during the 2008 Open Championship
in Royal Birkdale that some players were addressing their
balls on the putting green and then moving away, because their
balls were oscillating in the very windy conditions.
This was the wrong thing to do,
as Decision 18 dash 2b stroke 7 confirms that a penalty would
still have been incurred if their ball had subsequently moved.
Once you've taken your stance and grounded your club you are
better off making the stroke as soon as possible to avoid
a penalty situation.
However, if you have addressed your ball,
and are worried that the wind might move it, you can quickly
mark its position again and lift it. This cancels the fact
that you'd previously addressed the ball when you replace
it again.
Not to be missed!
Your Golfing Success,
Andy Brown
